Russian strikes injure 5 in Kharkiv
Editor's note: This item has been updated to include additional information.
Multiple Russian strikes on the residential area in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, injured five people on April 7, the regional prosecutor's office reported.
The Russian attack struck an industrial zone and a central park in the city. Kharkiv, roughly 40 kilometers (24 miles) south of the Russian border, faces near-daily attacks, Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.
The proximity to the border often prevents air defense systems from detecting launches of Russian missiles toward Kharkiv on time, with some missiles hitting Kharkiv at least 40 seconds after the launch.
As a result of the strikes, at least 13 multi-story buildings and private houses, educational institutions, cafes, dormitories, a hotel, and cars were damaged, the prosecutors said.
According to preliminary data, the Russian forces used two guided bombs against the city.
Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said on April 1 that more than $10 billion is needed to rebuild everything that Russian forces have damaged or destroyed in the city.
The day before, President Volodymyr Zelensky called on international partners to provide Ukraine with modern air defense systems to defend against Russian attacks.
“I can say that, to cover Ukraine completely in the future, it is preferable to have 25 Patriot systems, with six to eight batteries each,” Zelensky said.
Overnight, Kharkiv Oblast was targeted by Russian drones.
On April 6, Russian forces launched a so-called double-tap attack on Kharkiv, luring emergency workers after the initial attack and then launching another one just as the rescue operation began.
More than 20,000 buildings have been destroyed in Kharkiv since Feb. 24, 2022, according to Ukrainian officials.
Illia Ponomarenko
