A drone view of a damaged apartment building following a Russian air strike near Kharkiv, Ukraine, on May 14, 2024. Around 4 pm on May 14, the Russian military hit Kharkiv with UMPB D-30 guided air bombs. (Vlada Liberova/Libkos/Getty Images)
At around 1 a.m. on May 17, a lengthy air raid alert was finally lifted in Kharkiv Oblast after officials reported numerous Russian drone strikes and a ballistic missile threat.
The air alert had lasted over 16 and a half hours, the longest since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
Six explosions were recorded in Kharkiv throughout May 16. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov confirmed that one of the drone strikes caused a fire in Kharkiv’s Kholodnohirskyi district.
Kharkiv has been frequently targeted in recent weeks, and fighting continues around several villages near the Russian border following a recent Russian incursion.
Sonya Bandouil is a North American news editor for The Kyiv Independent. She previously worked in the fields of cybersecurity and translating, and she also edited for various journals in NYC.
Sonya has a Master’s degree in Global Affairs from New York University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Houston, in Texas.
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