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Russia launched an attack at the city of Kharkiv on Sep. 1, injuring at least 47 people, local authorities reported.
At around 1 p.m. local time, the first explosions were heard in Kharkiv. The Saltivskyi and Nemyshlianskyi districts of the city came under attack, according to Mayor Ihor Terekhov.
According to the preliminary data, the city was struck by Iskander-M ballistic missiles, the Prosecutor General's Office said.
As of 2 p.m. local time, 22 people were injured in the Saltivskyi district and six in the Nemyshlianskyi district. Two people are in serious condition, Terekhov said.
Later in the day, Terekhov added that two children and two medics suffered injuries in the attack on the Saltivskyi district.
As of 6:44 p.m. local time, the number of casualties has risen to 47 people, including seven children, the State Emergency Service reported.
The youngest victim of the attack is three months old, according to Terekhov.
Kharkiv's Palace of Sports was destroyed in the recent attack on the Nemyshlyansky district. Rescuers are continuing to dismantle the rubble of the sports facility, as there may be people under it, Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.
Energy infrastructure in Kharkiv also came under attack, the Energy Ministry reported. The ministry did not specify which facility was attacked or the extent of its damage.
"Russia is terrorizing Kharkiv again," President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on his Telegram.
"All the necessary means for the rescue operation have been deployed," Zelensky said, adding: "And all the necessary means worldwide should be involved to stop this terror. This requires not extraordinary means, but sufficient courage of the leaders — the courage to give Ukraine everything it needs to defend itself."
Syniehubov reported that Russia had struck the city nearly 10 times. The Russian attack damaged a shopping center, a sports facility, and residential buildings.
Russia often uses "double-tap" attacks" against Ukrainian cities: After the first strike, Russia hits the same target again after emergency workers have arrived arrive at the scene. Medical workers and rescuers, as well as police officers, are often affected by such attacks.
Attacks against population centers in Kharkiv Oblast intensified after Russia launched a new cross-border offensive in the northern part of the region in May. While the push has been halted by Ukrainian troops, Russian troops continue to hold a handful of settlements just across the border.
Russia on Aug. 30 attacked the city of Kharkiv with UMPB D-30 munitions, killing at least seven people, including a child, and injuring 97 others.
Kateryna Hodunova
