Several people have been injured in overnight Russian air attacks on Ukraine’s north-eastern Kharkiv region, according to Ukrainian military officials.
Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said two people were hospitalised on Sunday, local time, after Russia hit the city of Kharkiv with precision guided bombs and damaged several residential buildings.
Kharkiv is the administrative centre of the wider Kharkiv region.
The mayor said on the Telegram messaging channel that there were more attacks on the city later in the night, partially damaging several buildings.
Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov said on Telegram four more people suffered various injuries in the Kharkiv region later in the night after Russia launched more attacks.
Mr Syniehubov added a residential building was damaged in an attack on the city of Chuhuiv, but there were no injuries in that attack.
Moscow denies targeting civilians in the war that has been raging in Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022.
Reuters could not independently verify the reports and there were no immediate comments from Russia.
Rescuers assist locals during an evacuation of an apartment building hit by a Russian air strike. (Reuters: State Emergency Service of Ukraine)
Drone attacks on Russian ethanol plants
Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones targeted ethanol plants in Russia’s southern region of Voronezh, Russian channels on the Telegram app said.
Voronezh Governor Alexander Gusev said the attack injured two people, sparked a fire and damaged two industrial enterprises.
He said on Telegram firefighters had doused the fire which injured the two workers in the region’s Anninsky district.
Mr Gusev added about 10 Ukrainian drones were destroyed or intercepted over the region late on Sunday, with debris damaging several buildings in the district and the Novokhopersky district, south-east of Anninsky.
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The Russian defence ministry said only one Ukrainian drone was destroyed over the Voronezh region, from a total of 21 downed over its territory overnight.
Explosions were heard near an ethanol spirit plant in the village of Krasnoye in the Novokhopersky district, the Russian Baza news channel reported on Telegram.
The SHOT breaking news channel said the fire broke out at a distillery in the village of Anna in Anninsky.
The plant is allegedly close to Russia’s security service. Videos on social media show a large blaze at a building lighting up the dark.
The reports of damage to two distilleries could not be verified and there was no immediate comment from Ukraine.
However, Kyiv has often said its drone attacks inside Russia are in response to Moscow’s continued strikes on Ukraine’s territory.
‘Ukraine plus northern Europe’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday cooperation within the “Ukraine plus Northern Europe” format was gaining speed with more steps that can increase pressure on Russia expected in the coming week.
The five Nordic countries — Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland — are all now NATO countries and have all been staunch supporters of Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
Sweden and Finland, which both share a border with Russia, joined the alliance earlier this year, with Stockholm saying Russia was the main international threat to Sweden.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy says cooperation with northern Europe may increase pressure on Russia. (Reuters: Kacper Pempel)
Moscow said the NATO expansion was a dangerous historic mistake that would force Moscow to take counter-measures.
The Nordic nations told Mr Zelenskyy last year they would support his country in its struggle to drive out Russian forces “for as long as it takes”.
Mr Zelenskyy said in May that joint military assistance from the Nordic countries would amount to 6 billion euros this year under separate security agreements.
“They understand that it is necessary to create problems for the aggressor so that Russia loses the opportunity to spoil the life of the world,” Mr Zelenskyy said in his daily video address on Sunday.
“We will talk with the Nordics about new fundamental steps that can increase the pressure on Russia for this war and for the sake of honest diplomacy.”
Reuters
