Death toll after Russian strike on hardware store in Kharkiv rises to 14: Ukrainian governor

The death toll from a Russian strike on a hardware superstore in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv rose to 14, said the regional governor, on Sunday (May 26). Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the daylight attack on an “obviously civilian” target.

Death toll rises to 14

The death toll from the Russian strike that hitahardware ‘Epitsentr’, on Saturday(May 25)rose to 14people, said Kharkiv regional governor Oleg Synegubov in a post on Telegram.

"The number of dead has grown to 14," saidSynegubov, adding thatnearly 200 rescuers worked at the scene.

Earlier, Synegubov had said that six people had “died on the spot,” 40 were wounded and 16 were missing after two guided Russian bombs hit the store. The death toll was later revised to 11.

In a video on the messaging app, Synegubov said that two of those killed “were men who worked in the hypermarket”.

WATCH |Situation under control in Kharkiv, says Ukraine

Epitsentr superstore which was located in a residential area of the city, according to the news agency AFP had been gutted, with thick black smoke emerging from the store as firefighters sprayed water on a blaze sparked by the strikes.

"It took more than 16 hours to extinguish the fire in the Kharkiv construction hypermarket caused by targeted Russian strikes," saidInterior minister Igor Klymenko in a post on Telegram.

The Epitsentr chain sells householdhardware and DIY goods. Lyubov, a cleaner at the store who was still in her uniform, told the news agency that it was all very sudden and recalled how she escaped the building.

“It happened all of a sudden. We didn’t understand at first, everything went dark and everything started falling on our heads,” said Lyubov.

She added, “It was good that my phone lit up, thanks to the flashlight I found where to go, but in front of us everything was burning already.”

Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said around 120 people had been in the hardware store when the bombs struck.

“The attack targeted the shopping centre, where there were many people – this is clearly terrorism,” said Terekhov.

A report by Russian state news agency TASS citing a security source claimed that the missile strike destroyed a “military store and command post” inside the shopping centre.

Zelensky condemns ‘vile’ attack

After the attack on Saturday, the Ukrainian president took to Telegram and condemned the attack on an “obviously civilian” target. He also called the attack “vile” and slammed Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Russia struck another brutal blow at our Kharkiv – at a construction hypermarket – on Saturday, right in the middle of the day,” said Zelensky.

Also Read |Russia bombs DIY store in Ukraine’s Kharkiv, Zelensky says ‘over 200’ feared inside

He added, “Only madmen like Putin are capable of killing and terrorising people in such a vile way.”

French President Emmanuel Macron also took to X and called the attack “unacceptable.” He added, “France shares the pain of the Ukrainians and remains fully mobilised alongside them.”

At least 18 injured in separate attack

Later on Saturday, a missile strike hit a residential building in the centre of the city and injured at least 18 people, said Synegubov.

The missile, according to Reuters, also left a crater several metres deep in the pavement at the foot of the building, which also had a post office, a beauty salon and a cafe.

Ukrainian attacks kill four in Belgorod region

While Ukrainian attacks on Saturday in Russia’s Belgorod which is close to the Ukrainian border killed at least fourpeople, said regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.

Gladkov took to Telegram and said three people were killed in the village of Oktyabrsky in a multiple rocket attack and one man died after being taken to a hospital.

The two shelling incidents, according to the Russian official, also left 12 people injured.

(With inputs from agencies)

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