Russian missile fire in Kharkiv residential area leaves seven dead

Ukraine

A Russian missile strike in a residential area of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-biggest city, on Wednesday left seven people dead and injured 16, the Ukrainian Emergencies Service said. The fire hit a dormitory building block where around fifty people were residing. 

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky slammed Russia for the attack on Telegram, "This is a devious and cynical strike on civilians with no justification, showing the powerlessness of the aggressor. We cannot forgive. We will avenge it."

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A witness Ivan Sokol described the missile fire to Reuters as a "Caliber cruise missile". Zelensky said a block of flats was "totally destroyed" in the attack.

"Then, bang, gray. Gray fog...we've got three windows - nothing else left! The stairs started collapsing, people started helping each other," building resident, Tamara Kramarenko told Reuters describing the scene of the attack.

Meanwhile, Pavlo Kyrylenko, governor of the Donetsk region in the east, said on Wednesday that two civilians were killed and seven wounded in shelling by Russian forces in the past 24 hours. Donetsk has seen some of the fiercest fighting during the war that started in February.

Kharkiv was besieged in the first days of the invasion in February. But Russian troops, backed by massive artillery fire and missile strikes, have not been able to take control of Ukraine's second-biggest city. 

(With inputs from agencies)