Overnight Russian missile and drone strikes on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv left at least three people dead and 22 injured, according to Ukrainian officials on Saturday. The city’s mayor, Ihor Terekhov, called it the “most powerful attack” Kharkiv has experienced since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
Residential areas, schools, and infrastructure were severely damaged. Shocking images showed buildings reduced to rubble and emergency workers carrying wounded civilians through debris-covered streets.
Kharkiv regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov warned that more victims may be trapped beneath collapsed buildings, especially after a civilian industrial site was struck by a wave of 40 drones and several bombs.
Russia Confirms Attacks, Ukraine Shoots Down Su-35
Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed it launched high-precision, long-range strikes on designated military targets inside Ukraine, hitting all intended locations. However, Ukrainian officials assert many of the targets were civilian structures, highlighting the growing human toll of the war.
In retaliation, Ukraine reported that its air force shot down a Russian Su-35 fighter jet on Saturday morning. While no further details were provided, Russia has not responded to the claim, and Reuters could not independently verify the incident.
Additionally, a senior German military official revealed in a yet-to-be-aired podcast that a Ukrainian drone strike last weekend likely damaged around 10% of Russia’s strategic bomber fleet, hitting aircraft as they were being prepped for attacks.
Ukraine Denies Stalling Body Repatriation and Prisoner Exchange
Meanwhile, tensions escalated on the diplomatic front as the Kremlin’s Vladimir Medinsky accused Ukraine of delaying the return of soldiers’ bodies and halting prisoner exchanges. Ukraine firmly denied the claims.
Andriy Kovalenko from Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council called the accusations false and said they “do not correspond to reality or to previous agreements.”
During peace talks earlier this week in Istanbul, both sides had agreed to exchange prisoners and return the bodies of 12,000 fallen soldiers, an arrangement now appearing fragile.
Drone Attacks Hit Moscow Region
In a related development, Ukraine launched drone attacks overnight and into Friday across the Moscow region, injuring two people, according to Governor Andrei Vorobyov. He said nine drones were intercepted, and aviation operations at Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo, and Zhukovsky airports were temporarily suspended for safety.
Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed that 36 Ukrainian drones were shot down across its territory, including in the capital region.
