Kharkiv Under Fire Is Peace in Ukraine Officially Dead?

Russian Attacks on Eastern Ukrainian City of Kharkiv Kill 4, Wound More Than Two Dozen

KYIV, Ukraine – Hopes for peace in Eastern Europe dimmed further this Saturday as Russian attacks targeting the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv resulted in the deaths of at least four people and left more than two dozen wounded, according to official reports.

The assault on Ukraine’s second-largest city unfolded in two distinct waves:

• Early Morning Onslaught: A large-scale Russian drone and missile attack in the early hours claimed the lives of at least three individuals and injured 21 others, local officials confirmed.
• Afternoon Bombing: Later in the day, Russian forces dropped aerial bombs on Kharkiv's city center, resulting in at least one fatality and five additional injuries, according to Kharkiv’s mayor.

Adding to the tension, both warring factions have accused each other of sabotaging a planned prisoner exchange, a development that comes nearly a week after Kyiv's surprising drone attack on military airfields deep inside Russia, an act that embarrassed the Kremlin.

Saturday’s barrage is part of a troubling pattern of near-daily, widespread attacks on Ukraine. The attacks included aerial glide bombs, which have become a signature element of Russia's intense offensive since the full-scale war began on February 24, 2022.

Kharkiv Residents Describe a "Fiery Trap"

Amidst the chaos, Kharkiv residents recounted harrowing experiences as firefighters and emergency workers navigated through the attack sites. Homes were damaged, and lives were nearly lost.

Alina Belous, a local resident, bravely attempted to extinguish flames with buckets of water, trying to rescue a young girl trapped inside a burning building. "We were trying to put it out ourselves with our buckets, together with our neighbors. Then the rescuers arrived and started helping us put out the fire, but there was smoke and they worried that we couldn’t stay there. When the ceiling started falling off, they took us out," she recounted.

Another resident, Vadym Ihnachenko, initially mistook the blaze for a fire in a neighboring building. "But when we saw sparks coming from the top, we realized it was our building," he said.

Ukrainian Air Force Reports Significant Russian Firepower

The Ukrainian air force reported that Russia launched a staggering 215 missiles and drones overnight. Ukrainian air defenses managed to intercept 87 drones and seven missiles.

More Pressure on Moscow Demanded

In an X post, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha noted that several other Ukrainian regions, including Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, and the city of Ternopil, were also targeted. "To put an end to Russia’s killing and destruction, more pressure on Moscow is required, as are more steps to strengthen Ukraine," he stated.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that its forces conducted a nighttime strike on Ukrainian military targets, focusing on ammunition depots, drone assembly workshops, and weaponry repair stations. Notably, Moscow has not yet commented on the reported casualties in Kharkiv.

Kharkiv’s mayor, Ihor Terekhov, described the strikes as "the most powerful attack" on the city since the start of the full-scale invasion, noting that 18 apartment buildings and 13 private homes were damaged.

Children Among the Wounded

Kharkiv’s regional governor, Oleh Syniehubov, reported that the morning attacks struck two districts, with three missiles, five aerial glide bombs, and 48 drones. Tragically, two children, a baby boy and a 14-year-old girl, were among those wounded.

Six individuals are believed to be trapped beneath the rubble of an industrial facility in Kharkiv’s Kyiv district. Contact with those trapped was lost, and rescue efforts have been ongoing since early afternoon, according to the Kharkiv prosecutor’s office.

Conflicting Claims on Prisoner Exchange

Later on Saturday, Russia and Ukraine traded accusations of endangering a planned exchange of 6,000 bodies of soldiers killed in action, an agreement reached during direct talks in Istanbul on Monday. These talks otherwise yielded no progress toward ending the war.

Vladimir Medinsky, a Putin aide, claimed that Kyiv halted an imminent swap at the last minute. Ukraine responded by accusing Russia of “dirty games” and manipulating facts, stating that no date had been set for repatriating the bodies.

The ongoing conflict continues to inflict immense suffering on the Ukrainian people. As the international community grapples with finding a path towards peace, the resilience and determination of the Ukrainian people remain a beacon of hope in these challenging times. The need for a swift and just resolution is more critical than ever.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-kharkiv-66093df9697bdb27794c8055d9beac10