KYIV, OCT 3 – Bomb type glide Russians have rammed a five-storey apartment block in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, injuring about 12 people including a three-year-old girl, local officials said today.
The bomb hit between the third and fourth floors of the building on Wednesday night causing a fire, Kharkiv regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov said. Firefighters are searching for survivors through smoke and rubble.
The city of Kharkiv, located about 30 kilometers from the Russian border, has been a frequent target of airstrikes throughout the war against Russia, which is now in its third year.
Cruise bombs have become an increasingly common weapon of war.
They have terrorized civilians and destroyed the frontline defenses of the Ukrainian army.
It was the main weapon in Russia’s capture of the tactically important town of Vuhledar on Wednesday, as Russian troops devastated the eastern region of Donetsk and forced exhausted Ukrainian troops to retreat from devastated towns and villages.
Ukraine has no effective countermeasures against bombs glidewhich was launched from a Russian aircraft inside Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the latest attack in Kharkiv underscored the urgent need for increased support from Ukraine’s Western allies.
Zelensky recently held talks with officials in the United States in an effort to secure further Western military support.
Russia has had the battlefield initiative since late last year, when the Ukrainian counteroffensive subsided. Ukraine is struggling with a critical manpower problem on the front lines and trying to withstand a Russian onslaught. – AP
