KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces launched a large-scale drone assault across Ukraine overnight Wednesday, killing two people and wounding 60 more, Ukrainian officials said.
Eighty-five Shahed-type drones and decoy UAVs targeted the northeastern city of Kharkiv and other areas, the Ukrainian Air Force said.
Air defense systems intercepted 40 of the drones, and nine more were lost from radar or jammed.
One of the hardest-hit areas was Kharkiv, where 17 attack drones struck two residential districts, according to Mayor Ihor Terekhov.
“Those are ordinary sites of peaceful life — those that should never be targeted,” Terekhov wrote on Telegram.
Two people were confirmed killed and at least 60 injured, including nine children aged between 2 and 15, according to regional head Oleh Syniehubov.
Emergency crews, municipal workers and volunteers worked through the night to extinguish fires, rescue residents from burning homes, and restore gas, electricity and water service.
The strikes also caused widespread destruction in the Slobidskyi and Osnovianskyi districts, hitting apartment buildings, private homes, playgrounds, industrial sites and public transport. Images from the scene published by Ukraine’s Emergency Service on Telegram showed burning apartments, shattered windows and firefighters battling the blaze.
Kharkiv has been targeted frequently in recent months as Russian launches intense drone and missile attacks on civilian infrastructure.
“We stand strong. We help one another. And we will endure,” Terekhov said. “Kharkiv is Ukraine. And it cannot be broken.”
