Russia Launches Deadly Nighttime Drone Barrage on Ukraine’s Kharkiv

A concentrated Russian drone assault lasting just nine minutes struck Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, on Wednesday night, killing six people and injuring 64 others — including nine children — according to Ukrainian officials.

The strike followed two of the most intense Russian aerial attacks of the war earlier this week, part of what Moscow claims is retaliation for recent Ukrainian operations inside Russia.

In the early hours of Thursday, Kharkiv faced another wave of drone attacks, with strikes reported across four districts, including one drone that crashed into a school courtyard, shattering windows. No additional casualties were reported from the latest strikes, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said.

Widespread Destruction in Kharkiv

Seventeen drones targeted the northeastern city during Wednesday’s assault, igniting fires in 15 units of a five-story apartment building and damaging multiple civilian sites. According to prosecutors in the Kharkiv region, six fatalities have been confirmed as rescue teams continue to search the rubble. At least three individuals are still believed to be trapped.

“There are direct hits on multi-story buildings, private homes, playgrounds, businesses, and even public transport,” Mayor Terekhov reported on Telegram.

President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the strike, calling for increased international pressure on Russia:

“Every new day now brings new despicable blows from Russia… With literally every blow it strikes against ordinary life, it proves that the pressure is not enough.”

A Reuters witness described scenes of emergency workers rescuing civilians from collapsed buildings, treating the injured, and extinguishing fires amid the night’s chaos.

Oleh Sinehubov, governor of Kharkiv region, said nine of the injured — including a 2-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy — remain hospitalized.

According to Ukraine’s military, Russia launched a total of 85 drones across the country overnight; 40 were intercepted.

Blackouts in Southern Ukraine

Meanwhile, Russian forces struck a key energy facility in southern Ukraine, leaving large parts of Mykolaiv and Kherson regions without electricity.

Kherson Governor Oleksandr Prokudin urged residents to prepare for prolonged outages:

“It is currently impossible to predict the duration of the work. I ask for your understanding and patience.”

In neighboring Mykolaiv, Governor Vitaliy Kim said emergency power shutdowns were in effect, but restoration efforts were underway.

Kherson, which borders active front lines, faces near-daily attacks by drones, missiles, and artillery. Mykolaiv has also endured frequent strikes throughout the war.

There was no immediate comment from Russian authorities on the latest attacks.

Both Kyiv and Moscow deny targeting civilians, though tens of thousands have died since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022 — the overwhelming majority of them Ukrainian civilians.