A Russian drone attack killed seven civilians, including three children, in Ukraine's city of Kharkiv.
According to the reports, the Russian forces attacked the city of Kharkiv with “shaded drones” late on Friday night.
"As a result of the strikes, seven people died, among them three children: seven-, four-years old, and a baby about six- months old," Reuters quoted regional governor Oleh Synehubov as saying.
Kharkiv is about 30 kilometers from the Russia-Ukraine border, and has often felt the brunt of Russia’s missile attacks. The attacks from Russia have left the civilians often dead in Kharkiv.
Earlier, on January 23, Russian missile attack struck Kharkiv and two other Ukrainian cities. The attack left at least 11 people dead while buildings were also left damaged.
United Nations had called “an alarming reversal” of a trend last year that saw a drop in civilian casualties from Moscow’s attacks.
Kharkiv has faced brunt of Russia’s attacks:
Kharkiv in Ukraine had reportedly a pre-war population of 1.5 million people. The city has been most vulnerable to Russia’s missile barrage in the war. Russia lies north and east of it, and the border of Moscow-annexed Luhansk region is about 150 kilometers to the southeast.
Russian forces have been trying to seize Kharkiv since the beginning of war in February 2022. Russia has deployed strategic bombers, ballistic or cruise missiles, and
Iranian or Russian-made drones that take just minutes to reach the city from across the border.
Unlike the capital, Kyiv, which received advanced Western air defence systems within months, Kharkiv remains almost defenceless. Residents and authorities have had to adapt quickly as any delays mean lost lives.
Russian strikes keep Ukrainians on edge while the 1,500-kilometer front line has barely budged.
