A Russian airstrike on Ukraine's northeastern city of Kharkiv on Wednesday wreaked havoc, destroying a cafe, damaging a nearby residential building, and setting a petrol station ablaze. Local officials reported that ten people were wounded, with at least one person suffering severe injuries.
"I’ve been left with nothing," said Vahe Ohandzhanian, the devastated owner of the cafe, standing amidst the ruins. The blast had ripped a large chunk out of the establishment, scattering corrugated iron roof panels and bricks over dozens of meters. A 12-storey high-rise across the road had nearly all its windows shattered by the explosion. About 50 meters away, a green trolleybus was also heavily damaged, with its windows blown out and its rear side stained with blood, which pooled in a puddle on the asphalt.
Regional prosecutors reported that the trolleybus driver had both legs amputated due to the attack. They identified the weapon used as a UMPB D-30 guided bomb launched from the Belgorod region, just across the border in Russia. Additionally, three more individuals were hospitalized following the strike, according to regional governor Oleh Syniehubov.
Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, has been a frequent target since the onset of the full-scale war in 2022. Recently, the intensity of these strikes has escalated, focusing on civilian and energy infrastructure. Russian forces have also opened a new front north of the regional capital in recent weeks. Although Moscow denies deliberately targeting civilians, the conflict, now in its 27th month, has resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries.
The recent attack underscores the ongoing and brutal impact of the war on Ukrainian cities and civilians, with the destruction in Kharkiv serving as a stark reminder of the conflict's relentless toll.
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