Russian Missile Strike in Kharkiv Injures 47, Including Children
A Russian missile strike on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, left at least 47 people injured, including seven children, on Sunday. The attack hit a shopping mall and a major sports center in the Saltivskyi and Nemyshlianskyi districts, near the Russian border. Authorities confirmed that Iskander missiles were used in the assault.
Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported that several of the injured are in critical condition, including a three-month-old baby. Rescue teams and ambulances responding to the initial attack were also targeted in a subsequent strike, injuring medical personnel. Mayor Terekhov condemned the ‘cynical repeat strike.’
This attack occurred just days after another Russian strike on Kharkiv killed at least seven people and injured many more. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated his call for Western allies to provide weapons capable of targeting deeper into Russian territory. He emphasized that international leaders must act courageously to stop the terror.
Images and videos from the scene show rescue workers and volunteers assisting the injured, with shattered glass and rubble littering the area. Residents fled to a nearby metro station for safety. The missile strike happened hours after Russia claimed to have intercepted over 150 Ukrainian drones in a ‘massive’ attack.
Despite Moscow’s denials of targeting civilians, Russian missile and drone strikes have killed thousands of civilians since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Zelenskyy noted that in the past week alone, Russia fired 160 missiles, 780 guided aerial bombs, and 400 attack drones at Ukrainian cities and military forces. He called for coordinated international efforts to destroy Russian missile launch sites, disrupt military logistics, and shoot down incoming missiles and drones.
Doubts Revealed
Russian Missile Strike -: A missile strike is when a country uses a missile, a type of weapon, to attack another place. Here, Russia used missiles to attack Kharkiv.
Kharkiv -: Kharkiv is a big city in Ukraine, which is a country in Europe. It is the second-largest city in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy -: Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the leader of Ukraine. He is like the Prime Minister of India but for Ukraine.
Western support -: Western support means help from countries in the Western part of the world, like the USA and countries in Europe. They can help by giving money, weapons, or other kinds of support.
Russian aggression -: Aggression means being very angry and attacking others. Here, it means Russia is attacking Ukraine.
Energy infrastructure -: Energy infrastructure includes things like power plants and electricity lines that help provide energy to homes and businesses. Russia attacked these to cause problems for Ukraine.