Russian Missile strike on Ukraine kills 10, including two children

At least 10 people, including two children, were killed and 16 others injured when a Russian missile struck a five-storey residential building in Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, on Saturday. Rescue teams continued to search the rubble for survivors amid extensive damage.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attacks and called for stronger international support. He said Russia launched an overnight assault involving 29 missiles and 480 drones targeting energy facilities in Kyiv and other central regions . Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 19 missiles and 453 drones , though nine missiles and 26 strike drones hit targets in 22 locations across the country.

In Kharkiv, victims included a primary schoolteacher and her son, a second-grade student, and an eighth-grade girl killed with her mother. Mayor Ihor Terekhov confirmed ongoing rescue efforts amid the destruction. Ukraine’s regional prosecutor said the building was struck by the new Russian cruise missile, Izdeliye-30 , a subsonic, air-launched weapon with a 1,500 km range and satellite navigation designed to resist jamming.

Elsewhere, debris from intercepted missiles caused damage in several Kyiv Region districts. In the Odessa Region, nearly 80 firefighters battled large infrastructure fires following drone attacks. Ukrzaliznytsia, Ukraine’s state railway operator , reported damage to rail infrastructure , forcing changes to central-western routes.

Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed the strikes targeted military factories, energy facilities, and air bases. Ukraine responded defensively, with air defenses actively intercepting hundreds of missiles and drones to protect civilians and infrastructure.

The European Union, led by António Costa, condemned the attacks, affirming support for Ukraine’s protection and reconstruction. Other EU officials called the strikes deliberate attacks on civilians, emphasizing solidarity.

Russia has deployed tens of thousands of Iranian-designed drones since its 2022 invasion, expanding domestic production and carrying out large-scale drone attacks in a single night. The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has shifted international attention away from Ukraine, delaying a new U.S.-brokered round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks.