Ukrainian drones and missiles kill six in Russia and Crimea, fresh bombing of Kharkiv leaves one dead

Russian authorities said six people died and more than 100 were wounded in Ukrainian drone and missile attacks today NZT, while the second day of Russia’s aerial bombing of Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine killed at least one person.

Among the dead were five people – including two children – who were hit by falling debris from Ukrainian missiles that were shot down over a coastal area in Sevastopol, a port city in Russia-annexed Crimea, said Mikhail Razvozhayev, the city’s Moscow-installed Governor. Another person died in Grayvoron city in Russia’s Belgorod region, bordering Ukraine, regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.

Razvozhayev said 151 people were wounded in Sevastopol. Falling rocket fragments caused a forest fire of more than 150sq m and set a residential building alight, RIA Novosti said, noting that a fifth missile had exploded over the city.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said both Ukraine and the United States bore “responsibility for a deliberate missile strike on civilians”. It said that US-supplied ATACMS missiles were used in the Ukrainian attack.

Municipal workers carry a person killed after an apartment building was hit in a Russian strike killing at least three and injuring 23, in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Photo / AP

Razvozhayev declared a day of mourning in Sevastopol, with public events cancelled.

Air defences overnight shot down 33 Ukrainian drones over Russia’s western Bryansk, Smolensk, Lipetsk, and Tula regions, the Russian Ministry of Defence said. No casualties or damage were reported.

A fresh attack on Kharkiv killed at least one person and wounded 11, according to local officials. Mayor Ihor Terekhov said the city was attacked by a guided bomb and that around half of Kharkiv was without electricity because of the strike.

The attacks came after Russia struck Kharkiv on Sunday with four aerial bombs, hitting a five-storey residential building and killing three people. Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov said that 41 people were still being treated for injuries today.

In a video address following the attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Ukraine’s partners to bolster its air defences.

“Modern air defence systems for Ukraine – such as Patriots, accelerated training of our pilots for F-16s, and most importantly, sufficient range for our weapons – are truly necessary,” he said.

Two people were wounded by falling debris when two Russian missiles were shot down over the Kyiv region overnight, Ukraine’s Air Force commander Mykola Oleschuk said.

Regional Governor Vadym Filashkin of Ukraine’s partly occupied Donetsk region said that Russian attacks on Sunday killed two people and wounded four.

In other developments, the Ukrainian Navy released photos that it says confirm the destruction of a warehouse in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region used to launch and store Iranian-designed Shahed drones.

Navy officials said training instructors and cadets were killed in the attack on Saturday. Moscow has not yet commented on the reports, but officials said air defences shot down a number of drones in the region.