Russian Missile Attack in Kharkiv Results in 6 Deaths and 14 Injuries

On Saturday, a civilian mail delivery centre in Kharkiv, northeastern Ukraine, was hit by Russian missiles. At least six mail centre employees died, while 14 others suffered injuries.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, posted a video to social media that showed a building with blown-out windows and vehicles parked in front of the building with the word “Nova Poshta” scrawled on them. In Ukrainian, nova poshta translates to new post.

Zelenskyy posted on the Telegram chat app, “Russian missiles hit the Nova Poshta centre — an ordinary civilian object.”

Oleh Synehubov, the governor of the larger Kharkiv area, reported that several of the injured were in critical condition.

According to the local prosecutor’s office, two S-300 missiles fired by Russian soldiers in the Belgorod region to the north of Kharkiv struck the warehouse.

Russia didn’t respond right after, but in the past it has always denied targeting people. Reuters was unable to quickly confirm the claim.

Russian military fires on Nikopol

At least three civilians were killed and numerous others were hurt earlier on Saturday when Russian forces intensified their eastward offensive and pounded large portions of Ukraine.

From their position close to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Russian soldiers shelled the town of Nikopol, which was occupied by the Ukrainians. Serhii Lysak, the local governor of Ukraine, stated that emergency services were evaluating the damage in Nikopol.

Early in their invasion in February 2022, Russian forces took control of the nuclear reactor, which at times raised concerns about a radioactive mishap due to nearby shelling.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s village of Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine was hit by a Russian missile on Friday night, killing a 60-year-old man and critically injuring his wife, according to Mayor Oleksandr Vilkul on the messaging service Telegram.

The same location was struck by Russian missiles and drones overnight, according to the mayor, igniting a fire that was put out by Saturday morning. Vilkul didn’t describe what was found there or how it might be related to the conflict.

According to Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Russian Defence Ministry, Russian forces damaged munitions and fuel stores for the Ukrainian military close to the airport in Kryvyi Rih.

The assertion made by Konashenkov received no immediate response from Ukrainian officials.

tanks, drones, mortars, and artillery

Russian soldiers used mortars, artillery, tanks, drones, and rocket launchers to strike the Kherson region in southern Ukraine. According to Governor Oleksandr Prokudin’s post on Telegram on Saturday, one person was murdered and another was hurt in the widespread bombardment.

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Acting Governor Ihor Moroz said on Saturday that fierce combat is still going on in the eastern city of Avdiivka as Russian forces have stepped up their advance there and Ukrainian forces attempt to fend off Russian attacks.

The Institute for the Study of War’s study shows that Russian forces have made only marginal progress north of Avdiivka. According to the Washington-based policy institute, Moscow has experienced “heavy” material and people losses in its attempts to take control of the disputed industrial town. Its analysis was backed up by geolocated video from local pro-Kremlin “military bloggers.”

In the action in Avdiivka the day before, the Ukrainian General Staff asserted that its forces had damaged or obliterated more than 100 armoured vehicles and close to 50 Russian tanks.

The Associated Press noted that the assertion could not be independently corroborated.

In order to reclaim terrain close to Kupiansk and the neighbouring town of Lyman, Russian forces have also been waging an attack.

According to the governor of Russia’s Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, two of the province’s districts were shelled by Ukrainian forces with mortars and grenade launchers the day before. No civilians were wounded, according to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.

In his daily address on Friday, Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to the military forces in southern Ukraine “who are holding their ground and destroying the occupier day after day.”

U.S. is condemned by North Korea.

North Korea criticised the United States for giving Ukraine long-range ballistic missiles on Saturday, claiming any attack on Russia carried out with them will only impede peace efforts.

On Tuesday, Ukraine claimed it had used the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, given by the United States, for the first time, severely damaging two airfields in Russian-occupied territory. Kyiv had repeatedly requested the missiles from Washington while pledging not to use them inside of Russia.

North Korea’s ambassador to Russia, Sin Hong-Chol, made the allegation in a statement broadcast by state-run media KCNA. “The U.S. finally delivered ATACMS ground-to-ground missile system to Ukraine despite the deep concern and strong opposition of the international community,” he added.

The White House recently accused Pyongyang of sending weapons supplies to Russia, calling it a worrying trend and raising doubts about the two countries’ growing military ties. The White House claims that satellite images appear to show cargo ships travelling back and forth between North Korea and Russia in support of an illegal arms trade that supports Moscow’s conflict in Ukraine.