Reports from Governor of the Kharkiv region Oleh Syniehubov indicate that missile strikes have caused damage to residential buildings, a gas station, a kindergarten, a cafe, a shop, and cars in the city. Kharkiv, located just 18 miles from the eastern border with Russia, has been a target of the attacks.
During the overnight assault, Russia launched 32 Iranian-made Shahed drones and six missiles at Ukraine, as confirmed by the air force commander. Ukrainian air defense forces managed to intercept and take down three cruise missiles and 28 drones, according to Lt. Gen. Mykola Oleshchuk. He condemned the ongoing attacks, stating that "Russian killers continue to terrorize Ukrainians and attack Kharkiv and other peaceful cities."
While the Russian military has not officially addressed the strikes, they reported that Ukraine had launched Vampire rockets towards Russia on Saturday morning. However, all ten rockets were intercepted and destroyed over Russia's border region of Belgorod by the country's air defense systems, as per the Russian Defense Ministry.
On the ground in Ukraine, Russian forces were making advancements, with the Ukrainian armed forces finding it "difficult" to push back against them, as stated by Commander Oleksandr Syrskyi.
In the challenging situation in the Bakhmut area of eastern Donetsk, which is partially occupied, Syrksyi reported that Russian forces are conducting offensive operations around the clock. They are utilizing assault groups supported by armored vehicles and carrying out foot assaults.
Intense battles are unfolding east of Chasiv Yar, a town still under Ukraine's control near the occupied city of Bakhmut.
According to Syrskyi's statement on the messaging app Telegram, Russian forces are attempting to breach defensive lines in that area. He confirmed that "Chasiv Yar remains under our control, and all enemy attempts to penetrate the settlement have been unsuccessful."
Meanwhile, near Avdiivka, another city in the Donetsk region under Russian control, the most intense clashes are happening in Pervomaiskyi and Vodyanyi, as per the official. The situation is also described as tense in the southern and northeastern parts of the front line.
Reports from Ukrainian officials indicate that in January, over 40 Russian missiles struck Ukraine's two largest cities, resulting in at least seven fatalities and 60 injuries. Moscow continues to reject any diplomatic resolution to the two-year conflict supported by Kyiv and its Western allies. The targeted cities were Kyiv and Kharkiv, with approximately 30 residential buildings damaged in the latter. The missile strikes shattered around 1,000 apartment windows, leaving residents exposed to harsh winter conditions, as reported by regional Syniehubov.
Tragedy Strikes Kharkiv as Apartment Building Section Collapses
Reports from Mayor Ihor Terekhov of Kharkiv reveal a devastating incident in which an entire section of a multi-floor apartment building has collapsed. The aftermath has left an unknown number of individuals trapped under the rubble, sparking a desperate rescue operation in the city.
