At least three people are dead and another 21 injured in the biggest Russian drone strike on Ukraine’s second-largest city since the start of the war three years ago.
Russia launched 48 Iranian-made drones, as well as two missiles and four gliding bombs, towards the northeastern city of Kharkiv overnight, officials said.
Ihor Terekhov, mayor to the city of around 1.4 million people, said “we have a lot of damage”, adding that three high-rise residential buildings were struck.
“Kharkiv is currently experiencing the most powerful attack since the beginning of the full-scale war (in 2022),” Mr Terekhov posted on Telegram.
Kharkiv regional governor Oleg Synegubov said the wounded included two children.
"Medical personnel are providing the necessary assistance," he added.
It came less than 24 hours after Vladimir Putin’s forces launched a huge barrage of missiles against Ukraine following Volodymyr Zelensky's audacious raid on Russian airfields last week.
The Ukrainian president said six people were killed and 80 injured the previous night, when Russia attacked “almost all of Ukraine” with more than 400 drones.
Moscow said that the aerial attacks were in response to "terrorist acts by the Kyiv regime", claiming four military bases were targeted inside Russia.
SBU, Ukraine's security service, said at least 40 Russian warplanes were destroyed during “Operation Spiderweb” last Sunday.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Donald Trump said that the Ukrainians had given the Russians "a reason to go in and bomb the hell out of them”.
Following a phone call earlier this week, Mr Putin told Mr Trump the Kremlin will retaliate “very strongly” to Ukraine’s covert operation.
Ukrainian officials have been pushing for an immediate and unconditional 30-day ceasefire, issuing its latest proposal during peace talks in Istanbul on Monday.
But Russia, which now controls around a fifth of Ukraine's territory, mostly in the east, has repeatedly rejected such offers.
