Russian Drone Attack In Kharkiv Causes Ukrainians To Die And Injure

JAKARTA - Russia's nine-minute drone strike in Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, at midnight killed at least two people and injured 57 people, including seven children, local officials said on Wednesday.

A violent attack with 17 drones sparked a fire in 15 units of a five-story apartment building, causing another damage to the city close to Russia's borders, said Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov.

"There have been direct attacks on multilevel buildings, private homes, playgrounds, companies, and public transportation," said Mayor Terekhov on the messaging app Telegram.

"The apartment caught fire, the roof was destroyed, the car caught fire, the window broke," he said.

A Reuters witness saw an emergency rescue team helping to get people out of the damaged building and provide care, while firefighters fought the blaze in the dark.

Зараз у Харкові тривають роботи після нічного удару російських «шахедів». Удар прийшовся по звичайних будинках. Станом на цей час відомо про 64 постраждалих, і серед них дев'ять дітей. На жаль, три людини загинули. Мої співчуття рідним та близьким. Багато пожеж було в місті, але,… pic.twitter.com/BOBNwjIiiL

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 11, 2025

"Don't worry," he said.

Nine injured, including a 2-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy, have been hospitalized, Kharkiv Region Governor Sinehubov said on Telegram.

He added that the attack also hit the city troli bus depot and several residential buildings.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military said Russia had launched 85 drones overnight, 40 of which were shot down.

It said nine drones were missing - a reference to the Ukrainian military using electronic warfare to direct them - or they are a drone simulator that does not carry a warhead.

"The main areas of airstrikes are Kharkiv, Donetsk, and Odesa areas," the military said on Telegram.

There was no immediate comment from Russia. Kharkiv, in northeastern Ukraine, defended Russia's massive attacks in the early days of the war and has since often been the target of drone attacks, guided missiles and aerial bombs.

The attack last night followed Russia's two biggest attacks in the war in Ukraine this week, part of an intensive bombing that Moscow said was a countermeasure against Kyiv's latest attack on Russia.

Both Russia and Ukraine have denied targeting civilians in Russia's war against its smaller neighbors by February 2022. However, thousands of civilians have died in the conflict, most of them Ukrainians.

"We survive. We help each other. And we will definitely survive," said Mayor Terekhov.

"Kharkiv is Ukraine. And it cannot be broken," he said.