KYIV – A Russian drone strike on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, wounded 47 people, local officials said.
According to Kharkiv regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov stated that drones targeted 12 locations in the city late Friday, causing damage to residential buildings, civilian infrastructure, and vehicles.
Following the attack on Kharkiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged stronger, more decisive support from the country’s allies.
In response to the attacks, Terekhov emphasized the urgent need for reinforced air defense in Ukraine and called for decisive actions from international partners, including the United States and Europe, to support peace efforts.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia launched 183 exploding drones and decoys overnight, with Ukrainian defenses successfully intercepting 77 of them. Additionally, 73 drones were lost, likely due to electronic jamming, and Russia also fired two ballistic missiles during the assault.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 170 Ukrainian drones overnight. The ministry said eight cruise missiles and three guided missiles were also intercepted.
In southern Russia, four people were injured in a drone strike on the Black Sea port city of Novorossiysk overnight, according to Krasnodar Region Gov. Veniamin Kondratyev.
The latest wave of attacks comes after the U.S. and Ukraine on Wednesday signed an agreement granting American access to Ukraine’s vast mineral resources, finalizing a deal months in the making that could enable continued military aid to Kyiv amid concerns that President Donald Trump might scale back support in ongoing peace negotiations with Russia.
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