Firefighters are working to put out a fire in a residential building after a Russian attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Sunday, April 17. (Andrew Marienko / AP)
The northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkov suffered another day of heavy shelling, according to regional authorities.
Oleg Sinegubov, head of the Kharkiv district administration, told Telegram: “Today, in broad daylight, there was shelling in the central part of the city, the residential area of Saltivka by MLRS [multiple rocket systems] and artillery. Unfortunately, 20 people were injured and 5 were killed. Residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure were damaged. “
Igor Terekhov, the city’s mayor, said residential areas were attacked in the morning and rockets fired in the city center in the afternoon. He said dozens of buildings had been damaged and casualties had been killed and injured.
Terekhov said that the Russians have not given up on “attempts to destroy the civilian population of Kharkov, to sow panic in the city and to put our spirits up.” However, the will of Kharkiv, the will of us Ukrainians, cannot be hurt by the enemy. Today, I became convinced of this when I saw a medic cover a wounded woman during the shelling. “
In his channel in the Telegram, Terekhov said that Russian forces “continue to bomb the city fiercely. That is why I urge you again, if possible, to stay in the shelter and in the metro stations.”
The state emergency services said Sunday afternoon that “18 addresses in Kharkov have been affected by enemy shelling in the central part of the city. Apartments on the fourth and fifth floors are burning in a five-story building.” It is stated that 160 firefighters and 33 units of equipment were involved in extinguishing the fires.
Sinegubov said that despite the attacks, Ukrainian forces were pushing the Russians back east of the city. He claims that several villages were liberated about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southeast of Kharkiv.
If true, and if Ukraine’s conquests east of Kharkiv are delayed, Russia’s efforts to supply forces gathered in eastern Ukraine for the Donbass offensive could be thwarted. Last week, Ukrainian special forces destroyed a bridge on a supply route south of Kharkiv.
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