Russian strike in Kharkiv region kills at least 10

A Russian rocket strike in the Kharkiv region left at least 10 dead and eight injured, the head of the military administration of this region announced on Tuesday August 18. The attack occurred in Pechenihy, a town located about sixty kilometers from the city of Kharkiv, he said on Telegram.

“The Russians violently attacked a busy intersection” where “the post office and stores are located, surrounded only by residential buildings,” Volodymyr Zelensky said on X. Images from the site of the strike, published by Ukrainian emergency services, show rescuers evacuating victims, amid destroyed buildings and burning cars. “We will obviously respond to this Russian attack,” added the Ukrainian president, calling on his allies to increase their pressure on Moscow.

Four and a half years after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, diplomacy has stalled and both countries are ramping up their long-range strikes. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia launched 147 drones overnight from Monday to Tuesday, of which 111 were shot down or intercepted. Ukraine's air force said last week it would stop releasing detailed figures on Russian ballistic missile strikes.

For his part, the mayor of Moscow announced Tuesday morning that at least 620 drones had been launched against the region of the Russian capital overnight. Of these devices, 180 were destroyed, Sergei Sobyanin wrote on Telegram. The local governor counted three injured.