Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky condemns ‘pure terrorism’ as Putin’s forces hit Kharkiv with new strikes
Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Vladimir Putin’s forces of “pure terrorism” after Russia launched two rounds of devastating attacks on Kharkiv’s civilians on Saturday.
An initial series of overnight missile and drone strikes – described by Kharkiv’s mayor Ihor Terekhov as the “most powerful attack” of the war so far – killed at least three people and injured 21 others, with a six-week-old baby and a 14-year-old girl among the wounded.
Ukraine’s second city was again struck later on Saturday afternoon with guided aerial bombs.
Warning that at least one person had been killed and more than 40 wounded in the second attack, Mr Zelensky said: “This is another savage killing. Aerial bombs were dropped on civilians in the city – there is even a children’s railway nearby.
“This makes no military sense. This is pure terrorism This cannot be turned a blind eye to. And this is not some kind of game. Every day, we lose our people only because Russia feels it can act with impunity. Russia must be firmly forced into peace.”
The strikes on Kharkiv came amid Russia’s second-largest overnight missile and drone attack of the war so far, which targeted nearly 20 locations across Ukraine and involved 452 projectiles, the Ukrainian Air Force said.
