In recent weeks, the Russian military has continued its offensive in northeastern Ukraine, with missiles and guided bombs striking Kharkiv Oblast and the city of Kharkiv.
According to reports by Reuters, local officials in Kharkiv Oblast in northeastern Ukraine stated that Russia launched two attacks on the region on Sunday (May 19), resulting in at least 10 deaths, including a pregnant woman, and 25 injuries.
The first attack occurred on Sunday in a recreational area on the outskirts of Kharkiv city, resulting in 5 deaths and 16 injuries. Later that day, a second attack took place in two villages in the Kupiansk area, causing 5 deaths and 9 injuries.
Oleh Syniehubov, the Governor of Kharkiv Oblast, stated that the Russian army used self-propelled multiple rocket launchers to attack the two villages in the area.
Mayor Ihor Terekhov of Kharkiv City released the casualty figures. He stated on the social media platform Telegram, “The explosions heard in the outskirts of Kharkiv at noon hit a nearby recreational center, causing 5 deaths and 16 injuries from two Russian missiles.”
Reporters from Reuters described the scene of the attacks. The recreational area was destroyed in a powerful explosion. Just over an hour earlier, it had been a bustling lakeside restaurant area bathed in sunlight, but now a man’s body lay under the rubble, and a woman, shaken, stumbled through the debris in search of her handbag.
Valentyna, a 69-year-old woman living across the resort, recalled the moment of the explosion, saying she lost her husband in the blast. Tears streaming down her face, she cried out, “I lost my husband, my home, everything in the world. I’m heartbroken. They (the Russians) are beasts, why do they kill people?”
Yaroslav Trofimko, an inspector from the Kharkiv Police Department, expressed his shock over the Sunday attacks, saying, “There were never any soldiers here… Today is Sunday, people should be resting here, children should be resting here, pregnant women should be here enjoying a normal life.”
Ukraine has accused Russia of frequently using such tactics: first targeting civilians, then attacking the arriving emergency responders.
Following the Sunday attacks, Ukrainian President Zelensky once again called on Western allies to provide more air defense systems to Kyiv to protect cities like Kharkiv.
He stated on Telegram, “Countries around the world have the capability to stop Russia’s terror activities,” but emphasized that it requires leaders to have the necessary “political will.”
Zelensky added that frontline soldiers urgently need the Patriot missile defense system to thwart Russian attacks, saying, “Two ‘Patriots’ would fundamentally change the fate of Kharkiv.”
In the midst of escalating violence and loss of innocent lives, the international community stands witness to the devastating impact of the conflict in Ukraine, underscoring the urgent need for diplomatic efforts to end the bloodshed.