Russian shelling pounded a densely populated area in Ukraine's second-largest city Thursday, killing at least three people and injuring at least 23 others with a barrage that struck a mosque, a medical facility and a shopping area, according to officials and witnesses.
Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said the attacks early Thursday targeted one of the most crowded areas of the city, which had a prewar population of about 1.4 million.
"People started working little by little, they came out to sell things, and residents came here to buy things," Volodymyr Tymoshko, the head of the National Police in the Kharkiv region. "And exactly this place was hit by Uragan rockets with cluster bombs to maximize the damage to people." Elsewhere, Russian forces shelled the southern city of Mykolaiv overnight as well as the eastern cities of Kramatorsk and Kostiantynivka, where two schools were destroyed, Ukrainian officials said. A man's body was recovered from the rubble of the school in Kramatorsk, and emergency workers say two more people were feared trapped there.
Analysts from the Institute for the Study of War, a think tank based in Washington, said the current Russian offensive in Donetsk may result in the capture of the cities of Sloviansk and Bakhmut. But they noted that "Russian troops are now struggling to move across relatively sparsely-settled and open terrain. They will encounter terrain much more conducive to the Ukrainian defenders."
He said it is important for Ukraine to demonstrate its ability to respond militarily to Russia, both to maintain morale and as "an important reminder to the rest of Europe that this is a winnable campaign by the Ukrainians, Because we are about to go into a pretty tough winter."
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Russia continues artillery strikes on Ukrainian cities, attacks power plantRussian shelling pounded a densely populated area in Ukraine's second-largest city Thursday, killing at least two people and injuring at least 21 with a barrage that struck a mosque, a medical facility and a shopping area, according to officials and witnesses at the scene.
Read more »
Ukrainian refugees forced into surreal journey to RussiaNearly 2 million Ukrainians refugees have been sent to Russia, according to both Ukrainian and Russian officials. Ukraine portrays these journeys as forced transfers to enemy soil, which is considered a war crime. Russia calls them humanitarian evacuations of war victims who already speak Russian and are grateful for a new home.
Read more »
Russia restarts major gas pipeline, expands Ukraine war goalsNord Stream 1 resumes at reduced capacity after Russia’s foreign minister said the Kremlin’s military tasks go beyond eastern Donbas region
Read more »
Russia expanding its war focus to southern Ukraine: officialUkrainian forces on Wednesday damaged a bridge that is key to supplying Russian troops in southern Ukraine, where Russia's foreign minister said Moscow is trying to consolidate its territorial gains.
Read more »