A Russian strike on a crowded DIY hardware store in Kharkiv resulted in the deaths of 14 people and injuries to dozens more, Ukrainian officials reported on Sunday morning.
The attack occurred a day earlier, impacting Ukraine’s second-largest city.
The Epicentr DIY hypermarket, located in a residential area, was hit by two guided bombs on Saturday afternoon, according to Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov.
He stated on national television that the strikes caused a massive fire, sending thick, black smoke billowing into the sky.
The local prosecutor’s office confirmed that 43 people were injured, and ten of the twelve deceased had not yet been identified.
Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov mentioned that about 120 people were inside the hardware store when the bombs struck.
“The attack targeted the shopping centre, where there were many people – this is clearly terrorism,” Terekhov said.
Ukraine’s Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, in a Telegram post, noted that 16 people were still missing after the strike.
The past week has seen an increase in attacks on the city following Russian troops’ advancement across the border, opening a new front north of Kharkiv.
Russia has continually bombarded Kharkiv, located less than 30 kilometres (20 miles) from its border, throughout the war.
This includes a failed attempt to capture the city in 2022.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged Ukraine’s Western allies to help enhance air defenses to protect the country’s cities.
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the attack on social media platform X, calling it “unacceptable.”
An additional missile strike hit a residential building in the city center, wounding 25 people by Sunday morning.
The missile created a deep crater at the building’s base, which also housed a post office, a beauty salon, and a cafe.
Emergency workers evacuated nearby residents, with some of the injured visibly bleeding.
Just across the border in Russia’s Belgorod region, the regional governor reported four deaths from Ukrainian attacks on Saturday.
Andriy Kudinov, director of the suburban shopping centre, said the store was full of shoppers preparing for summer.
It took 16 hours to extinguish the fire, which covered 13,000 square metres, according to Interior Minister Klymenko.
Rescuers, medics, and journalists had to periodically take cover, fearing additional strikes.
Dmytro Syrotenko, a 26-year-old employee, described the chaotic scene, saying, “I heard the first hit and … with my colleague, we fell to the ground.
There was the second hit and we were covered with debris. Then we started to crawl to the higher ground.”
“In his nightly video address, Zelenskiy called the strike “yet another example of Russian madness.”
He emphasized the need for sufficient air defenses and decisive measures to protect Ukraine’s borders.
He later noted on Telegram that air raid alerts had been in effect in Kharkiv for over 12 hours, with 200 emergency workers and 400 policemen at the scene.
Moscow denies deliberately targeting civilians, but thousands have been killed and injured during its 27-month invasion of Ukraine.