Russian bomb hits building in Ukraine’s second-largest city, killing 3 people, including 2 teenagers

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces struck an apartment building in Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv on Thursday, killing three, including two teenagers, and wounding dozens of others, and carried out a host of other attacks as they continued their grinding pressure in the east of the country.

Regional chairman Oleg Sinegubov said one of the boys, aged 12, was fatally wounded when a 500-kilogram (1,100-pound) Russian landmine hit the building.

“With severe head injuries and fractures, he was pulled out from under the rubble,” Synegubov wrote on the social network. “Doctors performed resuscitation measures for more than half an hour. Unfortunately, it was not possible to save the child.”

Later, Synegubov reported that the rescuers also retrieved the bodies of a 15-year-old teenager and an unknown person from under the rubble.

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said at least 35 people were injured in the attack and others may still be trapped under the rubble.

Russia has increasingly used powerful cruise bombs to strike Ukrainian positions along the 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) contact line and to strike cities tens of kilometers (miles) from the front line. Kharkiv, a city of 1.1 million, is about 30 kilometers (less than 20 miles) from the border.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyi has repeatedly urged the United States allow Ukraine to use US long-range missiles to strike air bases deeper in Russia that are used by warplanes carrying cruise bombs. So far, Washington has authorized only a few strikes near the border.

Zelensky repeated his plea on Thursday, posting a video showing the nine-story building destroyed, with at least three floors destroyed and the rest severely damaged.

“Partners see what is happening every day,” Zelenskyy wrote in Telegram. “And under these conditions, each of their delayed decisions means at least dozens, if not hundreds of such Russian bombs against Ukraine. Their decisions are the lives of our people. Therefore, we must stop Russia together and do it with all possible forces.”

On Thursday morning, Russia also fired 10 missiles of different types at the bridge over the Dniester estuary, which connects the northern and southern parts Odesa regionThis was reported in the Air Force of Ukraine, clarifying that only two of them were intercepted. It is not known whether the bridge was hit.

Russian forces also sent 43 exploding drones over at least nine Ukrainian regions, the Air Force said. According to him, 17 were shot down, 23 were blocked, and three returned to Russian-controlled territories.

The head of the Kyiv city administration, Serhiy Popko, said that the wreckage of some drones that were intercepted over the capital fell on Podil, north of the city center, causing minor damage. According to Popko, there was only one day in October when the people of Kyiv did not hear an air raid alarm. During the month, Kyiv received an average of two air raids per day, repelling 20 actual air attacks on the city.

In the east of the country, Russian forces continued a slow but steady offensive, trying to take advantage of Ukraine’s shortage of manpower and ammunition. In Moscow, the Ministry of Defense announced the capture of the village of Yasna Polyana in the Donetsk region, which lies on the way to the well-fortified Ukrainian stronghold of Kurakhove.

On Thursday, Ukraine struck back with drone attacks.

Authorities in the Russian-occupied city of Berdyansk on the Sea of ​​Azov reported a drone attack on the port early Thursday, saying three people were injured.

The Ministry of Defense of Russia reported that on Thursday, 21 Ukrainian drones were shot down over several regions and the Black Sea by means of air defense.

Zelensky, who has enlisted the support of Ukraine’s Western allies for his “victory plan”, said on Thursday that the country was also working on a bilateral document with Hungary aimed at “avoiding challenges” between Kyiv and Budapest.

Zelenskyi, who announced this during a meeting with the heads of territorial communities and districts of the extreme western Zakarpattia region, bordering Hungary, noted that the prospective document will cover Ukraine’s security issues and its aspirations to join NATO.

“Very soft wording that can allow us to start a dialogue with Hungary,” Zelenskyy said, noting that Ukraine would ask Hungary “not to block Ukraine’s invitation to NATO.” We don’t ask you to support us or vote for us, just don’t block,” Zelenskyy added.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest partner in the European Union, played along spoiler about the show of unity in confronting Russia over its war in Ukraine and strongly opposed Ukraine’s invitation to join NATO.

Ilya Novikov, Associated Press