The Ukraine-Russia war faced a dangerous escalation as the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv experienced a devastating Russian aerial bombardment on Wednesday, marking the first time it has been targeted with aerial bombs since 2022. The attack left at least one civilian dead and 16 others injured, according to local authorities.
The airstrikes caused widespread destruction, damaging several residential buildings and inflicting harm on the city’s institute for emergency surgery. This escalation in attacks comes amid heightened tensions between Russia and Ukraine, with Moscow intensifying its missile barrages on the capital Kyiv and targeting energy infrastructure across the country in apparent retaliation for recent Ukrainian aerial strikes on the Russian border region of Belgorod.
Kharkiv, a region that straddles the front line where Ukrainian and Russian forces have been engaged in fierce battles for over two years since Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, has been a frequent target of missile and drone attacks. However, the use of aerial bombs on Wednesday marked a significant escalation in the Ukraine-Russia war.
Sergey Bolvinov, the head of the investigative police department in Kharkiv, confirmed in a Telegram post that this was the first instance of aerial bombs being used in the city since 2022. Regional governor Oleh Syniehubov also corroborated the use of these destructive weapons.
The recent intensification of attacks in the Ukraine-Russia war comes as Ukrainian troops face mounting challenges, including shortages of personnel and ammunition, coupled with growing Russian pressure along the sprawling 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line.
In a separate development, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Oleksii Danilov, the secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, in a recent reshuffle. Zelenskyy thanked Danilov for his service but did not provide a specific reason for the dismissal, stating that he would be reassigned to another area. Oleksandr Lytvynenko, the former head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service, has been appointed as Danilov’s replacement.
The dismissal follows Zelenskyy’s decision in February to replace Ukraine’s chief military officer, Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, with Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, amid tensions over the country’s stalled summer counteroffensive.
As the conflict in Ukraine continues to escalate, the city of Kharkiv and its residents find themselves once again in the crosshairs of a devastating aerial assault, underscoring the ongoing toll of this protracted war.
(With inputs from AP)
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