At least three people have been killed and 17 others injured in what officials are calling the largest drone assault on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv since the war began, city mayor Ihor Terekhov said Friday.
The overnight barrage involved 48 drones, two missiles, and four gliding bombs launched by Russian forces toward the densely populated urban area, causing widespread destruction and panic. “There is a lot of damage,” Mayor Terekhov said in a statement. “Three high-rise residential buildings were directly hit.”
The latest attack comes just hours after a series of intense strikes across Ukraine the previous night, which left six dead and more than 80 wounded in multiple regions. Ukrainian emergency services have been working through the night to rescue survivors trapped under rubble, while local hospitals have reported a surge in emergency cases.
The escalation follows a significant Ukrainian drone operation targeting Russian airfields last Sunday, which reportedly inflicted damage on multiple military installations deep inside Russian territory.
In the aftermath of Ukraine’s counterstrike, former U.S. President Donald Trump commented on rising tensions, saying Russian President Vladimir Putin had indicated he “would need to respond.” Trump’s statement has raised concerns about further escalation between the two countries, already locked in a devastating conflict that has entered its third year.
Ukrainian officials have condemned the latest attacks as “deliberate acts of terror” against civilians. “These strikes show Russia’s continuing disregard for human life,” said Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council. “But Ukraine will not be broken.”
The UN has called for restraint and renewed international efforts to de-escalate the situation. Meanwhile, Kyiv officials are urging Western allies to accelerate air defense support as Russia increasingly turns to drone warfare to pressure Ukrainian infrastructure and civilian morale.
As daylight breaks over Kharkiv, the city’s rescue teams continue to clear debris, search for survivors, and assess the extent of destruction. The toll from the latest attack is expected to rise.
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