kyiv could fire German weapons at Russia – DW – 05/31/2024

Russian missiles hit three sites in Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, killing at least three people and injuring 16 others, officials said Friday.

According to accounts of the strike, the missiles hit a five-story building, a store, a three-story building and a sewing factory around midnight local time.

Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov said S-300 missiles had been used. He further said that the attacks were of the “double tap” type seen recently, in which a second strike is launched soon after the first on the same site.

“All strikes target civilian infrastructure exclusively,” he added.

Syniehubov warned that more people could end up under the rubble. He said at least two children and an emergency doctor were among those injured in the attack.

Moscow denies deliberately targeting civilians.

“The third, fourth and fifth floors were destroyed, the stairwells were destroyed, the facades were destroyed,” Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov told public broadcaster Suspilne, describing the damage caused to the 'building.

Kharkiv police chief Volodymyr Tymoshko told Suspilne that he expected the death toll to rise given the many injuries caused by the shrapnel.

The northeastern city of Kharkiv, located just across the Russian border from Belgorod, resisted Russian advances during the first weeks of the invasion. However, it has been repeatedly attacked by missiles and drones in recent weeks.