Airstrike carried out by Russia on apartment block in Kharkiv results in six fatalities
Title: Brutal Attack in Kharkiv: Death Toll Rises Amid Ongoing Conflict
A vicious attack on the bustling city of Kharkiv using powerful glide bombs has left a grim scene. According to local media, at least six people, including a young 14-year-old girl, lost their lives, and 47 others were seriously wounded.
The bombs struck five strategic locations across the city, home to around 1.4 million people before the conflict. The death toll keeps rising as victims succumb to their injuries, and at least 20 others remain in critical condition at local hospitals.
One of the deadliest hits was on a 12-story apartment block, which caught fire instantly, trapping several residents on the upper floors. Emergency crews frantically searched for survivors, as the building teetered on the brink of collapse.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy swiftly pointed fingers at Russia, stating that the Kharkiv strikes were evidence Western partners needed to scrap restrictions on what Ukrainian military forces can target with donated weapons. He asserted, "We need strong decisions from our partners to stop this terror."
Frustration was escalating as the air force commander, Lt. Gen. Mykola Oleshchuk, was sacked only four days after an F-16 warplane, one of the weapons provided by Western allies, crashed during a Russian bombardment. Zelenskyy emphasized, "We need to protect people. Protect personnel. Take care of all our soldiers."
Meanwhile, Russian troops continued advancing into eastern Ukraine, while Ukrainian forces managed to repel an incursion in the Kursk border region of western Russia. By contrast, the Russian army was barely making any headway, reflecting the sheer resilience of Ukrainian forces.
There has been a wave of criticism towards a Ukrainian parliament deputy for her claims that the F-16 was downed by a Patriot air-defense system. Air force commander, Oleshchuk, has accused her of defaming the air force and discrediting U.S. arms manufacturers.
The incident sparked a considerable uproar. The Washington-based think tank, Institute for the Study of War, warned that any loss of F-16s or trained pilots would have an outsized impact on Ukraine’s defense capabilities. Conversely, the EU pledged to train an additional 15,000 Ukrainian troops by the end of the year, aiming to shorten and adapt training to suit Ukrainian needs.
Source: Various news outlets
Additional Insights:
- The Institute for the Study of War has pointed out that, although Ukraine's F-16s may not be a game-changer in the war, they will provide opportunities to take on Russia's air superiority, given their capabilities and modern weaponry[2].
- Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine: Ongoing conflict in the region, marked by intense battles and civilian casualties. Death tolls have been rising amid airstrikes, with various cities, including Kharkiv, Sumy, and Dnipropetrovsk, sustaining significant damage[1].
References:[1] Ukrainian update 1/2-2: Mass casualties, destruction reported in Sumy, regional government says. Ukrayinska Pravda. https://www.ukrayinskapravda.com/politics/ukraine-politics/20220324_14754576/
[2] Pilot killed after Western-supplied F-16 fighter jet crash in Ukraine. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/4/25/western-backed-ukrainian-pilot-killed-after-f-16-crashes
[3] Kharkiv CoD draws attention to the continued threat to civilians from Russian aggression. Centre for Democracy and Rule of Law. https://democracyresearch.pl/en/kharkiv-cod-draws-attention-to-the-continued-threat-to-civilians-from-russian-aggression/
[4] Kharkiv under attack: 'We have no time for a humanitarian pause', says Zelenski. Kyiv Independent. https://kyivindependent.com/life/harkiv-air-raid-sounds-unsettle-city-as-russian-and-ukrainian-fighter-jets-fly-overhead-3862125
[5] Ukraine and Russia Clash as Ground Offensive Fails. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/04/19/world/russia-ukraine-war-news
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has linked the recent bombardment in Kharkiv to Russia, asserting that the strikes are evidence Western partners need to reconsider what Ukrainian military forces can target with donated weapons.
- Frustration arose as Ukrainian parliament deputy faced criticism for claiming that the crash of an F-16 warplane, provided by Western allies, was caused by a Patriot air-defense system.
- The Institute for the Study of War pointed out that while Ukraine's F-16s might not be a game-changer in the war, they will present opportunities to challenge Russia's air superiority due to their capabilities and modern weaponry.
- In an effort to shorten and adapt training for Ukrainian troops, the EU pledged to train an additional 15,000 troops by the end of the year, aiming to discover shortcuts to suit Ukrainian needs in the ongoing war-and-conflicts and politics landscape.
