Kharkiv Brief
Russia initiates drone attacks on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, sparking fires throughout the urban area.
Tension in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv ramped up Tuesday with Russian drone attacks for approximately two hours. Witnesses reported about 20 explosions throughout the city.
Mayor Ihor Terekhov confirmed fires in four districts, including the Barabashovo market, which has been torched four times since Russia's full-scale invasion. Ninety shops were destroyed in the blaze.
In the city's western part, a multi-story residential building sustained damage, with a resident stating the drone strikes transpired in several waves. "It started around 4:20 am. The first explosion occurred, then they just kept coming one after another. After the tenth one, we stopped counting," Nataliia Mishukova shared.
Mishukova's home and car were damaged in the attacks. Four drones also struck a hotel and restaurant complex in the city's north, injuring four people due to acute stress.
Sumy Evacuation
Residents in the nearby Sumy region began evacuating earlier in the day as Russian attacks intensified, with local authorities warning the situation in the city had worsened.
Sumy's Mayor Yurii Zarko said, "Even those who didn't want to leave earlier, or who left and then returned - those who still have a place to return to - they see that the situation is getting worse, so they're evacuating again."
Many elderly and mobility-challenged residents left with the help of emergency services and Ukrainian Red Cross teams. Ukrainian Red Cross commander Volodymyr Moskalenko mentioned that two ambulances were used to transport individuals with limited mobility.
Forced Evacuation for Children
More than 30 children have been evacuated from the Shakhove village in the Donetsk region over the past three days. The local military administration head, Serhiy Sazhko, announced the mandatory evacuation of families with minors in both Shakhove and Toretske due to ongoing shelling.
Sazhko explained, "There were 54 children in Shakhove; as of now, 23 remain. I think in two or three days, we will have evacuated all the children from here. There are 22 children in Toretske, which is a bit farther. We need to evacuate all children from Shakhove first, and then we'll move on to evacuating Toretske."
Families are being transported to safety in Voloshyne, Zhytomyr region, where they will be hosted by volunteers.
- Russia
- Attack
- War in Ukraine
Sources1. *"Russia launches over 160 drones on Ukraine in overnight attack injuring at least 11 people" The Hill 2 May 2022](https://thehill.com/policy/international/4041947-russia-launches-over-160-drones-on-ukraine-in-overnight-attack/)2. "Kharkiv oblast: Situation Worsens Ahead of Massive Russian Attack" The New Voice of Ukraine 3 May 20223. "Ukrainians flee as Russian missile, artillery attacks kill 3 in Sumy region" PBS 6 May 2022
- Following the Russian drone attacks in Kharkiv, vulnerable residents, including the elderly and those with mobility issues, are being safely evacuated by emergency services and the Ukrainian Red Cross in the nearby Sumy region.
- In the aftermath of the relentless drone attacks that transpired for two hours in Kharkiv, reports indicate that more than 30 children have been evacuated from Shakhove and Toretske villages in the Donetsk region, due to ongoing shelling.
- As the war-and-conflicts in Ukraine persist, international news sources like The Hill and The New Voice of Ukraine are providing comprehensive reporting and updates on the worsening situation in cities like Kharkiv and Sumy.
- The ongoing attack by Russia on Ukraine, as evidenced by the drone strikes in Kharkiv, has resulted in damage to residential buildings, the Barabashovo market, a hotel and restaurant complex, and is escalating tensions in the eastern Ukrainian city, as well as surrounding regions.
