Russian attack kills five in Ukraine's Kharkiv, shatters residences

Russian Attack Strikes Kharkiv: Five Killed, Over Fifty Injured in Residential Bombing

Devastating Bombing in Kharkiv: Details and Aftermath

By Vitalii Hnidyi

Attack Overview and Immediate Impact

KHARKIV, Ukraine, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Russian bombs struck a residential area of Ukraine's northeastern city of Kharkiv on Monday, killing five people, injuring more than 50 and shattering apartment buildings, officials said.

Official Statements and Casualty Reports

Oleh Syniehubov, governor of the northeastern region, said on Telegram that three bombs had hit different areas of the city. He said 53 people were injured, with 30 of them being treated in hospital, three in a serious condition.

Three of the injured were children.

Mayor Ihor Terehov said emergency crews had recovered two bodies from rubble.

Destruction and Rescue Efforts

Facades and balconies on residential buildings were badly damaged and apartments inside were smashed. Rescue workers led stunned residents out of buildings, guiding them carefully around piles of rubble.

Eyewitness Accounts

"We saw two wounded neighbours covered in blood. My daughter went outside, and our cat ran away," resident Viktoriia Nahornyak told Reuters Television over the wail of an air raid siren.

"I only grabbed my documents and went outside in the clothes I'm wearing right now."

Fatalities and Additional Damage

One resident was found dead in his bed. Another body lay on the ground, covered with a blanket.

Officials said warehouses were also damaged in the strike.

Kharkiv's Strategic Importance and Ongoing Struggle

Kharkiv, located 30 km (18 miles) from the Russian border, is Ukraine's second-largest city.

From the outset of the war in February 2022, it has withstood sustained Russian attacks and suffered considerable damage.

Reporting Credits

(Reporting by Vitalii Hnidyi, Writing by Yuliia Dysa; Editing by Aidan Lewis, Ron Popeski and Bill Berkrot)