Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that a 14-year-old girl was among the casualties of a missile attack in Kharkiv. Initially, Kharkiv’s mayor, Ihor Terekhov, reported the death of a child in the playground attack, but the death toll has since risen to seven after rescue workers recovered a woman’s body from the rubble.

The missile strike caused significant damage to a 12-story apartment block, igniting it and destroying several parked vehicles. Emergency services rushed to the scene, rescuing survivors from the building as residents were given immediate medical attention.

Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported that approximately 20 of the injured are in severe condition. The attack reportedly involved five aerial guided bombs, known as “glide bombs,” launched from planes in Russia’s Belgorod region. These weapons, difficult to intercept, have become a powerful and destructive tool in the ongoing conflict.

In an apparent retaliatory strike, Ukrainian forces targeted the Russian city of Belgorod, resulting in five deaths and 46 injuries, according to the city’s governor.

This escalation follows a period of reduced intensity in the Russian bombing of Kharkiv, possibly linked to a Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk region. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg defended Ukraine’s actions, stating that the incursion falls under Kyiv’s right to self-defence.

In response to the attack, President Zelensky renewed his appeal to Western allies, urging them to allow Ukraine to use long-range Western weapons against Russian military air bases. “A strike… would not have happened if our defence forces could destroy Russian military aircraft where they are based,” Zelensky argued on Telegram.

As the conflict continues to escalate, both sides grapple with the devastating impact on civilian populations, while the international community faces mounting pressure to address the ongoing crisis in Eastern Europe.