A Russian attack on Ukraine’s second-largest city overnight killed at least seven people, including three children, Kharkiv’s governor said Saturday.
An Iranian-made Shahed drone hit a gas station, creating a “river of fire” that engulfed 15 homes in an unstoppable blaze.
Among the victims was a family of five, including three children aged six, four and seven months, who were reportedly “burned alive” inside their own home.
“They were held hostage by the fire inside their own home,” said chief investigator Serhiy Bolvinov.
‘The man’s body was found in the hallway of the house, the mother and children tried to save themselves in the bathroom. We still don’t know where the baby’s body is. The search is underway.
While the Ukrainian air force said it was able to destroy 21 of 31 drones launched across the country overnight, the devastation in Kharkiv comes amid fears that defenders are running out of ammunition needed to repel airstrikes.
Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, this week called on U.S. lawmakers to approve a new aid package as her country faces a “critical shortage” of military equipment.
Devastating gas station attack in Kharkiv leveled 15 homes, killing seven people
A firefighter works at the scene of a Russian drone strike in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on February 10, 2024.
Locals expressed fears that Ukraine is struggling to repel drone attacks after the attack in Kharkiv.
Fire breaks out after a Russian drone attack hit a former recreation center and hotel in Zmiiv, Kharkiv.
In an interview with Bloomberg on Thursday, Markarova pleaded with international backers to maintain their support for Ukraine as the war approaches its second anniversary.
“We still have enough people who want to fight, in fact we have no choice, we are defending our homes, but we are running out of equipment, especially missiles and interceptors,” he said. “We needed this support yesterday.”
The ambassador of Ukraine, Oksana Markarova.
The US Senate voted on Thursday to advance a bill that would provide $95 billion in emergency aid to Ukraine to maintain its fierce resistance against Putin’s military.
“I was very happy to hear that this was very strong bipartisan support, which is not yet final, of course, but just the first step in the right direction,” Ms. Markarova said. “There is no alternative but to continue this support.”
A spokesman for Markarova praised Newsweek that “due to ammunition shortages, the Ukrainian army is under increasing pressure on the front.”
“Russia is pressing ahead, trying to give Putin a ‘big victory’ by election day in March: the occupation of another Ukrainian city in the east.”
The overnight attack on Kharkiv highlights the urgency of having munitions that would help Ukraine deflect incoming attacks.
More than 50 people were rescued from the flames that devastated a community in the Nemyshlyanskyi district.
Witness Andrii Kruglo said: ‘Everything exploded and started flowing like a river. A river on fire. It was covered in diesel fuel.
“He was running down the street and setting houses on fire.
“We tried to put out the fire, we put it out with our hands, with snow, as much as we could.”
“We tried to put out the fire, we put it out with our hands, with snow, as much as we could.”
Mayor Igor Terekhov said: “Enemy Shaheds (Iranian-made drones) attacked a gas station, causing burning fuel to spill and 14 private houses to burn.”
Regional prosecutor Oleksandr Filachkov said three drones were used in the attack.
‘As a result, a critical infrastructure object was destroyed. “There was a large amount of fuel, which is why the consequences of the fire were so terrible,” he stated.
DNA has been requested from relatives to help identify the victims of the attack.
The attack followed an earlier attack on Zmiiv, when a hotel complex and surrounding buildings were destroyed.
Locals expressed fear that Ukraine is running out of air defenses and will not be able to contain Russian attacks, especially in the eastern Kharkiv region.
A local source here said: “We were under attack with Russian (Iranian) drones and local social media chats were exploding with messages that our area no longer has adequate air defences.”
‘Kharkov and the region are desperate for at least one Patriot system. Apparently, many drones were shot down with only basic machine guns.
“Practically nothing protects us.”
The spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force, Colonel Yuriy Ignat, warned: “There are many statements from different countries, from different representatives, and sometimes it gives the impression that we have everything and a lot, but no, we do not have everything and we do not have a lot.’
He said: “Germany has announced additional IRIS-T, we also expect Patriot.
“We would like to have more systems that have proven effective on the battlefield as a means of countering ballistics.”
A woman, Natalia, in front of a house burned down after the night strike in Kharkiv.
Regional Prosecutor Oleksandr Filachkov said three drones were used in the Kharkiv attack
The attack followed an earlier attack on Zmiiv when a hotel complex and surrounding buildings were destroyed (pictured)
Josep Borell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said: ‘Mobilizing additional EU military equipment for Ukraine is my top priority.
“We must do more and we must do it faster.”