Russian bomb explodes in Kharkiv building, injures 41, Reuters official says

KYIV (Reuters) – A Russian-targeted bomb struck a multi-storey building on Sunday in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, sparking a fire and injuring at least 41 people, the region's governor said.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the latest attack underscored the need for Ukraine's Western allies to provide weapons and air defense systems and permission to use weapons against targets deep in Russia to save lives.

Oleh Syniehubov, the governor of the Kharkiv region in northeastern Ukraine, said on Telegram that rescue operations are continuing for 12 people in hospital, three of whom are in critical condition. He said residents could be trapped under the debris.

Syniehubov posted photos of extensive damage to the top four of the building's five floors, with smoke billowing and fire from blown out windows.

Zelenskiy, in his video speech last night, said three more bombs hit villages in the Kharkiv region, where civilian centers have been attacked by Russia near the Russian border.

Russia did not immediately respond to a request to identify the building but denied that it had deliberately targeted civilians despite having killed thousands of them since it invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Zelenskiy called for quick decisions on long-range strikes “to destroy Russian military aircraft where they are based. These are clear, logical decisions.

“All the Russian strikes of this kind, all the incidents of Russian terrorism, like today in Kharkiv…this proves that there must be a long-range force and it must be enough.”

He said the right decisions were first expected from the United States, France, Germany and Italy, “those who take decisions that can help save lives.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week that the West would be fighting Russia directly if it allowed Ukraine to hit Russian territory with long-range missiles made in the West.