Russian drone strike kills six in Ukraine

At least six people have been killed in a Russian drone attack on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, local officials say.

Mayor Ihor Terekhov said Iranian-made Shahed drones had hit several buildings, including apartment blocks, early on Saturday.

Attacks on Kharkiv, the closest big city to the Russian border, have been intensifying in recent weeks.

Ukrainian officials have said the city might be the target of a future Russian offensive.

“This attack on peaceful residents of Kharkiv once again proves that Russia is a terrorist state,” Terekhov wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

At least 10 people were injured by the attack, he added.

The police reported that ten people had also been injured in the attack and said damage had been inflicted on apartment blocks, petrol stations, administrative buildings and cars.

Ukraine’s second-largest city has suffered extensive damage from months of Russian bombardment since President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Authorities in Kyiv said air defences had been activated to repel an attack on the capital.

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On Thursday, Russian forces attacked Kharkiv with drones, leaving at least four dead, according to Ukrainian officials.

And on Friday, authorities said four people were killed and more than 20 wounded in Russian missile strikes on the southern city of Zaporizhzhia.