Ukraine’s police said the strikes, carried out on June 19, involved heavy bombs, drones and missiles, causing damage and casualties in the region near the Russian border.
According to Reuters, another nine people, including four children, were wounded in Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, after Russia carried out attacks using heavy aerial bombs.
The information was also confirmed by Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov, who said on Telegram that the strikes damaged residential areas and left several civilians injured.
Emergency services were deployed to the affected sites to rescue residents and assess the extent of the destruction. Authorities said several buildings and pieces of infrastructure suffered damage, though a full assessment had not yet been completed.
The latest attacks come amid continued fighting between the two countries, with Russia intensifying its bombardment of Ukrainian cities despite repeated international calls for de-escalation.
The strikes followed a wave of Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow a day earlier, which prompted temporary suspensions of flights at airports serving the Russian capital. Russian authorities said the restrictions were imposed to ensure the safety of civilian aviation.
Military activity has increased in recent weeks, with both sides stepping up long-range attacks using drones and missiles. Areas close to the border, including Sumy and Kharkiv, have frequently come under fire as the conflict enters another year.
Ukrainian officials have accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilian areas, while Moscow maintains that its attacks are directed at military-related infrastructure. The opposing claims have not been independently verified.
The latest exchange of strikes underscores the continued volatility of the war and the challenges facing diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the conflict. Despite periodic discussions about possible negotiations, fighting between Moscow and Kyiv has shown little sign of easing.
No immediate response was issued by the Russian Ministry of Defense regarding Friday’s attacks, and there was no indication that either side was prepared to scale back military operations in the near future.
