(The Hill) — Russian drones killed seven people in Ukraine’s city of Kharkiv, including three children, in an early Saturday attack that damaged residential houses and infrastructure.
The strike caused large fires and damaged a minimum of 15 houses in the area, Oleh Synehubov, Kharkiv regional governor, said in a Telegram post, according to Reuters.
“As a result of the strikes, seven people died, among them three children: seven-, four-years old, and a baby about six- months old,” Synehubov wrote.
He added that at least three people were wounded in the drone attack.
The Ukrainian air defense said it shot down 23 out of 31 drones launched by Russia that were targeting both Kharkiv and the area around Odesa.
Kharkiv has constantly been a focal point of Russia’s attack since the invasion of Ukraine started nearly two years ago.
The head of the local prosecutor’s office, Oleksandr Filchakov, said three drones struck a petrol station in Kharkiv.
“There was a great deal of fuel and that’s why there are these dreadful consequences from the fire,” he said.
The gas station attack was carried out using Iranian-made Shahed drones. The strike forced people to evacuate the area, Kharkiv mayor Igor Terekhov said, according to French newswire Agence France-Presse.
The regional governor in the Black Sea port of Odesa, Oleh Kiper, said the strike injured four people while damaging port infrastructure, cars and industrial facilities, according to Reuters.