Russian attack injures six people in Ukraine’s Kharkiv

Russian missiles have damaged residential buildings and injured six people in Ukraine’s second-largest city Kharkiv, Governor Oleh Synehubov said on Telegram.

The attack damaged three residential buildings, two offices, three non-residential buildings and a gas pipeline in the central district of the city, according to the governor’s statement.

Some 568 windows and 33 cars were damaged, Mr Synehubov said.

The city’s mayor, Ihor Terekhov, said two S-300 missiles were used in the attack but did not deal significant damage to the residential areas of the city, in a comment on a Ukrainian TV broadcast.

Mr Terekhov said the work to repair the gas pipeline continued as the city raced to restore gas supply to the impacted part of the city this morning.

Elsewhere, energy sites in Russia’s western Smolensk region were in flames after being hit by Ukrainian drones, its governor said.

“Our region was again targeted by Ukrainian drone attacks”, Vasily Anokhin wrote on Telegram.

“Fires erupted following enemy attacks on civilian energy infrastructure sites,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the US Senate for approving a $61 billion aid package for his country.

“I thank Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell for their strong leadership in advancing this bipartisan legislation, as well as all US Senators on both sides of the aisle who voted in favour of it,” he posted on social media minutes after the bill passed.

The United States has been the chief military backer of Ukraine in its war against Russia, but the new aid package that includes vital military supplies had been stalled for months in Congress.

“I equally appreciate President Biden’s support and look forward to the bill being signed soon and the next military aid package matching the resoluteness that I always see in our negotiations,” President Zelensky added.

“Ukraine’s long-range capabilities, artillery, and air defence are critical tools for restoring just peace sooner.”

The Ukrainian military has been facing a severe shortage of weapons and new recruits as Moscow exerts constant pressure from the east.