Six postal workers have been killed and a further 16 injured after a missile hit a distribution centre in eastern Ukraine late on Saturday night.
Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, shared on Telegram that a place where they sort mail, called Nova Poshta, was hit in Kharkiv. The pictures he posted showed the building with broken windows.
The leader of Kharkiv’s region, Oleh Syniehubov, mentioned that the people who got hurt were all working for the postal company. When the suspected S-300 rocket hit the building, there were 22 people inside. This happened right before 10:30 PM local time.
The police, along with experts in solving crimes and studying evidence, are looking closely at the bodies of those who passed away. They shared this on social media.
Mr. Syniehubov wrote on Telegram that the people who were hurt were between 19 and 42 years old. Some of them were hurt by pieces flying from the explosion.
He also mentioned that this delivery company in the western part of Kharkiv, in a place called Korotych, is strictly for regular people, not for the military.
He added sadly that the Russians have brought more fear to the peaceful people of Kharkiv.
President Zelensky said a rescue operation was continuing, with emergency services working at the scene.
Russia has not yet commented on the alleged strike, but has previously denied targeting civilians during its invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Syniehubov said seven people were in hospital in a “moderate condition” and seven men were in a “serious condition”.
Kharkiv, which is Ukraine’s second largest city, is located only 30km (19 miles) from the Russian border.
The north-eastern city was heavily bombed during the first weeks of the war in February 2022.
Earlier this month, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said Ukraine’s first underground school would be built in the city to allow children to continue in-person education safely.
Meanwhile in the south, Ukraine has been waging a counter-offensive campaign since June.
The war-torn country aims to sever Russia’s land corridor to the Crimean peninsula – which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.
But the counter-offensive has so far proven slow, bringing only limited territorial gains.
SOURCE:BBC