Russian Bombing in Kharkiv Leaves 12-Year-Old Dead, 35 Injured as Rescue Efforts Continue

Kharkiv, Ukraine – At least one person, a 12-year-old boy, has died, and 35 others have been injured after a Russian bomb struck a residential building in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city.

Kharkiv authorities confirmed the boy’s death on Thursday and reported that emergency workers were actively engaged in rescue operations.

The regional governor stated that a 500-kilogramme Russian glide bomb struck the building directly on Wednesday evening, causing significant damage to the building’s entrance.

Officials expressed concern that more individuals could still be trapped beneath the rubble, including a 15-year-old boy reported missing.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated his call for the United States to permit Ukraine to use long-range American missiles to strike Russian air bases further from the front lines.

Zelenskyy’s comments came in the wake of the latest Kharkiv bombing, as Russia’s reliance on heavy glide bombs has intensified, inflicting serious damage on Ukrainian infrastructure and endangering lives miles from active combat zones.

Kharkiv, with a population of 1.1 million, lies just 30 kilometres (under 20 miles) from the Russian border and has been a recurrent target due to its proximity.

The recent bombing underscores the growing toll on civilians in the region, as officials continue to assess damages and work toward recovering those still unaccounted for.