Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, under missile attack; explosions heard, mayor says

Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, under missile attack; explosions heard, mayor says

Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, has been under intense missile attack, with explosions heard and reported by local authorities. The city experienced a series of strikes on the night of April 18, with the mayor of Kharkiv, Ihor Terekhov, confirming that the city was targeted by Russian missile strikes.

The first reports of explosions in Kharkiv came at 05:09 AM, with Mayor Terekhov warning residents to be cautious. He later reported that four missile strikes had been recorded, hitting densely populated areas and residential buildings. The mayor confirmed that one missile struck a high-rise building, potentially trapping people under the rubble. Preliminary information from the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration indicated that the strike hit residential apartment buildings in the Osnovianskyi district [1].

The attack resulted in injuries, with the mayor initially reporting five people injured, including a small child. However, the number of injured later increased to 20, according to the head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, Oleh Syniehubov [1]. The mayor subsequently clarified that as of now, 12 people have been injured and one person killed in Kharkiv as a result of the missile strike [1].

Simultaneously with the explosions in Kharkiv, reports of an explosion in the Dnipro region began to emerge. The head of Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration, Serhii Lysak, warned residents to take shelter and stay in safe places due to the ongoing air alert [1].

Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council reported that during the so-called "energy truce," Russian terrorists killed nearly 2.5 times more Ukrainians than during the same period before its announcement [1].

The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack, stating that Russia had launched four missiles at Kharkiv, three of them ballistic and carrying cluster warheads. The strikes damaged apartment buildings, an educational institution, and a business, according to emergency services [2].

The foreign minister of Ukraine, Andriy Sybiha, described Russia as a "terror machine" and called for a confrontation with true strength [2]. The mayor of Kharkiv, Ihor Terekhov, reported that the attack damaged 15 apartment buildings, based on preliminary information [2].

The Russian attack on Kharkiv damaged more than a dozen buildings, with the city experiencing another drone attack on April 23. The mayor of Kharkiv reported that Russian forces attacked the city with strike drones, causing explosions and fires in residential areas [3].

The Ukrainian Air Force reported that the attacks on Kharkiv and Dnipro were part of a broader pattern of missile and drone strikes targeting civilian infrastructure across the country. The attacks occurred around 5 AM local time when curfews come to a close and people begin their daily lives [4].

The Russian ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, warned of potential escalation if Germany proceeds with plans to send Taurus long-range missiles to Ukraine. The Taurus missile system is designed to penetrate fortified positions and could significantly enhance Ukraine's defensive capabilities [4].

References:
[1] https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/explosions-heard-in-kharkiv-and-dnipro-amid-1744944422.html
[2] https://www.northerndailyleader.com.au/story/8946136/russian-missile-attack-kills-one-in-ukraines-kharkiv/
[3] https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/kharkiv-hit-by-another-drone-attack-explosions-1745361882.html
[4] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/4/18/russian-missiles-strike-kharkiv-and-sumy-killing-at-least-two