Kyiv: At least eight people were killed and 10 injured in Russian strikes on Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, on Saturday, Al Jazeera reported, citing regional officials.


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While regional officials said Russian forces used bombs and missiles, the national police of Ukraine claimed the attack was carried out by drones. Images of flames that had started on city streets and near to buildings were released by the police and local authorities. The governor of Kharkiv region, Oleh Syniehubov, said that six people were killed in overnight missile attacks on the city of Kharkiv. The death toll increased to eight later.


Meanwhile, Mayor Igor Terekhov of Kharkiv verified that figure and said that ten more people had been injured. "The attack hit residential areas - at least nine high-rise buildings, three dormitories, a number of administrative buildings, a shop, a petrol station, a service station and cars were damaged," Terekhov said, according to Al Jazeera.


The Ukrainian military said on Facebook that, in retaliation, three of the six Russian missiles and 28 of the 32 drones were shot down by its air defences. After the midnight strikes, air raid alerts were in place for Kharkiv and the majority of the nation, including Kyiv, the capital, for several hours, reported Al Jazeera.


Kharkiv, the capital of the city of the same name, is located just 30 kilometres from the Russian border and has experienced frequent bombing ever since Moscow began its invasion in February 2022. Over the last few weeks, the attacks have been more intense. A drone strike on the city on Wednesday resulted in four fatalities and significant damage to apartment buildings.