Russia launched several waves of drone strikes on Ukraine on Friday evening and overnight. After the drone was hit, a large-scale fire broke out in Kharkiv, burning private homes, and at least seven people died, including three children.
The head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, Oleg Synegubov, reported that the drone attack began around 11 p.m. The hit was recorded in the Nemyshlyanskyi district of the city.
Civilian infrastructure was damaged. As Sinegubov later clarified, the drones hit an oil depot, from where the fuel leaked. One tank is still full, so the danger remains.
The evacuation zone can be expanded if necessary, the head of the regional administration added.
Several large fires broke out due to fuel spills on the streets of the residential sector.
“The entire street turned into a hellish molten mass. People in the houses were held hostage,” said Deputy Chief of Police of the Kharkiv Region Serhiy Bolvinov.
An entire family of five burned alive in one of the private residential buildings. Young parents and their three small children – a seven-year-old, four-year-old, and seven-month-old boy.
The man's body was found in the hallway of the house, while the mother and children tried to escape in the bathroom. The body of the youngest boy could not be found.
In another house, a 66-year-old man and his 65-year-old wife died. The man was paralyzed, and his wife was caring for him.
Two women, ages 61 and 39, and a 45-year-old man were injured.
15 private residential buildings on the street were completely burned down. Firefighting and the search for victims continued on Saturday morning.
PHOTO AUTHOR, TELEGRAM OLEG SINEGUBOV
According to Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov, the area of the fire is 3,700 square meters.
Fifty residents, including two children, were evacuated from the scene of the fire, authorities said. The State Emergency Service managed to contain the fire in a residential area, saving 25 houses from the flames.
At around midnight, explosions also occurred in the village of Velykyi Burluk, Kupyanskyi district, Kharkiv region. The drone strike destroyed a cafe, burning the first and second floors. Authorities reported that there were no injuries.
PHOTO AUTHOR, TELEGRAM OLEG SINEGUBOV
The Ukrainian Air Force stated that Russia attacked Ukraine on Saturday night with 31 Shahed-136/131 attack drones, 23 of which were shot down.
The drones flew in waves throughout the night, with the main blow falling on the Odessa and Kharkiv regions.
In the Odessa region, according to the speaker of the Defense Forces of Southern Ukraine, Natalia Gumenyuk, there were three waves of attacks, which resulted in four people being injured.
Drones launched by the Russian army also reached the Danube ports. Telegram channels reported explosions and air defense operations in the Izmail and Reni areas at night.
Reni is the Ukrainian port on the Danube farthest from the Black Sea, located at the junction of the borders of Ukraine, Romania, and Moldova.
Ukraine exports agricultural products by sea through Reni and Izmail. The Danube and Black Sea ports of Odessa were constantly subjected to Russian drone and missile attacks in the second half of last year, after Russia withdrew from the agreement on a safe maritime corridor for the export of Ukrainian agricultural products.
On Saturday night, Russia also announced a drone attack. The Russian Defense Ministry reported that three Ukrainian drones were intercepted in the Bryansk region. There is no information about casualties.
