Ukraine war: Russian drone strikes on Kharkiv kill seven, officials say

Attacks on Kharkiv have been intensifying in recent weeks

At least seven people have been killed in Russian drone attacks on the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, officials say.

Mayor Ihor Terekhov said six people were killed when Iranian-made Shahed drones hit several buildings, including apartment blocks, early on Saturday.

Another person was killed in a second strike on a residential area, he added.

Attacks on Kharkiv, the closest big city to the Russian border, have been intensifying in recent weeks.

Ukrainian officials have said the city might be the target of a future Russian offensive.

"This attack on peaceful residents of Kharkiv once again proves that Russia is a terrorist state," Mr Terekhov wrote on the Telegram messaging app after the first attack.

At least 11 people were injured by the attack in the residential Shevchenkivskyi district, according to the local prosecutor's office.

It said high-rise buildings, administrative buildings, dormitories, a kindergarten, shops, cafes and cars were damaged.

Unverified photos published by Ukrainian police showed rescuers at the scene, with damaged and burning buildings visible.

Local police said Moscow fired two missiles, followed by "repeated shelling", and then drones which attacked during the rescue operations.

Volodymyr Tymoshko, of the local police force, said on social media: "When all relevant services were working at the site of the missile hit, enemy drones arrived."

Ukraine's second-largest city has suffered extensive damage from months of Russian bombardment since President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Polish authorities said fighter jets had been scrambled in response to the latest missile attacks on Ukraine.

Authorities in Kyiv said air defences had been activated to repel an attack on the capital.

Ukraine's military said its air defences destroyed 28 of 32 drones and three of six missiles launched by Russia.

On Thursday, Russian forces attacked Kharkiv with drones, leaving at least four dead, according to Ukrainian officials.

And on Friday, authorities said four people were killed and more than 20 wounded in Russian missile strikes on the southern city of Zaporizhzhia.