The death toll from the latest strikes in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has risen to five, with both sides reporting civilian casualties. Russian strikes killed two people and wounded dozens across Ukraine, while a Ukrainian drone attack killed three people in Russia's Belgorod region.
In Ukraine, a Russian drone strike in the major northeastern city of Kharkiv killed two people and destroyed four floors of a residential building. Twenty-three others were wounded. Further strikes in Odesa wounded eight people and damaged the power grid, the port, and residential buildings. Another strike near a shopping center in Pavlohrad wounded nine people, including four children.
The World Health Organization (WHO) condemned a strike that destroyed a warehouse in Dnipro, Ukraine, which was stocked with medical supplies. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for an end to attacks on healthcare facilities, stating that such attacks deprive people of lifesaving healthcare.
In Russia, a Ukrainian drone attack on Belgorod killed three people and wounded 25 others, including children. Fires broke out in several buildings, and a video released by Russian media showed an apartment building engulfed in flames.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of relying on 'ballistic terror' and called for more pressure, sanctions against Russia, and additional air defense for Ukraine. He defended Ukraine's retaliatory strikes as 'truly just responses.'
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned both sides for their attacks on civilian areas, calling them a clear violation of international humanitarian law. The conflict, which began over four years ago, shows no immediate signs of resolution.
