Russia hits residential areas in Ukraine's Kharkiv, at least 20 hurt

Reuters:  Russia carried out a series of air strikes on residential areas in the city of Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine on Tuesday, local officials said, injuring at least 20 people.

One of the sites hit was a 20-storey building in the city centre, emergency services said. Earlier, officials had said it was a 12-storey building. Regional prosecutors said Russia had used its new guided UMPB D-30 bombs in that attack.

At another site, at least 15 garages near to a residential building caught fire after being struck by the guided bombs, the prosecutors added.

"Twenty people were injured and had an acute stress reaction," the prosecutors said on the Telegram messaging app. Three children were among them.

Oleh Syniehubov, the regional governor, said Russia had struck residential areas of Kharkiv city seven times throughout the day.

"Someone's home was here, where a pile of stones is now. Until Russia destroyed it," Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said on Telegram, posting an image from one of the sites.

Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, and the surrounding region have long been targeted by Russian attacks but the strikes have become more intense in recent months, hitting civilian and energy infrastructure.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy earlier accused Russia of seeking to reduce Kharkiv to rubble.

Moscow denies deliberately targeting civilians, but thousands have been killed and injured during its 27-month full-scale invasion of Ukraine.