More than 200 people were in a DIY supermarket at the time of the bombing. Washington announced 253 million euros in military aid for Ukraine, while G7 countries said they would explore ways to use frozen Russian assets to help kyiv.
Update, Sunday May 26 at 11.00 CET:
Chairman of the Kharkiv regional administration Oleh Syniehubov said on Sunday morning thatat least 14 people were dead as a result of a Russian strike the day before on a building materials and DIY hypermarket.
Forty-three people were injured, including two in serious condition and one in intensive care for burns. A 13-year-old child underwent surgery.
Among the dead are employees of the hypermarket.
16 people are still missing.
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Russia carried out an airstrike on a building materials hypermarket in Kharkiv, in the northeast of the country, while more than 200 people were there. According to local authorities, there were deaths, many injured and missing people.
Ukraine’s second city has become in recent weeks a favorite target of deadly attacks by Russian forces.
According to Ihor Terekhov, the city’s mayor, the strike was aimed “in a dormitory area of the city, in an area with a high concentration of civilian buildings.”
Two hover bombs hit a supermarket selling construction materials and DIY items, according to the head of the Kharkiv regional administration Oleh Syniehubov.
A fire broke out on site, completely engulfing the building of the “Sadovy Tsentr” hypermarket on an area of 10,000 square meters, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (according to Syniehubov, the burned area is 15,000 square meters ). According to Ukrainian authorities, more than 200 people were in the store at the time of the strike.
At least two people killed and at least 24 injured in hypermarket attack, Syniehubov said. Terekhov, for his part, speaks of “a large number of missing and injured”while around fifteen employees of the construction hypermarket were out of contact.
“Apparently the attack was carried out specifically against the shopping center, where many people were present – this is pure terrorism.”said Ihor Terekhov. “No military object was nearby”, Oleh Syniehubov was indignant. According to preliminary information, Russian forces used UMPB D-30 guided bombs during this attack.
The Ukrainian president, who immediately reacted via a video message on YouTube, did not hesitate to speak of “Russian madness”: “This attack on Kharkiv is a new manifestation of Russian madness. There is no other way to describe it. Only madmen like Putin are capable of killing and terrorizing people in such a despicable way“, did he declare.
More American aid
The United States announced it would provide an additional $275 million in military aid to Ukraine as it struggles to push back Moscow’s offensive in the east of the country.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the aid was part of our efforts to help Ukraine repel Russia’s assault near Kharkiv.
“Aid provided under previous programs has already been delivered to the front lines, and we will get this new aid to the front lines as quickly as possible so that the Ukrainian military can use it to defend its territory and protect the Ukrainian people” he said in a statement.
“The United States and the international coalition we have formed will continue to support Ukraine in defending its freedom“added Mr. Blinken.
ADVERTISEMENTHigh Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), much-needed ammunition and artillery shells are included in the package, as are Javelin and AT-4 anti-tank systems, anti-tank mines , tactical vehicles, small arms and ammunition.
Washington has already provided nearly $51 billion (47 billion euros) in military aid to Ukraine since the Russian invasion of February 2022.
The G7 is interested in Russian assets frozen to finance Ukraine
The G7 (Germany, Canada, United States, France, Italy, Japan and United Kingdom) will study the possibility ofuse proceeds from frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine.
Some 300 billion dollars (276 billion euros) of Russian assets were frozen by the G7 following Moscow’s massive invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“We are making progress in our discussions on the possibilities of using extraordinary profits from immobilized Russian sovereign assets for the benefit of Ukraine“, G7 financial chiefs said in a draft statement released on Saturday.
ADVERTISEMENTEurope must rearm itself: Polish Foreign Minister
Poland’s foreign minister has urged Europe to strengthen its defenses.
Speaking to the Guardian, Radosław Sikorski said that a Long-term rearmament of the continent was essential to thwart Russia’s imperial ambitions.
He called for the creation of a European brigade of 5,000 men and said Warsaw could support a European program aimed at encourage Ukrainians who escaped the draft to return to their country to serve there.
Large numbers of Ukrainians have fled to Poland, but moves to bolster Ukraine’s ranks by sending additional troops remain controversial.
Sikorski stated that the Poland supported Ukrainian strikes on military targets inside Russiabelieving that theThe West should stop limiting what it says and does to support kyiv.
ADVERTISEMENTSeveral other European states are more cautious, fearing that Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory with Western weapons will escalate tensions and risk drawing Europe into a wider war.
Mr Sikorski played a key role in Poland’s return to European foreign policy after eight years of rule by the right-wing nationalist Law and Justice party.
