Russia hits 12-storey building in Ukraine’s Kharkiv, at least 17 hurt

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(Reuters) -Russia carried out a series of air strikes on the city of Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine on Tuesday evening, local officials said, hitting a high-rise residential building and injuring at least 17 people.

The 12-storey building, located in the city centre, was hit by guided bombs, the regional police said on Telegram.

Oleh Syniehubov, the regional governor, said a fire had broken out at another site that was struck, and at least 10 garages were affected.

“Someone’s home was here, where a pile of stones is now. Until Russia destroyed it,” Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said on Telegram.

Two children were among the injured, Syniehubov added, and one person was in a severe condition.

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.

Russia has stepped up its usage of guided bombs to strike the city and surrounding region. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy earlier accused Moscow of seeking to reduce the city to rubble.

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

(Reporting by Yuliia Dysa; Editing by Christina Fincher and Gareth Jones)