Bhubaneswar: After almost a week since the invasion of Ukraine, Russian airborne forces landed in Ukraine’s second-biggest city, triggering clashes on the streets of Kharkiv, the AFP reported.
The enemy troops have also attacked a hospital in the city. “Russian airborne troops landed in Kharkiv and attacked a local hospital. There is an ongoing fight,” Ukrainian forces were quoted by AFP.
With Russian shelling in Sumy and the street fights in the city, Ukraine’s military administration has advised residents not to go outside.
According to UNIAN news agency, the police headquarters in the eastern city has nearly been destroyed by a Russian rocket and firefighters are still working to put out the fire. Sounds of powerful explosions were also heard in Kharkiv.
One of the buildings of Kharkiv university on fire, hit by Russian missile. One of the first universities in Russian empire, officially founded in 1805. I interviewed a pro-Russian academic here in 2014. Putin is now destroying “Russian world” he is claiming to protect. pic.twitter.com/EvavU2L5SI
— Leonid Ragozin (@leonidragozin) March 2, 2022
At 6 am, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said that Russian forces are trying to advance in all directions, but are resisted by Ukraine’s military everywhere and are suffering losses.
A freelance correspondent in Kyiv, Olga Tokariuk, tweeted that many civilians have been killed by Russian missiles. “It’s heartbreaking to watch the last moments of the life of a six-year-old girl, killed by Russian airstrike. It’s impossible not to weep,” she tweeted.
“Our army is great in land combat, but our children need protection from missiles falling from the sky,” she added.
According to media reports, the death toll in Kharkiv has mounted to 21.
Over 350 civilian casualties have been reported so far and these include 14 children. More than 1,600 people have also been injured, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had said on Tuesday.
