Five Killed by Russian Fire in Ukraine’s Kharkiv, Kherson Regions, Say Governors

KYIV – On July 13, five civilians were killed by Russian attacks in Ukraine, with one missile strike hitting after emergency services had already arrived at the scene of an earlier attack, officials reported.

In the village of Budy, located in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, a police officer and an emergency rescue official lost their lives in the second strike. Interior Minister Igor Klymenko highlighted this recurring tactic on social media, stating, “This is not the first time that Russia has attacked emergency services while they are rescuing civilians.”

Minister Klymenko emphasized that such actions would result in accountability, both in courts and on the battlefield. Regional governor Oleg Synegubov reported that 22 people were injured in the attacks, including five railway workers. “The enemy deliberately struck twice within half an hour of each other, when all relevant services were already in place,” he noted.

The Ukrainian army’s daily update confirmed that the Kharkiv region, which has been a focal point of a renewed Russian offensive over the past two months, is “under constant bombardment by enemy aircraft.”

In the southern Kherson region, governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported that three civilians were killed by Russian shelling. The victims included a 72-year-old woman, a 50-year-old woman, and a 41-year-old man, according to Mr. Prokudin.

Russian forces have been intensifying their attacks along the entire front line in recent months, making gradual advances against often outmanned and outgunned Ukrainian troops who are awaiting additional Western arms deliveries.