Russian Strike Kills 14-Year-Old Girl in Kharkiv Playground
A 14-year-old girl has been killed after a Russian strike on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv hit a playground.
The strikes, which also hit a residential building in the city near the Russian border, killed at least five people and left dozens more injured.
Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, sits around 35km (22 miles) from the Russian border and has been the target of frequent attacks since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
President Volodymyr Zelensky renewed his calls for all Ukraine's international partners to allow it to hit targets inside Russia in order to prevent such attacks.
Mr Sinegubov said the strikes had been launched from Russia's Belgorod region, which sits just across the border.
Mr Zelensky said Russia had targeted "ordinary" people using guided bombs and could have been prevented if Ukraine "had the capability to destroy Russian military aircraft at their bases".
"This is an absolutely legitimate need. There is no rational reason to limit Ukraine’s defence," he said.
Ukraine's Western allies have partially restricted the use of their weapons in attacks on Russian territory, fearing it could escalate the conflict. The UK has permitted much of the equipment it has supplied to be used against Russia but continues to restrict the use of long-range Storm Shadow missiles. In May, the U.S. granted Ukraine permission to strike targets within Russia, but only near the Kharkiv region and only in response to Russian attacks or imminent threats. The U.S. still forbids strikes deeper into Russian territory.
"We need long-range capabilities and the full implementation of air defense agreements for Ukraine. These are life-saving measures," President Zelensky stated. Following Friday's attacks, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink, expressed solidarity with the people of Kharkiv as rescue operations continued, emphasizing that "Russia must be held accountable for these war crimes."
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