Russian ‘double strike’ drone attack kills rescue workers in Kharkiv – POLITICO

Local air defense forces said they shot down 11 drones.

Since mid-February, Kharkiv has suffered almost daily attacks, with Russian propagandists openly calling on Moscow’s forces to “wipe Kharkiv from the face of the Earth” on Russian national television.

In a massive missile assault on March 22, the Russians destroyed most of the city’s electrical substations and damaged the Zmiivska power plant. More than 150,000 Kharkiv residents lost their homes, Terekhov said in an interview with Ukrainian media. There are periods of power outages in the city, with residents without power for 4 to 8 hours per day.

Most of the drones were launched by Russia in the recent attacks from the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine. Ukrainian forces responded with bombings and ground operations against Belgorod.

Latvia-based independent Russian news site Meduza reported in March that Kharkiv could be the target of a planned Kremlin offensive this summer, citing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s close contacts. Ukrainian military intelligence spokesman Andriy Yusov said Wednesday that the Kremlin was spreading fake news about the “offensive on Kharkiv” to sow panic in Ukraine.