Ukraine LIVE: Putin rains hell on eastern city in retribution for 'Russia's Pearl harbour'
Ukraine has been hit by a fresh wave of Russian missile and drone strikes, with Kharkiv suffering multiple attacks overnight. In Kharkiv, nine Shahed drones and two missiles struck the city, injuring a 30-year-old man and sparking fires across the Novobavarskyi district, including at a private house, an auto repair shop, and several industrial facilities, according to Mayor Ihor Terekhov and regional head Oleh Syniehubov.
A postal terminal on the outskirts of the city was also hit, triggering a massive fire that engulfed two warehouses and surrounding containers. Meanwhile, in Sumy, authorities reported several strikes on June 3, including drone and artillery attacks that damaged civilian infrastructure and heightened fears of further escalation. Emergency services continue working at multiple sites as officials assess the full scale of the damage. The attack is likely to be further revenge ordered by Vladimir Putin for Ukrainian drone strikes on airports across Russia at the weekend.
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Governor Syniehubov confirmed that Russian forces used 22 unguided aircraft missiles, 11 Shahed drones, and multiple types of kamikaze UAVs in their latest attacks on the Kharkiv region.
Private homes, service stations, power grids, and even a tractor were among the assets destroyed or damaged, with multiple towns—including Kup’yansk, Izyum, and Chuhuiv—suffering hits.
The violence came amid 178 recorded combat clashes in the past day, including heavy fighting around Vovchansk and Stepova Novoselivka.
Ukrainian defenders repelled Russian assaults in at least five areas as the frontline remains volatile.
Two civilians have been killed and five others injured across multiple locations in Kharkiv overnight, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov.
The dead include a 31-year-old man and a 53-year-old woman in the village of Chystovodivka, while a 30-year-old man was wounded in Kharkiv city and others hurt in Zolochiv and Chystovodivka.
Russia launched a barrage involving two missiles and nine drones on Kharkiv’s Novobavarskyi district, as part of a broader assault using over 50 aerial weapons and FPV drones.
Civilian infrastructure was heavily damaged, including homes, businesses, and power lines across at least six districts.
Pete Hegseth has previously warned Ukraine to abandon its NATO ambitions and stop trying to retake Russian-occupied territory.
His absence has stoked fears among European allies that Washington is pivoting too sharply towards the Indo-Pacific, amid speculation that US troops could be pulled out of Europe.
French President Emmanuel Macron warned at the weekend that abandoning Ukraine would shred US credibility in any future confrontation with China.
Meanwhile, a top Ukrainian delegation is in Washington for meetings with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior officials, discussing the war, sanctions, and postwar recovery.
Ukraine’s Western backers will meet in Brussels without America’s defence secretary for the first time since the military support group was created in 2022.
Pete Hegseth will not join the Ukraine Defense Contact Group on Wednesday, either in person or via video, marking a sharp break from past US leadership under his predecessor, Lloyd Austin.
While more than 50 defence ministers are expected to attend, Mr Hegseth will only arrive after the meeting has ended.
A senior US official confirmed the move and acknowledged privately that no new American weapons packages would be announced.
Ukraine has been hit by a fresh wave of Russian missile and drone strikes, with Kharkiv suffering multiple attacks overnight.
In Kharkiv, nine Shahed drones and two missiles struck the city, injuring a 30-year-old man and sparking fires across the Novobavarskyi district, including at a private house, an auto repair shop, and several industrial facilities, according to Mayor Ihor Terekhov and regional head Oleh Syniehubov.
A postal terminal on the outskirts of the city was also hit, triggering a massive fire that engulfed two warehouses and surrounding containers.
Meanwhile, in Sumy, authorities reported several strikes on June 3, including drone and artillery attacks that damaged civilian infrastructure and heightened fears of further escalation. Emergency services continue working at multiple sites as officials assess the full scale of the damage.
express.co.uk
