Latest Russian offensives in Ukraine: attacks on industrial facilities and the Central Park in Kharkov

The attacks by Vladimir Putin's Russia continue, Russian troops continue to attack Ukrainian infrastructure with new waves, the first in the city of Kharkov, a Ukrainian province located in the eastern part of the country. This city was shelled, leaving many aftermaths, Russian troops attacked an industrial facility and the Central Park. The shelling took place on the night of 8 February at 23:00, the enemy launched a missile attack on the centre of Kharkov. One of the S-300 missiles hit a civilian industrial facility, where buildings were destroyed and a large-scale fire broke out. 

Ukraine accuses Russia of using phosphorus munitions, knowing that their use has been banned since 1977 by the Geneva Conventions. Vyacheslav Zadorenk, head of the Derhachi Hromana Administration, commented that the number of shells fired in recent days had not been so many since the first days of the war, thus emphasising on phosphorus munitions that the enemy used on civilian infrastructure. 

In addition, ground impacts were recorded on the territory of the Kharkov Central Park. The state environmental inspectors of the Kharkov region inspected and reported that the shelling damaged buildings in the park, which resulted in the contamination of the territory with debris and very serious damage to nature, especially trees. The area of the contaminated plot was 13,000 m2. It should be noted that the amount of environmental damage caused by the hostilities on the territory of Ukraine has already reached a very high price. 

The mayor of Kharkov, Ihor Terekhov, stated that the Russian occupants shelled the city, while he also emphasised the attack on a district of the city of Kiev, destroying three floors of one of the city's universities and damaging residential buildings. "Six missiles have reached Kharkov. So far, we have confirmation of the attacks on one of the industrial facility of the Kiev city district and also about a fire,'' Igor Terekhov said. This attack was announced with an air alert, then loud explosions were heard and indeed the city was again attacked, probably from the Belgorod region, a city of the Russian Federation located in the north of the Ukrainian border.

The head of the Kharkov Regional Military Administration, Oleg Syniehubov, said that between six and 10 S-300 missiles were fired at the city. The attack was unexpected, as it was thought to be mainly aimed at trying to completely capture the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, said military expert and reserve colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Roman Svitan. In addition, during that day, the Russian Federation massively shelled Volchansk, Kupyansk, Dvurechne, Streletschi, Veternoye and other settlements near the contact line in the Chuhuiivske, Kupiansk and Kharkov districts. In Volchansk, a Ukrainian town in Kharkov oblast, a 16-year-old girl was wounded and hospitalised as a result of shelling by the occupants and a 74-year-old woman was killed. The hospital in the city of Volchansk was attacked and a fire broke out. As a result, an ambulance carrying a patient was hit by glass, but he was not injured. Meanwhile, in the city of Kupiansk, the enemy attack destroyed garages and large fires broke out.  

Kharkov was not the only region to come under attack, as the city of Semyovka in the Chernihiv region was also attacked. The targets were reportedly civilians, employees of a local company. The head of the Chernihiv Regional Military Administration, Vyacheslav Chaus, said. "There were civilians there. They were employees of the company. Two people have been taken to hospital, while rescue services are working there to look for the other two people who may be under the wreckage of the building. 

Russian military shelling in Ukraine continues to kill children, women and men according to the Ombudsman. The situation remains tense as heavy weaponry continues to be used against civilians. The attacks have damaged many Ukrainian cities including Kiev, Irpin, Kharkov, Mariupol, Zhitomir, Kherson, among many others, but Ukrainian soldiers are holding their ground, reaffirming the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.