KHARKIV – Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, endured its most intense drone strike since Russia’s full-scale invasion began, with dozens of Iranian-made Shahed drones raining down overnight, Ukrainian officials confirmed.
The attack, which began late Sunday and continued into early Monday, involved over 50 drones, most of which were launched from Russian territory. Ukrainian air defences managed to intercept a significant number of the drones, but many still reached civilian infrastructure, causing widespread damage.
Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported that residential areas, energy facilities, and industrial zones were among the primary targets. At least six people were injured, and several fires broke out, prompting emergency evacuations in some neighbourhoods.
“This was the largest drone attack Kharkiv has ever seen,” Terekhov stated. “The scale of destruction and the psychological toll on our citizens is immense.”
The Ukrainian Air Force confirmed that the majority of drones used in the assault were Shahed-136 and Shahed-131 models, commonly used by Russian forces in nighttime raids. These low-cost kamikaze drones are designed to overwhelm air defence systems through sheer volume.
The Kharkiv region, which borders Russia, has been under increased pressure in recent months. Military analysts suggest the recent strikes are part of a broader Russian strategy to destabilize the area and strain Ukraine’s air defence capacity ahead of anticipated summer offensives.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack, calling it a “cowardly strike on civilians” and renewed calls for Western allies to accelerate delivery of air defence systems.
“This attack proves again why Ukraine urgently needs more Patriots and advanced air defence systems,” Zelenskyy said in a televised address. “Protecting our skies means saving lives.”
International reaction to the attack has been swift. The European Union, United States, and United Nations have expressed concern over the intensifying attacks on Ukrainian cities, particularly civilian infrastructure.
Kharkiv, once a bustling industrial hub with over 1.4 million residents before the war, has faced regular shelling and missile attacks but had not seen a drone assault of this magnitude until now.
Photo Credit: VOA
