Two people including a three-year-old child have been killed and around 28 others injured in a Russian strike on Kharkiv, Ukrainian officials have reported.
A multi-storey residential apartment block was almost completely destroyed in the dual missile attack on Friday afternoon, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called heinous.
The Russian Defence Ministry denied reports of an attack, suggesting the blast was caused by Ukrainian ammunition detonating.
The strike comes ahead of important talks regarding a US-brokered peace plan in Kyiv on Saturday.
Zelensky indicated that around 15 countries are expected to participate in the discussions, which will also include representatives from the EU and NATO, with a US delegation joining via video link.
Officials in Kharkiv confirmed that the bodies of a woman and her three-year-old child were found amidst the rubble, with preliminary information suggesting they were a mother and son.
Unfortunately, this is how the Russians treat life and people – they continue killing, despite all efforts by the world, especially the United States, in the diplomatic process, Zelensky expressed on social media.
Among the injured, a six-month-old baby was reported, and 16 individuals have been hospitalized. A search and rescue operation is currently ongoing with more than 80 volunteers at the site, according to regional governor Oleh Syniehubov.
On Telegram, the Russian Defence Ministry stated they had not planned or executed attacks in Kharkiv. They also alleged that video footage showed 'heavy smoke of unknown origin', claiming it was evidence of Ukrainian forces detonating their own ammunition.
The Russian Investigative Committee announced an investigation into the incident, while the Russian foreign ministry accused Zelensky of attempting to intimidate those in the regions annexed by Russia.
