KYIV, Ukraine — A devastating series of Russian attacks on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Saturday resulted in at least four fatalities and left more than two dozen others injured, according to local officials. The assault began in the early hours with a large-scale drone and missile strike, which killed at least three individuals and injured 21. Later in the day, aerial bombs were dropped on the city center, claiming another life and injuring five more, as reported by Kharkiv's mayor, Ihor Terekhov.

This latest barrage is part of a relentless pattern of near-daily attacks on Ukraine, which has intensified hopes for peace. The strikes included aerial glide bombs, a weapon that has become a hallmark of Russia's ongoing military campaign since the full-scale invasion began on February 24, 2022.

Residents of Kharkiv recounted harrowing experiences as emergency responders worked tirelessly at the attack sites. Alina Belous described her desperate attempt to save a young girl trapped in a burning building. "We were trying to put it out ourselves with our buckets, together with our neighbors. Then the rescuers arrived and started helping us put out the fire, but there was smoke and they worried that we couldn’t stay there. When the ceiling started falling off, they took us out," she said. Another local, Vadym Ihnachenko, initially mistook the chaos for a neighboring building on fire. "But when we saw sparks coming from the top, we realized it was our building," he recalled.

Ukraine's air force reported that Russia launched 215 missiles and drones overnight, with Ukrainian defenses successfully intercepting 87 drones and seven missiles. Other regions, including Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, and Ternopil, also faced attacks, according to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. He emphasized the need for increased pressure on Moscow to halt the violence, stating, "To put an end to Russia’s killing and destruction, more pressure on Moscow is required, as are more steps to strengthen Ukraine."

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that its forces targeted Ukrainian military installations, including ammunition depots and drone assembly workshops, but did not comment on the casualties in Kharkiv. Mayor Terekhov noted that the strikes caused significant damage, impacting 18 apartment buildings and 13 private homes, marking it as "the most powerful attack" on the city since the invasion began.

Among the injured were two children, a baby boy and a 14-year-old girl. Additionally, six individuals are believed to be trapped under the rubble of an industrial facility in Kharkiv’s Kyiv district, with rescue efforts ongoing. The Kharkiv prosecutor's office reported that contact with those trapped has been lost.

In the Dnipropetrovsk province, two women were injured in the morning strikes, while Russian shelling in Kherson resulted in the deaths of a couple in their 50s. Meanwhile, Russia's defense ministry reported shooting down 36 Ukrainian drones overnight, with debris from these drones injuring two civilians in the suburbs of Moscow.

The situation remains dire, as a U.S.-led diplomatic effort for peace has yielded little progress. Recent talks have not bridged the gap between the two sides, with both remaining far apart on terms for ending the conflict. Ukraine has proposed an unconditional 30-day ceasefire and a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, but the Kremlin has effectively rejected these overtures.

On Saturday, both Russia and Ukraine accused each other of jeopardizing plans to exchange 6,000 bodies of soldiers killed in action, a deal discussed during recent talks in Istanbul. Vladimir Medinsky, a Putin aide, claimed that Kyiv halted the swap at the last minute, while Ukraine accused Russia of manipulating the situation. No date has been set for the repatriation of the bodies, and conflicting claims from both sides have complicated the matter.

In a related development, Ukraine's Security Service released a video purportedly showing its drone attack on Russian airfields, claiming the destruction of 41 Russian military aircraft. This video highlights the ongoing hostilities and the escalating nature of the conflict, as both sides continue to engage in military operations.