Russians shelled Kharkiv: there are dead and more than a dozen injured

In the afternoon of May 17, the Russian occupying forces carried out two anti-aircraft missile strikes on Kharkiv.

This was announced by the head of Kharkiv RMA Oleh Syniehubov.

«Caution: the occupiers will attack Kharkiv!» he wrote.

According to Mayor Ihor Terekhov, fires broke out at the sites of the hits.

As of 4:36 p.m., there are two dead and 13 injured, four of them in serious condition.

It will be recalled that the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, stated that Russia has no plans to capture Kharkiv. And he justifies the intensification of the offensive in the Kharkiv direction with shelling of Belgorod from the side of Ukraine.

Russian offensive on Kharkiv Oblast

It will be recalled that Russian troops intensified their shelling in the northern direction of the Kharkiv region. First of all, the enemy attacks the city of Vovchansk.

Reserve units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been sent to strengthen the defense in the Vovchansk direction. The military continues to hold back the enemy's advance.

Subsequently, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, confirmed that the Russian army had launched a counteroffensive in the Kharkiv direction. He noted that the military command knew about the enemy's plans for a new offensive and calculated the forces to respond to the attack.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy also reported on the strengthening of positions in the Kharkiv region, where defensive operations continue.

On May 13, the head of the Kharkiv regional state administration, Oleh Syniehubov, noted that the Russian army shelled more than 30 settlements in the Kharkiv region. Seven people were injured.

It was also reported that the pace of Russian offensive operations in the north of the Kharkiv region has slowed down. According to analysts, Russian troops prefer the creation of a «buffer zone» near the border, rather than a deeper advance into the Kharkiv region. Defense forces prevent the enemy from gaining a foothold in Vovchansk.

Currently, there are no plans to evacuate the population from Kharkiv. At the same time, people are being brought to the city from the region, from areas where hostilities are ongoing. From the beginning of the Russian offensive in the north of the Kharkiv region to May 16 , 8,779 people were deported from border settlements.

It was also reported that the Russian occupiers in the northern part of Vovchansk in the Kharkiv Region are taking civilians captive, and there have been recorded cases of shooting civilians.