Three people were killed when Russian strikes hit a five-storey apartment block in Kharkiv early Saturday, leaving the building described as "practically destroyed." Rescuers found three bodies and were searching for up to 10 more people, including a child, under the rubble. Ten people were reported injured, including two boys aged six and 11 and a 17-year-old girl. Poland scrambled military jets and Ukraine declared a nationwide air alert following the attack.
Russian Strike on Kharkiv Apartment Block Kills Three; Poland Scrambles Jets as Ukraine Declares Nationwide Air Alert
Firefighters extinguish a blaze and clear rubble at a five-story residential building in Kharkiv on March 7 (SERGEY BOBOK)(SERGEY BOBOK/AFP/AFP)
Ukrainian officials say three people were killed after Russian strikes hit a five-storey apartment block in Kharkiv early on Saturday, leaving the building largely destroyed and prompting a nationwide air alert.
Rescue Efforts Underway
Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov reported that rescuers recovered the bodies of three people from the rubble of the residential block in the city’s Kyivskyi district. Regional military commander Oleg Synegubov posted on Telegram that 10 people were injured, including two boys, aged six and 11, and a 17-year-old girl. Authorities said it was not immediately clear whether the three fatalities were among the injured.
Rescue teams continued searching for up to 10 more people, including a child, believed to be trapped beneath the debris of the building, which officials described as "practically destroyed" by the strikes. Emergency services were coordinating searches amid difficult conditions as recovery operations continued.
Wider Response
NATO member Poland said it scrambled military aircraft in response to the incident. The Operational Command of the Armed Forces posted on X:
"Due to missile attacks by the Russian Federation on Ukrainian territory, military aviation has begun operating in our airspace."Ukraine also issued a nationwide air alert following the attack.
Separately, in Chuhuiv, Kharkiv region, Mayor Galyna Minaeva reported that an "enemy drone attack" on a house wounded two people.
Context: Local officials and emergency responders remain on the scene. Casualty figures and the number of people still missing may change as rescue and recovery operations proceed.
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