Kharkiv Hospital Hit in Russian Airstrike That Leaves 73 Injured
Ukrainian officials report widespread damage to medical facilities and power grids across nine regions as diplomatic talks approach in Abu Dhabi.
By Lorenzo Patterson ·
At least 73 people were injured on Monday night when Russian forces struck a hospital in Kharkiv, Ukrainian officials reported. The direct hit damaged the cardiology department while patients were receiving treatment, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who posted the details on X. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov described the extent of the destruction in a Telegram message, noting that more than 1,000 windows had been shattered in the building.
The bombardment occurred one day after a Russian strike on an aid distribution center killed at least 31 people. Zelenskyy said Russia launched 289 attack drones, 17 ballistic missiles, and 59 cruise missiles overnight. He identified electricity generation facilities and substations as the primary targets. The attacks affected the regions of Odesa, Cherkasy, Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Chernivtsi, Chernihiv, and Rivne.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence stated that its forces targeted electricity facilities in Vinnytsia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kharkiv. The ministry claimed those sites provided power to Ukraine’s armed forces and military factories. Governor Vitalii Bunechko reported that more than 180,000 people in Zhytomyr were without electricity on Tuesday morning. Scheduled outages were also implemented in Odesa.
Ukrainian forces launched a counterattack against an oil refinery in the Russian city of Yaroslavl. Regional Governor Mikhail Yevrayev confirmed that the drone strike started a fire and injured two employees at the facility.
The strikes coincided with intensified US diplomatic efforts to end the war. Officials from the United States, Russia, and Ukraine are scheduled to meet in Abu Dhabi next week. US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said on X that the agenda would include post-war security arrangements, tension reduction, and humanitarian work. Witkoff added that US negotiators would hold discussions in Brussels this week with representatives from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and NATO. Those talks would focus on security guarantees and economic opportunities for Ukraine’s rebuild.
The timing of the attacks drew attention to the US midterm elections held on Tuesday. Audrey MacAlpine, reporting from Kyiv, noted that these elections are among the most consequential for Ukrainians in recent years. She observed that no major military aid packages have reached Ukraine since the Trump administration took office and Republicans gained control of both congressional chambers. This contrasts with the $60 billion in military aid provided during the early years of the war under the Biden administration. Europe has largely covered the funding shortfall, while restoring US aid has remained a priority for Zelenskyy for more than six months.
