Russian strike on east Ukraine town kills four – Governor

A Russian missile attack on an east Ukrainian town killed four people and wounded 18, authorities said Monday.

Merefa lies southwest of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second city that has faced heavy attacks by Russia in the more than four years of its invasion.

The Kharkiv region governor, Oleg Synegubov, said the strike targeted the town of Merefa, adding: “The victims are men aged 50 and 63, and women aged 41 and 52.”

Synegubov said an apartment building, four stores and a car service station were damaged  and that emergency services were at the scene.

Russian forces have focused on taking territory in the Kharkiv region, from where they were pushed back by Ukrainian forces in 2022.

The attack hit as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky joined European leaders for a summit in Armenia, long considered a traditional Russia ally, and as Ukrainian drones reached Moscow on Monday.

US-led talks on the conflict have been sidelined by the Middle East war.

AFP

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