Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, faced a severe assault overnight on June 7, 2025, described by Mayor Ihor Terekhov as the most intense since the war began.
The attack, involving drones, missiles, and guided aerial bombs, resulted in at least three deaths and 22 injuries, including a one-and-a-half-month-old baby.
“Kharkiv is currently experiencing the most powerful attack since the start of the full-scale war,” Terekhov said on Telegram, noting that the city endured simultaneous strikes with multiple weapons.
The bombardment, marked by at least 40 explosions, damaged residential buildings, educational facilities, and civilian infrastructure across the city, located just 30 kilometers from the Russian border.
The overnight strikes caused widespread destruction in Kharkiv. Emergency services reported a large fire in a multi-story apartment block in the Osnovyanskyi district, where two people died, and a separate strike in the Kyivskyi district claimed another life.
Kharkiv Governor Oleh Syniehubov stated that a civilian industrial facility was hit by 40 drones, one missile, and four bombs, causing a fire and possibly trapping people under rubble.
Photos showed burnt homes, damaged vehicles, and rescuers clearing debris while aiding the injured.
The Ukrainian military reported that 206 drones, two ballistic missiles, and seven other missiles were launched across Ukraine, with air defenses downing 87 drones, while others were redirected or identified as non-explosive simulators.
The Kharkiv attack follows a series of intensified strikes across Ukraine, coming a day after a major Russian aerial operation that killed six and injured dozens.
This escalation is seen as a response to a recent Ukrainian drone strike on Russian airfields.
US President Donald Trump, commenting on the situation, said, “They gave Putin a reason to go in and bomb the hell out of them last night.”
Trump, who spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier in the week, added, “If I think Russia will not be making a deal or stopping the bloodshed… I’ll use [sanctions] if it’s necessary.”
Recent peace talks in Istanbul produced limited results, with only an agreement for a prisoner swap, as Kharkiv grapples with the ongoing impact of the conflict.