Russia rejects Kharkiv attack claims, cites Ukrainian ammo blast
In a message released on Telegram, Russia’s Defense Ministry denied responsibility for the incident, insisting that no Russian strike took place in the city on January 2.
"The information about the alleged strike on the city of Kharkiv by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on January 2 is not true," the statement said.
The ministry further maintained that Russian forces neither planned nor executed any missile or aerial attacks within Kharkiv, stressing that no such operations were carried out in the area.
Referring to what it described as eyewitness video recordings, Moscow claimed the explosion originated at the Persona shopping center on Olesya Gonchara Street. Officials alleged that smoke was seen inside the building before the blast, which they said pointed to the "detonation of ammunition stored there by the Armed Forces of Ukraine."
These assertions stand in direct contrast to statements from Ukrainian officials earlier in the day.
According to those accounts, two Russian Iskander ballistic missiles struck a residential area in Kharkiv on Friday afternoon, hitting a five-story apartment block.
"The blow fell on a residential multi-story building in the Kyivskyi district of the city. According to preliminary information, there are casualties and significant damage," Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov said on Telegram.
"At this moment, there are 30 injured people," Terekhov added in a later update.
Regional authorities said the impact caused catastrophic destruction in the city center. The head of the regional administration stated that the targeted building was "completely destroyed."
Medical officials reported that several of the wounded were receiving hospital treatment, with five patients listed in moderate condition and one woman described as being in serious condition.
Municipal officials said the incident caused widespread damage to civilian infrastructure. A shopping center was destroyed, while a nearby hospital sustained heavy damage, including more than 100 shattered windows. Public utilities were also affected, with heating systems and power lines damaged, leading to the temporary halt of tram and trolleybus services along Sumska and Myronosytska streets.
Emergency responders, including police, firefighters, and medical teams, continued search-and-rescue efforts at the scene. A fire broke out following the explosion, and surrounding buildings suffered facade damage, according to reports.
Kharkiv, situated about 30 kilometers from the Russian border, has repeatedly come under attack during the nearly four-year-long conflict. Independent confirmation of the competing claims from both sides remains challenging due to the ongoing war.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
