Ukraine says 21 killed in attack on Kharkiv

Firefighters work to contain a fire at the Economy Department building of Karazin Kharkiv National University, hit during recent shelling by Russia, in Kharkiv on Wednesday. Pic/ AFP

A Ukrainian official says the advance of Russian troops in Kharkiv has been stopped, but that Russians have responded by shelling the city with heavy rocket launchers and air attacks.

"Kharkiv today is the Stalingrad of the 21st century," said Oleksiy Arestovich, an adviser to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Oleg Sinehubov, head of the Kharkiv regional administration, said that over the past 24 hours 21 people were killed and at least 112 were injured by Russians.

Explosions on Wednesday thundered on Constitution Square, near the buildings of the City Council and the Palace of Labour.

A missile attack also destroyed the building of the regional police department in Kharkiv and the university building, which is located across the street.

Arestovich said that several Russian planes were shot down over Kharkiv.

The Russians used Iskander missile systems to bombard Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Kharkiv and Chernihiv.

Arestovich said Iskander missile systems can deviate from their target, making them "a danger to civilian objects."

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