A Russian missile strike on the town of Merefa in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region killed five people and wounded at least 18 others on Monday, officials said.
The attack hit an area far from the active front lines, causing significant damage to homes, businesses, and public buildings, according to France 24.
Regional prosecutors stated that Russian forces appeared to have used an Iskander-type ballistic missile during the strike.
Civilian infrastructure hit
Kharkiv Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported on Telegram that the strike damaged at least 10 houses, an administrative building, four shops, a car repair workshop, and a food establishment.
"Today during the day, the occupiers attacked civilian infrastructure of a town quite far from the front with a missile," Syniehubov said.
The casualties include two men and three women, according to the regional governor.
Of the 18 people wounded, four were taken to the hospital in serious condition, officials noted.
Emergency services released images showing the aftermath of the strike, including a building with a destroyed roof and shattered windows.
Photos also captured a firefighter extinguishing a burning vehicle and rescuers tending to a woman with visible injuries to her face and hands.
Russia has not yet provided an immediate comment regarding the attack.
While Moscow has denied intentionally targeting civilians since the full-scale invasion in February 2022, thousands of civilian deaths have been documented since the war began, France 24 reported.
