The Japan Times - Ukraine says 19 wounded in Russian strike on Kharkiv housing area

The attack came a day after Russia accused Kyiv of a strike on a hotel and a cafe in Ukraine's occupied south, killing 27 people, and warned of "consequences" -- but Ukraine said the attack targeted a military gathering that was closed to civilians.

Kharkiv regional governor Oleg Synegubov said on Telegram after Russia's attack on Friday that "a total of 19 people suffered blast injuries, glass wounds, and abrasions", adding that a six-month-old baby was among them.

AFP images from the site of the strike showed damaged multi-storey buildings, piles of smouldering rubble, and firefighters tackling the blaze.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky called the attack "heinous" and said on social media that "preliminary reports indicate two missiles struck an ordinary residential area".

"Unfortunately, this is how the Russians treat life and people -- they continue killing, despite all efforts by the world, and especially by the United States, in the diplomatic process," he added.

S.Fujimoto--JT