- author, Jeremy Bowen
- stock, BBC News, Kharkiv
-
At least 12 people were killed and 43 injured after Russian forces hit a supermarket in the northern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv with two cruise missiles, local officials said.
A large fire can be seen at the Epicenter K home improvement store on the northern outskirts of the city.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said more than 200 people may have been inside the supermarket when it was hit.
President Zelensky added: “This strike on Kharkiv is another manifestation of Russian insanity.
“Only crazy people like it [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is capable of killing and terrorizing people this way.
Eight people were injured in a second strike in central Kharkiv on Saturday, Mr Derekov said.
The attack underscores the anxiety Ukrainians feel about their lack of adequate air defenses.
Mr Zelensky reiterated that Ukraine needed to defend itself and needed air defense systems from Western allies.
Following a summit in Italy, G7 finance ministers backed the idea of using profits from frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s war effort.
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said there was broad-based support for the idea.
Under a US proposal, the G7 and its allies would use frozen Russian assets in Western banks as collateral for a $50 billion loan to Kiev. This idea will be discussed further next month.
Russia has threatened retaliation.
The latest attack on Kharkiv is another sign of Moscow’s growing confidence. While Ukraine waits for more Western weapons to arrive, its forces are seizing the opportunity to their advantage.
The type of glider used for attack is developed by adding folding wings and satellite navigation to older Soviet missiles. They are cheap but destructive.
President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that 3,000 such bombs were dropped on the country in March alone.
The Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) said in a recent report that they were decisive in seizing the key eastern city of Avdiivka in February.
