At least 16 killed in Russian strike on hardware store in Kharkiv

At least 16 people have been killed and more than 40 injured after a Russian strike hit a large hardware store in Kharkiv, according to officials.

At least 16 people have been killed and dozens injured after a Russian strike hit a large hardware store in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Saturday, according to officials. Among the dead is a 12-year-old girl, police said Sunday. The attack came as Russian forces continue to advance in northeastern Ukraine after crossing the border earlier this month and opening a new front in the two-year-old conflict. Kharkiv has seen a spate of Russian attacks, as Russia seeks to tie up Ukrainian forces elsewhere and create a buffer zone. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the strike a “brutal attack” in a post on X, later writing that “Russia is run by men who want to make it a norm – burning lives, destroying cities and villages, dividing people, and erasing national borders through war.” In his nightly address on Sunday, he said hundreds of personnel from State Emergency Services, police, and local authorities were involved in the response efforts. He also reiterated his calls for more air defense systems and stronger preventative measures against Russian forces. Officials have said there were nearly 200 people inside the building when the strike occurred.