Russia-Ukraine war live: five killed in Russia’s Belgorod as Ukraine mourns dead in Kharkiv attack | Russia

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky The Russian government has offered condolences to those killed in a Russian military attack in Kharkiv on Friday, including a 14-year-old girl named Sophia.

Governor of Kharkiv Oblast, Mr. Sinievbov, On Saturday morning, it was reported via Telegram that 97 people were injured.

President Zelensky called the attack “horrific” and “despicable.”

“Russia will be held accountable for all its misdeeds, but the world must remember that the most effective tactic is to prevent them from happening in the first place.”

“We need decisions, decisions that our partners can make, decisions that have the power to ensure that we have the ability to destroy Russian aircraft at the bases that are most effective in eliminating terrorists and their aircraft.”

In Ukraine, there have been more than 4,000 documented cases of Russian chemical weapons being used on the front line since the start of the invasion in February 2022.

The Kyiv Independent reports that more than 3,100 cases have been reported since December 2023 alone. A record high of 715 cases was reported in May of this year, but in the following two months, the number fell to 560 and 358, respectively.

Earlier this year, the U.S. State Department confirmed that Russian forces had used chloropicrin, a chemical commonly used as a herbicide, in Ukraine.

Additionally, Russian Navy infantry forces have previously confirmed the illegal use of K-51 aerosol grenades filled with CS, a riot control gas used for crowd control.

These substances are banned for use in modern warfare by the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Good morning and welcome to our live blog covering the Russia-Ukraine war, which has seen deadly attacks against civilians on both sides in the past 24 hours.

Five people were killed and 46 wounded in a Ukrainian military attack on a city in southwestern Russia. Belgorod The local governor made the announcement late on Friday. Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov also said 37 people, including seven children, had been taken to hospital, according to Reuters.

A car dashboard video posted on social media purporting to show the attack shows another car being blown up as it travels down the road, before an explosion is seen seconds later on the other side of the road.

Ukraine has launched frequent attacks on Belgorod and other Russian border areas in recent months.

Seven people died on Friday; Russian bomb Attacks on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv hit homes and a playground, wounding about 80 people. Ukraine's president Volodymyr ZelenskyPolice said a 14-year-old girl was among the dead and the death toll is expected to rise as around 20 of the injured are in critical condition.

In other news:

• President Zelensky fired the head of Ukraine's air force a day after it emerged that a recently delivered F-16 fighter jet had crashed this week, killing the pilot. “I have decided to replace the commander of the air force… I am eternally grateful to all military pilots,” Zelenskiy said in an evening video address, without giving a reason for Mykola Oleschuk's dismissal.

• Ukraine has asked Mongolia to make the arrests when President Vladimir Putin visits the country on Tuesday. The Russian president is due to visit Mongolia, a member state of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has issued an arrest warrant for Putin in connection with the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children.

• Ukraine's top military commander said Kiev's forces had advanced about a mile into Russia's western Kursk region in the past 24 hours. Oleksandr Shirushky said Ukrainian forces had seized another two square miles of Russian territory.