Russian strikes on the center of Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv injured 20 people on Tuesday, officials said.
The city, located in Ukraine's northeast just 30 kilometers from Russia's border, has faced intensifying aerial attacks in recent months.
Moscow also launched a major assault on the wider Kharkiv region last week, capturing several border villages and triggering Ukraine to evacuate thousands from the area.
"This pressure is aimed at pushing people to leave, to worry them, this is the tactic of the Russian Federation," Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov told AFP at the scene of one of the strikes on the city.
A spate of aerial attacks on residential areas wounded 20 people, including three children, the regional prosecutor's office said in a post on Telegram.
Officials were inspecting the aftermath of one attack on a multi-story building next to a children's toy shop.
Teddy bears were still lined up on the destroyed shelves of the shop that workers had already begun cleaning.
An AFP reporter saw residents walking around their homes, hugging each other and stepping on broken glass and metal.
"A guided aviation bomb blew up and virtually tore apart half of the [10th] floor, destroying the nearby apartments on the higher and lower floors," Serhii Bolvinov, the head of the region's Police Investigation Department, told AFP.
Ksenia Gorvits, 32, was playing a synthesizer at home when the strike "smashed" into her place, she said.
"Everything was like in slow motion, like in some film. It took me a while to realize what had happened," she said, standing outside the building.
"Miraculously, nothing got on me."
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
