According to authorities, the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv was attacked with aerial bombs by the Russian Air Force. At least one person was killed, the governor of the Kharkiv region, Ihor Terekhov, reported on Telegram. There were also 19 injured, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Facebook later in the evening. Several five-story residential buildings were damaged, as was an institute for emergency surgery.
According to local police, it was the first air raid involving bombs dropped by enemy aircraft since the first year of the war in 2022.
The large city of Kharkiv is only about 40 kilometers from the Russian border. It is attacked almost daily by Russia with various weapons. Because of the short distance to the border, people often have little time to get to safety when there is an air raid. Last week, a Russian missile attack caused a complete blackout in Ukraine's second-largest city, the effects of which are ongoing. A large electrical and thermal power plant has been damaged and cannot be repaired.
Zelensky visits Sumy border region
Amid the ongoing fighting, Zelensky traveled to the Sumy region in northeastern Ukraine, which borders Russia. Among other things, he presented awards to wounded soldiers there, said Zelenskyj in his evening video speech, which he recorded on site. The Ukrainian presidential office also published photos showing Zelensky inspecting trenches. On the Russian side, Sumy borders the Bryansk, Kursk and Belgorod regions.
Drone strikes administrative building in Belgorod
Belgorod also reported shelling again. According to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, a drone crashed into an administrative building. A woman was injured. In some Telegram channels there was talk of several injuries. Accordingly, the affected building is said to be the region's interior authority. The Russian Defense Ministry only said that three drones had been successfully repelled by air defense.
Belgorod has repeatedly reported shelling in recent weeks, sometimes with deaths and injuries. The number of victims and damage are disproportionate to the consequences of the war in Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia.
EU states want stricter customs regulations
Under pressure from angry farmers, a majority of EU states want to enforce stricter customs regulations for certain foods from Ukraine. In the evening, the ambassadors of the EU states agreed on a new compromise on customs requirements for Ukrainian agricultural products, as the Belgian EU Council Presidency announced.
According to diplomats, it stipulates that fewer goods than originally planned will be allowed to be sold duty-free into the EU. This is likely to harm Ukrainian agriculture. Those affected include eggs, poultry, sugar and corn. Tightening the requirements also requires a majority in the European Parliament.
