Russian drone strikes hit Ukraine’s Balakliia

Russian forces carried out drone strikes on the city of Balakliia in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region on April 24, hitting residential areas, setting buildings on fire, and causing civilian casualties, according to local officials.

The attack struck the city center in multiple waves, with at least three drones initially reported hitting central areas, followed by another strike on a private home. Fires broke out in residential buildings and vehicles, prompting emergency crews to respond across several locations, News.Az reports, citing Ukrainian media.

Local authorities confirmed that a 60-year-old woman was killed in the attack. Two others—a 58-year-old woman and a 46-year-old man—were injured and hospitalized with blast-related injuries.

The head of the Balakliia City Council, Vitalii Karabanov, said emergency services were working to determine whether additional victims might be trapped in damaged structures. Officials reported that multiple apartment buildings, private homes, a school, and cars were damaged.

The State Emergency Service said firefighters extinguished three separate fires while rescue teams, medical personnel, and bomb disposal experts worked at the scene.

The strike on Balakliia was part of a broader wave of attacks across Ukraine overnight and into the morning. In the southern city of Odesa, residential buildings were also hit by drone strikes, resulting in additional civilian deaths, including a married couple.

Ukrainian authorities said Russia launched a large-scale aerial assault involving two missiles and 107 drones. Air defense systems intercepted most of the incoming targets, neutralizing 96 of them, according to the air force.

Despite interceptions, several strikes still reached urban areas, causing damage and casualties in multiple regions, including Kyiv, where drone debris fell in non-residential areas.
The latest attacks underscore the continued intensity of aerial warfare, with civilian infrastructure repeatedly coming under fire across Ukraine.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada