Russian drone attack kills five, injures 23: Ukraine officials

A Russian drone attack damaged apartment buildings in Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv, injuring 17 persons, while killing five in the northern town of Pryluky, regional governors said on Thursday.

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Located 30 km from the Russian border in northeastern Ukraine, Kharkiv has been a frequent target of Russian drones and missiles in the more than three-year-old war.

On the Telegram messaging app, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said the strikes, at around 1 am, damaged seven apartment buildings, with direct hits on two.

Terekhov said one drone hit the 17th floor of one building and the second floor of another.

"It flew into our neighbours' apartment next door, and my child and I managed to run out into the hallway," said a resident, Anastasiia Meleshchenko, adding that the ceiling began to crumble after a blast. "Yesterday, workers had just finished repair work in my apartment after the previous attack."

Emergency services said at least four children were among the injured in Kharkiv.

In the town of Pryluky, a one-year-old child and two women were among those killed, Viacheslav Chaus, the regional governor of Chernihiv, said, with initial details showing six more injured and hospitalised.

At least six drones were used in the overnight attack that damaged buildings in the town's residential area, Chaus said.