Russia stepped up its assault on Ukraine’s second-largest city Wednesday, with fresh strikes and paratroopers attacking Kharkiv as the seventh day of Moscow’s invasion threatened to hit the country’s major population centers with escalating violence and destruction.
President Joe Biden warned during his State of the Union address that Russian President Vladimir Putin would pay a “high price” for his actions and announced that the U.S. would close its skies to Russian aircraft.
As a miles-long military convoy threatened Ukraine’s capital, Russia appeared to focus its offensive on four strategic cities: Kharkiv, Mariupol, Chernihiv and Kyiv.
But despite intensifying strikes, Russian troops have made little progress over the last day due to both “logistical difficulties” and strong Ukrainian resistance, according to Britain’s defense ministry.
Latest developments on Ukraine:
-
Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, hit by fresh attacks.
-
Russia claims it took control of Kherson as the city’s mayor says they are “waiting for a miracle.”
-
The U.S. will close its airspace to Russian aircraft, President Joe Biden announced in his State of the Union address.
-
More than 670,000 people have fled Ukraine. The U.N. estimates this number could grow to 5 million.
Russian paratroopers landed overnight in Kharkiv, the northeastern city with a population of 1.5 million, according to Ukraine’s state communications service, citing its security service. Battles broke out between Russian and Ukrainian forces and Russian troops attacked a military medical center, the statement said.
The city had come under an intensifying assault on Tuesday from the ground and the air, with around 21 people killed and 112 injured during the course of the day, according to Oleh Syniehubov, head of the Kharkiv regional council.
Early Wednesday, Russian troops had moved into the center of the southern city of Kherson, Britain’s defense ministry said. A spokesman for Russia’s defense ministry, Igor Konashenkov, said its forces had taken control of the city. NBC News was unable to verify the claim. If confirmed it would be the biggest city to fall so far, and a key gain given its strategic location on the Dniepr river.
The city’s mayor, Ihor Kolykhaev, said in a Facebook post that it was “in a difficult situation,” and “waiting for a miracle,” as he warned residents to stay indoors and not provoke further attacks. City hall was shelled and officials were working to restore critical infrastructure that was destroyed, he added.
The deadly fighting across Ukraine has resulted in nearly 700,000 people fleeing for neighboring countries since the Russian invasion began, with growing fears that Russia’s attacks were hitting civilians.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of aiming to erase his country, in a speech posted on social media early Wednesday.
“They know nothing about our capital, about our history, but they have an order: to erase our history, erase our country, erase us all,” he said.
Zelenskyy, who is Jewish, invoked the barbarism of the Holocaust on Tuesday after Russian forces hit a television tower located beside Babi Yar, a Kyiv ravine where Nazi Germany committed atrocities during World War II. Five people were killed in the strike, he said.
NBC News has not confirmed the numbers of any deaths. Ukrainian officials and global leaders have accused Russia of hitting residential districts, but Russia has consistently denied targeting civilians.
Biden added to the fierce global backlash against PutinTuesday night. In his State of the Union address, Biden promised more pain for Moscow and its cadre of oligarchs as punishment for its invasion of its democratic neighbor.
“Putin’s war was premeditated and unprovoked. He rejected efforts at diplomacy. He thought the West and NATO wouldn’t respond. And he thought he could divide us here at home,” Biden said. “Putin was wrong. We were ready.”
