Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, was targeted in a series of brutal Russian attacks on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of at least five people. The assault followed a large-scale aerial bombardment the previous night. Mayor Igor Terekhov reported that the attacks, which occurred just 30 kilometers from the Russian border, included “at least 40 explosions” in the early hours. The recent attacks are believed to be in response to a Ukrainian drone operation that damaged Russian cruise missile carriers. Terekhov described the situation as the most powerful attack since the war began, with strikes involving missiles, drones, and guided aerial bombs. Video footage showed a major fire in a multi-story apartment building, and a house was also hit. A second wave of attacks on Saturday evening, using glide bombs, resulted in two more deaths and at least 40 injuries. The targets included a children’s playground. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attacks as “pure terrorism.”