Russian military targets Ukraine’s Kharkiv, heavy shelling witnessed in residential areas: Reports

The tensions between Russia and Ukraine are increasing by the day as the Ukrainian administration has said that Russian forces are targeting residential areas and buildings in the second-largest city in the country, Kharkiv.

Authorities have said that Kharkiv has been hit by renewed Russian shelling, with the administration building in the city targeted. Oleh Sinehubov, the head of the Kharkiv regional administration, said that the building came under fire on Tuesday, along with several residential areas.

On the sixth day of the invasion headed by Moscow, Synegubov said Russia launched GRAD and cruise missiles on Kharkiv but that the city defence was holding. "Such attacks are the genocide of the Ukrainian people, a war crime against the civilian population!" he said.

Wearing a flak jacket and a helmet, Synegubov said in a video posted on social media on Tuesday morning that it was too early to know the number of casualties. He shared a video showing Kharkiv regional administration building being hit by a missile and exploding. Reuters verified the authenticity of the video.

Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a "special operation" that it says is not designed to occupy territory but to destroy its southern neighbor`s military capabilities and capture what it regards as dangerous nationalists.

No specific number of casualties has been revealed by the Ukrainian authorities yet, but Sinehubov had said on Monday that at least 11 people were killed and scores of others were wounded in the shelling in Kharkiv, ahead of the attack on Tuesday.

Several videos and photos on social media have emerged showing heavy explosions and shelling in parts of Ukraine, with civilians taking shelter in subway stations, using them as bombs shelters. The Ukrainian forces have been trying to fight off the Russian military since Thursday when the invasion first started.

Earlier, the United Nations had said that the civilian casualties in Ukraine are currently in hundreds, with several soldiers killed as well. Ukraine has also reported that they have killed several hundreds of Russian soldiers in the midst of the conflict.

(With Reuters inputs)