Russia launched a massive overnight drone assault on Kharkiv on May 5/6, injuring at least four people and causing widespread fires and destruction across the city, local officials said.
“For two hours, Kharkiv was under a massive attack by enemy combat drones. During this time, 17 hits were recorded in the city,” wrote Mayor Ihor Terekhov on Telegram at 05:52.
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“Four districts of Kharkiv were under attack – Shevchenkivskyi, Kyivskyi, Kholodnohirskyi, and Industrialnyi. Currently, two casualties are known,” he added.
Later, he updated the figure to 20 Shahed drones striking eight different locations in the city.
Regional governor Oleh Synehubov confirmed the scale of the attack, posting early photos from the scene and reporting extensive damage and fires caused by the drones.
Damage across districts:
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Shevchenkivskyi: Shahed fragments ignited a fire in a private residential building, damaging the roof and a 100-square-meter room.
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Kholodnohirskyi: One drone hit a car, setting it on fire; a second crashed nearby, damaging a residential building.
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Kyivskyi: A restaurant caught fire after a drone strike.
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Industrialnyi: A vehicle was damaged by a drone’s blast wave and debris, sparking another fire.
Synehubov wrote:
“At dawn, 20 enemy UAVs of the Shahed type attacked Kharkiv in several waves. The massive attack lasted more than two hours, and fires broke out at the sites of the hits. Currently, firefighters of the State Emergency Service (DSNS) are eliminating the consequences.”
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Initially, two people were reported injured, but the number later rose to four. According to Synehubov, a 59-year-old and a 44-year-old man also suffered acute stress reactions. Medical assistance is being provided.
Around 90 shops were destroyed in a Russian drone strike on Kharkiv’s well-known Barabashovo market, according to Oleksandr Makarenko, Vice President of the AVEK & Co concern, as quoted by the local outlet Ob’ektiv.
Makarenko said the strike targeted the market’s newly built children’s section.
“They had just started restoring the shops, clearing the damage - and then came another strike,” he said. “It hit the new children’s market area, where shops sell children’s clothes, toys, and related goods.”
He confirmed that three blocks were completely burned down, totaling approximately 90 shops, with another 90 partially damaged.
“These have broken windows, shattered roller shutters, and damaged walls,” he added. The market’s administration is currently assessing the total damage.
Odesa also targeted
Late on May 5, Russian forces also launched drone attacks on the Odesa region, resulting in at least one death.
“As a result of the Russian strike on the Odesa region, several civilian infrastructure facilities were damaged, including private residential buildings,” wrote on Telegram Oleh Kiper, the Regional governor.
Fires broke out at several locations. “The body of a deceased person was found in one of the houses. Additional information about the victims is being clarified,” Kiper added.
Prior, Odessa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov reported that drones were targeting the city, with explosions heard in the center as well as the Kyivskyi and Peresypskyi districts.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported via Telegram that since the evening of May 5, Russian forces launched a massive drone attack involving 136 strike UAVs and simulator drones from six directions.
As of 10:30 a.m., Ukrainian defenses had downed 54 Shahed drones across the eastern, northern, southern, and central regions. An additional 70 simulator drones were neutralized without impact. One UAV was still airborne at the time of reporting.
The drone assault targeted multiple regions, including Kharkiv, Odesa, and Dnipropetrovsk.
This news article will be updated as additional information becomes available.
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