Military strikes hit Kharkiv’s central square and Kyiv’s main TV tower

Russian forces are stepping up their assault on Ukraine’s two largest cities, in an escalation of Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked invasion of the country. On day six of the war, heavy artillery fire and airstrikes rained down on Kharkiv in the east.

Two Russian missiles struck the main tv tower and killed 5 civilians. Checkpoints have been set up throughout the city, as a 65-kilometre long Russian convoy of tanks and armoured vehicles bears down on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, in what experts fear is a bid to topple the government and install one friendly to the Kremlin.

In the country’s east, a Russian missile strikes the regional administration building in the centre of Ukraine’s second-largest city.

Ukrainian officials say missiles also struck residential areas in Kharkiv, leaving at least 10 dead and 35 wounded.

Human Rights Watch says it has documented the use of a cluster bomb in Ukraine’s east, which are prohibited weapons under international treaty. People in Kharkiv and two munitions experts say multiple cluster bombs have been used in Kharkiv too.

Denys Samoilenko was born and raised in Kharkiv and is moved to tears by the images coming out of his city. He escaped to western Ukraine days before the invasion because he believed it was coming, taking some family with him but leaving many friends behind. He says he has a “bad attitude towards myself because i couldn’t help them.”

Russia says it is only attacking military targets in Kharkiv, but Samoilenko says he knows from his friends still there that residential areas are being hit. “he’s bombing kindergarten, he’s bombing hospitals.”

Samoilenko says he feels helpless to save his friends and very angry at Vladimir Putin and Russia, remarking he was happy the Russian plane responsible for some of today’s strikes was reportedly shot down.

In a state address, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiyy called the missile attack in Kharkiv state terrorism. He later addressed the European Union via video link, where he pleaded for the EU to prove it is with Ukraine, one day after Ukraine asked to join the bloc. He received a standing ovation. Ursula Von Der Leyen, European Commission President, says, “we are more united than ever and we will stand up in this war.”

There are growing calls from Ukrainian lawmakers and civilians for nato to set up a no-fly zone over Ukraine, to prevent the Russians from conducting airstrikes. Some western experts warn that a no-fly zone would result in NATO warplanes fighting Russian warplanes, and that would spark a larger war.

To watch the extended interview with Denys Samoilenko click the link here.