War in Ukraine: Four civilians killed in Russian missile strike near Kharkiv

Among the 16 wounded, three are in serious condition, the governor of this region also reported on Monday.

In broad daylight, a Russian missile strike killed at least four people and injured 16 others on Monday, May 4, in the city of Merefa, announced the governor of the Ukrainian region of Kharkiv. “The victims are men aged 50 and 63, and women aged 41 and 52,” wrote Oleg Synegoubov on Telegram. Three of the wounded are in serious condition, he added.

This strike damaged houses, residential buildings, shops, and a gas station, the governor said, while posting images of buildings torn open and a burnt-out car. Merefa has a population of around twenty thousand and is located about fifteen kilometers from Kharkiv, the capital of the eponymous region and the second-largest city in Ukraine.

The country has been fighting a large-scale Russian invasion for over four years, and the Kharkiv region, bordering Russia, is frequently targeted by Russian attacks. A significant part of this region was occupied by the Russian army at the beginning of the war in 2022, but was largely retaken by Ukrainian forces.