A 14-year-old girl has been killed following a Russian guided bomb strike on a playground in Kharkiv, a city in northeastern Ukraine, according to local officials. The attack also targeted a 12-storey residential building, resulting in at least six other deaths and 59 injuries. Images from the scene showed flames and thick black smoke engulfing the upper floors of the building as firefighters worked to rescue residents.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded by renewing his call for Ukraine's international allies to permit strikes on targets within Russia to prevent such attacks. His office reported that Russian forces had launched over 400 drones and missiles at Ukraine in the past week alone. The strike on Kharkiv occurred just hours before President Zelensky dismissed the head of Ukraine's air force, Lt Gen Mykola Oleshchuk.

Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, is located approximately 35 kilometers (22 miles) from the Russian border and has been frequently targeted since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022. The regional governor, Oleh Sinehubov, reported on Telegram that 59 people were injured in the strike, including nine children. Of the injured, 20 were in serious condition, with some requiring amputations. Photos from the site also showed part of the building's outer wall collapsed, with cars outside engulfed in flames.

Sinehubov stated that the strikes were launched from Russia's Belgorod region, which lies just across the border from Kharkiv. He noted that the attack targeted areas where civilians gathered, calling it "mass terror against our civilian population."

President Zelensky emphasized that these attacks could have been prevented if Ukraine had the capability to destroy Russian military aircraft at their bases, stressing that this is a "legitimate need." He criticized the limitations placed by Ukraine's Western allies on using their supplied weapons to strike Russian territory, which he argued hindered Ukraine's defense capabilities.

While some allies, like the UK, have allowed Ukraine to use certain equipment to target Russia, there are exceptions, such as with long-range Storm Shadow missiles. The US has permitted strikes inside Russia near the Kharkiv region but continues to restrict deeper attacks to avoid escalating the conflict.

Zelensky reiterated the need for long-range capabilities and the full implementation of air defense agreements for Ukraine, describing them as "life-saving measures." In response to the Kharkiv attack, US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink expressed her condolences and called for Russia to be held accountable for what she termed "war crimes."

Earlier this week, sources informed the BBC that Ukraine has been conducting long-range strikes in Russia using domestically produced drones, with assistance from Western technology and finance. These strikes have targeted Russian air force bases, oil and ammunition depots, and command centers.

Meanwhile, Russian officials reported that five people were killed in Ukrainian strikes in the Belgorod region, with Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov stating that 37 civilians were wounded, allegedly due to the use of "cluster munitions" by Ukrainian forces.