Russia strikes Ukraine's Kharkiv with aerial bombs killing one and injuring several others

Police inspect the aftermath of an airstrike in Kharkiv (Image: AP)

A Russian airstrike on the northeastern city of Kharkiv in Ukraine has killed at least one person and injured 16 more, according to local reports.

It is the first time the city has been hit since 2022. The strike hit several homes and damaged the city's institute for emergency services.

In recent days, Russia has increased its attacks on Ukraine. It has launched several missile attacks on the capital city, Kyiv, and damaged energy infrastructure across the country.

These actions seem to be in response to recent Ukrainian aerial attacks on the Russian border region of Belgorod. However, these kinds of sporadic attacks have been happening throughout the war.

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A damaged residential building following a Russian strike in Kharkivsday, March 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrii Marienko) (Image: AP)

The Kharkiv region is often attacked with missiles and drones because it is where Ukrainian and Russian forces have been fighting for over two years. This started when Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Sergey Bolvinov, who leads the investigative police department in Kharkiv, said in a Telegram post that this was the first time aerial bombs were used since 2022. The regional governor, Oleh Syniehubov, also reported the use of aerial bombs.

This recent increase in attacks comes as Ukrainian troops are getting tired. They are dealing with a shortage of people and ammunition, and they are facing more pressure from Russia along the front line that stretches over 1,000 kilometers (620 miles).

On Tuesday, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a big change in his team. He let go of one of his top security officials and replaced him with the boss of Ukraine's foreign spy agency.

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A police officer inspects a crater in front of a damaged residential building that was hit by a Russian strike in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrii Marienko) (Image: AP)

Zelenskyy dismissed Oleksii Danilov, who served as secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, thanking him for his service in a video address late Tuesday. The president gave no reason and said, without providing details, that Danilov will be "reassigned to another area."

Zelenskyy replaced him with Oleksandr Lytvynenko, who served as head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service.

The National Security Council is a policy coordination body that is chaired by Zelenskyy. Danilov had held his position since October 2019, a few months after Zelenskyy took office.

The dismissal follows Zelenskyy's decision in February to fire Ukraine's chief military officer, Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, and replace him with Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi. Tensions between Zaluzhnyi and the president grew after Ukraine's much-touted 2023 summer counteroffensive failed to reach its goals. This month, Zaluzhnyi was named Ukraine's ambassador to the United Kingdom.