Russia launches drone attack on Kharkiv, sparking massive fire

A Russian drone strike on Kharkiv overnight on Monday caused a large-scale fire at a civilian enterprise, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service reported.

The attack targeted the Novobavarskyi district, with flames engulfing 1,500 square meters of industrial facilities.

By 2:36 a.m., over 80 rescuers and 20 emergency vehicles had contained the blaze.

Preliminary reports indicate two civilians, a 68-year-old woman and a child, suffered acute stress reactions due to the attack.

Oleg Synegubov, head of the Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration, confirmed that a Shahed kamikaze drone damaged a gas pipeline and five vehicles. The strike occurred around 12:35 a.m.

Russia has intensified its use of drones, including decoys, to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses.

From the evening of January 26 to the early hours of January 27, Russia launched 104 Shahed drones and decoys, causing damage in four regions.