UKRAINE, KHARKIV, July 1 — In June, Russia shelled Kharkiv 22 times with various types of weapons, injuring 92 people and killing six, said the mayor of Kharkiv, Ihor Terekhov.

Russia attacks Kharkiv region and Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city that’s 19 miles from the border, often since the start of the full-scale invasion, targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure. The attacks have intensified since Russia started its new offensive north of the region in May 2024.

Terekhov noted that during the month, the Russian Federation used modified glide bombs (UMPB-D30) 19 times, guided bombs (KABs) seven times, and one missile to attack Kharkiv.

The mayor said that although there were fewer Russian attacks than in May [there were 76 attacks — ed], this month, Russians used KAB-250 and FAB-500 guided bombs for the first time to strike the city.

FAB-500 is a 500-kg bomb with an explosive warhead, modified with a gliding kit that allows Russians to launch it from over the border, which is beyond the reach of Ukraine’s air defense. It’s also more powerful than the KAB- and FAB-250 bombs that the Russians use daily to bomb Kharkiv and the region. 

“The only thing that can protect us from these attacks is modern air defense systems,” the mayor added.

Mayor said that Kharkiv had 169 air raid alarms for over 460 hours during the month. 

On June 30, the Russian military dropped a FAB-500 bomb on a postal depot of Nova Poshta, Ukraine’s largest privately owned postal service, in the Slobidskyi district of Kharkiv. The attack killed a postal service’s driver and injured ten people, including an eight-month-old child.

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  • At 6 a.m., the Russians dropped air bombs on a frontline settlement, Lisna Stinka, in the Kupiansk district, destroying a school, reported the State Emergency Service (SES) of Ukraine.