Russian Army Shells Public Transport Depot in Kharkiv with Missile

KHARKIV, UKRAINE, Dec 20 — Russian missile attacks hit the northern part of Kharkiv on the night of December 20, damaging the Saltivske public transport depot.

According to Gwara journalists working at the scene, there were no injuries or deaths. The hit caused a hole.

“The nighttime missile shelling hit the territory of a transport depot, where there are no people left because of the enemy shelling. This is a purely civilian facility,” Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov commented in the morning.

Kharkiv Regional Military Administration head Oleh Syniehubov said that the Russian army had struck the Saltivskyy district of Kharkiv twice at night with S-300 missiles.

• 12:59 a.m. – an explosion was heard in Kharkiv;
• 01:00 a.m. – an air raid warning was sounded in Kharkiv;
• 1:00 a.m. – another explosion is heard in the city;
• 1:01 a.m. – The Air Force reported on Telegram channel that ballistic missile threats were reported in Kharkiv, Dnipro and Kirovohrad regions.

Russia has begun to use the S-300, as well as the S-400, more and more frequently against ground targets. These are anti-aircraft missiles that are designed for air defence, to shoot down air targets, in particular, aerodynamic targets, such as aircraft, cruise missiles and UAVs. The Russian army is increasingly using them to shell frontline cities and regions, including Kharkiv.

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As a result of shelling by the Russian army, Kharkiv transport infrastructure was heavily damaged, including 70% of municipal buses, 50% of trams, and more than 25% of trolleybuses.