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At least four people have been killed and 17 injured in overnight Russian strikes targeting residential areas in Ukraine’s northeastern city of Kharkiv, according to local officials. The attacks hit three different districts of the city, marking the latest escalation in Russia’s ongoing assault on Ukraine’s second-largest urban center.

Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov confirmed through his Telegram channel that the casualties included two children among the injured. The strikes devastated residential buildings in the Shevchenkivskyi, Saltivskyi, and Kholodnohirskyi districts, areas that have repeatedly suffered from Russian bombardment since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

“We are once again witnessing the targeting of civilian infrastructure with devastating consequences,” Terekhov said. In one poignant moment captured on video and shared through social media, the mayor was seen offering his coat to an elderly resident who had been displaced by the attack.

Eyewitness footage verified by BBC journalists shows a massive explosion illuminating the night sky over Kharkiv. The video’s authenticity was confirmed by matching architectural landmarks visible in the footage, including the distinctive St. Panteleimon Church, with known locations in the city.

Kharkiv, located just 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the Russian border, has endured persistent attacks throughout the war. Despite Russian forces being pushed back from the city’s outskirts in the early months of the invasion, the proximity to Russian territory has left Kharkiv vulnerable to regular artillery, missile, and drone strikes.

The latest assault comes at a particularly significant diplomatic moment, occurring directly after high-level talks between Ukrainian and U.S. officials in Switzerland over the weekend. The discussions centered on a Washington-backed peace proposal that both parties described as “highly productive.”

However, President Volodymyr Zelensky identified a major sticking point in the 28-point proposal: the potential ceding of Ukrainian-controlled territory to Russia. This remains a fundamental issue for Kyiv, which has consistently maintained that territorial integrity is non-negotiable in any peace settlement.

The timing of these strikes has raised questions about whether they represent a Russian response to the diplomatic engagement. Military analysts have frequently noted Russia’s pattern of escalating attacks during or immediately following peace initiatives.

Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov stated that emergency services continue to work at the damaged sites, with rescue operations ongoing. “The full extent of the destruction is still being assessed, but we know multiple residential buildings have sustained significant damage,” he said.

Kharkiv has increasingly become a focal point of Russian military pressure in recent months. The city’s strategic importance as a major industrial and transportation hub makes it a primary target in Russia’s campaign to degrade Ukrainian infrastructure and civilian morale.

International humanitarian organizations have expressed alarm at the continuing pattern of strikes on residential areas. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has previously documented numerous instances of attacks on civilian infrastructure in Kharkiv that potentially constitute violations of international humanitarian law.

As winter approaches, concerns are mounting about the impact of infrastructure damage on the civilian population. Previous Russian campaigns have targeted Ukraine’s energy grid, leaving millions without heat or power during freezing temperatures.

The latest violence underscores the precarious security situation facing Ukraine’s northeastern regions, even as international diplomatic efforts to find a resolution to the conflict continue with limited progress.