Russian drones struck apartment buildings in Ukraine's second largest city, Kharkiv, injuring 32 people, including two children, sparking fires and forcing dozens of residents to flee their homes, regional officials said.

According to preliminary information, Russian forces launched 19 drones at the Slobidskyi, Osnovianskyi and Nemyslianskyi districts after midnight, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said, adding that six of the wounded had been hospitalised.

Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said that a drone struck near a medical facility, injuring a doctor and damaging the building and nearby cars.

Kharkiv, about 30 km (18 miles) from the Russian border, repelled Russian forces in the first weeks of Russia's February 2022 full-scale invasion and has since endured near-daily missile and drone strikes on residential districts and infrastructure.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

Blasts heard as Russian drones hit Kharkiv, dozens injured, Ukrainian officials say

VIDEO SHOWS: AUDIO OF EXPLOSIONS / FIREFIGHTERS PUTTING OUT FIRES / EMERGENCY PERSONNEL HELPING RESIDENTS EVACUATE / SOUNDBITES FROM RESIDENTS AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL / AFTERMATH OF ATTACK

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: RESENDING TO ADD TRANSLATIONS IN SHOTS 29 AND 31

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: KHARKIV, UKRAINE (NOVEMBER 19, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all) (NIGHT SHOTS)

1. APARTMENT BUILDINGS / AUDIO OF LOUD BLAST

2. WHITE FLASH

3. APARTMENT BUILDINGS / AUDIO OF LOUD BLAST

4. WHITE FLASH

5. APARTMENT BUILDINGS / AUDIO OF LOUD BLAST

6. WHITE FLASH

7. APARTMENT BUILDINGS / AUDIO OF LOUD BLAST

8. EMERGENCY VEHICLES AT SCENE

9. VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTERS SPRAYING WATER

10. PEOPLE WALKING PAST SCENE, FIRE BURNING IN BACKGROUND

11. CAR BURNING

12. VARIOUS OF EMERGENCY RESPONDERS HELPING RESIDENTS

13. VARIOUS OF FIRE BURNING

14. VARIOUS OF EMERGENCY RESPONDERS HELPING RESIDENTS

15. VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTER SPRAYING WATER

16. WRECKAGE AND DEBRIS

17. FIREFIGHTERS PREPARING TO ENTER BUILDING WHILE OTHERS PUT OUT FLAMES

18. FIREFIGHTERS GATHERING BEFORE ENTERING BUILDING

19. VARIOUS OF EMERGENCY RESPONDERS CARRYING RESIDENT

20. VARIOUS OF RESIDENTS STANDING

21. (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) 22-YEAR-OLD STUDENT, DANYLO BONDAREV, SAYING:

“I live on the third floor of this building. When the strike happened, I was standing right by the window. A Shahed drone was flying outside — it was incredibly loud. As it got closer, I moved to the corridor because it felt dangerous. Then it hit. The blast wave threw me deeper into the corridor. I fell onto shattered glass, then got up and started searching for my relatives to make sure they were safe and sound. They were safe. There was fire outside, cars caught on fire.”

22. RESIDENTS STANDING NEAR BUILDING

23. (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) 22-YEAR-OLD STUDENT, DANYLO BONDAREV, SAYING:

"There are no factories or industrial buildings here — it’s a residential neighborhood. The only nearby facilities are a school and a kindergarten, nothing else.”

24. SMOKE RISING FROM BURNT WRECKAGE

25. VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTERS SPRAYING WATER ON BURNT CARS

26. PERSON CARRYING CHILD

27. (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT FOR COMBATING CRIMES COMMITTED IN CONDITIONS OF ARMED CONFLICT FROM KHARKIV REGIONAL PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, SPARTAK BORYSENKO, SAYING:

“Around midnight, the enemy launched about ten strikes on central Kharkiv neighborhoods using Geran-2 drones. Residential areas were hit.”

28. EMERGENCY RESPONDERS WORKING AT SCENE

29. (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT FOR COMBATING CRIMES COMMITTED IN CONDITIONS OF ARMED CONFLICT FROM KHARKIV REGIONAL PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, SPARTAK BORYSENKO, SAYING:

“Explosions were going off almost every minute. It was a massive attack involving about ten drones. Not all of the strike locations have been identified yet.”

30. EMERGENCY RESPONDERS WORKING AT SCENE

31. (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT FOR COMBATING CRIMES COMMITTED IN CONDITIONS OF ARMED CONFLICT FROM KHARKIV REGIONAL PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, SPARTAK BORYSENKO, SAYING:

“No fatalities have been reported, but the number of injured is still rising.”

32. VARIOUS OF DAMAGED BUILDING

33. WRECKAGE AND DEBRIS STREWN ON STREET

34. DAMAGED BUS