Russia attacked Kharkov with Iranian-made Shahed drones. Seven civilians were killed, including three children, local authorities reported. Here are the most important events in recent hours in and around Ukraine. This is the 717th day of Ukraine’s defense following Russia’s land invasion.
> Russia carried out an attack on Kharkov using drones. One of them hit a gas station, and the burning fuel started a fire that set 15 houses on fire. Seven people died, including two children aged seven and four and a six-month-old baby, the head of the Kharkiv region, Oleh Synehubov, said on Saturday in a message on Telegram.
Drone attack on Kharkov (February 10, 2024)PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE IN KHARKIV
> The Russians directed a total of 31 Shahed drones to the Ukrainian oblasts of Odessa and Kharkov at night. 23 machines were shot down by Ukrainian air defense, the army announced on Telegram.
> Three people were killed and four injured in a Russian bomb attack in the northeastern Sumy Oblast Ukraine – Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko announced on Telegram on Friday.
> The new commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, general Oleksandr Syrski emphasized that “the lives and health of soldiers have always been and remain the main value of the army.” – Therefore, our priorities are maintaining a balance between combat operations and the reconstruction of units, as well as education and training of military personnel – he said.
> It is happening more and more often unexplained explosions in production plants for the needs of the Russian military. The cause is probably carelessness and fatigue of the crews, according to the British Ministry of Defense. In recent months, explosions have occurred, among others: in Russian tank, ammunition and ballistic missile factories.
> President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky appointed General Anatoly Barhylevych as Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, replacing General Serhiy Shaptala in this position. Barhylevych has been the commander of the Territorial Defense Forces of Ukraine for the last four months.
> There were no Ukrainian prisoners of war on board the Russian Il-76 military plane that crashed on January 24 in the Belgorod region of Russia, Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, said on Friday.
> Growing isolation on the international stage forces Russia to change its strategy in the Arctic and acceptance of a growing presence China – according to a new report by the intelligence company Strider Technologies. As noted, this is a “clear departure from Russia’s previous efforts to limit China’s involvement in the” Arctic region, which remains “one of the most important priorities” for Moscow.
> The dismissal of the popular commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Valery Zaluzhny, carries a serious political and military risk for President Volodymyr Zelensky, writes Reuters. Although Zaluzhny and his successor Oleksandr Syrski have the same approach to waging war, the full composition of the new team has not yet been revealed, and therefore there may be short-term disruptions in the management of the army, says Serhiy Zhurets, head of the Ukrainian website Defense Express.
Main photo source: PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE IN KHARKIV