• Russian forces launched a “double tap” missile attack on a small town near Kharkiv, killing an emergency service official and a police officer.
• The attack targeted a railway station in Budy, southwest of Kharkiv, and injured 23 people.
• The head of the Kharkiv district emergency services and a police officer were killed.

Russian forces launched a “double tap” missile attack on Saturday on a small town near Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, killing an emergency service official and a police officer, officials said. Officials also reported two fatalities in Russian attacks on the Donetsk region to the southeast.

Prosecutors reported that the mid-afternoon missile attack targeted the railway station in Budy, southwest of Kharkiv. After rescue teams arrived, a second missile struck the area. They noted that 23 people were injured in the incidents.

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko reported that the head of the Kharkiv district emergency services and a police officer from a rapid reaction unit were killed. The injured included three emergency workers, a policeman, and about 20 civilians.

Reuters could not independently verify the accounts, and Russia denies deliberately targeting civilians. However, Russian forces have employed the “double tap” tactic to devastating effect. During the initial advance of Kremlin forces following the February 2022 invasion, Kharkiv remained out of Russian control.

The city and surrounding area have since come under constant attack. However, Ukrainian officials say the frequency has diminished since the US resumed supplying weaponry to Ukraine after a break of several months.

Donetsk regional governor Vadym Filashkin reported that multiple rocket launchers attacked a multi-story apartment building in Chasiv Yar, a town targeted by Russian forces as a key staging point for advancing through eastern Ukraine. Additionally, a guided bomb killed one person near the town of Kurakhove, where some of the heaviest fighting is occurring along the 1,000-km (600-mile) front.

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