Four killed in Kharkiv as Russia hits Kyiv with five ballistic missiles, Zelensky says

A Russian strike destroyed a residential building in Kharkiv on the evening of 12 October, killing four people, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on 13 October. He also said five ballistic missiles hit civilian infrastructure in Kyiv, and that Ukraine received no warning of that strike from its partners.

Kharkiv: death toll rises to four

In a Telegram post, Zelensky said Russia attacked Ukraine with more than a hundred weapons from the evening onward, including jet-powered drones, loitering munitions and ballistic missiles. He said a large share was shot down, "but, unfortunately, not all."

In Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, an "ordinary residential building" was destroyed, Zelensky said. Rescuers searched for people under the rubble practically all night. Four people died, he said, and 41 people were injured in Kharkiv alone over the course of the evening.

The figure is higher than the one initially reported. Ukrainska Pravda's early-morning summary said three people had been killed and 11 injured in the strike on Kharkiv. The later figures come from the president and may reflect the rescue operation's progress and a wider count of the evening's attacks. Zelensky did not break down the 41 injured by individual strike.

Kyiv hit by ballistic missiles

Zelensky called the ballistic strike on Kyiv "vile" and said five missiles hit civilian infrastructure. He did not specify which facilities were hit or whether there were casualties in the capital.

"Regarding this strike, unfortunately, there was no warning from partners," he said. Intelligence on Russian ballistic missile launches "helps save lives, and this is one of the most critical issues," he added, saying such warnings help prevent deaths when they are issued. He did not name which partners he meant.

Overnight tally and other regions

According to the Ukrainian Air Force figures carried by Ukrainska Pravda, Russia launched five ballistic missiles, nine Banderol loitering munitions and 108 drones overnight. Air defence downed 88 drones, and hits were recorded at 17 locations.

Regional damage reported in the same summary:

• Lviv region: a downed drone set two houses on fire and damaged three cars.
• Khmelnytskyi region: a medical facility was damaged and four patients were injured.
• Dnipro: a 64-year-old man was injured. A transport infrastructure object, apartment blocks and cars were damaged.
• Rivne and Rivne region: dormitories, residential buildings and non-residential infrastructure were damaged.

Later on 13 October, Suspilne reported that at least 20 people were injured in a drone attack on an educational institution in Rivne, citing regional governor Koval. Clean-up work was under way. The report did not say exactly when the strike occurred or give the type of institution. The photos were provided by Rivne region patrol police.

Energy ceasefire dispute

Zelensky also addressed the energy ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump. He said Ukraine did not strike Russian oil refineries or energy facilities for two days after the announcement, but Russia "did not heed the American president." According to Zelensky, Russia attacked Ukrainian energy and critical infrastructure during that time, and 19 regions came under attack over the two days.

Russia has not confirmed the truce, and its scope has been disputed. A White House representative told Axios that it covered only strikes on each other's oil refineries, as previously reported by RealUA.

Zelensky said Ukraine's position is unchanged: it is ready for mirrored de-escalation steps, but effective pressure on Russia is needed. He said direct or indirect support for Russia, slowing aid to Ukraine and complicating protection against ballistic missiles "will definitely not work for peace."

Zelensky's casualty figures and his account of Russian violations could not be independently verified. Russian officials had not commented on the 13 October strikes at the time of the source posts.