Russia launches air attack on Ukraine’s Kharkiv

Russia launched an air attack on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv overnight, setting at least one building ablaze, officials said yesterday.

The city's mayor, Ihor Terekhov, initially said one civilian was killed.

Terekhov said Russia launched several waves in its attack on Kharkiv - the administrative centre of the broader Kharkiv region which borders Russia.

Also on Telegram, Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said the strikes set a building ablaze in the city.

There was no immediate comment from Russia. Both sides deny targeting civilians in the 29-month-old war, which Russia started with a full-scale invasion of its smaller neighbour.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin said yesterday that Ukraine's signal on talks with Moscow appeared to be in unison with Russia's own position, but that more details were needed.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Kyiv was ready for talks with Russia if Moscow was prepared to negotiate in good faith, though he said that Ukraine has seen no sign of that.

"The message itself can be said to be in unison with our position," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked about Kuleba's remark, adding that clarification was needed on the details.

"You know that the Russian side has never refused to negotiate, has always maintained its openness to the negotiation process, but details are important here that you and I do not yet know."

Reuters reported in February that Russian President Vladimir Putin's suggestion of a ceasefire in Ukraine to freeze the war was rejected by the United States after contacts between intermediaries.

Putin is ready to halt the war in Ukraine with a negotiated ceasefire but the Kremlin chief is prepared to fight on if Kyiv and the West do not respond, Reuters reported in May.

Putin in June said Russia would end the war in Ukraine only if Kyiv agreed to drop its Nato ambitions and hand over the entirety of four provinces claimed by Moscow, demands Kyiv swiftly rejected as tantamount to surrender.