A Russian missile strike hit the town of Balakliia in northeastern Kharkiv Oblast overnight, killing at least three people and wounding ten others, among them three children, local officials reported on Monday.

The attack saw two missiles land near residential apartment buildings in the town center, according to Vitalii Karabanov, the head of Balakliia’s Military Administration. The injured children were born in 2007, 2010, and 2011.

This strike is part of a intensified campaign by Russian forces, who have escalated attacks across eastern Kharkiv Oblast throughout the year. The bombardment has increasingly targeted towns and villages located far from the immediate front lines. Balakliia, which sits more than 60 kilometers from active combat zones, was previously occupied by Russian troops at the start of the full-scale invasion and later liberated by Ukrainian forces in their successful fall 2022 counteroffensive.

Karabanov stated that nine of the wounded have been hospitalized. As of 4 a.m. local time, rescue operations were still ongoing, with emergency teams responding to new reports of potential victims.

“Unfortunately, calls about possible victims continue to come in,” Karabanov said in a post on the Telegram messaging app. (ILKHA)