Russia Strikes Kharkiv With Ballistic Missiles, Injuring Civilians

On the evening of October 17, Russia launched a large-scale attack on Ukraine using ballistic missiles, jet-powered Shahed drones, and guided aerial bombs, with a reported ballistic missile strike on Kharkiv causing casualties. The strike hit the Slobidskyi district of Kharkiv, according to Mayor Ihor Terekhov, who confirmed there were injured people. Air alerts were declared across multiple regions, including Kyiv, as Ukrainian Air Force officials tracked drones heading toward the capital, Poltava, and Zhytomyr. Russian forces also targeted critical infrastructure in Dnipro and damaged a power facility in Chernihiv, leaving around 19,000 customers without electricity. Attacks with guided bombs were reported on Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, and Kharkiv regions throughout the evening.