Kharkiv bomb attack update: 47 injured, 20 in critical condition

The number of people killed in a Russia guided bomb attacks in Kharkiv has risen to 5 with at least 47 people injured.  The strikes hit a 12-story residential building, a children’s playground, and the city’s central area, also damaging an educational institution. Tragically, a 14-year-old girl was killed on the playground.

In his update on social media, the regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said that 20 of the injured are in critical or extremely critical condition, with some victims having suffered amputations.  One of the injured died from wounds ain the hospital.

According to reports some may still be trapped on the upper floors of the residential building, including at least one woman. The risk of the building collapsing remains high after its top three floors collapsed following the strike.

All emergency services are currently working on the scene trying to help in the aftermath of the attack.

Amendments to Ukraine’s enforcement proceedings legislation, initiated by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, have entered into force. Among other measures, the reform provides for the automated lifting of attachments on bank accounts immediately after debts in enforcement proceedings have been fully settled. The main practical benefit for citizens is the complete elimination of the need to contact an enforcement officer in person and wait for paper decisions once the debt has been paid.

The 157th Separate Mechanized Brigade has received another batch of supplies as part of Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front military initiative. This time, the military received seven quad bikes and four mobile shower and bath units.

In my previous column, I wrote about social innovations in Ukraine. Those innovations are part of civic resilience and the democratization of security, which Europe is paying close attention to right now. The EU is trying to work out how to spread responsibility for its own security across society as a whole, rather than leaving it to institutions alone. It is looking for concrete ways to bring ordinary people into the work of defense and resistance.

Petro Poroshenko’s lawyers have appealed to the High Anti-Corruption Court demanding that NABU be obligated to register proceedings regarding the fact of exerting influence on the court and to recognize Petro Poroshenko as a victim in the case of the Deputy Head of the Office of the President, Iryna Mudra, due to her pressure on Supreme Court judges who were considering a lawsuit to overturn sanctions.

Internationally recognized brands and financial institutions should direct capital to Ukraine now, not waiting for the hostilities to end. This was emphasized by Rinat Akhmetov, president of FC Shakhtar, during a working visit to UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, where he met with UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.