Russian rockets strike hotel in Ukraine's 2nd largest city, 10 people injured

Kiev, Jan 11 (IANS) Two Russian rockets hit a hotel in the second largest Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, partially damaging the structure, while also injuring 10 people, the country's State Emergency Service (SES) said on Thursday.

In a social post, the SES said the attack occurred at about 10.30 p.m. on Wednesday and the rockets targeted the central part of the city, located just 30 km from the Russian border.

It also said that SES Units, the National Police and emergency medical services were immediately dispatched to the scene.

The teams found damage to the three-storey hotel building, as well as cars parked nearby.

"The area of ??the fire was about 20 square meters. Eight people were evacuated from the building," the SES said in the post.

According to preliminary data, 10 people were injured, including hotel staff, guests and a foreign journalist.

Photos putout by the SES showed the hotel heavily damaged and firefighters at the scene.

According to Kharkiv Governor Oleh Synehubov, the attack was carried out by S-300 rockets, reports the BBC.

The city's mayor, Ihor Terekhov claimed that "there were no military at all" in the hotel at the time of the attack, but 30 civilians were present.

Tuesday's attack comes as Russia has stepped up air strikes on Ukrainian cities in the past two weeks.

Kharkiv has suffered extensive damage from Russian air strikes since Moscow waged its war against Ukraine in February 2022.