At least 17 people were injured by Russian missile strikes on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Tuesday, authorities said.

“Two women are seriously injured,” the head of the military administration of this pre-war Ukraine’s second largest city, Oleh Sinekhubov, said via Telegram. Twelve injured are being treated in a hospital, he clarified.

According to the same Ukrainian officer, two converted S-300 missiles hit an apartment building in the center of the metropolis.

Mayor Ihor Terekhov, for his part, insisted that the strikes took place in an area where there was “no” military infrastructure and ten buildings were damaged.

The city is often the target of Russian attacks. Last week, a hotel in the metropolis was struck, injuring 11 people, according to authorities.

The Russian Ministry of Defense consistently assures that the Russian bombings on Ukrainian territory are carried out exclusively against military targets.

Earlier yesterday, Tuesday, the authorities announced that they will proceed with the hasty evacuation of the residents of 26 villages in the homonymous district of Kharkiv, due to the threat of a Russian ground attack.

The Russian armed forces are exerting pressure on the eastern part of the region, constantly launching raids in the direction of Kupyansk, however, Kiev assures that their territorial gains are minimal.

Part of this region had fallen into the hands of Russian troops during the first phase of the war, but a Ukrainian counterattack in 2022 led to their push further east. The city of Kharkiv itself has not been captured.

For their part, Ukrainian forces frequently shell Russia’s Belgorod region, especially its capital of the same name and nearby villages, on the other side of the border. Their blows have multiplied and intensified in recent weeks.