The death toll from a Russian airstrike on a hypermarket in Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, has risen to 14, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced. The announcement came during a video speech recorded at the site of a local printing house in Kharkiv, which was also destroyed in a recent missile strike. President Zelenskyy reported that while Ukrainian forces were defending the area about 60 kilometers (37 miles) northeast of the city, Russian forces were preparing for another offensive approximately 90 kilometers (56 miles) northwest of Kharkiv. He highlighted the critical nature of the conflict's developments and the broader implications for regional stability. The Ukrainian leader emphasized the importance of international efforts to bring an end to the ongoing war, specifically pointing to the upcoming peace summit scheduled for June 15-16 in Switzerland. Zelenskyy extended an invitation to his counterparts from the United States and China to join the summit, stressing that the event would test global commitment to resolving the conflict genuinely, rather than settling for temporary ceasefires that are frequently violated by Russian forces. On May 10, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry reported that Russian forces launched an attempt to breach Ukraine's defenses in the Kharkiv region, indicating a new front in the more than two-year-long conflict primarily concentrated in the country's east and south. Since then, clashes have intensified, particularly near Vovchansk, located about 74 kilometers (45 miles) from Kharkiv. Russia has claimed to have seized multiple border settlements in its recent offensives on the Kharkiv front and in other areas such as Donetsk. Concurrently, Ukrainian authorities have warned of potential similar Russian assaults in the northeastern Sumy region, claims which Moscow has not confirmed. — Agencies
