NATO MUST IMPOSE A NO-FLY ZONE OVER UKRAINE. STARE PUTIN THE ASSASSIN DOWN!

Russian Forces Target Ukrainian Civilian Areas as Missile Hits Central Kharkiv

Russian forces shift approach toward heavy bombardment of Ukrainian cities after failing to execute quick invasion

By Yaroslav Trofimov 

Follow

Updated March 1, 2022 5:02 am ET

SAVE

SHARE

TEXT

KYIV, Ukraine—Russian forces struck the central square of the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv early Tuesday, as Moscow, frustrated in its plans for a quick victory, switched to a new strategy of pummeling civilian areas in an attempt to demoralize Ukrainian resistance.

Live-cam footage from Kharkiv’s central Freedom Square showed a missile landing just outside the local government’s headquarters, with a fireball charring nearby buildings and cars. Local officials said there were fatalities.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, launched last week by President Vladimir Putin with the aim of overthrowing the country’s elected government and ending its alignment with the West, has made slower progress than most military analysts had expected, as Russian forces struggle with fierce Ukrainian resistance and logistical problems.

READ LIVE UPDATES ON RUSSIA’S INVASION OF UKRAINE

WHAT’S NEWS

The Wall Street Journal Whats News

Ukrainians Heed Call to Arms, Return Home to Fight

SUBSCRIBE

Mr. Putin, who claims that Russians and Ukrainians are the same people, initially abstained from the kind of indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas that Russia used to subjugate its rebellious province of Chechnya in 1999-2000. The new barrages indicate that this relative restraint is falling away as Moscow seeks to crush Ukrainian resistance.

Heavy fighting continued throughout Ukraine on Tuesday, with Russian forces making advances in the south of the country and trying to push into the capital, Kyiv. A large column of Russian forces was heading toward Kyiv from the northwest, U.S. officials said. Satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies also showed the miles-long convoy.