Russian strikes kill two in Ukraine's Kharkiv as Moscow steps up attacks

Russian guided bombs have killed at least two people and injured 13 in Ukraine's northeastern city of Kharkiv, local officials say, as Russia continues its major military offensive in the region. It was not immediately clear what the bombs had been targeting on Friday, but the regional governor said those injured were civilians. "Among the 13 wounded, four are in a serious condition," Governor Oleh Syniehubov said on the Telegram messaging app. Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, and the surrounding region have long been targeted by Russian attacks but the strikes have become more intense in recent months, hitting civilian and energy infrastructure. Reporting from Kharkiv on Friday, Al Jazeera's John Holman said several strikes were heard and a "thick, black plume of smoke" was visible. "We don't know yet what's been hit – if it's factories or residential infrastructure," he reported, adding that the city had also experienced drone attacks.