Kyiv, 24 May (H.S.): Ukrainian officials say Russian forces struck the eastern city of Balakliia for a second time on Saturday night, targeting the Evangelical “Light of the Gospel” church in a drone attack that set the building ablaze. Flames spread across an area of about 1,300 square metres, and the strike also damaged an apartment building and several houses.

According to the Kyiv Post, officials reported no casualties from the night strike. Balakliia lies in the northeastern Kharkiv region, southeast of the regional capital Kharkiv and near areas that have repeatedly come under Russian attack since the start of the invasion.

Officials said Russian forces had earlier hit central Balakliia on Saturday morning at about 11:35 a.m., wounding three people. The Kyiv Post asserts that throughout the war Russia has repeatedly targeted civilian infrastructure, residential areas and religious buildings across Ukraine, a charge Moscow denies, saying it does not deliberately attack civilians.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar