ISTANBUL

Ukraine said on Tuesday that at least 57 people were injured in Russian airstrikes on the northeastern city of Kharkiv.

“Yesterday evening, Russia dropped aerial bombs on Kharkiv, striking a city hospital and injuring 57 people,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement on US social media company X.

Defining the strike as an “utterly terrorist, cynical attack,” Zelenskyy said the attack also targeted energy infrastructure in the region, but did not provide further details.

He said attacks also took place in the Donetsk, Kirovohrad, and Sumy regions.

The Ukrainian president called on partners for additional air defense systems, and urged the international community to compel Russia to “come to the table for genuine negotiations.”

“Only peace through strength can bring results,” Zelenskyy added.

Kharkiv Governor Oleh Synyehubov said in an earlier statement on Telegram that 62 people were injured in attacks on Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, and eight settlements of the region over the past day.

Ukraine's air force claimed in a statement on Telegram that air defenses shot down 69 of 96 drones launched by Russia overnight.

Russian authorities did not immediately comment on Ukraine’s statements.