KYIV - A Russian missile hit an industrial area in Ukraine’s northern city of Kharkiv on March 20, killing at least five people and injuring seven while causing a major fire in a printing house, local authorities said.

The Kharkiv region, which borders Russia to the north and lies close to the front line, has suffered regular drone and missile attacks during Russia’s two-year-old invasion.

The X-59 missile struck the high-storey industrial building in the afternoon.

“The building houses production facilities and offices. This is an act of terrorism because it was conducted at a time when the vast majority of the people are at work,” Mr Volodymyr Tymoshko, head of the regional police, was quoted as saying on a police account on Telegram.

Rescuers worked at the site, looking for survivors and fighting flames.

The area of the fire expanded to 10,000 sq m from an initial 1,000 sq m, according to the emergency services.

One of the reasons for the severe fire was that a printing house was located in the building, the regional governor, Mr Oleh Synehubov, added.

A furniture and paint products factory also came under the attack, Mr Serhiy Bolvinov, the head of the investigative department of the regional police, said.

Moscow denies deliberately attacking civilians in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine which it launched in February 2022, although many have been killed in frequent Russian air strikes across the country. REUTERS