Russian strikes hit Kharkiv hours after a surprise visit by German foreign minister

Russian strikes hit eastern Ukraine’s city of Kharkiv late on Tuesday, the regional governor said, only hours after a surprise visit by the German foreign minister with her Ukrainian counterpart, Qazet.az reports according to AFP.

Annalena Baerbock vowed further German support for Kyiv on her unannounced trip, but Ukraine’s top diplomat Dmytro Kuleba said Berlin’s refusal to send his country battle tanks was costing lives.

“Stay in the shelters. The occupiers are bombing again!” regional governor Oleg Synegubov warned on Telegram. An AFP journalist heard several explosions in the city.

Baerbock, who on Tuesday became the highest-level western official to visit Kharkiv, had pledged further German support for Kyiv.

“In all parts of Ukraine, from Kharkiv to Kherson to Kyiv, people should know they can rely on our solidarity and support,” she said.