Baby killed in Russian strike on Kharkiv hotel

A two-month-old boy was killed and his mother wounded in a Russian missile strike on a hotel in northeastern Ukraine Tuesday.

The infant’s body was recovered from the rubble of the three-story building in Zolochiv that was struck by two S-300 missiles around 2:30 a.m. local time, Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Synehubov wrote on Telegram.

Two other women were taken to the hospital with shrapnel injuries, Synahubov added.

More than 30 buildings – including private residences, a cafe, stores, and vehicles – were damaged in the overnight attack, according to the National Police.

Zolochiv is about 12 miles from the Russian border – too close for Ukraine’s air forces to sufficiently cover, the BBC explained. 

The S-300 missiles used in Tuesday’s strike were originally designed for surface-to-air attacks, but have since been repurposed to hit ground targets, the outlet noted.

S-300s are viewed as a cheaper alternative to cruise missiles, which are more accurate.

Attacks on the Kharkiv region have increased since the New Year, the BBC said.

A couple weeks ago, the world was shocked by the haunting image of a bloodied, bandaged woman standing in an ambulance in the city of Kharkiv following a series of Russian missile strikes.

At least five people were killed and another 51 were injured in that attack, Synehubov said at the time.

Feb. 24 will mark the two-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has devolved into a quasi-stalemate as both forces reevaluate their positions, the BBC said.

“If we want to win, we, all of us, we have to be leaders of the victory. We cannot lose hope or give up in despair,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Italian TV this week.

With Post wires