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A building on fire after Russian strikes in Kharkiv, Ukraine Alamy Stock Photo

Russian strikes kill two and wound 60 in Ukraine

Police said a 65-year-old man and a 47-year-old woman were killed in the shelling .

RUSSIAN STRIKES ON Ukraine’s northeastern city of Kharkiv killed two people and wounded 60 including children early this morning, authorities said, as Moscow pushed ahead with its relentless attacks after rejecting an unconditional ceasefire.

“Seventeen strikes by enemy UAVs (drones) were carried out in two districts of the city tonight,” Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov said on Telegram.

Police said a 65-year-old man and a 47-year-old woman were killed in the shelling and 60 others wounded, including nine children .

Russia has escalated its bombardments of Ukraine despite US President Donald Trump urging Moscow to end its three-year invasion, with Kyiv launching retaliatory attacks deep inside Russian territory.

After a previous overnight barrage of more than 300 drones and seven missiles on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Kyiv’s Western allies to respond with “concrete action”.

“Action from America, which has the power to force Russia into peace. Action from Europe, which has no alternative but to be strong,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media.

Peace talks in Turkey last week failed to yield a breakthrough towards ending the conflict, with Russia rejecting calls for an unconditional ceasefire and demanding Ukraine give up its territory and bid to join NATO.

But the two sides agreed to swap more than 1,000 prisoners of war and hand over the bodies of dead soldiers, swapping groups of captured soldiers on Monday and Tuesday.

Prisoner exchanges 

Kharkhiv, which lies less than 50 kilometres from the Russian border, has been hit by a surge in large-scale nighttime attacks over the past week.

Wednesday’s strikes left a five-story building on fire in Slobidskyi district, while several houses were hit in Osnovyansky district, Mayor Terekhov said.

The attacks came after Russia pummelled Kharkiv on Saturday in what Terekhov called “the most powerful attack” on the city since the start of the war.

Four people were killed and more than 50 wounded as homes and apartment blocks were hit overnight and guided bombs were dropped on the city on Saturday afternoon.

Russian strikes also hit the southern port city of Odesa on Wednesday, Ukrainian emergency servces said.

“Tonight, Russia attacked Odesa region. Summer houses, outbuildings, cars and civilian watercraft were destroyed and damaged,” the State Emergency Service of Ukraine said on Telegram, reporting no wounded.

Ukraine is also stepping up its drone attacks on Russia, targeting military production and bases.

Russian air defences intercepted and destroyed 32 Ukrainian drones in five regions overnight into Wednesday, Moscow’s defence ministry said on Telegram.

On Tuesday, one person was killed and four others wounded in a drone attack that destroyed a convenience store in the Russian region of Belgorod, according to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.

Nevertheless, the two sides carried out a second prisoner of war swap on Tuesday.

The deal should see the freeing of all captured soldiers under the age of 25, as well as those who are sick or severely wounded, though neither side has specified the number of soldiers involved.

But Zelenskyy has said it is “pointless” to hold further talks with the current Russian delegation – who he previously dismissed as “empty heads” — since they could not agree to a ceasefire.

As a condition for halting its invasion, Russia has demanded that Ukraine cede the territories Moscow says it has annexed and forswear joining NATO.

It has also rejected a proposed 30-day unconditional ceasefire sought by Kyiv and the European Union, arguing that this would allow Ukrainian forces to rearm with Western deliveries.

Ukraine is demanding a complete Russian withdrawal of from its territory and security guarantees from the West.

- © AFP 2025

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    Mute Benjamin Dolan
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    Feb 26th 2018, 9:36 AM

    Some security. you can imagine whats coming into the country, when they can’t even secure a prison.

    119
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    Mute Bruce Miller
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    Feb 26th 2018, 9:39 AM

    @Benjamin Dolan: Not too many escaping though!

    20
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    Mute Rear Admiral
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    Feb 26th 2018, 10:36 AM

    @Bruce Miller: why would they want to with that statistic above

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    Mute Bruce Miller
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    Feb 26th 2018, 10:54 AM

    @Rear Admiral: Freedom?

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    Mute Dotty Dunleary
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    Feb 26th 2018, 11:10 AM

    @Bruce Miller: Why would a lot of those habitual offenders want to escape from prison?
    They get 3 meals a day, allowances to buy cigarettes and snacks, access to a gym for free, a warm/dry bed. Meeting up with all there old gang members to discuss better way to commit crimes.
    Not to mention all the illegal stuff, smuggled mobile phones, drugs, probably play-stations too…

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    Mute Colm Lawlor
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    Feb 26th 2018, 12:29 PM

    @Benjamin Dolan: bit hard to pull the stuff out of their arses

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    Mute Bill O'Brien
    Favourite Bill O'Brien
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    Feb 26th 2018, 10:27 AM

    For many years those in charge of prisons in this country have turned a blind eye to drug use in prisons. It “kept a lid on things” was how one prison officer, interviewed a few years ago, put it. Its not good enough that you can enter the prison system here clean and come out a drug addict. This is clearly the fault of those in charge of these prisons, Governors, such as John Lonergan, for many years in charge of Mountjoy, have a lot to answer for but have never been made accountable.

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    Mute Sean O'Brien
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    Feb 26th 2018, 12:51 PM

    @Bill O’Brien: I work with x Governor John Lonergan he was not a nice person when a Prison Officer that was involve in a shooting incident (when he was shot at) went to him for help he [Lonergan] ignore that Prison Officer, which is now part of a “Protective Disclosure” and was raised with the “Public Accounts Committee” including the “Justice Committee”.

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    Mute paddy
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    Feb 26th 2018, 3:34 PM

    @Bill O’Brien:nonsense

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    Mute Bruce Miller
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    Feb 26th 2018, 4:30 PM

    @paddy: And why is that – do you know!?

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    Mute paddy
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    Feb 27th 2018, 5:04 PM

    @Bruce Miller: yes bruce i do know

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    Mute Nick
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    Feb 26th 2018, 10:03 AM

    Did charges for drug seizures go up by the same percentage? If not, why?

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    Mute Bruce Wardrop
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    Feb 26th 2018, 9:45 AM

    Would be interesting to see data other relevant info – e.g. the number of searches performed etc to put this figure into context. Are there more detailed / frequent searchers or is there more contraband getting in?

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    Mute John Murphy
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    Feb 26th 2018, 12:20 PM

    Should be a year automatic on to your sentence to be caught with a phone or drugs. There are no meaningful consequences for them.

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    Mute Michael Devlin
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    Feb 26th 2018, 1:43 PM

    Visits should only be behind glass but the human rights brigade wouldnt have it as they can’t seem to comprehend that prison is actually supposed to be punishment. Sentences should be dramatically increased for those caught with phones or drugs inside

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    Mute Féach News
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    Feb 26th 2018, 11:26 AM

    Sales of Vaseline Soar in Phibsborough

    https://twitter.com/thejournal_ie/status/968054233043034112

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    Mute Anthony Gallagher
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    Feb 26th 2018, 12:02 PM

    Now we can see why judges dont want to be sending petty criminals to prisons .anything but rehabilitation

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    Mute blue exile
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    Feb 26th 2018, 1:29 PM

    I predict a riot

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