Moscow bombarding Kharkiv to keep Kyiv from using forces elsewhere, UK says

Russia is keeping up steady bombardment of the northeastern Kharkiv front to tie down Ukrainian forces, and prevent them from being used for counter-attacks in other regions, Britain's defence ministry said on Friday.

Kharkiv, about 15km from Russian front lines, has been consistently shelled since the beginning of Russia-Ukraine tensions, as it is within range of most Russian artillery, said the ministry, in a daily intelligence bulletin.

Seventeen people were killed and 42 injured in two Russian attacks in Kharkiv — Ukraine's second largest city — on Wednesday and Thursday, the regional Ukrainian governor said. Russia denies deliberately targeting civilians, in what it calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine.

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