Kharkiv shelling: 'Everything began to collapse'
STORY: Bodies could be seen lying on the pavement outside a residential building after rockets hit the area at around 1740 local time (1440 GMT), according to a Reuters eyewitness.
One resident, who gave his name as Sergey, said the damage and the small pellets found suggested cluster-bomb use. Reuters was unable to verify the cause of the damage.
Asked about war crime allegations, including the use of cluster bombs, on March 1, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a conference call with reporters: "We categorically deny this." He dismissed allegations of Russian strikes on civilian targets and the use of cluster bombs and vacuum bombs as fakes.
Oksana Belichenko, a resident of Kharkiv and witness to the attack, said she heard a loud noise followed by an explosion.
“Windows began to break, everything began to collapse. Me, my husband and everyone who was at home crawled into the corridor,” she said.
The Governor of Kharkiv, Oleh Synyehubov, identified the area of the shelling as Slobidsky district, in a message posted on Telegram.
"Unfortunately, there are dead and wounded among the civilian population. As of this time, there are 23 casualties, including children. The figures are being established,” he said.
Many residents told Reuters the shrapnel from munitions fired on the area left small round holes in nearby objects, but Reuters could not verify the damage was caused by the shelling.
