A LARGE explosion struck central Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, on Tuesday, directly in front of the city’s administrative building, creating a huge fireball that engulfed several cars driving through an area called Freedom Square.

At least 10 persons were reported dead and may others injured, including a child.

CCTV footage of the attack captured what appeared to be a rocket striking directly in front of the building and a video of the aftermath showed a large crater in the middle of the city’s cobble-stoned central square.

In another attack, Russian airstrikes hit the main TV tower in Kyiv, killing at least five persons.

Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, described the attacks as insane, while his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, insists his country’s “military operation” in Ukraine aims at “saving people, demilitarisation and denazification”.

Ukraine had accused Russia of trying to attack the Kyiv TV tower in an attempt to disrupt broadcasting, as part of a massive-scale disinformation campaign among the civilian population in Ukraine.

Hundreds of Ukrainians staged protests against actions of Russian soldiers in Kupiansk, Kharkiv region and there is a growing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, including shortages of food and places to stay for people. More than half a million people have fled the country.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, received a standing ovation at the European Parliament after his speech urging Europe to ‘prove’ it’s with Ukraine and accept it as a member state.

In Geneva, about 100 diplomats left the room in protest during the Russian Foreign Minister’s address after his speech. The parliament will further discuss Ukraine’s application for the EU membership.

The EU announced its has disconnected key Russian banks from SWIFT and banned transactions of Russia’s Central Bank to paralyze billions of foreign reserves.