KHARKIV: Ukraine said Wednesday that Russian shelling had killed three people and wounded five in the northeastern city of Kharkiv.

Kharkiv is Ukraine’s second-largest city and lies close to the Russian border. It has seen increased attacks in recent months as Moscow’s invasion drags on for more than two years.

“Russians shelled Kharkiv,” Sergiy Bolvinov, head of the investigative department of Kharkiv’s police, said on social media. “Three people died, five were wounded, a large-scale fire broke out.”

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He said the shelling hit an eight-storey building and factory around 1:00 pm local time (1100 GMT), causing a fire that spread to around “1000 square meters.”

The attack damaged a printing house and a workshop that produced furniture and paint.

Workers were wounded, Bolvinov said, adding that “two of them are in bad condition.”

“Unfortunately, the number of casualties may increase.”

Ukraine’s emergency services published images of at least five fire engines working at the scene, showing a fire at the top floor of the building.