“Unfortunately the death toll from the occupiers’ attacks on Kharkiv has risen to seven,” Oleg Synegubov said on the Telegram social network.

“Among them are three children: 7, 4 years old and a baby about six months old.”

The attack sprayed nearby homes with burning fuel forcing at least 50 people to evacuate, Kharkiv mayor Igor Terekhov said earlier.

“The enemy’s Shaheds (Iranian-made drones) hit a petrol station, causing burning fuel to spill out and 14 private houses to burn,” he said, adding the fire was burning across a wide area.

Kharkiv regional prosecutor Oleksandr Filachkov said three drones hit Kharkiv’s Nemyshlyanskyi district.

“As a result, an object of critical infrastructure was destroyed. There was a large amount of fuel, which is why the consequences of the fire were so terrible,” he said, referring to the petrol station.

Today’s strike follows a string of night-time attacks in Kharkiv and a village east of the regional capital.