Kharkiv, which is Ukraine's second-largest city and lies just dozens of kilometres from the Russian border, has been under constant shelling since Moscow's forces invaded in February 2022.
“Russian terrorists are taking advantage of the fact that Ukraine still lacks adequate air defense protection,” Zelensky said on social media.
Ukrainian officials are urging their allies to send more air defences and this week suggested that Kiev's neighbours shoot down Russian missiles using systems deployed in their countries.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba again called on Ukraine's Western partners to send seven Patriot systems, saying they were “needed now, not tomorrow”.
“I don't want to name anyone, but I once again urge countries that have Patriots to speed up their decision-making and make these systems available to Ukraine,” Kuleba said in a social media post.
Separately, the head of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, which the Kremlin claims is part of Russian territory, said a 74-year-old man was killed in Russian shelling of the village of Mala Tokmachka.