Kharkiv devastated by Russian shelling, as school is hit and homes destroyed

KHARKIV has been devastated by brutal Russian shelling, as emergency services work tirelessly to rescue survivors as homes and even a school are hit.

Vladimir Putin's forces have escalated their efforts to seize the site in southern Ukraine, despite a valiant effort from Ukrainian civilians and soldiers to slow the Russian advance.

Kremlin troops have reportedly ramped up the battle for the plant after President Putin was left infuriated by his army's slow progress.

Workers at the plant in Enerhodar, 33 miles southwest of Ukraine's sixth-biggest city Zaporizhzhia, fear severe damage to the installation could trigger a nuclear disaster.