A Russian drone struck a residential home in central Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of three family members, including a one-year-old baby, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Zelensky accused Russia of attempting to “buy time for itself to continue killing” and urged the West to impose “maximum sanctions” and exert “pressure” on Moscow, as Russia has consistently rebuffed calls for a full and unconditional ceasefire.
In total, five individuals lost their lives in Pryluky, a central Ukrainian city, including victims spanning three generations of one family.
Officials reported that a local firefighting chief was attending to a previous attack when his own house was struck by a Russian drone.
Images depicted houses ablaze, with thick grey smoke rising into the dark sky as rescuers fought the fire.
A photograph taken at dawn, released by emergency services, showed a firefighter standing amid the charred remains of a residential building, the roof missing, surrounded by ashes and debris.
“Russia is continually trying to buy time for itself to continue killing. When it does not feel sufficient condemnation and pressure from the world, it kills again,” said Mr. Zelensky.
“This presents yet another reason to impose maximum sanctions and act collectively. We anticipate action from the United States, Europe, and all those worldwide who can genuinely help change these dire circumstances,” he added.
Recently, fighting and aerial strikes have intensified, even as both sides engaged in two rounds of discussions in Istanbul aimed at resolving the ongoing three-year conflict.
Read more: Putin plans to retaliate after Ukraine drone strikes – Trump, Ukraine, Russia agree on another prisoner exchange, but no ceasefire, Latest Ukraine stories.
However, Russian President Vladimir Putin informed US President Donald Trump that Moscow would respond to a bold Ukrainian drone strike that inflicted damage on several Russian nuclear-capable military jets over the weekend, Trump stated following their call.
An additional strike on the northeastern city of Kharkiv injured 18 people, including four children, as reported by Interior Minister Igor Klymenko on social media.
Authorities confirmed that two individuals died as a result of a Russian attack on army training facilities in the Poltava region of eastern Ukraine.
“Doctors unfortunately could not save the lives of two people injured due to an enemy assault on the training ground,” a senior regional official wrote on social media.
Since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, tens of thousands have died, vast areas of eastern and southern Ukraine have been devastated, and millions have been forced to flee their homes.
Ukraine’s northern and eastern regions have frequently been the target of Russian drones and missiles throughout the more than three-year conflict.
Shelling in the partially Russian-occupied Kherson region of southern Ukraine late last night caused a substation to lose power, leaving thousands without electricity.
“The Novotroitskoye 150 kV substation lost power due to shelling … More than 120,000 people were left without light and water,” Vladimir Saldo, governor of the Russian-occupied area of Kherson, wrote on Telegram.
