A Russian drone strike killed five people, including a 1-year-old child, his mother, and grandmother, in Ukraine’s northern city of Pryluky early Thursday morning. Ukrainian officials confirmed that six drones struck the residential area, also injuring nine others. The child was the grandson of the city’s fire chief, who discovered his family’s destroyed home while responding to the aftermath.
The deadly attack came just hours after a phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump said Putin warned of retaliation for Ukraine’s recent drone strikes on Russian military airfields. While diplomatic talks for peace remain stalled, Russia continues to target civilian areas with increasing intensity.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the incident as a direct hit by a Shahed drone on the fire chief’s home. The child’s mother, a police officer named Daryna Shyhyda, had moved from Kyiv to Pryluky for safety just days before the strike. Neighbors say the family fled the capital fearing drone attacks, but tragedy still found them.
In addition to Pryluky, Russian drones and missiles targeted several other Ukrainian regions including Donetsk, Kharkiv, Odesa, and Kherson. In Kharkiv, 19 people were injured, including children and a pregnant woman, after drones struck apartment buildings and caused fires. Authorities called the attacks “acts of terror against sleeping civilians.”
Meanwhile, in Russia’s Voronezh region, an explosion damaged a railway line, halting 26 trains. The Kremlin blamed Ukrainian saboteurs for similar recent attacks, which caused fatalities and derailments. These events highlight the growing escalation and cross-border nature of the ongoing war.
President Zelenskyy continues to urge for stronger international sanctions and air defense support. His team recently met with U.S. officials to push for more military aid and renewed pressure on Moscow. However, Russian leadership remains firm in rejecting peace talks or compromise efforts.