A Russian drone strike on Friday targeted the center of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, injuring nine people and damaging a maternity hospital, according to Ukrainian officials. Mothers and newborns were quickly evacuated to another medical facility for safety.
Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov confirmed the attack and the damage via Telegram, though he did not say whether anyone at the hospital was among the injured. The incident is part of a growing series of drone assaults across Ukraine, intensifying the country’s urgent calls for stronger air defense support.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack, stating, “There is no silence in Ukraine.” He noted that drone and missile strikes have increased across many Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, with June recording the highest civilian casualties in the last three years—232 killed and over 1,300 injured.
Zelenskyy urged Western nations to act swiftly on promises made during a recent summit in Rome. He stressed Ukraine’s immediate need for U.S.-made Patriot systems and interceptor drones to counter the rising number of Russian Shahed drones. Moscow is reportedly planning to produce up to 1,000 drones a day.
Germany and Norway have pledged to purchase additional Patriot systems for Ukraine. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that the U.S. is sending weapons to NATO allies, who will then transfer them to Ukraine. Trump also hinted at making “a major statement” on Russia soon.
To strengthen defenses, Kyiv announced the launch of “Clear Sky,” a $6.2 million project to deploy new interceptor drones, train operators, and build mobile response units. Zelenskyy praised Ukrainian engineers for creating a working solution and called on foreign partners to help scale production.