A Russian drone strike on Bogodukhiv, eastern Ukraine, killed three children and their father, officials said Wednesday. The attack destroyed a private home near Russia’s border, trapping the family under rubble. A pregnant woman survived but sustained severe injuries, including burns and a traumatic brain injury.
Two one-year-old boys and a two-year-old girl were among the fatalities, with prosecutors identifying the 34-year-old man as their father. Authorities said the house “caught fire and was completely destroyed,” leaving no one inside safe from the blast. The mother, eight months pregnant, is hospitalized with multiple injuries, including acoustic barotrauma from the explosion.
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The regional prosecutor’s office has launched a pre-trial investigation into a possible war crime over the deaths of civilians. Bogodukhiv is in Kharkiv region, where Russian forces recently intensified attacks on transport and energy infrastructure. Officials stress that targeting civilian homes violates international law.
The strike comes amid ongoing US-mediated talks between Ukrainian and Russian officials in Abu Dhabi, aimed at ending Moscow’s nearly four-year invasion. Despite a recent prisoner swap, experts say an agreement to end the war remains uncertain. Human rights monitors report around 15,000 Ukrainian civilian deaths since February 2022, with 2025 being the deadliest year.
Read more: Russian strikes kill three, wound several in Ukraine
The incident highlights the continued vulnerability of civilians in eastern Ukraine, with repeated strikes on residential areas worsening humanitarian conditions. Investigators are gathering evidence for accountability, while emergency responders continue rescue efforts in heavily damaged towns.