KYIV, Ukraine — A Russian drone strike overnight in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region tragically claimed the lives of a father and his three young children, while their 35-week pregnant mother was seriously wounded, officials reported Wednesday. The devastating attack underscores the continued vulnerability of civilians nearly four years into the conflict.
The strike completely leveled the family home in the town of Bohodukhiv, trapping them under the rubble, according to the Kharkiv regional prosecutor’s office. Rescue workers painstakingly pulled the mother from the debris.
The 34-year-old father and his children – twin 2-year-old boys and their 1-year-old sister – perished in the attack. The mother sustained blast injuries, a traumatic brain injury, burns, and hearing loss, prosecutors stated.
The drone involved in the attack has been identified as a Geran-2, a Russian-made variant of the Iranian Shahed drone.
Intensified Drone Warfare Amidst Stalled Peace Talks
Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia launched a barrage of 129 long-range drones at Ukraine last night. This escalation in drone warfare comes despite ongoing, U.S.-led peace efforts to resolve the conflict that began with Russia’s invasion of its neighbor.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian drone attacks have also extended into Russian territory. A strike on an industrial plant in Volgograd caused a fire, according to local authorities.
Andrei Bocharov, the governor of the Volgograd region, added that drone fragments damaged an apartment building in the city. Eight Russian airports temporarily suspended flights overnight due to the threat of drone attacks, officials said.
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