Russian drone strike kills five in Kharkiv apartment building attack

A Russian drone attack on a residential building in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv early Monday left at least five people dead and over a dozen injured, Ukrainian officials reported.

The assault, which occurred just before dawn, targeted a five-storey apartment block, partially reducing it to rubble and igniting fires on multiple floors, according to regional governor Oleg Synegubov.

Russia reportedly launched four drones at the building. Videos released by Ukraine’s State Emergency Service showed firefighters battling flames and rescuers attempting to pull survivors from the debris.

Among the dead was a young girl estimated to be around 18 months old, Ukraine's prosecution service confirmed. At least 18 people, including children, were wounded and treated for acute shock.

Just hours earlier, a separate Russian ballistic missile strike also hit Kharkiv, injuring at least 11 people, according to the city’s mayor, Igor Terekhov.

In the south, Russian drones struck a fuel facility in the Odesa region, sparking a fire, regional governor Oleg Kiper reported. No casualties were immediately confirmed.

The fresh wave of attacks comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to meet with European leaders and U.S. officials in Washington to rally continued support in the ongoing war, now entering its fourth year.

In a statement ahead of Zelensky’s visit, former U.S. President Donald Trump said Ukraine would have to accept that Crimea—annexed by Russia in 2014—would not be returned, and that NATO membership was off the table, framing it as part of a possible peace deal.

Zelensky has consistently rejected any proposal that involves giving up Ukrainian territory. Meanwhile, Russia has pushed for Ukraine to retreat from the Donbas region in exchange for freezing the front lines in southern regions like Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, where Kyiv still holds key cities.

SR