Russian drone strikes kill 3, injure 64 across Ukraine, Kharkiv worst hit
Russia-Ukraine news: The Ukrainian air force reported that 85 drones, including decoys, were launched over the country. Air defense systems managed to shoot down 40 of them, and nine others crashed before hitting any targets.
Russian forces launched a wave of drone strikes across Ukraine overnight on Wednesday, killing at least three civilians and injuring 64 others, Ukrainian officials reported. The city of Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine bore the brunt of the assault, with 17 drones targeting two densely populated residential areas. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov described the affected sites as places of ordinary, peaceful life, and condemned the attacks as senseless and inhumane. Emergency crews, municipal workers, and volunteers worked through the night to douse fires, rescue trapped residents, and restore essential services like electricity, water, and gas.
Kharkiv’s regional head, Oleh Syniehubov, confirmed the death toll while President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated his call for stronger international action against Russia. “Each day brings a new vile Russian attack,” Zelenskyy said in a statement. “The world must stop delaying decisions that can restrain Russia. Without pressure, there will be no real diplomacy.”
Russian drones hit buildings, homes and playgrounds in Kharkiv
The attacks struck hard in Kharkiv's Slobidskyi and Osnovianskyi districts, damaging apartment buildings, private homes, playgrounds, public transport infrastructure, and industrial sites. Ukraine’s Emergency Service released images showing apartments engulfed in flames and shattered buildings as firefighters battled to control the destruction.
The Ukrainian air force reported that 85 drones, including decoys, were launched over the country. Air defense systems managed to shoot down 40 of them, and nine others crashed before hitting any targets. However, dozens still made impact, causing significant damage and panic.
These latest attacks follow a pattern of intensified Russian assaults, including a record-breaking 500-drone barrage on Monday and another wave of 315 drones and seven missiles on Tuesday. Despite ongoing discussions of a potential ceasefire, including recent peace talks in Istanbul on June 2, both sides remain entrenched in their demands, making a swift agreement improbable.
Russia returned bodies of over 1,200 Ukrainian soldiers
In a separate development, Russia has returned the bodies of 1,212 Ukrainian soldiers under an agreement struck during the Istanbul talks. According to Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, the bodies came from various regions, including Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and even Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces had recently carried out incursions. Authorities are now working to identify the fallen soldiers.
Despite the devastation, Kharkiv’s mayor remains defiant. “We stand strong. We help one another. And we will endure,” Terekhov said. “Kharkiv is Ukraine. And it cannot be broken.”