KYIV: Russian drone strikes killed three people, including a child, and injured 18 others in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region overnight.
Kharkiv police confirmed the casualties in a Telegram post, warning that victims might still be trapped under the rubble of a damaged five-storey apartment block.
The city near the Russian border had already suffered a ballistic missile strike hours earlier that wounded at least 11 people, according to Mayor Igor Terekhov.
Russian forces also attacked Ukraine’s Sumy region early Monday, injuring a 57-year-old woman and a 43-year-old driver with a bomb and subsequent drone strike.
Regional military chief Oleg Grygorov provided details of the Sumy assault, which occurred near the volatile border area.
These attacks coincided with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s planned Washington visit for critical talks with European allies about ending the war.
US President Donald Trump stated ahead of the meetings that Ukraine regaining Crimea or joining NATO would not be considered as options.
Zelensky has consistently rejected pressure to surrender territories currently under Russian control, which account for approximately 20% of Ukraine’s land.
Russian forces have recently advanced in eastern Ukraine while proposing Kyiv relinquish Donbas in exchange for freezing frontline positions near Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
The strategic Black Sea port cities remain under Ukrainian control despite Moscow’s territorial demands. – AFP
