Moscow/ Kyiv: The Russia-Ukraine war, now in its 39th month, is entering a more brutal phase following the collapse of recent peace talks held in Turkey. Overnight, Russia launched a massive drone assault on Ukraine, killing at least two people and injuring more than 60 others, Ukrainian officials reported on Wednesday.
Ukraine’s Air Force confirmed that 85 drones — including Iranian-designed Shahed drones — targeted Kharkiv and several other regions. Of these, air defense systems intercepted 40, but Kharkiv suffered heavily, with 17 drone strikes hitting two residential districts. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov wrote on Telegram, “These are peaceful areas where ordinary people live. They should not have been targeted.”
Oleh Syniehubov, head of the regional administration, confirmed two civilian deaths and said at least 60 people were injured, including nine children between the ages of 2 and 15.
Earlier on Tuesday morning, Russia also carried out intense drone and missile strikes on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and the southern port city of Odesa. The attacks left three dead and 13 injured. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the bombardment as “one of the largest assaults to date.” According to him, Russia launched 315 drones and seven missiles overnight, most of which were Shahed drones.
In Odesa, provincial governor Oleh Kiper said a maternity hospital and several residential buildings were damaged in the strikes. Two people were killed and nine were injured. Meanwhile, in Kyiv’s Obolon district, one person died and four others were wounded.
President Zelenskyy condemned the attacks and called them “a warning to the world.” He urged the United States and Europe to take decisive action. “The sound of Russian drones and missiles is louder than all the efforts being made to bring Russia to the path of peace,” he said.
The war, which began in February 2022, has now surpassed three years with no political resolution in sight. The latest round of peace negotiations, held in Turkey last week, ended in a stalemate. Far from de-escalation, both sides have intensified their military operations in recent weeks.
The growing civilian casualties, combined with widespread infrastructure destruction, are raising alarms globally. Yet despite mounting international concern, there appears to be no end in sight for the conflict that has reshaped global geopolitics and displaced millions.
