Russian drone strike kills 5 as Moscow pledges response to Ukraine attacks

A Russian drone strike has killed five people in the northern town of Pryluky in Chernihiv region, including three members of one family, Ukrainian authorities said.

Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said on Thursday morning that a local first responder’s wife, daughter and one-year-old grandson were killed in the attack.

Regional Governor Viacheslav Chaus said the family was among five people killed when Russia launched six drones to attack the town overnight.

Six others were admitted to hospital, he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy slammed the attacks and accused Moscow of “constantly trying to buy time for itself to continue killing.

“When it does not feel strong enough condemnation and pressure from the world – it kills again,” he wrote on X.

Zelenskyy said Russia launched 103 drones and one ballistic missile overnight targeting the Donetsk, Kharkiv, Odesa, Sumy, Chernihiv, Dnipro and Kherson regions.

“This is yet another reason to impose maximum sanctions and put pressure together. We expect action from the United States, Europe, and everyone in the world who can really help change these terrible circumstances,” he urged.

In the northeastern city of Kharkiv, 18 people were injured, including four children, in a Russian drone attack, Klymenko said.

Resident Anastasiia Meleshchenk told the Reuters news agency that the overnight strike had flown into her neighbor's apartment, and she managed to run out into the hallway with her child. “Yesterday, workers had just finished repair work in my apartment after the previous attack,” she said.

There was no immediate comment from Russia.

Later on Thursday, Ukrainian authorities said two people were killed in a Russian attack on army training facilities in the Poltava region, eastern Ukraine the previous day.

“Doctors unfortunately failed to save the lives of two people who were wounded as a result of an enemy attack on the training ground,” senior regional official, Volodymyr Kohut, wrote on Telegram.

In Russia, Ukraine’s military said it struck missile systems in the Bryansk region, which it said were preparing to attack Ukraine.

Russia pledges response

The attacks come days after Ukraine targeted four of Russia’s military airfields in Siberia and the far north in an operation using 117 unmanned aerial vehicles launched from containers close to the targets, codenamed “Spider’s Web”.

Russia also accused it of blowing up rail bridges in the south of the country, killing seven people. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that Russia will respond to the attacks as and when its military sees fit.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Thursday that the warplanes that were held in the facilities were damaged and would be restored.

Two US officials told Reuters that Washington assesses that up to 20 warplanes were hit and about 10 were destroyed.

In recent weeks, fighting and aerial attacks have escalated despite the two warring sides holding direct talks in Turkiye aimed at ending the conflict.

Reporting from Kyiv, Al Jazeera’s John Hendren said, the “US embassy has warned US citizens here in Ukraine that major strikes are to come.

“Donald Trump, the US president, said in a conversation with [Russian President] Vladimir Putin that lasted about an hour and 15 minutes that Putin was going to have to retaliate for the strikes on Russian airfields,” Hendren said.

As the conflict between Ukraine and Russia intensifies, the relentless cycle of violence continues to claim innocent lives—families torn apart, communities shattered, and countless civilians left to grapple with the aftermath. The recent drone strikes that have hit Pryluky, Kharkiv, and other towns in Ukraine underscore the devastating cost of this war. While Ukraine presses for international action and solidarity, the world watches as the stakes rise and both sides retaliate with growing ferocity.

But amidst the suffering, there’s also a powerful call for change—a demand for greater pressure on those who perpetuate these horrors. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urges the world to act, to impose sanctions, and to stand firm in its condemnation. The question now is: Will the international community respond with the urgency required to put an end to this bloodshed?

As we witness these atrocities unfold, it’s more important than ever to stay informed, share the stories of the innocent, and hold our leaders accountable. The silence can no longer be deafening. It’s time for a global response—one that ensures no more lives are lost to senseless violence.

The world can no longer afford to look away. The fight for peace continues, and your voice matters. Stay with us as we uncover the real cost of war and demand a better future.

Source: ALJAZEERA

Author: Shyaka Mars