Zelenskyy: 632nd child killed as Russia launches 100 drones, missiles
A Russian drone strike on the town of Pryluky in Chernihiv Oblast killed five people overnight, including the wife, daughter and infant grandson of a local firefighter, Ukrainian officials said. Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that the drone hit the firefighter’s home while he was responding to drone strikes in the area.
“The rescuer, along with the fire and rescue team, was at the scene of the enemy’s strikes on that terrible night,” Klymenko said on his Telegram channel.
He continued, “His family was killed. His wife. His daughter, a patrol policewoman. And her one-year-old son.”
Zelenskyy said Russian forces had killed 632 children since launching their full-scale invasion. The strike occurred during a wider aerial assault involving 103 drones and a ballistic missile across multiple regions, including Donetsk, Kharkiv, Odesa, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk and Kherson.
“This is another massive strike by terrorists — Russian terrorists who kill our people every night,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram.
Is Russia retaliating for Ukraine’s deep drone strike?
In a phone call on Wednesday, June 4, Russian President Vladimir Putin told President Donald Trump he would “have to respond” to Ukraine’s latest drone attacks on Russian airfields. The call came days after Ukraine launched a surprise strike on long-range bomber bases across five Russian regions.
Kyiv officials said the operation caused billions in damage. It marked one of Ukraine’s deepest drone penetrations into Russian territory to date.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told Russian state media that Trump assured Putin the U.S. had no prior knowledge of the attacks and both leaders agreed to maintain open communication.
Trump described the call as “positive” but warned it would not lead to “immediate peace.” Ukrainian officials accused Moscow of using diplomacy to delay consequences, while analysts said Russia’s intensified missile and drone strikes this week may signal the start of Putin’s promised retaliation.
How severe was the Kharkiv drone attack?
In a separate attack in Kharkiv, Russian forces struck residential areas in the Slobidskyi district with drones and missiles, injuring at least 19 people, including four children and a 93-year-old woman. Local officials said the attacks damaged seven apartment buildings and destroyed several vehicles.
“Russia is deliberately hitting civilians. It is targeting homes where children should be sleeping, not dying,” Klymenko said.
Kharkiv’s Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported that one drone strike hit the 17th floor of a high-rise apartment. Another drone crashed into the first floor of a nearby building, damaging several pieces of surrounding infrastructure.
A Russian Kh-35 missile struck a civilian site in the city earlier that night, but officials reported no injuries from the attack.
What’s the broader response from Ukraine?
Ukrainian officials condemned the attacks and called for increased international action.
“This is a war crime,” Klymenko said. “And there will be responsibility for every life killed. On the battlefield. In international courts. On the pages of history.”Zelenskyy reiterated calls for increased sanctions and international pressure on X, saying Russia “kills again” when it does not face global consequences.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
