An entire family - a married couple and their two young sons - have been killed in an overnight Russian drone attack in Ukraine's north-eastern Sumy region, local officials have said.
Regional head Oleh Hryhorov stated that a residential building was hit in the village of Chernechchyna, resulting in the recovery of the bodies of the two children, aged four and six, along with their parents from the wreckage.
Ukraine's air force claimed to have shot down 46 out of 65 Russian drones across the country, but at least 19 direct hits were reported in six locations.
Contrarily, Russia's military has not commented but did assert that 81 Ukrainian drones were destroyed across five Russian regions with no casualties reported.
This attack marks a continuation of the tragic toll that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has inflicted since February 2022. Hryhorov labeled the loss of this family as a "tragedy that we will never forget or forgive," emphasizing the sorrow felt across the region.
Moreover, Ukraine's state emergencies service DSNS reported partial destruction of two residential buildings in the village and shared visuals of firefighters battling blazes that erupted due to the strike.
In recent weeks, the intensity of Russian aerial assaults on Ukraine has surged, with hundreds of drones and missiles launched regularly. In response, Ukraine has persistently urged its Western allies for advanced air defence systems capable of countering the threats posed by these daily assaults.
Moreover, President Kyiv has advocated for long-range missiles to effectively target significant Russian cities located far from the front lines, arguing that such actions would substantially hinder the Russian military's capacity and propel President Vladimir Putin towards negotiations.
Last week, U.S. Vice-President JD Vance publicly acknowledged that Washington is considering Ukraine's request for long-range Tomahawk missiles, which would extend the reach of Ukraine's military operations into major Russian urban centers.
EU leadership, represented by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, has also committed to investing €2 billion (£1.7 billion) to enhance Ukraine's drone capabilities, which may further empower both Ukraine and the EU through shared technological advancements.
While U.S. President Donald Trump and European officials endeavor to broker an end to the conflict, Putin has remained adamant in rejecting calls for a ceasefire, complicating efforts towards a conclusion to the war.
Despite high casualty reports among Russian troops, Kyiv officials accuse Putin of employing stalling tactics to impede peace discussions, underscoring the ongoing complexity of the conflict.
