Zelensky Condemns Russia Following Drone Strike That Killed Baby And Family Members

A Russian drone struck a residential house in central Ukraine overnight Thursday, killing three members of one family, including a one-year-old baby, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported.

He accused Moscow of trying to “buy time for itself to continue killing” and urged the West to impose “maximum sanctions” and increase “pressure” on Russia, after Moscow repeatedly refused calls for a full and unconditional ceasefire.

In total, five people died in Pryluky, a city in central Ukraine, with victims spanning three generations of the same family.

Officials said a local firefighting chief was responding to an earlier attack when his own house was hit by a Russian drone.

“His wife, daughter and one-year-old grandson were killed,” Zelensky said.

Photos captured houses engulfed in flames, sending thick grey smoke into the night sky as rescuers worked to control the fire.

A dawn image released by emergency services showed a firefighter standing amid the ruins of a residential home, its roof destroyed and the area littered with charred ashes and debris.

“Russia is 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,” Zelensky said.

“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 added.

Fighting and aerial attacks have intensified in recent weeks, despite two rounds of talks in Istanbul aimed at ending the three-year conflict.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told US President Donald Trump on Wednesday that Moscow would respond to a bold Ukrainian drone strike that destroyed several Russian nuclear-capable military jets over the weekend, Trump said after their call.

Another attack on the northeastern city of Kharkiv wounded 18 people, including four children, according to Interior Minister Igor Klymenko’s social media post.

Since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, tens of thousands have been killed, large areas in eastern and southern Ukraine have been devastated, and millions have been displaced.