Russia ‘deliberately killing children’ as Kharkiv strike kills seven before Trump talks: Volodymyr Zelenskyy

At least seven people died in Kharkiv after a Russian drone strike late on Sunday, including two children. Local police confirmed the youngest victim was a girl just one and a half years old. Serhiy Bolvinov, head of Kharkiv’s National Police investigations unit, wrote on Facebook, “An entire family died in an apartment on the fifth floor.”

In Zaporizhzhia, a missile strike killed three people and wounded more than twenty. Governor Ivan Fedorov said on Telegram that “many [are] in critical condition.”

Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched 140 drones and four missiles overnight into Monday, with impacts recorded in 25 locations including Donetsk, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa and Kyiv. Of these, 88 drones were intercepted or suppressed.


Zelensky highlighted the destruction in his post on X. “Everyone seeks dignified peace and true security. Yet, at this very moment, the Russians are attacking Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, and Odesa, destroying residential buildings and civilian infrastructure,” he wrote.

Attack on Azerbaijani-owned energy facility

Among the targets was an oil facility in Odesa owned by Azerbaijan’s SOCAR company. Zelensky said, “There was also a deliberate Russian strike on an energy facility in Odesa owned by an Azerbaijani company, implying that it was an attack not only on us but also on our relations and energy security.”

Zelensky’s warning to Moscow

In multiple posts, Zelensky accused Russia of striking deliberately to coincide with Monday’s high-level diplomatic meetings. “This was a demonstrative and cynical Russian strike. They know a meeting is happening today in Washington to address ending the war,” he said.

He added, “The Russians are deliberately killing people, including children. As of now, seven people have been killed in a drone strike in Kharkiv, the youngest being a girl only a year and a half old, with dozens more injured, including children. In Zaporizhzhia, missile strikes injured 20 people and killed three. My condolences go out to the families and loved ones of all victims.”

Washington meeting with Trump and European leaders

Zelensky has arrived in Washington for talks with US President Donald Trump. Leaders from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, the European Union and NATO are also taking part. “We will discuss key issues with President Trump. Leaders from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Finland, the European Union, and NATO will also participate in the conversation,” he said.

He argued that Russian President Vladimir Putin is using the strikes to undermine diplomacy. “The Russian war machine continues to destroy lives despite everything. Putin commits demonstrative killings to maintain pressure on Ukraine and Europe and to humiliate diplomatic efforts. That is precisely why we seek assistance to end the killings. That is why reliable security guarantees are required. That is why Russia should not be rewarded for its participation in this war. The war must end. And it is Moscow that must hear the word: ‘Stop.’”

Reactions from Kyiv officials

Andriy Yermak, Zelensky’s chief of staff, accused Russia of openly targeting civilians. “Russia continues to deliberately kill civilians,” he wrote on Telegram. “That’s why Putin doesn’t want to stop the fire, he likes to shell peaceful cities and talk about wanting to end the war. We don’t see this desire yet.”

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Both sides have since exchanged long-range strikes while diplomatic efforts have struggled to advance. According to Ukraine’s air force, July saw Russia launch 6,443 drones and missiles, an average of 201 drones and six missiles a day, making it the heaviest month of the war.

UN figures recorded 286 civilian deaths and more than 1,300 injuries in July, the deadliest month since May 2022. Although the scale of Russian strikes has eased in August, Ukraine has still logged 1,344 drone and 27 missile launches in just over two weeks.

Russia’s Defence Ministry has meanwhile claimed to have downed 1,740 Ukrainian drones so far this month, averaging 96 per day, and said its forces shot down 24 more overnight into Monday.

The renewed strikes underscored the stakes of the Washington talks. Trump has said he hopes Zelensky will agree to a deal to end the war. For Zelensky, the priority is securing international backing and guarantees for Ukraine’s security.

“This was an absolutely demonstrative and cynical Russian strike,” he said on Telegram. “They know that today in Washington there is a meeting to end the war.”