Russian Drone Strike Kills Three, Including Child, in Ukraine Ahead of Zelensky’s U.S. Visit

A Russian overnight drone strike on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv has killed three people, including a child, and injured at least 18 others, local authorities reported on Monday.

“As of now, three people are known to have died, including a small child. 18 people were wounded, including children,” the Kharkiv regional police announced via Telegram.

Officials warned that residents may still be trapped beneath the rubble of a five-storey apartment building hit during the pre-dawn attack.

Kharkiv and Sumy Under Fire

The drone strike came just hours after a separate Russian ballistic missile hit Kharkiv late Sunday, wounding at least 11 people, according to Mayor Ihor Terekhov.

In Ukraine’s northern Sumy region, also bordering Russia, additional bomb and drone attacks early Monday left two more people injured.

“A bomb and then a drone wounded a 57-year-old woman and a 43-year-old driver,” said Oleg Grygorov, head of the regional military administration.

Strikes Coincide with U.S. Diplomacy

The deadly escalation occurred just as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European allies prepared to travel to Washington, D.C., for high-level talks focused on the future of the war and ongoing international support.

Ahead of Zelensky’s visit, U.S. President Donald Trump made headlines by stating that Ukraine’s NATO membership and reclaiming Crimea were off the table — a stance that clashes with Kyiv’s position.

Zelensky has consistently rejected pressure to concede occupied territories, which now amount to roughly 20% of Ukraine’s land, including parts of the Donbas and Crimea.

Russia Pushes for Territorial Freeze

Russia, meanwhile, has continued to advance in eastern Ukraine, and has reportedly floated a proposal for Ukraine to withdraw from Donbas in exchange for freezing the frontline in the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, where key cities remain under Kyiv’s control.

Despite mounting pressure and territorial losses, Zelensky has reaffirmed Ukraine’s resistance to any negotiated surrender of land occupied by Russian forces.