At least four civilians have lost their lives and over 30 others sustained injuries after a Russian drone strike devastated parts of Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine, local authorities confirmed on Friday.
The late-night bombardment on Thursday ignited multiple fires across residential blocks and administrative buildings, Ukraine’s emergency service stated via Telegram.Russian drones attacked one of the districts of Kharkiv. As a result of strikes at residential buildings and an administrative building, four fires broke out,” the agency reported.
Kharkiv’s mayor, Ihor Terekhov, disclosed that a fourth body had been recovered from beneath debris on Friday morning. “Unfortunately, there are already four dead,” he said.
While the national emergency service and regional governor Oleh Synehubov reported 35 injured, the mayor put the number at 32.
The assault was part of a wider overnight offensive, with drone attacks also reported in the Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kyiv regions, injuring six more.
Sergiy Lysak, governor of Dnipropetrovsk, said 13 drones had been neutralized in his area but acknowledged damage in Dnipro and surrounding communities.
Meanwhile, Russia’s defence ministry claimed it intercepted 107 Ukrainian drones overnight, with major activity over the Kursk and Oryol regions.
In a separate incident, a Ukrainian drone attack in Bryansk killed one person and wounded another, regional governor Aleksandr Bogomaz confirmed.
These developments unfolded amid diplomatic efforts led by U.S. President Donald Trump to negotiate a ceasefire after more than three years of warfare.
Despite recent pledges by Kyiv and Moscow to halt strikes on energy infrastructure, attacks persist.
Kyiv has accused Moscow of breaching recent agreements made during Saudi-hosted negotiations and urged Washington to impose stricter sanctions in response.