BOGODUKHIV, Ukraine — A Russian strike on the eastern Ukrainian city of Bogodukhiv killed four people, including three young children, a regional official said.
Two one-year-old boys and a two-year-old girl died as a result of the strike, according to Oleg Synegubov, head of the Kharkiv regional military administration. A 34-year-old man in the same house as the children also died from his wounds, he said in a statement posted on Telegram.
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Synegubov added that a 74-year-old woman was wounded and was receiving medical treatment.
Bogodukhiv lies in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region, where Russian forces have stepped up attacks on transport and energy infrastructure in recent weeks. The latest strike underscores the persistent risk to civilians living near the front line and along critical logistics routes.
The fatalities come amid tentative diplomatic activity. Ukrainian and Russian officials held U.S.-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi aimed at finding a path to end Russia’s nearly four-year invasion. The two sides carried out a prisoner swap last week, but any broader agreement to halt the conflict still appears distant.
The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine estimates that around 15,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022. The mission said 2025 was the deadliest year of the war to date, with more than 2,500 civilian deaths recorded.
The Kharkiv region, which borders Russia, has endured sustained bombardment since the start of the war, with periodic surges targeting power facilities, rail hubs and road links. While frontline dynamics have shifted over time, the area remains a frequent target for missile and drone strikes that often damage residential blocks and essential services.
Ukrainian officials did not immediately provide additional details about the strike in Bogodukhiv or whether emergency services were continuing recovery operations at the site.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
