Russians killed family with child in drone strike in Kharkiv

Russian drone strike kills a family of three – a 12-year-old girl, her father and her mother – among five victims in an attack on a residential building in the city of Kharkiv on April 3, 2025, according to Ukraine’s National Police in Kharkiv Oblast and Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor’s Office. 

The death toll from the attack has reached five people.

Emergency workers recovered four mutilated and burnt bodies from under the rubble, including those of a family – a 12-year-old girl, her father, and her mother – found beneath the ruins of their home. Workers also found the body of a 45-year-old man, their neighbour.

Police investigators have taken DNA samples from their relatives to identify the deceased.

An 88-year-old man who emergency services transported to the hospital in a serious condition after the drone strike died in hospital on the morning of April 4.

Previously, on the evening of 3 April, Russians struck Kharkiv with Geran-2 (Shahed-136) loitering munitions. The drone strike damaged residential buildings and cars and ignited fires. The attack destroyed a section of an apartment block in the Novobavarskyi district.

Reports indicate that 34 people, including three minors, suffered various injuries and stress.

Police and emergency workers continue to deal with the aftermath of the attacks, documenting the scene and collecting material evidence.

ZMINA consistently reports on the ongoing international crimes in the Kharkiv Oblast.

Neil Holland, Head of the UK Delegation to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), has declared that Russia continues to launch large-scale attacks on Ukraine and refuses to commit to a ceasefire, demonstrating the Kremlin’s unwillingness to pursue peace.

As the Ukrinform news agency reported, Holland highlighted that Russia had used over 1,000 drones to attack Ukrainian cities last week.

He believes Putin continues to create distractions and stall for time instead of seriously engaging in the peace initiatives spearheaded by the United States.

Holland stressed that attempts to cast doubt on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s authority are merely tactics to hide the main issue—Russia’s refusal to engage in negotiations and commit to an immediate ceasefire.