Zelensky Urges Sanctions After Russian Drone Strike Claims Baby, Family in Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has renewed calls for tougher sanctions against Russia after a Russian drone attack killed five people in Pryluky, central Ukraine. Among the dead were three members of one family, including a one-year-old child, in an attack that has shocked the nation and drawn international condemnation.

The drone struck the home of a local firefighting chief, who was away responding to an earlier incident. His wife, daughter, and grandson were killed in the blast, which also set multiple homes on fire. Rescue workers battled through the night, with dawn revealing the charred remains of residential buildings and the devastation left behind.

Zelensky accused Moscow of deliberately prolonging the conflict to “continue killing” and demanded that the West respond with “maximum sanctions” and united pressure. He stressed that only strong international action could halt Russia’s aggression, which has persisted despite ongoing peace talks.

The attack comes amid a dramatic increase in Russian aerial assaults, with nearly 48,600 attacks reported in the first six months of 2025. Zelensky has highlighted the scale of the bombardment, warning that Russia’s military production is ramping up and that the threat to Ukrainian civilians is growing.

Elsewhere in Ukraine, a separate drone strike in Kharkiv wounded 18 people, including children. The war, now in its third year, has led to massive loss of life, destruction of infrastructure, and the displacement of millions of Ukrainians.