Three killed, 60 injured as Russia launches deadly strike on Kharkiv, returns bodies of over 1,200 Ukrainian soldiers

Fresh Russian drone strikes on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv early Wednesday killed three people and wounded at least 60, including children, as Moscow pressed forward with its intensified campaign despite rejecting calls for an unconditional ceasefire.

Russia has dramatically increased its drone and missile attacks in recent weeks, continuing its three-year invasion of Ukraine while outlining hardline demands Kyiv has dismissed as "ultimatums."

Kharkiv, located just 30 kilometers from the Russian border, once again bore the brunt of the bombardment.

“Seventeen enemy UAV [drone] strikes hit two city districts overnight,” Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said via Telegram.

Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov confirmed three fatalities. According to local police, the victims included a 65-year-old man and a 47-year-old woman. At least 60 others were injured, including nine children.

AFP journalists on the ground reported widespread destruction: damaged apartment buildings, charred vehicles, and debris littering the streets.

Ukraine’s air force stated that Russia launched 85 drones overnight, a smaller number than in previous days but still part of a broader escalation.

Zelensky Calls for Western Action as Russia Rejects Ceasefire

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky renewed calls for stronger support from Western allies following Tuesday's unprecedented overnight assault that involved more than 300 drones and seven missiles.

“America has the power to force Russia into peace. Europe has no choice but to be strong,” Zelensky said on social media, urging allies to move from condemnation to “concrete action.”

Last week’s peace talks in Türkiye failed to produce a breakthrough. Russia refused to agree to a ceasefire and demanded Ukraine relinquish territory and abandon its NATO aspirations—conditions Kyiv has categorically rejected.

Body Exchanges Continue Amid Fighting

Despite ongoing hostilities, the two sides agreed at the Istanbul talks to carry out humanitarian exchanges. On Wednesday, Russia returned the bodies of 1,212 Ukrainian soldiers killed in combat, according to Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.

The remains included soldiers who died in the Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions, as well as during Ukraine’s military operation in Russia’s Kursk region.

Ukraine did not disclose how many Russian soldiers' remains it returned, while Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky confirmed receiving 27 bodies and announced the next phase of exchanges involving severely wounded prisoners would begin Thursday.

Earlier prisoner swaps had taken place Monday and Tuesday, primarily involving wounded troops and soldiers under the age of 25, although neither side disclosed exact figures.

Russia claimed it would unilaterally hand over 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers’ bodies, while Kyiv said it viewed the process as part of a mutual exchange agreement.

So far, these body and prisoner exchanges remain the only tangible outcomes of the recent peace negotiations, with no signs of a broader diplomatic breakthrough on the horizon.