Russia Kills Toddler in Drone Strike, Ukraine Says
The boy died following an explosion in the Kherson Region, the head of the regional military administration said on Wednesday.
Ukrainian authorities said Thursday at least 12 people had been killed and dozens injured in Russian attacks across the country over the previous day.
Following Moscow's latest barrage against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, Oleksandra Matviichuk, a Ukrainian human rights lawyer, called for more missiles and air defenses for Ukraine and tougher sanctions against Russia.
Newsweek has contacted the Russian defense ministry for comment.
As of July 2025, at least 638 Ukrainian children have been killed in Russia's full-scale invasion, according to the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine.
The latest reported incident comes amid a spike in Russia's bombardment on Ukrainian infrastructure and as Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky called on allies to help beef up his country's air defense.
Russian forces carried out drone strikes, artillery shelling and airstrikes on Wednesday in which they targeted residential areas, critical infrastructure and social facilities in Kherson city and over 40 other settlements across the region.
The head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration, Oleksandr Prokudin, said on Telegram on Wednesday the child died from injuries following an explosion in the courtyard of a residential building in the village of Pravdyne.
Ukrainian outlet Euromaidan reported that 5-year-old Dmytro Bezverkhyi had been killed in Russian rocket strike on Velykyi Bobryk, in the Sumy region.
"Mother survived after shielding him with her body," it reported.
Nearly half of child casualties are from explosive weapons in populated areas, including loitering munitions and drone attacks, according to the United Nations.
Ukrainian authorities said Thursday that at least 12 people had been killed and 60 injured over the past day, after Moscow's forces launched another mass aerial attack in regions including Kyiv, Kherson and Kharkiv.
The attacks included 18 missiles and about 400 drones, including almost 200 Shahed-type kamikaze models, according toZelensky
Matviichuk, head of Ukraine's Center for Civil Liberties, said on Thursday in a statement shared with Newsweek that Russian President Vladimir Putin cannot win the war on the battlefield so he is seeking to kill civilians and destroy civilian infrastructure across the country.
She said if the policy of the international community doesn't change, it will only lead to more deaths and said that Ukraine needed more missiles, air defenses and tougher sanctions against Russia.
Head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration, Oleksandr Prokudin onTelegram: "Russian terrorists have cut short another child's life in the Kherson region...the child died on the spot from the injuries he received. My sincere condolences to the family and friends of the innocent baby who was killed."
Oleksandra Matviichuk, head of Ukraine's Center for Civil Liberties, said in a statement: "There is a good Russian proverb: 'the appetite grows while eating'. If the policy of the international community doesn't change, it will only lead to more deaths.
"How can you help? We need more missiles and air defenses, tough sanctions against Russia. We must demonstrate strength. The phone calls don't work."
On Thursday, Zelensky urged Kyiv's partners to do more to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities as he condemned Russia's recent attacks as "pure terrorism." Meanwhile, Kyiv will hope that U.S. President Donald Trump's criticism of Putin and pledge for more military support for Ukraine could shift the dial in the war.
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