Wafricnews - June 5, 2025

KYIV, UKRAINE — A fresh wave of violence in the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war claimed the lives of at least five civilians in the northern Ukrainian town of Pryluky, including three members of the same family, as Moscow signals it will respond to recent Ukrainian attacks "at a time of its choosing."

Ukraine's Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko confirmed the deaths on Thursday, revealing that the victims included the wife, daughter, and one-year-old grandson of a local emergency responder. According to regional authorities, Russia deployed six drones overnight in a targeted strike on Chernihiv region, which also left six others injured.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the assault, calling it part of Russia’s “strategy of delay and destruction,” and urged Western allies—particularly the United States and Europe—to escalate sanctions against the Kremlin.

The Ukrainian military claims Russia launched over 100 drones and one ballistic missile in a wider offensive across key regions, including Donetsk, Kharkiv, Odesa, and Dnipro. In Kharkiv alone, 18 civilians were injured, among them four children.

A Kharkiv resident, Anastasiia Meleshchenk, recounted the chaos to reporters:

The drone barrage comes on the heels of Ukraine’s escalating counterattacks, including a bold operation that targeted four Russian military airfields deep within Siberia and the Arctic north. The Ukrainian military claims it launched 117 drones from hidden containers in what it codenamed “Spider’s Web.”

Ukraine also took responsibility for attacks on rail bridges in southern Russia, incidents that left seven dead.

In response, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declared on Thursday that Moscow would retaliate “when the military deems appropriate.” Meanwhile, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov confirmed that multiple aircraft had been damaged but vowed they would be restored.

According to U.S. intelligence assessments, as many as 20 Russian warplanes were struck, with roughly 10 completely destroyed, raising the stakes in what is already the bloodiest European war in decades.

While diplomatic efforts continue—most recently through direct talks in Türkiye—the battlefield tells a different story. Violence is escalating, and each side appears determined to strike deeper, both militarily and symbolically.

U.S. Embassy officials in Kyiv issued an alert to American citizens warning of potential “major strikes,” following what appears to be intelligence of retaliatory Russian action. U.S. political dynamics are also in play: Former President Donald Trump, speaking with Vladimir Putin in a reported hour-long conversation, is said to have implied that retaliation for the airfield attacks was inevitable.

As always, ordinary civilians pay the highest price for geopolitical brinkmanship. The rising body count on both sides is a reminder that beneath the talk of drones, sanctions, and “security interests,” are mothers, children, and families turned to rubble.