Russian Kharkiv Missile Strike Kills 10 Civilians as Trump Says 'Hatred' Between Putin and Zelenskyy Hinders Peace Deal
At least 10 people, including two children, were killed and 16 wounded when a Russian missile struck a five‑story residential building in Kharkiv Saturday, which Ukrainian prosecutors say was hit by a new Izdeliye‑30 cruise missile amid an overnight campaign Moscow said involved about 29 missiles and 480 drones that also sparked major fires in Odesa and damaged rail routes; preliminary data showed roughly 19 missiles and 453 drones were intercepted and Kyiv has urged more air‑defense support. At the Shield of the Americas summit, former President Donald Trump said the "hatred" between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy makes a peace deal "very, very hard," adding—without independent verification—that tens of thousands are being killed monthly and that the war "doesn’t really affect us very much because we’ve got an ocean separating" the U.S.
📌 Key Facts
- A Russian missile struck a five-story residential building in Kharkiv, killing at least 10 people, including two children, and wounding 16.
- Ukrainian officials said the Kharkiv strike was part of an overnight Russian attack involving about 29 missiles and 480 drones across Ukraine, with preliminary data saying roughly 19 missiles and 453 drones were intercepted.
- Ukrainian prosecutors said the Kharkiv building was hit by a new Russian cruise missile, the Izdeliye-30 — a subsonic air-launched weapon with an estimated 1,500 km range and more jam-resistant satellite navigation.
- Russian strikes caused major infrastructure damage nationwide, including large fires in Odesa region and damage to rail infrastructure that forced route changes in the center-west, and were aimed largely at energy infrastructure.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the attacks “savage,” publicly urged stronger international response and more air-defense support from partners, and warned Russia is trying to destroy residential and critical infrastructure.
- Russia’s Defense Ministry said the strikes targeted Ukrainian military factories, energy facilities and air bases.
- At the Shield of the Americas Summit in Doral, former President Donald Trump said 'hatred' between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy makes a peace deal 'very, very hard,' claimed about 25,000–31,000 people a month are being killed on both sides, and said the war 'doesn’t really affect us very much because we’ve got an ocean separating.'
📊 Relevant Data
As of February 2026, estimates indicate that the Russia-Ukraine war has resulted in between 500,000 and 600,000 total deaths, both military and civilian, averaging approximately 10,000 to 12,500 deaths per month over four years, which contrasts with claims of 25,000 to 31,000 monthly casualties.
With an estimated 500,000 killed, the Russia-Ukraine war is Europe's deadliest since 1945 — Le Monde
NATO's eastward expansion since the 1990s, including the addition of former Soviet bloc countries bordering Russia, has been repeatedly cited by Russian leaders as a violation of post-Cold War assurances and a primary provocation for the invasion of Ukraine.
How NATO's expansion helped drive Putin to invade Ukraine — NPR
Western sanctions have reduced Russia's oil and gas revenues, leading to a higher-than-reported budget deficit and straining the economy, with about half of the federal budget allocated to the war effort as of February 2026.
Russia Remade Its Economy for War, but It's Come at a Huge Cost — The New York Times
As of 2025, Black, Indigenous, and Hispanic households in the US face significantly higher energy cost burdens compared to White households, with these disparities exacerbated by energy price spikes following the Russia-Ukraine war.
States Should Support an Energy System That Is Affordable, Safe, and Reliable — Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
In a 2025 survey, support for Ukraine in the war averaged 59% among US adults, crossing lines of race and ethnicity, with similar levels across demographic groups.
What Americans believe about ending the war in Ukraine — Brookings Institution
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Russian ballistic missile strike on a residential building in Kharkiv killed at least 10 people, including two children, and wounded 16 others on Saturday.
- Ukraine says the Kharkiv hit was part of an overnight Russian attack involving 29 missiles and 480 drones aimed largely at energy infrastructure nationwide, with preliminary data showing 19 missiles and 453 drones intercepted.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly called for a stronger international response and continued support from partners, emphasizing ongoing Russian efforts to destroy residential and critical infrastructure.
- Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed the strikes targeted Ukrainian military factories, energy facilities, and air bases.
- At the Shield of the Americas Summit in Doral, President Donald Trump said 'hatred' between Russia and Ukraine—and specifically between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy—makes a peace deal 'very, very hard' and asserted that around 25,000–31,000 people a month are being killed on both sides, while saying the war 'doesn’t really affect us very much because we’ve got an ocean separating.'
- Reports that Russia launched 29 missiles and 480 drones overnight across Ukraine, with 19 missiles and 453 drones reportedly intercepted.
- At least 10 people, including two children, were killed and 16 wounded when a Russian missile hit a five-story residential building in Kharkiv.
- Ukrainian prosecutors say the building was struck by a new Russian cruise missile known as Izdeliye-30, a subsonic air-launched weapon with an estimated 1,500 km range and new, more jam-resistant satellite navigation.
- Russian strikes caused major infrastructure fires in Ukraine’s Odesa region and forced rail route changes in the center-west due to damage to rail infrastructure.
- Zelenskyy publicly tied these “savage strikes” to renewed calls for more air-defense support from European Union partners.