Russian Drone Strike on Ukrainian Kindergarten Leaves One Dead as Zelensky Condemns "Brazen" Attack

Zelensky described the kindergarten strike as "Russia's spit in the face" to everyone seeking peace.

A Russian drone attacked a kindergarten in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, on Wednesday, resulting in one death and seven injuries, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs released footage showing rescuers and police rushing to evacuate crying children from the building while emergency workers battled the fire. The ministry confirmed that 50 children were safely evacuated from the kindergarten.

Rescuers and police evacuated nearly 50 children after a Russian drone struck their kindergarten in Kharkiv on the morning of October 22. Tiny hands clung to those protecting them, while emergency workers contained the blaze. One person was killed, and at least seven others were injured.

"All the children have been evacuated and are now in shelters," Zelensky announced on X (formerly Twitter). "As of now, seven people have been injured and are receiving medical care. Preliminary reports indicate that many are showing acute stress reactions."

Zelensky called the attack "Russia's spit in the face to everyone who insists on a peaceful resolution," adding that it demonstrated Moscow had not faced sufficient pressure to end the war.

"There is no justification for a drone strike on a kindergarten, nor can there ever be. Clearly, Russia is growing more brazen," he stated, condemning the continued attacks on civilians.

The attack occurred shortly after US President Donald Trump announced the postponement of his planned summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest. Trump explained he did not want a "wasted meeting," following the Kremlin's rejection of calls for a ceasefire along current front lines.

However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov indicated that summit preparations were still ongoing. "A date has yet to be agreed upon and careful preparation is needed," Peskov said, adding that the meeting is "a mutual desire of both presidents."

While in Oslo, Zelensky told reporters that Trump's proposal to freeze the front line could be a "good compromise," though he doubted Putin would agree. "I said it to the president," he added.

The Kharkiv kindergarten attack followed a series of overnight strikes on Ukraine's capital and surrounding areas.

In Kyiv, a husband and wife in their 60s were killed when a drone hit their apartment block. Four others, including a 36-year-old woman, her six-month-old baby, and a 12-year-old girl, were affected when their home in Pohreby village near Kyiv caught fire after a Russian strike.