The morning in eastern Ukraine began as so many have in recent years — with a fragile calm settling over rooftops and fields, shaped by habit rather than certainty. Light gathered slowly across homes and streets, and families moved through routines learned under the long presence of war. Yet above that quiet, an unseen movement cut through the sky, carrying consequences that would soon become visible.

Overnight, Russian forces launched a wave of drone attacks across several regions of Ukraine. Air defenses were activated, intercepting many of the incoming threats, but some reached residential areas. In the Kharkiv region, a drone struck a home in the town of Bohodukhiv, igniting a fire that tore through the structure. Emergency crews later recovered the bodies of a woman and her child from the wreckage, while others nearby were injured by debris and blast effects.

Elsewhere, similar scenes unfolded. In Odesa, authorities reported one fatality and multiple injuries following strikes that damaged civilian infrastructure. In western regions near the Polish border, power outages left tens of thousands without electricity as winter temperatures lingered. Across affected areas, residents emerged to shattered windows, scorched walls, and the familiar, disorienting quiet that follows an explosion.

Ukrainian officials said the attacks involved dozens of drones and missiles launched in a coordinated overnight assault. While military targets were cited, the impacts once again fell heavily on civilian neighborhoods. Schools, homes, and basic infrastructure bore the marks of weapons that arrive without warning and leave little distinction between front lines and daily life.

For families, the loss settles slowly. Rooms once filled with ordinary sounds stand altered, and paths meant for school mornings or evening returns end abruptly. The death of a child carries a particular weight — not only for those closest, but for communities already shaped by years of displacement, fear, and resilience.

As the war continues into another year, statements from leaders and officials speak of strategy, defense, and escalation. On the ground, however, the conflict is measured in smaller, quieter units: a home no longer standing, a neighborhood without power, a child whose future has been cut short.

In plain terms, overnight Russian drone and missile attacks across Ukraine killed civilians, including a woman and her child in the Kharkiv region, injured others, and caused infrastructure damage despite air defense efforts.

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Sources (Media Names Only)

Reuters Al Jazeera Ukrinform