In a deadly escalation of the Ukraine conflict on August 18, 2025, a Russian drone strike on a residential area in Kharkiv killed seven people, including a one-year-old toddler and a 16-year-old boy, while injuring over 20 others, among them six children aged 6 to 17. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack as demonstrative and cynical, accusing Russia of deliberately targeting civilians to sabotage diplomatic efforts ahead of his high-stakes talks in Washington with U.S. President Donald Trump aimed at ending the war. The assault was part of a broader overnight barrage involving 140 Russian drones, the largest since August 4, with additional strikes killing three in Zaporizhzhia and five in Donetsk, underscoring the ongoing humanitarian crisis and challenges to peace.