Russian strikes kill pregnant woman and two others in Kharkiv region

Russian drone and missile strikes hit Ukraine’s Kharkiv region on June 9, killing a 22-year-old pregnant woman and two other people in Chuhuiv and leaving six more wounded there. In the regional capital, Kharkiv, a separate drone attack sent 16 people seeking medical help, underscoring how the war’s civilian toll continued even as political leaders kept talking about a possible path toward a ceasefire.

Regional prosecutors said the Chuhuiv strike damaged residential buildings, garages and shops. The attack was part of a wider overnight barrage in which Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 166 drones and two Kh-59/69 guided missiles. The air force said 146 drones were shot down or suppressed, though hits were recorded at multiple locations across the country.

The latest strikes came as Ukraine and Russia kept applying pressure on each other far from the front line. Russian-controlled Crimea tightened gasoline rationing on June 4, suspending cash sales of gasoline and the issuance of new coupons because of shortages linked to Ukrainian drone strikes. The move showed how Ukraine’s long-range attacks on Russian energy infrastructure were beginning to bite, even as Moscow’s own aerial campaign against Ukrainian cities continued at high pace.

Diplomatically, the pace was just as fast. Britain, France and Germany backed a proposal for talks between Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Vladimir Putin at a June 7 meeting in London, saying Europe would play a role in any push toward a ceasefire. A day later, Zelenskiy said he had a positive conversation with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and said they were ready to work actively toward a settlement in the coming weeks.

Zelenskiy has also pushed for direct contact with Putin, but Moscow has shown no sign of accepting a face-to-face meeting. For now, the contrast is stark: diplomats are talking about a settlement, while Kharkiv region is still counting the dead and wounded from overnight strikes.