The governor of Kharkiv region in northeastern Ukraine, Oleg Sinegubov, reported four people killed, including three young children, in a Russian drone attack tonight, Ukrinform reported.
"Two one-year-old boys and a two-year-old girl" died in the attack in the town of Bogodukhov, about 60 kilometers west of Kharkiv, Sinegubov wrote on "Telegram". He said that a 34-year-old man who was with the children in a house was also killed. A 74-year-old woman was injured and is receiving medical care.
Nearly four years after the start of the war, Russia and Ukraine have been exchanging drone strikes every night.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported, quoted by TASS, that 48 Ukrainian drones were shot down last night in just three hours - from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Moscow time (7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Bulgarian time).
An air alert was declared in a number of regions in Russia.
The governor of the southern Volgograd region, Andrey Bocharov, reported, also quoted by TASS, that a Ukrainian drone attack on energy infrastructure and other objects in the region had been repelled.
No people were injured, Bocharov wrote on "Telegram". However, he said damage was caused to an apartment building in the city of Volzhsky, where drone debris also fell into a kindergarten. A fire broke out at a factory in Volgograd, Bocharov said, without giving details.
At least eight civilians were killed in Ukrainian and Russian attacks yesterday.
Nearly 15,000 civilians have been killed in Ukraine and more than 40,000 injured in almost four years of war, according to a UN report published early last month, AFP notes. With more than 2,500 civilians killed, 2025 was the deadliest year since 2022.
Ukraine has developed its own laser air defense (ADF) system to combat Russian drones. This is stated in an article by The Atlantic, quoted by FOCUS, dedicated to new Ukrainian air defense means.
Ukrainian shield against "Shahedi"
Ukrainian engineers presented the ''Sunray'' laser system, which is capable of shooting down drones with a beam. The development was created in about two years and for much less money than similar projects in other countries.
Pavlo Elizarov, deputy commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, said that the difference in the price of such weapons is a consequence of the war with Russia.
"Many American companies are driven by money. For them, this is a job. They do it. They get paid for it. We have another factor - the need to survive. That's why we're moving faster," he emphasizes.
In addition, Ukrainian engineers have created a 3D-printed P1-Sun interceptor drone, which has already been put into mass production.
It is noted that these drones have already been used to destroy more than 1,000 targets, including more than 700 "Shahedi". By the end of 2026, Ukraine's armed forces will be able to deploy them across the country for immediate launch as soon as the radar detects enemy drones.
“Ukraine will soon be able to neutralize one of the biggest threats to its security: the swarms of Russian drones that continue to terrorize civilians and destroy the country's infrastructure,“ the article says.
In addition to laser air defense and interceptor drones, Ukraine's “anti-drone dome“ may include carbon-plastic clones of Russian missiles and wheeled robots armed with machine guns.
Among the main priorities of Ukrainian developments will be ensuring the security of troops and supply lines in the combat zone, as well as protecting the population living near the front line.
We recall that today Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that many changes are taking place in the work of air defense. He noted that in some regions this applies to both interceptors and mobile fire groups.
From now on, men over 60 years of age can serve in military service under a contract in the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) for a period of one year. The corresponding decree No. 108/2026 was signed today by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, UNIAN reports, quoted by FOKUS.
The document stipulates that during martial law, persons over 60 years of age may be accepted for military service under a contract for a period of one year. In the event of termination or cancellation of martial law, the effect of such contracts is terminated early and the servicemen are dismissed in accordance with the law.
Acceptance for service is possible only if the person is recognized as fit for duty by a military medical commission and with the written consent of the commander of the military unit. If it concerns officer positions, the candidacy must be additionally approved by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine or another relevant military management body.
A probationary period of two months is provided for newly appointed servicemen over the age of 60. In case of non-compliance with the requirements of the service, the contract may be terminated early. The selection of persons for appointment to other military formations will be carried out jointly with the Ministry of Defense on the basis of applications from the heads of the relevant structures.