Mother and toddler, 3, killed after Russian missiles destroyed block of flats in Ukraine
The bodies of the woman, 22, and her son were found amid the rubble after a strike on the tower block in Kharkiv.
Published: 22:08 GMT, 3 January 2026 | Updated: 01:57 GMT, 4 January 2026
A three-year-old boy and his mother were killed when Russian ballistic missiles destroyed a block of flats in north-eastern Ukraine.
The bodies of the woman, 22, and her son were found amid the rubble after a strike on the tower block in Kharkiv.
President Volodymyr Zelensky called the attack 'heinous' after rescuers found a further 30 people, including a six-month-old boy, injured.
'This is how the Russians treat life and people – they continue killing, despite all efforts by the world, and especially by the United States, in the diplomatic process,' he wrote on X.
Russia's defence ministry suggested the blast had been caused by Ukrainian ammunition detonating, claiming the reports were seeking to distract attention from a New Year's Eve strike on a hotel in a Russian-held part of the southern Kherson region of Ukraine.
Footage from Kharkiv showed smoke rising from the ruins as emergency crews and volunteers searched for survivors.
It came before a key 'coalition of the willing' summit in Paris on Tuesday.
Rescuers work to find bodies amongst the rubble of an apartment block in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on January 3
The Russian ballistic missiles destroyed a block of flats (pictured) in north-eastern Ukraine, killing two and injuring 28, according to the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration
The conference involving 35 countries – including Britain, Ukraine and France – will discuss how to stop further Russian incursions into Europe.
Although Donald Trump does not take part in the talks, the US is the chief broker in peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
A US delegation will join the meeting via video link.
Mr Trump voiced his frustrations with the Russian president yesterday, saying: 'I'm not thrilled with Putin. He's killing too many people.'