A Russian drone strike killed the family of a local fire chief in Pryluky, Chernihiv region, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko reported.
According to Klymenko, the drone hit the fire chief’s home during the overnight attack.
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“His family was killed. His wife. His daughter, a patrol police officer. And her one-year-old son,” the minister wrote on Telegram. “The rescuer was at the scene of the enemy’s strikes that terrible night, together with the fire and rescue team.”
The local authorities reported that a 46-year-old woman with a daughter born in 1998 and a grandson born in 2024 were found under the rubble.
Klymenko expressed his condolences, adding: “The killings and suffering of civilians are the style of a cruel Russia, for which human lives have no value.”
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Russia launched six Shahed drones on Pryluky early on June 5, resulting in multiple casualties. A rescue operation lasted throughout the night.
“One of the rescuers arrived to eliminate the consequences right at his own house – it turned out that his house had been hit,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram. “Unfortunately, his wife, daughter, and one-year-old grandson were killed. This is the 632nd child killed during the full-scale war.”
He added: “Russia is constantly trying to buy time to continue the killings. When it does not feel strong enough condemnation and pressure from the world, it kills again.”
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The Kyiv Patrol Police also confirmed the identity of the deceased officer: Daryna Shyhyda.
“Today, our hearts are burning with pain,” the police wrote on Telegram. “During the overnight shelling, we lost our colleague, police officer Daryna Shyhyda. Her little son, who was only a year old, and her mother died with her.”
Daryna Shyhyda / Kyiv Patrol Police
Daryna had joined the Kyiv police in 2020 and was described as strong, bright, sincere, and deeply committed to her duty.
“She dreamed of becoming a police officer. Her firefighter father taught her to help people from childhood. Her husband, also a patrol officer, always supported her,” the post added.
“This is not just a loss – it is the uprooted lives of three generations… There are no words that can soothe this pain. Only silence, tears, and rage – for the eliminated lives. Forever in our hearts. Forever in the ranks.”
In total, five people were killed and eight injured in the attack on Pryluky. Two private homes were completely destroyed, and several apartment buildings were damaged.
A Day of Mourning has been declared in Pryluky for June 5 and 6.
“This was one of the largest attacks and the highest death tolls in recent times,” said Pryluky District Military Administration head Volodymyr Chernov during a telethon. He confirmed the baby boy was just 1 year and 4 months old.
Chernov could not say whether the drone strike deliberately targeted the home of the fire chief.
“I cannot answer that question. I don’t know what the enemy’s real target was or where it was aiming,” he said.
The head of the Chernihiv Regional Military Administration, Vyacheslav Chaus, said that as of now, nine people are known to have been injured, including a five-year-old child. Doctors are providing all the necessary medical assistance.
“There is significant destruction in the city. Two residential buildings have been completely destroyed, and there is damage to apartment blocks and administrative buildings. All relevant services are working on the ground,” he said.
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