Russian forces launched devastating overnight attacks on three Ukrainian cities—Sumy, Odesa, and Kramatorsk—killing a young boy and injuring at least 24 others, including two children, on Monday, July 21, 2025, just hours before a third round of peace talks scheduled in Istanbul. The violence, reported by Ukrainian officials, underscores the ongoing intensity of the three-year war, despite diplomatic efforts pushed by the Trump administration to broker peace.

In Kramatorsk, a Russian glide bomb struck an apartment building, igniting a fire and killing a boy born in 2015, according to Oleksandr Honcharenko, head of the city’s military administration. Five others were wounded. In Sumy, multiple drone strikes targeted a gas station in Putyvl, injuring four people, including a 5-year-old boy, followed by a second attack wounding seven more.

Later, two powerful glide bombs hit Sumy city, wounding 13, including a 6-year-old boy, and damaging five apartment buildings, two homes, and a shopping mall, with shattered windows and destroyed balconies reported by Acting Mayor Artem Kobzar.

The attacks come as Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a new round of direct talks with Moscow, set for Wednesday, but expectations for progress remain low due to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inflexible stance. Previous talks in May and June, also held in Istanbul, only facilitated prisoner swaps and the return of fallen soldiers’ bodies.

Russia continues its aggressive push along the 1,000-kilometer front line, deploying up to 700 drones nightly. Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed it downed 35 Ukrainian drones overnight, including three over Moscow.

Also Read: Russia’s Drone Blitz on Kyiv Shocks NATO

The relentless strikes, causing civilian casualties and widespread damage, highlight the grim reality facing Ukraine as diplomatic efforts struggle to halt the conflict.

Also Read: Putin Open to Ukraine Peace Talks, But Demands Goals Met