Overnight Russian air strikes have killed at least four people, including three young children in Ukraine's north-eastern Kharkiv region, local officials have said. Regional head Oleh Synegubov stated that two boys, both aged two, a one-year-old girl, and a 34-year-old man lost their lives when a drone struck their house in the town of Bohodukhiv. Additionally, a 35-year-old pregnant woman and another woman, aged 73, were reported injured in this devastating attack.

This aerial strike from Russia comes after a brief pause in hostilities, during which former U.S. President Donald Trump had asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to observe a truce due to extreme cold weather affecting Ukraine. Bohodukhiv, situated northwest of Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, has faced regular attacks over recent days.

In an earlier incident on Monday, a 41-year-old woman and a 10-year-old boy also died in Bohodukhiv as a result of ongoing strikes. As tensions escalate, Russian forces targeted the city of Slovyansk, resulting in additional casualties. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reported that transport and energy infrastructure are facing unprecedented attacks, prompting local authorities to declare a state of emergency regarding energy supplies in Kharkiv.

This escalation follows the end of an 'energy truce,' which was aimed at allowing some reprieve for Ukraine's energy sector amidst sub-zero temperatures. With tens of thousands of Ukrainians experiencing significant power cuts, Zelensky noted that the U.S. aims for a resolution to the conflict by June. In a related development, a significant drone strike by Ukraine on a location in Russia has also been reported, indicating a continued cycle of retaliatory measures between the opposing forces.