Donald Trump is not responsible for every death caused by this invasion of Ukraine, but with his chaotic negotiation, he may be dragging Ukraine into an infernal cycle that repeats endlessly. In Kiev and other major cities in Ukraine, it was clear that postponing the Budapest summit, initially scheduled for next week, would bring a hailstorm of missiles and drones on civilians. That's what happened this Wednesday because it has been like this since the blond tycoon began his appeasement attempt with Vladimir Putin.
The phases are more or less as follows: the Russian autocrat bombs Ukrainian cities, destroys buildings, topples hospitals, or crushes a playground. Then Trump, sometimes through Melania as he himself has admitted, "gets angry" with Putin and wonders "why he does these horrible things." After this, European leaders run after him to convince him to toughen his stance, impose sanctions, and provide Ukraine with the weaponry needed to harm Russia.
When the meeting is about to take place to agree on the steps to take and the weapons to send, Putin calls, flatters Trump, and convinces him that he wants peace and the cycle starts again. Yesterday, we returned to the first phase: the Russian regime bombed a nursery in the center of Kharkiv with three Shahed drones one of the largest cities in Ukraine and one of the most affected. With no meeting in sight, there is no longer any need to stage any interest in a peace agreement. Until the next call.
The sound of the air raid siren alerted the caregivers, who quickly moved the children to the shelter in the basement. That is the reason why none of the children lost their lives or were injured. The nursery, located in the city center, was partially destroyed and on fire. Emergency services were evacuating the children one by one amid the screams of the parents waiting outside the evacuation area.
This type of shelter is mandatory in all educational centers. Every day, teachers practice with the children to leave the classroom in a line and with discipline towards the basement shelter as soon as the alarm sounds and until the danger passes. When the sirens are heard, the children set off and, within seconds, they are seated and silent in the basement. This protocol saved the lives of the 48 children, whose ages ranged from a few months to three years.
The Ukrainian civilian population already knows the timing and impulses of Putin's regime and can predict, with fatalistic precision, the frustrations of the Russian leader and his consequent punishment in the form of terror. Kharkiv is a city located just 30 kilometers from the Russian border and, therefore, from the front line of the war. Russia could never conquer it but has been bombing it relentlessly from the beginning with weapons of all calibers. From their launchers on the other side, a Shahed drone takes a few minutes to reach its target.
The speed of these children in hiding in the shelter is key to their survival. According to United Nations figures, this type of weapon has already killed about 300 children and injured about 2,000 since Russia bought its patent from Iran. Some open sources have estimated that seven out of every 10 Russian Shahed drones have targeted civilian objectives.
At least 19,546 Ukrainian children have been kidnapped and forcibly taken to the Russian Federation since February 18, 2022, by the Russian army or occupation authorities. In addition, it is estimated that nearly 3,000 children have died since the war began (not counting occupied places like Mariupol). In 2025, the number of child casualties has increased by 200% compared to the previous period.
Nine people in the vicinity of the nursery suffered serious injuries, one of whom died shortly after. The fact that the drones were targeting the nursery was evident because all three fell in the same place, on its roof. What would the pilots of these devices, who can see through a camera where their projectiles are going, think?
In addition to this atrocious act, Russia launched a swarm of 405 drones and 28 missiles overnight. At least six deaths were recorded in total, including two more children in Kiev. The capital was the main target of the attack, which also hit the regions of Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia, Cherkasy, Chernihiv, and Odesa.
Meanwhile, the energy war is spreading. Emergency blackouts have been felt throughout Ukraine in the last 24 hours. Russia bombed several power plants, causing the preventive blackout of the entire grid to avoid further damage.
Subsequently, as happened with the blackout in Spain last spring, the so-called "energy soldiers" must restart the system region by region to avoid destabilizing the grid. It is a delicate operation that can be carried out several times a week here.
The Ukrainian government has covered each power distributor and each plant with earthbag walls, anti-drone nets, and other protection systems against what is now the difference between a warm and illuminated winter and one in medieval conditions. In response, Ukraine has also attacked Russian plants in Bryansk and Belgorod, in addition to new refineries. Yesterday, their drones reached the one in Dagestan, in the Caucasus.