KOROSTYSHIV, Ukraine — Under the somber interior of a Soviet-era Palace of Culture, the grief of a nation echoed silently Wednesday as hundreds of residents gathered to mourn three siblings — ages 8, 12, and 17 — killed by a Russian cruise missile that struck their home in the early hours of the weekend.
Inside the hall, three open coffins — one adult-sized, one medium, and one small — rested side by side, surrounded by wreaths and floral arrangements. A church choir sang quiet farewell hymns as mourners, some weeping, others stunned in silence, paid their final respects to children whose lives were cut short in their sleep.
The missile debris struck their home in Korostyshiv, a quiet town located approximately 100 kilometers (60 miles) west of Kyiv, during a pre-dawn aerial barrage launched by Russian forces. The siblings were asleep when the debris tore through their home at around 3 a.m., killing them instantly.
Family Shattered by Russian Attack as War Hits Fourth Year
The children’s father, visibly injured, was released from a hospital to attend the funeral. He sat with his two surviving children by the coffins, their grief raw and visible. The children’s mother remains hospitalized, her condition undisclosed. The image of a family torn apart by war — once unimaginable — has now become heartbreakingly routine in Ukraine’s small towns and cities.
The deaths of the three children highlight a dark and escalating pattern of civilian casualties as Russia intensifies airstrikes amid stalemated peace negotiations. According to Ukrainian authorities, recent weeks have seen a marked rise in attacks on civilian infrastructure and homes, many of them involving cruise missile debris or secondary explosions.
While Moscow officially denies targeting noncombatants, repeated incidents and extensive documentation from independent observers paint a grimly different picture. The latest strike in Korostyshiv is one of several recent episodes in which minors have become the direct victims of Russian aggression.
A Nation in Mourning
Local officials and community members described the three siblings as bright, joyful, and deeply loved by classmates and neighbors. Teachers from their school, still in shock, remembered the youngest as a budding artist, the middle child as a devoted athlete, and the eldest as a serious student with dreams of studying medicine.
“This is not just one family’s loss — this is the loss of Ukraine’s future,” said a local priest during the ceremony, his voice choked with emotion.
The community has rallied around the surviving members of the family, offering food, donations, and emotional support. Still, the scars left by the missile strike — both physical and emotional — will remain for years to come.
Civilian Deaths Mount Amid Diplomatic Deadlock
As the war enters its fourth grueling year, civilian casualties are rising even as efforts to restart formal peace negotiations have stalled. Ukrainian officials have urged international allies to intensify pressure on Moscow and increase air defense support to prevent further loss of life.
Human rights organizations have called the missile attacks part of a broader pattern of alleged war crimes, particularly in light of the targeting of residential areas far from the frontlines.
The funeral in Korostyshiv, captured in a poignant photo gallery curated by Associated Press photo editors, serves as yet another sobering reminder of the human cost of Russia’s war in Ukraine — a cost increasingly borne by its youngest and most vulnerable.
AP
