Volodymyr Zelenskyy has condemned a wave of Russian missile and drone strikes that killed at least 12 people across Ukraine, describing the attack on an apartment block as a birthday "gift" to Vladimir Putin, who turned 74 on Wednesday.
In a social media post, the Ukrainian president said the Russian army had "destroyed a residential building in Pryluky, in the Chernihiv region" as a personal gesture to the Kremlin leader. Interior Minister Ihor Vyhivskyi reported that nine people, including three children, were killed and 34 wounded when a missile hit the five-storey building. Rescue workers continued to search through the rubble, with Zelenskyy saying "there may still be people under the debris" and that first responders were working "nonstop" to find every person.
The overnight barrage also claimed lives in Kremenchuk and Oleksandriya, and damaged apartment buildings in Dnipro, according to Ukrainian officials. In Kyiv, two people died in a fire in the densely populated Darnytskyi district, said mayor Vitaly Klitschko. The Ukrainian air force reported that Russia launched at least 50 missiles and 130 drones targeting regions including Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, Kharkiv and Poltava, with air defences intercepting five ballistic missiles, 39 cruise missiles and more than 100 drones.
Energy infrastructure in the crosshairs
Zelenskyy had warned on Tuesday night that Russia was preparing a "massive" strike, particularly on energy infrastructure. The assault indeed focused on industrial facilities involved in producing and storing missiles and drones, as well as port and ship repair installations in the Odesa region, according to Russia's Defence Ministry, which made no mention of civilian casualties.
The Ukrainian president described the attack as "one of the most vile strikes" of the nearly five-year conflict, saying "the Russians wanted to strike painfully and demonstratively." He singled out ballistic missiles as "the greatest challenge" and reiterated that new air defences were "a vital necessity" for Ukraine.
In Kyiv, residents spent the night sheltering in subway stations, equipped with sleeping mats and blankets. "The whole of Kyiv is in a state of fear," Iryna Rybalchenko, a bank worker, told AFP from a platform.
The attack comes as European allies continue to grapple with how to bolster Ukraine's air defences while managing their own security concerns. Recent incidents, such as Spanish F-18s scrambling in Romania after a drone alert, underscore the broader regional tensions. Meanwhile, the EU is weighing tighter curbs on Russian diplomats as hybrid attacks mount, a sign of the wider confrontation with Moscow.
Zelenskyy's appeal for more air defence systems is likely to be a central topic at upcoming meetings with Western partners, as Ukraine seeks to protect its cities and critical infrastructure from further devastation.
