At least 24 people, including four children, were killed after Russia unleashed a massive overnight barrage of missiles and drones across Ukraine, in what President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described as one of Moscow's most vile strikes.
The heaviest casualties were reported in Pryluky in northern Ukraine's Chernihiv region, where a Russian missile destroyed parts of a five-storey residential building. At least 18 people were killed and around 55 wounded, according to local officials cited by Reuters.
Zelenskyy said the attack involved about 70 missiles, many of them high-velocity ballistic weapons, along with dozens of Shahed attack drones. Six other people were killed in Kyiv, Oleksandria and Kremenchuk, he said.
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“The Russians wanted to strike painfully and demonstratively. This was one of the most vile strikes,” Zelenskyy said, according to Reuters.
The Ukrainian president also pointed to the timing of the assault, saying it coincided with Russian President Vladimir Putin's birthday. “Today, as a birthday ‘gift' to Putin, the Russian army destroyed a residential building in Pryluky,” Zelenskyy said.
Russia's Defence Ministry said its forces had carried out a massive strike against military-industrial facilities in Kyiv and other Ukrainian regions using high-precision weapons launched from land, sea and air, along with drones.
Moscow said the targets included facilities linked to Ukrainian defence company Fire Point, which it alleged manufactures and stores Flamingo cruise missiles and medium- and long-range drones.
Ukraine's Air Force said it intercepted just over 80% of 46 jet-powered drones launched by Russia. That marked a sharp increase from recent weeks, when Ukrainian air defences had reportedly intercepted around 50% to 60% of incoming drones.
Despite the higher interception rate, Zelenskyy said ballistic missiles remained Ukraine's biggest challenge.
“We are every day looking for Patriot systems that can and must protect people's lives,” he said, according to Reuters.
The US-made Patriot system is currently the only weapon in Ukraine's arsenal capable of intercepting high-velocity ballistic missiles. Supplies of the system have been stretched by the wars in Ukraine and Iran.
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According to Reuters, several loud explosions were heard across the capital overnight. Other strikes damaged an industrial facility in Dnipro, transport infrastructure in Zaporizhzhia and apartment buildings in Kremenchuk, Ukrainian officials said.
Zelenskyy also said Ukrainian forces had struck four targets inside Russia over the previous 24 hours, including two oil facilities and a training ground.
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