Ukraine Warupdated 1h ago2 min read
Russia Missile Strikes Pryluky Destroy Apartment Building, Killing 13 Civilians
Missiles struck Pryluky in Chernihiv region, hitting a multi-storey residential building. Casualties reported between 11 and 15 civilians killed.
Pryluky strike, rising toll
Russia launched missile strikes on Pryluky in Ukraine’s Chernihiv region, and Ukrainian officials said a five-storey apartment building was destroyed as a “birthday ‘gift’ to Putin,” who turns 74 on Wednesday. Chernihiv Oblast police later reported that the death toll in Pryluky rose to nine after the bodies of three children were recovered, with emergency workers continuing a search operation.
The Chernihiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office said that as of 12:50, 13 civilians were killed in Pryluky, including four children, and 50 people were injured, including seven children. Rescuers continued work to search for people under the rubble of the destroyed house as the casualty figures were reported at different levels by different authorities.
Zelensky accuses, air defense
Volodymyr Zelensky condemned what he described as one of Russia’s “most vile” attacks, saying “The Russians wanted to strike painfully and demonstratively,” as strikes hit Kyiv, Dnipro, Kremenchuk, Zaporizhzhia and Oleksandriya. Zelensky said 70 missiles were fired in total, and he renewed a call for allies to provide air defence support packages to Ukraine, saying its military only managed to shoot down “some” of the missiles launched by Russia overnight.
Zelensky posted that “Today, on Putin’s birthday, the Russian army ‘presented’ him with the destruction of a residential block in Pryluky,” and he appealed for US-manufactured Patriot interceptors. Ukraine’s air force said it managed to down just over 80% of the fast-moving drones, an improvement on the previous average of 50% to 60%, as the bombardment also included 46 jet-powered drones.
Wider strikes and risks
Zelensky said strikes also hit Dnipro and Kremenchuk, where two people were killed and eight injured after Russian missile strikes damaged five apartment buildings in Dnipro and four high-rise buildings in Kremenchuk, while two people were also killed in Kyiv and two others in Oleksandriya. Ukraine’s national police posted pictures online showing what it said was an unexploded Russian Iskander missile in the middle of a Kyiv district, and BBC Verify said it confirmed the images were genuine.
Zelensky warned the public that Russia was planning “massive” strikes, particularly against the country’s energy infrastructure, and he said “There may still be people under the rubble” in Pryluky as first responders searched. Ukraine’s air force said it intercepted five ballistic missiles, as well as 39 cruise missiles and over 100 drones, while Zelensky said ballistic missiles were “the greatest challenge” and new air defences were “a vital necessity” to help Ukraine defend itself.