A significant Russian military operation targeting Ukrainian civilian areas resulted in at least 24 deaths across multiple regions, according to Ukrainian officials. The strike included 70 ballistic missiles and 46 jet-powered drones hitting 11 regions throughout the country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy characterized the bombardment as deliberate acts of terror timed to coincide with Vladimir Putin’s birthday celebration.
The most severe damage occurred in the northern town of Pryluky in the Chernihiv region, where a ballistic missile struck a five-story apartment building, causing its collapse. Eighteen people were killed in this incident, including four children identified by Zelenskyy. Approximately 50 individuals sustained injuries, and rescue operations continued as some residents remained unaccounted for. Additional casualties were reported in Kyiv, Kremenchuk, Oleksandriia, and Dnipro, with widespread structural damage affecting multiple neighborhoods.
Ukrainian air defense forces successfully intercepted more than 80 percent of the incoming drones, representing an improvement over recent performance levels. However, Zelenskyy acknowledged difficulties in countering ballistic missile systems and appealed to international allies for additional Patriot air defense interceptors. Ukraine’s foreign minister characterized the Russian offensive as war crimes and asserted that Ukrainian determination to resist would not waver regardless of bombardment intensity.
In response, Ukraine conducted retaliatory strikes against Russian targets, including oil complexes in the Perm, Samara, and Astrakhan regions and military training installations. Ukrainian forces also targeted a vessel in waters near Sochi, resulting in a fire onboard. Meanwhile, maritime disruptions continued in the Black Sea, where Russian drone attacks on commercial shipping have severely impacted grain exports from Ukrainian ports, with a cargo vessel sinking earlier in the week and crew members remaining missing.
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