In brief
At least 15 people died in a wave of missile attacks across central and eastern Ukraine, a strike President Zelensky described as the most ‘vile’ of Russia’s campaign. The strikes hit cities from Kyiv to Pryluky, where a residential building was destroyed as a ‘birthday gift’ for Putin. Zelensky said Ukraine had responded, shooting down some missiles and striking targets in Russian regions and the Black Sea, but criticised the limited air‑defence success. He urged allies to bolster Ukraine’s air‑defence packages as the war continues to rage.
At least 15 people have died in overnight strikes across central and eastern Ukraine, a blow the President said was Russia’s most ‘vile’ attack.
The strike destroyed a residential building in Pryluky, Chernihiv, a ‘birthday gift’ for Putin as he turns 74. Other cities hit include Kyiv, Dnipro, Kremenchuk, Zaporizhzhia and Oleksandriya.
Zelensky said Ukraine responded, shooting down some missiles and striking Russian targets in Perm, Samara and Astrakhan, and a response in the Black Sea.
He added that 70 missiles were fired in total, with people possibly still trapped under rubble in Pryluky.
Sources say emergency workers were still searching for residents under rubble on Wednesday.
Zelensky urged allies to boost air‑defence packages after noting Ukraine could only shoot down a fraction of the attacks.
