The deadliest incident occurred in Pryluki, in the northern Chernihiv region, where a missile hit a five-storey residential building. Emergency services reported that 18 to 20 people, including four to five children, were killed, while 50 others were injured. Rescue workers continued searching for residents in the collapsed structure. Ukrainian officials noted that the timing of the attack coincided with the 74th birthday of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Other strikes hit Kyiv, Dnipro, Kremenchuk, Zaporizhzhia, and Oleksandriya. In Dnipro, missile strikes damaged five apartment buildings, while four high-rise buildings were hit in Kremenchuk. Two people were killed in Kyiv, including one in the car park of a damaged maternity hospital, and two more died in Oleksandriya.
Ukraine’s air force stated that air defence units downed 161 targets during the overnight barrage. However, President Zelenskyy acknowledged that the military managed to intercept only “some” of the missiles, renewing calls for international allies to provide additional air defence support packages. The attacks also damaged critical energy infrastructure, a sector Moscow has previously indicated it would intensify strikes on following Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy facilities.
In response to the Russian offensive, Ukraine carried out retaliatory strikes. Zelenskyy announced that Ukrainian forces targeted four locations in Russia within the past 24 hours, including two oil facilities and a training ground in the Perm, Samara, and Astrakhan regions. The president also noted a “response in the Black Sea” without providing further operational details. Moscow has not publicly commented on the specific Ukrainian strikes or the latest barrage against Ukrainian cities.
Separate incidents reported on Thursday highlighted the continued escalation. A Russian attack on a farm in northern Kharkiv region killed six people and wounded eight, according to regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov. Ukrainian air defence forces reported intercepting 282 drones and an unspecified number of hypersonic and ballistic missiles during this subsequent assault. Russia’s Ministry of Defence claimed its forces targeted Ukrainian defence sites, logistics hubs, and telecommunications infrastructure. The ministry also stated that Russian forces struck a Black Sea tanker transporting fuel to the port of Chornomorsk. In Russia, falling drone debris sparked a fire at an industrial facility in the Krasnodar region, with local authorities confirming no injuries.
As casualties mount, diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the conflict have intensified. The United States and Russia engaged in urgent talks during the United Nations General Assembly, focusing on reducing the war’s impact on global energy markets and economic stability. Ukrainian officials continue to seek enhanced defensive capabilities to counter increasingly large-scale Russian air operations.
