Ukraine says Russian drone and missile strikes destroyed an apartment block in Pryluky, killing nine people, part of overnight attacks that left at least 15 dead on the eve of Vladimir Putin's 74th birthday.
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Key facts
- An apartment building in Pryluky was destroyed, killing nine people including three children, officials said.
- Overnight Russian drone and missile strikes killed at least 15 people in total.
- The attacks came the night before Russian President Vladimir Putin's 74th birthday on Wednesday.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the strikes 'despicable' and accused Russia of deliberately targeting civilians.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia’s military of deliberately killing civilians and bombing residential buildings in what he described as a macabre gift for Vladimir Putin, who celebrates his 74th birthday on Wednesday, according to the Guardian.
An apartment building in the city of Pryluky was destroyed in the overnight strikes, killing nine people including three children, officials said. The destruction of the residential block was part of a wider wave of attacks across Ukraine.
Zelenskyy described Russia’s overnight drone and missile strikes, which killed at least 15 people in total, as “despicable.” He said the attacks appeared designed to inflict maximum harm and make a public point.
“The Russians wanted to strike painfully and demonstratively,” the Ukrainian president said, framing the timing of the assault as deliberately coinciding with the eve of Putin’s birthday.
The accusation adds to Ukraine’s repeated claims that Russian forces have targeted civilian areas during the ongoing war. The Guardian reported the strikes combined both drones and missiles in a coordinated overnight barrage.
Why it matters
The reported destruction of a residential building and the deaths of children underscore the continued toll of the war on Ukrainian civilians. Zelenskyy's framing of the strikes as timed to Putin's birthday sharpens international scrutiny of Russia's targeting of civilian areas.
Frequently asked questions
How many people were killed in the strikes?
At least 15 people were killed in the overnight strikes, including nine people in a destroyed apartment building in Pryluky, three of them children, according to officials cited by the Guardian.
Why did Ukraine link the attack to Putin's birthday?
President Zelenskyy accused Russia of deliberately bombing residential buildings as a macabre gift for Vladimir Putin, who turns 74 on Wednesday. Zelenskyy said the Russians 'wanted to strike painfully and demonstratively.'
What weapons were used in the strikes?
The Guardian reported that Russia used both drones and missiles in the overnight strikes on Ukraine.
Timeline
- Ukraine accuses Russia of bombing apartment block as birthday gift for Putin
The Guardian World: Building in Pryluky destroyed killing nine people including three children night before Russian president’s 74th birthday Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia’s military of deliberately killing civilians and bombing residential buildings as a macabre gift for Vladimir Putin, wh
- Ukraine says Russia bombed apartment block as birthday gift for Putin
The Guardian World: Building in Pryluky destroyed, killing nine people including three children, officials say, night before Russian president’s 74th birthday Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia’s military of deliberately killing civilians and bombing residential buildings as a macabre gift for V