Zelensky Condemns Deadly Russian Missile Campaign Killing at Least 15

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned a series of overnight Russian missile strikes that have killed at least 15 people across central and eastern Ukraine, describing the assault as one of Moscow’s “most vile” attacks.

The barrage targeted multiple cities, including Kyiv, Dnipro, Kremenchuk, Zaporizhzhia, and Oleksandriya. A residential block in Pryluky, located in the Chernihiv region, was destroyed. Zelensky characterized the strike as a belated birthday present for Vladimir Putin, who celebrates his 74th birthday on Wednesday.

Initial reports indicated five fatalities and 26 injuries, including five children, at the Pryluky site, with concerns raised that survivors remained trapped in the debris. However, local police later reported that the death toll in the area rose to nine after the bodies of three additional children were recovered, as emergency crews continued search operations.

Zelensky stated that a total of 70 missiles were launched during the overnight assault. Two people were killed and eight injured in Dnipro after five apartment buildings were damaged, while four high-rise structures in Kremenchuk were struck. Two additional deaths were confirmed in the capital, Kyiv, and two more in Oleksandriya.

In response, Kyiv announced it had conducted retaliatory strikes against targets in Russia’s Perm, Samara, and Astrakhan regions over the past 24 hours. Zelensky revealed that four objectives were hit, including two oil facilities and a training ground. He also alluded to actions taken in the Black Sea, though he provided no specific details.

On Tuesday evening, footage emerged showing a large plume of smoke rising from an oil tanker off the coast of Sochi. Russia’s transport ministry confirmed that unmanned boats attacked the Liberian-flagged Aframax Rio, stating that the crew had been rescued.

Tensions in the region intensified further after Bulgaria halted its search for the crew of a cargo ship that sank following a drone attack. The Alfa Watan went down approximately 70 nautical miles east of Byala, within Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone. A second vessel carrying grain was also hit in the same zone, but its 18 crew members were rescued. Prime Minister Rumen Radev attributed responsibility to Russia, a claim Moscow has not addressed.

Zelensky reiterated his appeal for Allied air defense support, noting that Ukraine’s forces managed to intercept only “some” of the incoming missiles. The attacks appear to target Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, following earlier Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy facilities.