Russia launches massive airstrikes on Ukraine on Putin’s 74th birthday; at least 20 killed, including children

[Financial News] On the 7th (local time), Russian forces launched a large-scale attack using ballistic missiles and drones on major cities across Ukraine, including the capital, Kyiv, as Russian President Vladimir Putin turned 74. The strikes destroyed numerous residential and industrial facilities, killing at least 20 people, including four children, and injuring at least 60.
The airstrikes began in the early hours of the morning, shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned in a nationwide address that Russia could launch a large-scale attack.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russian forces deployed around 180 weapons, including ballistic and cruise missiles and jet-powered Shahed drones, to strike targets in 18 locations, including Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Poltava and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts. Ukraine said it had shot down or neutralized 161 of them, but was unable to fully repel attacks by ballistic missiles, which are difficult to intercept, and newer drones.
The damage was extensive. In Pryluky in northern Chernihiv Oblast, a five-story apartment building and a children's facility were hit, killing 14 civilians, including four children, and injuring about 50 people. Fires also broke out in Kyiv, including in the densely populated Darnytskyi and Obolonskyi districts, leaving two people dead. Civilian casualties were also reported in Kremenchuk in Poltava Oblast, Dnipro and Oleksandriia.
President Zelenskyy strongly condemned the attack on social media, saying, “Russian forces destroyed ordinary residential buildings as if they were giving Vladimir Putin a birthday present,” and, “This is one of the most despicable attacks targeting energy infrastructure.”
Recently, Russia has been concentrating attacks on major Ukrainian infrastructure, including bridges and power grids, using weapons that are difficult to intercept. Struggling with a shortage of air defenses, Ukraine has retaliated with drone strikes targeting Russian oil facilities and other sites. The Ukrainian military struck four Russian oil infrastructure sites, including in Perm and Samara, in a counterattack that day.
By contrast, the Russian Defense Ministry issued a statement saying, “We struck Ukraine’s Flamingo cruise missiles and military-industrial facilities in Kyiv, Chernihiv and elsewhere that are involved in assembling, producing and storing operational missiles,” denying allegations that it had targeted civilian facilities.
The Kremlin said that despite the large-scale airstrikes taking place that day, President Putin would carry out his state duties as usual, even though it was his birthday.


[email protected] Park Ji-hyun Reporter