At least 11 dead, 34 injured after ‘vile’ attack on Ukraine on Putin’s birthday, Zelenskyy says – Europe live

A series of overnight Russian strikes across Ukraine killed at least 11 people and left more than 34 others wounded, Ukrainian officials reported. The barrages, which primarily targeted the nation's energy grid, hit multiple cities, including Kyiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Kremenchik, and Pryluky.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denounced the assaults as an especially despicable barrage against civilian infrastructure. Speaking on the same day Russian President Vladimir Putin marked his 74th birthday, Zelenskyy noted sarcastically that the strikes served as a birthday present for the Russian leader. In Pryluky, located in the Chernihiv region, emergency workers were deployed to search through the ruins of a residential apartment building hit during the bombardment.

Zelenskyy stressed that defending against Moscow's weaponry remains an urgent challenge, particularly when dealing with incoming ballistic strikes. He stated that air defense equipment is an absolute necessity for the country, emphasizing that Ukrainian authorities are actively seeking interceptor missiles for Patriot systems to safeguard civilians across national airspace.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also condemned the overnight operations, asserting that Moscow's military leadership handed Putin war crimes to mark his birthday. Sybiha argued that Russian commanders are hiding the reality of the battlefield from Putin, declaring that Moscow is not winning the conflict and will not prevail.

Sybiha called on allied nations to respond to the violence with tangible pressure rather than symbolic gestures. He urged partners to enforce tighter economic sanctions against Russia's defense sector, singling out production centers for ballistic missiles as well as the Rassvet satellite network. The foreign minister also pressed for expanded deliveries of air defense systems and assistance to reinforce the Ukrainian power grid as colder winter months approach.

Looking toward long-term legal consequences, Sybiha warned that the Russian president would eventually face justice, stating that the ultimate outcome should be a trial in The Hague. He noted that Ukraine is actively working toward launching a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine in the coming year, asserting that accountability for Russian leadership is unavoidable.