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Russia fires 70 missiles across Ukraine on Putin's birthday, Zelensky says
In short
Russia launched 70 missiles and jet-powered Shahed drones at targets across Ukraine, including Kyiv, from early morning on Oct 7, which was Vladimir Putin's 74th birthday. President Volodymyr Zelensky said energy infrastructure was a main target and accused Russia of destroying residential buildings “as if giving Putin a birthday present”. Ukrainian authorities reported deaths in Kyiv, Chernihiv region, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia and Oleksandriia, while Ukraine's military said it struck four targets in Russia, including two oil facilities.
Why it matters
The strikes further strain Ukraine's power grid and city transport, with rolling blackouts already introduced in Kyiv and several bridges disrupted. Ukrainian officials and the EU say air-defence supplies, including Patriot interceptor stocks, are insufficient, making continued large-scale Russian attacks hard to repel. Ukraine is responding with strikes on Russian oil facilities, which it calls a justified response.
Key facts
- Russia's military launched 70 missiles and jet-powered Shahed drones at targets across Ukraine, including Kyiv, from early morning on Oct 7. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Oct 7 was Russian President Vladimir Putin's 74th birthday. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said one of the main targets was energy infrastructure and called it “one of the most vile attacks”. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Zelensky said Russia destroyed residential buildings “as if giving Putin a birthday present”, citing damage in Pryluky in the Chernihiv region. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Russia's Defence Ministry said it struck military-related facilities, including a Flamingo missile assembly company in Kyiv, and denied targeting civilian sites. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Ukraine's military said it struck four targets in Russia's Perm, Samara and Astrakhan regions, including two oil facilities. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Kyiv has introduced rolling blackouts to reduce load on the power grid after repeated strikes on energy facilities. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Ukraine's military said Kyiv's Dnipro river bridges were hit by Russian drones at least six times this month, disrupting traffic on five of the city's six bridges. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Russia attacked Ukraine with 70 missiles and jet-powered Shahed drones from early morning on Oct 7, hitting Kyiv and other regions. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Zelensky said energy infrastructure was one of the main targets and described the attack as “one of the most vile attacks”. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Zelensky linked the timing to Putin's 74th birthday, saying Russia destroyed residential buildings as if giving him a present. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Russia's Defence Ministry said it struck military-related facilities, including a Flamingo missile assembly company in Kyiv, and denied targeting civilian sites. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Ukraine's military said it struck four targets in Russia's Perm, Samara and Astrakhan regions, including two oil facilities, and Zelensky called it a justified response. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Kyiv introduced rolling blackouts to ease pressure on the power grid after continued strikes on energy infrastructure. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- The number of dead and injured in the Pryluky apartment building in the Chernihiv region Documents give different figures: at least 5 dead and about 20 injured (Doc 1), 5 dead and 26 injured according to Zelensky (Doc 3), and later 9 dead and 40 injured according to Ukraine's State Emergency Service (Doc 3).
- The nationwide death toll from the Oct 7 attack Hankook Ilbo reports at least 15 dead and 48 injured, citing Zelensky, while Yonhap gives lower regional figures and says about 4 more people died in Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia and Oleksandriia; the documents do not reconcile the totals.
- Whether civilians were deliberately targeted Russia's Defence Ministry denies targeting civilian sites and says it struck military-related facilities, while Zelensky and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen describe the strikes as deliberate attacks on civilians and infrastructure; the documents state the two positions without resolving them.
- Exact timing of the strikes within Oct 7 Documents say the attacks began from early morning but give no specific times.
What local media are saying
Official sourcesYonhap, the national news agency, gave the fullest wire account, citing Reuters and AFP: the scale of the attack, regional casualty figures from local authorities, Zelensky's remarks, the state of Kyiv's bridges and blackouts, and a detailed explanation of Ukraine's air-defence shortages and its retaliatory strikes on Russian oil sites.
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Business mediaThe two business outlets recapped the same foreign wire reports, leading with Zelensky's “birthday present” remark and the casualties. Asia Economy emphasised the widening target set of energy facilities and city bridges and Ukraine's air-defence gaps, while Hankook Ilbo added later-corrected casualty figures from Ukraine's State Emergency Service and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's call for more support for Ukraine.
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Timeline, local time
- Yonhap reports that Russia launched 70 missiles and jet-powered Shahed drones across Ukraine from early morning, with deaths in Kyiv's Darnytskyi district, Chernihiv region, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia and Oleksandriia. [ 1 ]
- Asia Economy reports the same attack, Zelensky's “birthday present” remark, the damage to Kyiv's bridges and Ukraine's shortage of air-defence interceptors. [ 2 ]
- Hankook Ilbo reports updated figures from Ukraine's State Emergency Service of 9 dead and 40 injured at the Pryluky apartment building, and a nationwide toll of at least 15 dead and 48 injured given by Zelensky. [ 3 ]