Russian missile strike on Ukrainian apartment block kills 19, including 5 children

A Russian cruise missile struck a five‑storey apartment block in Pryluky, north of Kyiv, on Wednesday morning, killing 19 people – including five children – and demolishing 30 flats. Rescue teams spent hours unearthing bodies and debris from the rubble.

Three of the children were one‑year‑olds and a boy named Maxsym, aged eight, also lost his life. Victims’ names include Oleksandr, Kyrylo and Serhii, as well as Sasha, who died with his mother Kateryna and grandmother Viktoriia; only Sasha’s elder sister Olha survived.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy denounced the strike as “one of Russia’s most vile.” He suggested the attack was a cruel birthday present for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who turned 74 that day. Moscow denied targeting civilians, claiming the attack was aimed at “military industry” sites in Kyiv and elsewhere.

The day’s casualty toll rose to 25 as other Russian strikes killed two in Kyiv, two in Kremenchuk and two in Oleksandriya, leaving more than 430 homes damaged and dozens injured.

Regional governor Vyacheslav Chaus said five cruise missiles hit Pryluky, with one breaching the apartment block. Rescue efforts recovered a fifth child’s body in the afternoon and uncovered hit‑points in a nearby youth centre.

Ukraine’s air force claims it shot down 5 ballistic and 39 cruise missiles plus 100 drones, though the exact number of penetrations remains unclear. Zelenskiy has called on allies for air‑defence aid, citing increasing missile threats.

While Kyiv’s residents sheltered in underground stations, police posted images of an unexploded Russian Iskander missile fragment in a Kyiv district, verified by BBC‑Verify. Additional footage shows cars and rubble in Kremenchuk after recent attacks.

Russian forces have escalated strikes on the Black Sea, targeting vessels and energy infrastructure. Ukrainian retaliation has included strikes on Russian industrial sites and an oil tanker off Sochi, where the crew was reportedly rescued after a flamethrower‑like plume engulfed the vessel.

These escalating confrontations underline the urgent need for robust air‑defence systems and international support to protect civilians in Ukraine.