At least 20 people have been killed after Russia launched an enormous attack on Ukraine overnight into Wednesday, 7th October.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attacks as “vile,” adding that the Ukrainian armed forces were unable to shoot down the sheer number of ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones.
Ukraine President Zelensky 2026 Creative Commons Photo
Zelensky Speaking in UK Ukraine Government Photo
The strike took place on the morning of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 74th birthday.
A “Gift” to Putin
In a social media post following the overnight attacks, Zelensky described the strikes as a “gift” from the Russian army to the Russian President, specifically highlighting a five-story residential building in the Chernihiv region where five people were killed and 26 others injured. “There may still be people under the rubble,” Zelensky added in a social media post, noting that first responders were still on site.
Later reports indicated that at least 14 were killed, including four children, with 50 others wounded.
The Ukrainian President also spotlighted missile strikes that damaged five apartment buildings in Dnipro and four high-rise buildings in Kremenchuk, which saw two killed and eight injured.
Two people were also killed in Kyiv, and a further two in Oleksandriya.
A total of 20 people were reported dead by Wednesday morning, with Kyiv and 12 regions targeted by Russia.
“One of the key targets was our energy infrastructure,” Zelensky added. “The Russians wanted to strike painfully and demonstratively. This was one of the most vile strikes: 70 missiles in total, many of them ballistic, as well as ‘shaheds.’ Unfortunately, only some of them were shot down.”
Zelensky continued to say that Russia’s ballistic missiles “remain the greatest challenge,” noting that air defense packages are a “vital necessity” for Ukraine. “That is why every day we are looking for missiles for Patriot systems that can and must actually protect people’s lives here, in Ukrainian skies,” he added.
Russia Confirms Attack
The Russian Ministry of Defense said it had carried out a “massive strike” on military-industrial facilities in Kyiv and across Ukraine.
The country’s armed forces used precision weapons launched by land, air and sea as well as drones, with targets including where Fire Point (a Ukrainian munitions manufacturer) stores medium- and long-range drones, as well as cruise missiles, in Kyiv.
The ministry added that a port and ship-repair infrastructure in Ukraine’s Odesa region were also targeted, along with vessels allegedly used in the interest of Ukraine’s armed forces.
Another Night of Attacks
Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s parliamentary commissioner for human rights, described the attacks as a “night of terror.”
“Russian missiles have once again hit Ukraine throughout the night,” he wrote on Telegram. “Another sleepless night, another act of terror, after which people still have to plan their working day despite everything.”
Kyiv in particular has been relentlessly targeted in recent weeks, with Russian projectiles targeting energy facilities, transport infrastructure and bridges across the Dnipro River.
Russia has been increasingly attacking Kyiv’s bridges in recent days in a bid to disrupt everyday life in the Ukrainian capital.
The country’s Defense Ministry claimed that the strikes on the city’s northern bridge over successive days were due to its use to “facilitate troop movements and the logistics of military cargo deliveries” by Ukraine’s armed forces.
Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko warned that Russia’s intensified bombing campaign was “tearing Kyiv apart” following a crisis meeting on Friday, 2nd October.
Klitschko said the city was in a “very dramatic situation”, with Russia destroying its “critical infrastructure, logistics, housing” among other key facilities.
“We’re talking about survival,” the Kyiv Mayor warned at Friday’s defense meeting with security officials, adding that Moscow aimed to “sow panic” in the capital.
Ukraine Attacks Back
Russian regions were targeted throughout the night by Ukraine, with the Russian Ministry of Defense claiming that air defense systems had intercepted 311 Ukrainian drones overnight.
The large-scale attacks targeted several regions, including the Black Sea and Sea of Azov.
“Ukraine’s just responses [sic] to all Russian strikes against our people,” wrote President Zelensky when sharing footage of the damage in Russia on social media. “Over the past day, our warriors struck four targets that help Russia finance and wage its brutal war – two oil facilities and a training ground in the Perm, Samara, and Astrakhan regions,” he added, while also referencing a “response” in the Black Sea.
About the Author: Shay Bottomley
Shay Bottomley is a British journalist. He has written for the Western Standard, Business Insider, Maidenhead Advertiser, Slough Express, Windsor Express, Berkshire Live and Southend Echo.
