Russian strikes kill at least 19 across Ukraine

Russian missile and drone strikes killed at least 19 people and injured dozens across Ukraine on October 7, according to Ukrainian officials, as attacks hit Kyiv, Pryluky and other areas on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s birthday. The casualty toll rose as reports developed, and search operations were still underway in Pryluky, where the deadliest reported strike hit a residential building. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched 70 missiles, many of them ballistic, along with Shahed drones at 12 regions. Ukraine’s Air Force said it shot down 117 of 130 Russian strike drones and 44 ballistic and cruise missiles. Those figures were attributed to Ukrainian officials and were not independently verified in the reports. In Pryluky, in the northern Chernihiv region, a strike on an apartment building killed 13 people and injured more than 50, including children, according to the later reported Ukrainian figures. Police said search operations continued at the site. Earlier casualty figures from the region were lower, reflecting updates as rescue work proceeded. Kyiv officials reported two deaths in the capital.