At Least 11 Killed, 34 Injured in Russian Strikes on Ukraine on Putin's Birthday, Zelenskyy Says

At least 11 people were killed and more than 34 injured after Russia launched a series of strikes on Ukraine overnight, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. He said the attacks targeted the country's energy infrastructure in Pryluky, Dnipro, Kremenchuk, Zaporizhzhia and Kyiv.

Zelenskyy described the strikes as "one of the most vile" carried out by Russia, and noted that they came on the birthday of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who turned 74. He referred to the timing as "a birthday gift for Putin."

Pattern of strikes on infrastructure

The reported targeting of energy infrastructure continues a pattern seen repeatedly over the course of the war, in which Russian strikes have targeted Ukraine's power and heating systems, particularly as winter approaches. Ukrainian officials have regularly reported casualties and damage to infrastructure following such strikes.

Russian authorities had not issued an immediate comment responding to Zelenskyy's characterization of the strikes in this account. Casualty figures and damage assessments from such attacks are generally provided initially by Ukrainian officials and may be revised as more information becomes available.

The strikes add to the ongoing toll of the war on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure, with both sides continuing military operations even as diplomatic efforts around a resolution to the conflict have periodically been discussed.