On 7 October, a Russian missile struck a five‑storey apartment building in the Ukrainian town of Pryluky, killing 19 civilians, including five children. The attack destroyed 30 flats and left dozens injured.

Three of the child victims were one‑year‑olds, and a boy aged eight was killed alongside his mother and grandmother. The tragic event shocked both local residents and the world community.

President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the strike as one of Russia’s “most vile” attacks, suggesting that it was launched as a “birthday gift” to President Vladimir Putin on his 74th birthday.

Moscow denied responsibility, claiming the strike targeted “military industries” elsewhere. Nonetheless, the Russian Defence Ministry has not issued a public statement on the incident.

Rear‑valley missiles and drone attacks continued throughout the day, with Ukraine’s Air Force reporting the downing of five ballistic and 39 cruise missiles, as well as over 100 drones. The Ukrainian Air Force has called on allies to provide additional air‑defence systems.

Rescue teams spent hours searching the rubble of the apartment building, discovering a fifth child’s body in the afternoon. Over 50 residents were injured, and the strike also damaged a youth centre and other residential buildings.

Zelensky highlighted that the attack had targeted significant energy infrastructure, a key element of Moscow’s war strategy. He also reported that Ukrainian forces had struck air‑defence sites in Russia’s Perm, Samara and Astrakhan regions the previous day.

The incident adds to the mounting toll of the conflict, with the death count rising to 25 across Ukraine after additional casualties in Kyiv, Kremenchuk and Oleksandriya. The war’s ongoing missile threats continue to jeopardise civilian safety and civic structures.

This tragedy underscores the urgent need for strengthened international protective measures for civilians, alongside sustained pressure for de‑escalation of military operations in densely populated areas.