At Least 11 Killed in Russian Strikes on Ukraine on Putin's Birthday
Russian strikes overnight on Wednesday killed at least 11 people and injured more than 34 across Ukraine, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He called the attack one of the most vile and urged more air defence support.
Russia struck Ukraine's energy infrastructure overnight on 7 October. According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, attacks on Pryluky, Dnipro, Kremenchuk, Zaporizhzhia and Kyiv left at least 11 people dead and more than 34 injured.
Zelenskyy described the assault as one of the most vile strikes so far and ironically called it a "birthday gift" for Vladimir Putin, who turns 74 today. Photographs show a destroyed residential building in Pryluky in the Chernihiv region, as well as burning garages and a warehouse in Kyiv.
Call for air defence
The president said Russian ballistic missiles remain the biggest challenge. Ukraine urgently needs air defence packages, he said, and every day officials are searching for missiles for Patriot systems that can protect lives in Ukrainian skies.
Foreign minister's message to partners
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Russian generals had given Putin war crimes as a present. He argued that Putin is not winning the war and never will. The minister urged partners to tighten sanctions on Russia's military-industrial complex, including ballistic missile production sites and the Rassvet satellite system, and to boost support for Ukraine, including every kind of air defence and energy assistance before winter.
Sybiha added that a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine is being prepared for practical launch next year, and that accountability is inevitable.
Other news from Europe
In France, high school protests continue after a large march in Paris that ended with sporadic vandalism and skirmishes with riot police. Officers used teargas and baton charges to disperse demonstrators. Following allegations of police brutality, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez suspended the use of stun grenades; a 15-year-old reportedly lost a hand on Monday, and a 14-year-old lost several teeth. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is expected to set out his response to the protests later today.
