Russian Missile Strikes Kill 28 Across Ukraine

Russia launched a massive wave of missiles and drones across Ukraine on Wednesday, killing at least 28 people and wounding approximately 100 others. The most severe impact occurred in Pryluky, Chernihiv region, where a missile destroyed a five-story residential building, killing 20 people, including five children.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, condemned the attacks as "vile," stating that the strikes coincided with Vladimir Putin's birthday. Russia's Ministry of Defence claimed the operations targeted military-industrial facilities, including sites used by the Ukrainian company Fire Point to produce Flamingo cruise missiles, and a vessel bound for Odesa.

Ukraine responded by hitting four targets within Russia, including two oil facilities. In a parallel diplomatic and financial move, the European Union provided Ukraine with a €1.2 billion defense tranche and approved 1,646 new sanctions against the Russian military-industrial complex.

Regional tensions extended to the Black Sea, where Bulgarian President Iliana Yotova linked the broader conflict to a deterioration in security following drone attacks on two ships within Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone.