A devastating Russian missile strike on a five-story residential building in the northern Ukrainian town of Pryluky has resulted in a rapidly climbing death toll as emergency services continue search-and-rescue operations. The attack on the Chernihiv region was part of a broader wave of missile barrages launched across Ukraine, drawing international condemnation and leaving dozens dead or injured.
Pryluky Apartment Building Destroyed in Strike
The attack struck a residential block in Pryluky, reducing half of the five-story structure to a smoking pile of charred concrete and twisted metal. According to regional Governor Vyacheslav Chaus and Ukraine’s State Emergency Service (SES), the regional death toll following the apartment building collapse initially rose to nine, including three children, before subsequent updates from regional officials indicated the toll continued to climb further to 13 and later higher as recovery efforts progressed.
Emergency services reported that approximately 40 people were injured in the Pryluky blast, including multiple children. Rescue crews worked frantically through the rubble, picking through debris to locate survivors and recover victims. Police and emergency responders noted that among the victims recovered from the site were young children who were sleeping when the missile slammed into the building.
Widespread Attacks Across Ukraine
The strike in Pryluky occurred during a massive nationwide assault. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Russia launched approximately 70 missiles, including numerous ballistic weapons, targeting civilian infrastructure and residential areas across the country. In addition to the devastation in the Chernihiv region, strikes were reported in other areas, including Kyiv, Dnipro, Kremenchuk, and Oleksandriya, resulting in additional fatalities and widespread damage to high-rise buildings and homes.
International officials have responded to the escalation in violence. British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, alongside Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, later visited a makeshift memorial at the devastated Pryluky apartment site to pay respects to the victims. Authorities continue to assess the full extent of the infrastructure damage and provide medical and humanitarian assistance to families affected by the nationwide barrage.
