‘War Is His Nature’: Zelensky Says Putin’s Birthday ‘Gift’ Killed 25 Ukrainians

At least 25 people were killed and more than 100 injured across Ukraine in Russia’s large-scale overnight missile and drone barrage, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday, Oct. 7. The heaviest loss of life was reported in the northern city of Pryluky, where a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile struck a five-story apartment building.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Zelensky said 19 people were killed there, including five children, while Chernihiv Regional State Administration Head Viacheslav Chaus later put the death toll at 20. Images from the scene showed a large section of the residential building collapsed as rescuers searched the rubble for survivors. Emergency crews continued clearing the destroyed structure throughout the day. The attack was part of a wider Russian barrage targeting several Ukrainian cities. Residential buildings and civilian infrastructure were damaged in Kyiv, Kremenchuk and Pryluky. In Kyiv, Russian ballistic missiles struck the capital in several waves, with the first salvo launched shortly after 3 a.m. Two people were killed and several sites were damaged across the city, according to Ukrainian authorities. In Kremenchuk, Russian missiles and drones damaged apartment buildings and private homes. Two people were killed and seven injured, according to the Poltava Regional Military Administration. Zelensky said Russia used a combination of ballistic and cruise missiles and Shahed drones in the overnight attack, and continued striking Ukraine with drones and aerial bombs during the day. Other Topics of Interest Ukraine Working on 5 Ceasefire Tracks With Partners, Foreign Ministry Says The proposals include a full and unconditional ceasefire, separate arrangements covering the Black Sea, food exports and energy infrastructure, as well as a US-backed energy ceasefire. “Such a ‘gift’ Putin gave himself for his birthday. The killing of children, the killing of people,” Zelensky said in his evening address, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin turning 74 on Oct. 7. He said the attack demonstrated that Moscow intends to continue escalating its war against Ukraine despite international efforts to end the conflict. “It is important that there is no silence from leaders over what happened, over what happens every day, and, most importantly, over the fact that Russia intends to continue moving in this direction: toward escalation, killings and shelling,” Zelensky said. “This is exactly what Moscow chooses despite all our efforts with our partners to bring peace closer,” he said, calling for greater pressure on Russia and additional military assistance for Ukraine. Zelensky also criticized what he described as weakening sanctions pressure on Moscow, saying that discussions about lifting sanctions on Russian oligarchs risk normalizing the war. “Putin still does not feel that this is creating real problems for him,” he said. “It is in his interest to wage war. War is his nature, his ideology.” He added that Russia’s continued ability to sell oil and conduct international transactions meant the pressure on Moscow remained insufficient. “And this is not only Ukraine’s problem, not only our problem, and not only the problem of our people and our children. It is a problem for everyone in Europe and the Western world,” Zelensky said. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.