At least 28 people, including five children, were killed in Russian attacks across Ukraine on Wednesday, Ukrainian authorities said, as a missile struck an apartment building in the northern city of Pryluky while residents were sleeping. The attack caused extensive destruction to a five-storey residential building, with a large section of the structure reduced to charred concrete, twisted metal and debris. Windows were shattered by the powerful blast, while emergency workers searched through the remains of the building for survivors and victims.

The strike was among a series of attacks reported across Ukraine, adding to concerns about an escalation in Russian missile strikes against civilian areas and critical infrastructure. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said five children were killed in the Pryluky strike. Three of the victims were just 12 months old, while another child was eight years old, according to the president. The Interior Ministry later said another child's body had been recovered from the rubble in the evening as rescue and recovery operations continued.

Ukrainian authorities said 20 people were killed in the Pryluky attack alone. Zelensky said seven other children were among dozens of people wounded, underlining the severe impact of the strike on families living in the residential building and surrounding area. Emergency personnel continued working through the damaged structure as authorities assessed the full scale of the casualties. Residents said the missile strike occurred at around 6:30 am local time, when many people were still asleep inside their homes.

Olena Sayun, a 40-year-old massage therapist, described the moments immediately after the explosion. She said the blast blew out windows and caused extensive damage inside the apartment. Sayun said she and her husband covered their child with their bodies to protect the child from flying debris. Her husband suffered cuts on his back, while she was also injured.

The child was left extremely frightened by the explosion, and the family moved to the bathroom for protection as parts of their apartment were being damaged around them. The scale of the destruction left residents facing a devastating scene in the aftermath of the strike. Much of the affected section of the five-storey building was reduced to rubble, leaving exposed and twisted structural material where homes had stood.

Rescue teams worked through the debris in an effort to locate victims and determine whether anyone remained trapped. The recovery of another child's body later in the day highlighted the continuing dangers faced by emergency workers operating in the damaged building. Authorities also had to deal with the needs of those who survived the attack, many of whom had lost windows, property and parts of their homes in the blast.

Zelensky strongly condemned the attacks and accused Russia of deliberately targeting ordinary Ukrainian cities and civilian life. He said the continued use of missiles against Ukraine, including attacks that kill children, represented a deliberate choice of terror. His comments came a day after he warned that Russia could launch a “massive” attack against Ukraine, with energy infrastructure expected to be a particular target. The warning reflected continuing concerns in Kyiv that Russian forces could intensify missile and drone strikes as the country faces another period of attacks on essential infrastructure.

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The latest wave has therefore been closely watched not only because of the civilian casualties but also because of the potential implications for Ukraine's energy system. The Pryluky attack was part of wider Russian strikes reported across Ukraine on Wednesday, with authorities reporting additional casualties and injuries in other areas. The attacks came as the war continued to place civilians under sustained pressure, particularly in cities that have repeatedly faced missile and drone strikes.

Ukrainian officials have continued to call on residents to follow air-raid warnings and seek shelter when attacks are detected. The latest deaths have also renewed concerns over the vulnerability of residential areas, where families can be exposed to missile strikes even when they are inside their homes. The killing of five children in Pryluky has added another tragic dimension to the civilian toll from the war. The fact that several of the victims were infants has drawn particular attention to the impact of the attack on families who were sleeping when the missile hit.

Authorities were still working to account for victims and assess the damage after the strike, while those injured were receiving treatment. The attack has also left surviving residents dealing with the immediate consequences of damaged homes and the loss of family members and neighbours. The latest violence comes as Ukraine continues to face the broader consequences of Russia's military campaign, including repeated attacks on civilian infrastructure and energy facilities.

Zelensky's warning about a potentially large-scale attack had already raised concerns that the intensity of Russian strikes could increase. The Pryluky missile strike demonstrated the human cost of that escalation, with children among those killed and wounded. As rescue operations continued, Ukrainian authorities remained focused on recovering victims, helping survivors and responding to further attacks, while the latest casualties underscored the continuing danger faced by civilians across the country.

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