Russian forces launched a large-scale missile and drone assault overnight into Wednesday, killing at least 24 civilians across Ukraine, including four children, in one of the deadliest single barrages in recent weeks.

The heaviest toll came in the northern city of Pryluky in Chernihiv region, where a cruise missile destroyed sections of a five-story apartment building. Ukrainian officials reported 18 deaths there, among them three one-year-old children and an eight-year-old boy, along with around 50 injuries including seven children. Rescue operations continued at the site into the day.

Additional fatalities occurred in Kyiv, where two people died in strikes on the Darnytskyi district, and in Kremenchuk in Poltava region, where two more were killed. Reports indicated further deaths in Oleksandriya and damage to residential buildings in Dnipro and other areas. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attacks as among Russia's "most vile" and called the Pryluky strike a "birthday gift" to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who turned 74 on Wednesday.

Zelensky noted that Russia fired about 70 missiles in the operation, which targeted central and eastern regions. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted many incoming threats, but some struck civilian infrastructure. Russian authorities stated the strikes aimed at military-industrial and missile-related facilities.

The assault coincided with intelligence warnings of an impending major attack and highlighted ongoing strains on Ukraine's air defense systems amid the prolonged conflict. Emergency services across affected regions worked to clear rubble and treat the wounded as the death toll was confirmed at 24 or higher by midday.