Russia launched a massive offensive targeting Ukraine on the 7th (local time), deploying hard-to-intercept ballistic missiles and jet-propelled drones, resulting in a surge of civilian casualties.

According to Reuters and AFP reports on the 7th (local time), Russian forces utilized 70 cruise and ballistic missiles, along with jet-propelled Shahed drones, to attack locations across Ukraine, including Kyiv, starting early in the morning.

Buildings collapsed and fires broke out in various areas, leaving at least 25 civilians dead and about 100 injured.

In the Darnytskyi district, a densely populated residential area in Kyiv, a fire broke out following a ballistic missile strike.

Local authorities reported that while two people were rescued during the firefighting operations, two bodies were recovered.

In the northern Chernihiv region, a five-story apartment building was hit by a missile, killing 19 people—including five children—and injuring about 20 others.

Local authorities stated that four people were also killed by Russian attacks in Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, and Oleksandria.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on social media, "One of the main targets was energy infrastructure," adding, "This attack was one of the most vile."

He condemned the attack, stating, "The Russian military destroyed residential buildings as if giving a birthday present to Vladimir Putin."

This day marks the 74th birthday of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The attack came immediately after President Zelenskyy warned of a large-scale Russian offensive during his evening address the previous day.

Clashes between the two sides have been escalating as Russia recently intensified round-the-clock attacks centered around the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.

With Russian attacks targeting energy facilities continuing, rolling blackouts have been introduced in Kyiv to reduce strain on the power grid.

Electricity was cut off in parts of Kyiv the previous night in accordance with outage plans.

Russia has been shaking up transportation networks by recently expanding its attacks to bridges in Ukrainian city centers.

Earlier this month, a bridge over the Dnipro River in Kyiv was hit by Russian drone attacks at least six times.

With vehicular traffic disrupted on five of Kyiv's six bridges, severe chaos ensued in the city.

In response, Ukrainian authorities recently installed large protective nets on both sides of the North Bridge, which was targeted in recent attacks, to defend against drone strikes.

The previous day, a bridge over the Dnipro River in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region was also attacked and closed.

Meanwhile, Russia has denied targeting civilian facilities, claiming it is attacking Ukraine's military-related infrastructure.

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that it had struck targets including the Flamingo missile assembly enterprise in Kyiv on this day as well.

Despite intensifying Russian pressure, Ukraine faces a difficult situation as it lacks sufficient air defense systems capable of blocking Russian ballistic missiles and jet-propelled drones.

Air defense resources such as Patriot systems capable of intercepting ballistic missiles have been depleted worldwide since the outbreak of the Iran war this February.

While F-16 fighter jets are being deployed to counter Russia's jet-propelled drones—which are up to three times faster than conventional drones and difficult to intercept—critics point out that it is inefficient to rely on fighter jets to counter hundreds of drones flying in every day.

Instead, the atmosphere leans toward focusing on retaliatory operations targeting Russian energy infrastructure.

The Ukrainian military announced that it struck four targets on this day, including two oil facilities in Russia's Perm, Samara, and Astrakhan regions.

President Zelenskyy shared footage of the strikes on social media and wrote, "This is a legitimate response to Russian attacks."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)