Russian Missile and Drone Attacks Kill 24 in Ukraine, Sink Ship Near Bulgaria
Russia launched 70 missiles and more than 100 drones at Ukraine, killing at least 24 people and destroying a five-story apartment building in Pryluky. The barrage occurred on Vladimir Putin's 74th birthday. A day earlier, sea and aerial drones sank a cargo ship in Bulgaria's Black Sea economic zone, marking the first such attack on merchant shipping in a NATO member's waters since the invasion began.
The strike fell on Putin’s 74th birthday. Besides Pryluky, fatalities occurred in Kyiv, Oleksandria, and Kremenchuk. Dnipro’s industrial site, Zaporizhzhia’s transport network, and Kremenchuk apartments were hit; Kharkiv reported two injuries. Ukraine’s air force counted 130 drones and 48 cruise missiles, plus ballistic missiles. Zelensky said the 70-missile total included many ballistic weapons, which he said need Patriot interceptors for dependable defense.
A day earlier, drones struck two cargo vessels in Bulgaria’s Black Sea economic zone, sinking one. This was the first merchant-shipping attack in a NATO member’s waters since the full-scale invasion. Patriot interceptor supplies have been strained by both the Ukraine war and seven months of U.S.-Iran conflict.
The attacks could deepen civilian suffering in Ukraine, especially for residents of Pryluky and other struck cities who may lose homes, loved ones, or access to basic services. Rescue and medical workers may face further strain. In the Black Sea, the Bulgaria incident may raise concerns among shipping crews, insurers, and NATO governments about merchant safety. Western officials could face renewed questions about air-defense supplies, though the article does not indicate what policy response, if any, will follow.