Russia hits Ukrainian apartment buildings in deadly overnight strike, Zelenskyy says

LONDON -- Russia targeted Ukraine overnight with dozens of missiles and drones in a "vile" and deadly attack aimed at both energy infrastructure and residential buildings throughout at least 12 regions, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday.

Russia in total fired some 70 missiles, "many" of which were ballistic, Zelenskyy said.

The Ukrainian air force said Russia also launched some 130 drones, which included a mix of attack drones and decoys.

"One of the key targets was our energy infrastructure," Zelenskyy added "The Russians wanted to strike painfully and demonstratively."

Russia's Ministry of Defense said it had launched a "massive strike" overnight targeting Ukraine's defense industries in Kyiv and other cities.

Five people were killed and another 26 were injured, including five children, as Russia hit an "ordinary" five-story apartment building in Pryluky, in the Chernihiv region, the president said in a statement.

"First responders are working nonstop at the site -- doing everything possible to find every person," Zelenskyy said.

Another two people were injured as missiles hit high-rises in Kremenchuk and apartment buildings in Dnipro, he said. Another two were killed in Kyiv and two others in Oleksandriya, he said.

"On the birthday of the criminal Putin, the Russian army once again showed the true nature of his regime: missiles striking residential buildings, civilians killed and wounded, attacks on energy infrastructure," Ruslan Stefanchuk, the chair of Ukraine's parliament, said in a statement. "This is what russia is 'giving' the world today."