Zelensky says at least 11 killed in Russian missile and drone strikes on Ukraine

Russia carried out missile and drone strikes on Ukraine on Wednesday, 7 October 2026. Both France 24 and the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported the strikes.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said at least 11 people were killed. Both outlets attribute this toll to him. Neither outlet independently verified it.

Reported details

According to France 24, Russia fired 70 missiles and drones in one of its biggest strikes on Ukraine. France 24 attributes this account to Zelensky. The France 24 item reviewed by Vocemundi is a short summary. It is unclear whether the description "one of its biggest strikes" is Zelensky's or France 24's own.

According to the SCMP, five of those killed died when a missile destroyed a five-storey residential building in Pryluky. The town is in northern Ukraine, in the Chernihiv region. The SCMP reported that emergency services searched the rubble because of fears that the death toll could rise.

The SCMP also reported that Russian missiles and drones hit residential and civilian sites in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.

According to France 24, Ukraine has come under increased attack in recent weeks. France 24 reported that Russian attacks have targeted energy infrastructure and rail and road transport.

What each side says

Zelensky said at least 11 people were killed. The SCMP quoted a social media post in which he said: "There may still be people under the rubble." In the same post, he said: "First responders are doing everything possible to find every person."

The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include any response or statement from Russia. They do not include any Russian account of what was targeted.

What the reports do not include

• Independent verification of the death toll beyond Zelensky's statements.
• Where the other six deaths occurred, or any figures for the injured.
• A breakdown of the 70 missiles and drones by type, or how many were intercepted.
• A description of the damage in Kyiv, or the names of the other cities hit.
• Figures from Ukrainian emergency services or regional authorities.
• What the "Zelensky warning" in the SCMP headline was. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not describe it.

France 24 and the SCMP are separate outlets. However, both base the core facts on Zelensky's statements. These core facts include the death toll and, in France 24's case, the number of missiles and drones.

Analysis

The core figures in this story come from one origin: President Zelensky. That does not make them wrong, but it limits what can be confirmed. Figures from Ukrainian emergency services or regional authorities could confirm, raise or lower the toll, particularly if the search in Pryluky continues. A Russian statement on what was targeted would add the other party's account, which the reports do not include. France 24's report of increased attacks on energy and transport points to a wider pattern worth tracking. However, one day of strikes cannot by itself show whether that pattern is intensifying.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.