**🇷🇺 Russia – Thursday, 8 October 2026** **Ukraine gives its account of Wednesday's strike** Russia's defense ministry maintained it hit military-linked targets including Odesa port facilities. Ukrainian officials now say the October 7 barrage, which fell on Putin's 74th birthday, killed at least 28 people nationwide, including 20 in a single cruise-missile strike on an apartment block in Pryluky, Chernihiv region, with five children among the dead. Zelensky called it a "vile strike."

The Kyiv Independent

Russia slams Ukraine with missiles, drones on Putin's 74th birthday, at least 30 dead including 5 children

Chernihiv Oblast Governor Viacheslav Chaus said that on Putin's birthday, he hopes "the Russian dictator ends up in custody in The Hague or in hell."

**Zelensky: US pushing trilateral talks by month's end** Zelensky said Washington wants a trilateral US-Ukraine-Russia meeting by the end of October, floating a mutual halt to strikes on energy infrastructure, with talks possibly in Abu Dhabi. The Kremlin has not yet confirmed the trilateral format; Putin had ruled out any ceasefire on long-range strikes at Valdai on October 1.

Ukrainska Pravda

Zelenskyy comments on potential US-Ukraine-Russia meeting by late October

President Zelenskyy has said Ukraine supports a US proposal for technical-level trilateral talks with Russia by the end of October.

**Previously:**