Russia launched more than 700 drones and missiles at Ukraine in multiple waves overnight, killing at least 18 people in what local officials said was the deadliest attack in months. Officials indicated that nine fatalities occurred in the southern port city of Odesa, five in the central city of Dnipro, and four - including a child - in the capital, Kyiv. Additionally, two individuals, including a child, were reported killed in a Ukrainian drone strike in the southern Krasnodar region, according to Moscow. This surge in violence follows a brief ceasefire over Orthodox Easter, during which both sides accused each other of violations.
In Kyiv, the alarming noise of warning sirens disrupted the night at 02:30 local time, followed by a barrage of explosions. Eyewitness accounts described vivid orange flames and thick black smoke rising in central areas of the city. A 12-year-old boy was among the four lives lost in Kyiv; further reports indicated that 45 people sustained injuries in the attack. The mayor also noted a successful rescue of a mother and child from debris of a collapsed residential building.
In Dnipro, regional leadership reported four deaths and numerous injuries due to the strikes, while the northern city of Kharkiv experienced drone strikes that injured a 77-year-old woman and a 66-year-old man. Local officials reported significant power outages in Mykolaiv and Kherson. Ukraine's air force confirmed that 659 drones and 44 missiles were launched, resulting in substantial destruction despite successfully downing several threats.
President Zelensky condemned the incident as a blatant act of aggression and underlined the necessity for enhanced international support and sanctions against Russia, calling for immediate and firm measures to ensure peace while protecting lives. On top of this, the ongoing critical shortage of Patriot missiles necessary to intercept ballistic threats poses an urgent challenge for Ukraine's defense capabilities.
In Kyiv, the alarming noise of warning sirens disrupted the night at 02:30 local time, followed by a barrage of explosions. Eyewitness accounts described vivid orange flames and thick black smoke rising in central areas of the city. A 12-year-old boy was among the four lives lost in Kyiv; further reports indicated that 45 people sustained injuries in the attack. The mayor also noted a successful rescue of a mother and child from debris of a collapsed residential building.
In Dnipro, regional leadership reported four deaths and numerous injuries due to the strikes, while the northern city of Kharkiv experienced drone strikes that injured a 77-year-old woman and a 66-year-old man. Local officials reported significant power outages in Mykolaiv and Kherson. Ukraine's air force confirmed that 659 drones and 44 missiles were launched, resulting in substantial destruction despite successfully downing several threats.
President Zelensky condemned the incident as a blatant act of aggression and underlined the necessity for enhanced international support and sanctions against Russia, calling for immediate and firm measures to ensure peace while protecting lives. On top of this, the ongoing critical shortage of Patriot missiles necessary to intercept ballistic threats poses an urgent challenge for Ukraine's defense capabilities.
