Ukraine reported Thursday morning that at least 17 people were killed in a massive Russian attack targeting multiple cities across the country. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the overnight assault included 659 drones and 44 missiles, of which 636 drones and 31 missiles were intercepted.
In the capital Kyiv, authorities reported at least four fatalities, including a 12-year-old boy, while large fires broke out at several impact sites. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said 45 people were wounded and that firefighters rescued a mother and her son from a heavily damaged building in central Kyiv. One of the drones struck an 18-story residential tower, he added.
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Fighting fire at the site of a missile impact in Ukraine
(Photo: Serhii Okunev / AFP)
In the port city of Odesa, nine people were reported killed and 23 injured. In Dnipro in southern Ukraine, three people were killed when a residential building caught fire after being hit, and about 30 others were wounded. One person was killed in Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine, and two were injured in a drone attack on Kharkiv in the southeast.
While the scale of the attack was significant, Moscow has repeatedly launched large-scale strikes on Ukrainian cities throughout the war, now in its fifth year. On Wednesday, Ukraine reported an overnight assault involving 324 drones and three ballistic missiles. According to Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, between November and March Russia launched a total of 27,000 Iranian-made Shahed suicide drones, about 600 cruise missiles and 462 ballistic missiles — figures that do not include the latest attack.
Ukraine also has been carrying out drone strikes deep inside Russia. Moscow reported a relatively large Ukrainian attack overnight, with the Russian Defense Ministry saying 207 Ukrainian drones were intercepted. Authorities in the Black Sea port city of Tuapse in Russia’s Krasnodar region said two children, ages 5 and 14, were killed. The city is a key hub for Russian oil exports and home to a major refinery. A large fire broke out in the area, and Mayor Sergei Boiko said “drone debris” struck a facility at the port, without providing further details.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues efforts to rally European support for Ukraine in the face of ongoing Russian attacks and to secure additional weapons. He met Wednesday with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, announcing cooperation between Kyiv and Rome on drone production. “Italy is very interested in advancing joint development, particularly in the field of drones — an area in which we know Ukraine has become a leading nation in recent years,” Meloni said after the meeting in Rome.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announce cooperation on drone production
(Photo: Tiziana Fabi / AFP)
On Tuesday, Zelensky visited Berlin, where German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced a new 4 billion euro aid package for Kyiv. Norway also pledged 9 billion euro in assistance. “We need air defense interceptors every day — every day the Russians continue their attacks on our cities,” Zelensky said.
Defense ministers from 50 countries supporting Ukraine held a virtual meeting yesterday, led by their counterparts in Germany and the United Kingdom. Ahead of the talks, Britain announced it would supply Ukraine with 120,000 drones this year — its largest single delivery of weapons.
The announcement, along with Ukraine’s push for joint weapons development projects with European countries such as Italy, has angered Russia, which on Wednesday night threatened facilities involved in such efforts outside Ukraine.
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An Iranian Shahed drone spotted Thursday morning in Kiev, next to a residential building
(Photo: Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters)
Russia’s Defense Ministry said European plans to expand joint drone development with Ukraine are “a deliberate step that leads to an escalation of the military-political situation across Europe and the gradual transformation of these countries into Ukraine’s strategic rear.” The ministry warned that drone production in Europe for Ukraine could lead to “unpredictable consequences” and draw those countries closer to war with Russia.
The ministry also published a list of facilities it claims are producing drones for Ukraine, including sites in the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland and the Czech Republic. It also listed factories allegedly producing components for Ukraine in Germany, Spain, Italy, the Czech Republic, Turkey and even Israel. The Israeli company Elsight appeared on the list, with addresses in Haifa and Or Yehuda, and is described as producing components for modular cellular networks.
“The European public should not only clearly understand the real reasons for the threat to its security, but also know the addresses and locations of the ‘Ukrainian’ ‘joint’ projects for the production of drones and components for Ukraine on its territory,” the ministry said.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, issued a more explicit warning, writing on social media: “The statement by the Russian Defense Ministry should be taken literally — the list of European enterprises producing drones and other equipment is a list of potential targets for the Russian armed forces. The timing of turning these strikes into reality depends on what happens next. Sleep well, European partners!”
The threats and attacks come as Ukraine has recorded some gains on the battlefield in recent weeks. According to Western analysts, Ukrainian forces have managed — despite manpower shortages — to disrupt Russia’s attempts to achieve significant advances this spring, in part through the use of drones and ground robots. Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russia have also targeted oil exports, as part of efforts to undermine Moscow’s revenues and its ability to finance the war.
Ukrainian Army Chief of Staff Oleksandr Syrskyi said Wednesday that, last month, Ukrainian forces recaptured an area of almost 50 square kilometers from Russian forces. According to him, during the month of March, Ukraine managed to hit 76 targets deep inside Russia, including 15 oil refineries.
First published: 12:00, 04.16.26