Local authorities reported on Thursday that fresh Russian strikes killed at least 14 people across Ukraine during an intense overnight bombardment. Moscow launched hundreds of missiles and drones against its neighbor, continuing a pattern of nightly attacks that began four years ago. Consequently, Kyiv regularly carries out strikes within Russian territory in response to these persistent and deadly aerial incursions.
Missile and drone attacks on the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa killed seven people during the latest surge of violence. “Russian forces targeted critical infrastructure and residential areas,” wrote Sergiy Lysak, head of the city’s military administration, on his Telegram channel. Meanwhile, strikes on the capital city of Kyiv killed at least four people, including a young 12-year-old boy.
Across the Ukrainian capital, massive blasts set buildings and cars alight while shattering windows and damaging several high-end local hotels. Rescuers successfully pulled a child from the rubble of a residential building that collapsed in the historic Podilsky district on Wednesday. Vitali Klitschko said a drone “literally flew into an 18-story apartment block,” causing significant structural damage to the residential tower.
Regional Casualties and Russian Response
In the central Dnipropetrovsk region, Oleksandr Ganzha confirmed that three people died as a result of the latest Russian strikes. This escalation follows the end of a 32-hour Orthodox Easter truce which both countries accused the other of violating repeatedly. Furthermore, a drone strike on the northeastern city of Kharkiv wounded a 77-year-old woman and a 66-year-old man.
On the Russian side, officials reported that two children died during Ukrainian overnight strikes within the southern Krasnodar Krai region. Governor Veniamin Kondratyev stated that a drone strike on residential buildings in Tuapse claimed the lives of two young minors. “A terrorist drone attack on residential buildings in Tuapse has claimed the lives of two minors aged five and 14,” he wrote.
Russia’s overnight attack triggered a missile alert in Kyiv, forcing residents to seek immediate shelter until officials lifted the warning. Tymur Tkachenko, head of the capital’s military administration, warned residents to remain in underground bunkers during the height of the raid. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine continues to assess the total damage as crews clear debris from the affected streets.
