Wave of Russian drone and missile attacks kill 15 in Ukraine
Wave of Russian Drone and Missile Attacks Kill 15 in Ukraine
On Wednesday night, Russia initiated a series of drone and missile strikes across Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of at least 15 individuals and injuries to 90 others, according to Ukrainian authorities. The attacks targeted multiple cities, with significant casualties reported in key areas.
In Kyiv, a 12-year-old boy was among four victims, while three people were killed in Dnipro, located in the southeast of the country. Across the border in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai region, two children—aged five and 14—were fatally struck by a Ukrainian drone, as noted by the region’s governor, Veniamin Kondratyev, in a Telegram post.
Escalation After Easter Ceasefire
The strikes followed a brief pause in hostilities during Orthodox Easter celebrations, during which both sides claimed the other had breached the agreement repeatedly. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko highlighted additional damage, stating that rescuers extracted a mother and child from the remains of a collapsed 16-story residential block in the central Podilsky district.
Meanwhile, in the northern part of the capital, four emergency medical workers were injured in repeated shelling. Oleksandr Ganzha, head of the Dnipro regional administration, reported three fatalities and numerous injuries in the city’s central area, with images shared online showing structures engulfed in flames.
Missile and drone attacks on Odesa’s southern port city claimed eight lives, per Sergiy Lysak, the city’s military administration head. In Kharkiv, a drone strike left a 77-year-old woman and a 66-year-old man wounded, as confirmed by a local official.
“Such attacks cannot be normalised. These are war crimes that must be stopped and their perpetrators held to account,” stated Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, on X. He urged international action, emphasizing the need for sanctions against Russia or support packages for Ukraine to intensify pressure on the aggressor.
Peace Talks in Stalemate
The conflict in Ukraine has entered its fifth year, with several rounds of peace negotiations conducted, mediated by the United States. However, talks have stalled since US President Donald Trump redirected attention to the Middle East. Ukraine has consistently advocated for a full, stable ceasefire as a preliminary step toward a lasting resolution, while Moscow insists on securing a peace deal before halting the war.