In a relentless onslaught that spanned from daylight into the dead of night, Russia unleashed a barrage of hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles on civilian areas across Ukraine. The sustained attack, one of the most intense in recent weeks, resulted in the tragic loss of at least 16 lives and left over 80 people injured. As explosions echoed throughout the region, terrified residents sought shelter in their homes, officials reported on Thursday.
This devastating assault saw Russia deploying nearly 700 drones alongside several ballistic and cruise missiles, with the apparent aim of targeting civilian populations. According to authorities, the scale of this aerial offensive marked the most significant since early April.
In Kyiv, 54-year-old Tetiana Sokol described the harrowing experience as two missiles struck near her residence. Taking refuge with her dog in the hallway, she witnessed the night sky light up as windows shattered from the shockwave of the blasts.
“On the third attack, everything broke, everything flew, we were shocked, we didn’t know where to run,” she recounted to The Associated Press. “I grabbed whatever came to hand and ran away with the dog. I still can’t find the cats in the house, they climbed out somewhere, I don’t even know. No windows, nothing, the dog is still walking around in stress.”
Images from the aftermath show firefighters battling blazes in Kyiv, a stark reminder of the destruction left in the wake of the Russian strikes. Moscow’s forces have made civilian areas a frequent target since the full-scale invasion began over four years ago, with these regular attacks occasionally escalating into massive bombardments. The United Nations reports that more than 15,000 Ukrainian civilians have perished in these assaults.
Moscow’s forces have hit civilian areas almost daily since its all-out invasion of its neighbor more than four years ago, with the regular assaults occasionally punctuated by massive attacks. More than 15,000 Ukrainian civilians have died in the strikes, the United Nations says.
Zelenskyy on a mission to improve air defenses
The latest bombardment came in the wake of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s 48-hour trip this week to Germany, Norway and Italy in an urgent search for more air defense systems that can stop Russian missiles.
Ukraine has developed a significant domestic arms industry, especially in the production of drones and missiles, but it can’t yet match the sophistication of U.S. Patriot air defense systems. Ukraine’s top diplomatic priority is securing allies’ help to buy and build more and better air defenses, Zelenskyy said this week.
Cash-strapped Ukraine also needs the speedy disbursement of a promised loan from the European Union of 90 billion euros ($106 billion) that has been blocked by Hungary.
Ukraine fears the Iran war is burning through stockpiles of the advanced American-made systems it needs, and has argued against a U.S. temporary waiver on Russian oil sanctions that Kyiv says is helping finance the Kremlin’s war effort.
A woman walks her dog through the rubble of a house damaged in a Russian strike on Kyiv, Ukraine, on April 16, 2026. Officials said Russian forces fired nearly 700 drones and multiple missiles in a sweeping attack on Ukrainian civilians that lasted from day into night. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
“Another night has proven that Russia does not deserve any easing of global policy or lifting of sanctions,” Zelenskyy said on X.
He thanked Germany, Norway and Italy for new agreements this week on supporting Ukraine’s air defense. Officials are also working with the Netherlands on additional supplies, he said.
At the same time, he noted that some partner countries haven’t followed through on pledges of military support.
“I have instructed the Commander of the Air Force to contact those partners who earlier committed to providing missiles for Patriot and other systems,” Zelenskyy said.
Other areas of Ukraine and Russia were also hit
The bombardment was the biggest in weeks. Last month, Russia fired 948 drones and 34 missiles in the space of 24 hours in the largest assault of the war on civilian areas.
At least four people were killed overnight in Kyiv, including a 12-year-old, with more than 50 others injured, according to authorities. Officials said the attack damaged 17 apartment buildings, 10 private homes, as well as a hotel, office center, car dealership, gas station and a shopping mall in the capital.
Firefighters work at a building damaged in an overnight strike by Russia in Kyiv, Ukraine, on April 16, 2026. Ukrainian officials said Russia’s hourslong aerial assault hit Kyiv, Odesa, the Dnipro region and Zaporizhzhia, damaging homes and other civilian sites. (Genya SAVILOV / AFP via Getty Images)
Nine people were killed and 23 injured in the southern port city of Odesa, three women were killed and around three dozen injured in the central Dnipro region, and one person was killed in Zaporizhzhia in the south.
“Such attacks cannot be normalized. These are war crimes that must be stopped and their perpetrators held to account,” Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X.
Ukraine’s air force said air defenses shot down or disabled 667 out of 703 incoming targets, including 636 Shahed-type drones and other uncrewed aerial vehicles.
It said 20 strike drones and 12 missiles hit 26 locations.
Meanwhile, in Russia, Krasnodar regional Gov. Veniamin Kondratyev reported that a 14-year-old girl and a woman were killed in Ukrainian strikes in the Black Sea port of Tuapse.
He said that the attacks damaged six apartment buildings, 24 private houses and three schools. Drone fragments also fell near the port of Tuapse.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said that its air defenses downed 207 Ukrainian drones overnight.
