Russia Launches Deadliest Aerial Attack on Ukraine in Months, Killing at Least 16

Apr 18, 2026

Russia launched more than 700 drones and missiles at Ukraine in what officials called the deadliest aerial assault this year, killing at least 18 people including a 12-year-old boy and wounding over 100 others. The attacks struck residential areas across multiple cities, with nine killed in Odesa, five in Dnipro, and four in Kyiv, where a 16-storey building collapsed. Ukraine shot down 636 drones and 31 missiles but suffered direct hits in 26 locations, highlighting its critical shortage of Patriot air defense systems. The strikes come as peace talks remain stalled, with Ukraine proposing a ceasefire first while Moscow insists on agreeing to a peace deal before any cessation of hostilities.

Russia's Large-Scale Aerial Attack and Casualties Across Ukraine

▪Two people, including a 14-year-old girl, were killed in the city of Tuapse in Russia's Krasnodar region in a Ukrainian overnight drone attack.
▪A drone strike in Kharkiv injured a 77-year-old woman and a 66-year-old man.
▪A 16-storey residential building collapsed in Kyiv's central Podil district during the Russian aerial attack.
▪Russia launched more than 700 drones and missiles at Ukraine in multiple waves overnight, killing at least 18 people.
▪Russia launched 659 drones and 44 cruise and ballistic missiles at Ukraine in a 24-hour period.
▪Warning sirens in Kyiv sounded at 02:30 local time on Thursday, followed by explosions.
▪45 people were injured in Kyiv during the Russian aerial attack.
▪A 12-year-old boy was among four people killed in Kyiv during the Russian aerial attack.

Ukraine's Air Defense Capabilities and Western Military Support

▪Ukraine shot down 636 drones and 31 missiles out of Russia's aerial attack, but there were direct hits in 26 locations.
▪Many Patriot missiles have been diverted to the Middle East since the US and Israel began attacking Iran in February.
▪Ukraine is seeking a €90bn EU loan to be split between Ukraine's defence needs and support for its economy.

Stalled Peace Negotiations and Diplomatic Responses

▪Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the Russian aerial attack a war crime.
▪The peace process has been stalled since US President Donald Trump shifted his focus to the war in the Middle East.
▪Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
▪Volodymyr Zelensky stated that US and European sanctions against Russia should not be weakened.
▪A brief ceasefire took place over Orthodox Easter last weekend, though both sides accused one another of hundreds of violations.