LONDON — At the very least 16 folks have been killed and one other 100 have been injured in Ukraine as Russia focused the nation with a “huge” drone and missile assault on Wednesday and into Thursday morning, Ukrainian officers stated.
Russia launched nearly 700 drones and 19 ballistic missiles, together with cruise missiles, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated. Ukraine shot down about 636 drones and “some” of the missiles, he added, saying, “Sadly, not all.”
A firefighter works to extinguish a blaze at a recycling supplies website following a Russian strike in Kyiv on April 16, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Serhii Okunev/AFP through Getty Photos
At the very least 16 folks have been killed throughout Ukraine, officers stated. Zelenskyy stated not less than 100 folks had been reported wounded “as of now.”
“Tragically, there are fatalities in Odesa, Kyiv, and Dnipro,” he stated in a social media submit. “Amongst these killed is a boy — he was 12 years outdated. My condolences to the households and family members.”
A lot of the missiles focused Kyiv, the capital, the president stated, however injury and deaths have been additionally reported throughout the nation. Some missiles or drones that made it by means of Ukraine’s defenses struck and broken residential buildings, Zelenskyy stated.
Firefighters work subsequent to destroyed automobiles, on the website of a Russian missile strike, amid Russia’s assault on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, April 16, 2026.
Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters
“One other night time has confirmed that Russia doesn’t deserve any easing of world coverage or lifting of sanctions,” Zelenskyy stated. “Russia is betting on conflict, and the response have to be precisely that: we should defend lives with all obtainable means, and we should additionally apply strain for the sake of peace with the identical full power.”
Russia has chosen to “intentionally terrorise civilians” with its assaults on residential areas, Antonio Costa, the European Council president, stated on Thursday. The EU would proceed to “enhance strain” on Moscow, he stated.
“Russia should cease this war of terror,” Costa stated. “A complete, simply, and lasting peace for Ukraine primarily based on the rules of the U.N. Constitution and worldwide legislation have to be achieved.”
Russian officers stated on Thursday that Ukraine launched its personal barrage of drones concentrating on a number of areas in Russia. Moscow stated its navy downed greater than 200 drones. At the very least one Ukrainian drone struck a port on Russia’s Black Coastline, together with different coastal cities, the native governor stated.
