On April 16, Russia launched a large-scale attack targeting Kiev and many cities in Ukraine, causing serious casualties and widespread damage.
Ukrainian officials said Russia launched its most intense offensive since the beginning of the year, using missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles targeting the capital Kiev and many other cities. At least 16 people were killed and dozens injured. Kiev alone recorded 4 deaths and 54 injuries according to prosecution figures.
In the capital Kiev, many fierce fires broke out, black smoke covered the night sky as firefighters struggled to control it. The next morning, residents and emergency forces cleaned up the rubble around heavily damaged buildings.
Witnesses said a low-altitude drone crashed into an 18-story building, while missile debris hit an apartment building in Podil district. Rescuers rescued a mother and young child from the destroyed ground floor building.
Other areas also suffered heavy losses. The city of Odessa recorded 9 deaths and 23 injuries after a high-rise building was hit by an attack. Port infrastructure and key structures here were damaged. In Dnipro, 2 people died and 30 were injured, while residential areas caught fire fiercely; the surrounding area had one more death and 4 injuries. Kharkiv recorded 2 injuries due to unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Ukrainian Air Force said it had shot down or neutralized 31 missiles and 636 unmanned aerial vehicles, but still had 12 missiles and 20 aerial vehicles hitting targets within 24 hours.
Ukrainian President Volodyrmyr Zelensky emphasized that this development shows that pressure on Russia cannot be eased, and called for full implementation of commitments to support Ukraine. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called on the international community to quickly strengthen pressure measures and not delay support packages.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said that rescue work is still ongoing and the number of casualties may increase.
