Russia Launches Large-Scale Overnight Drone Assault Across Ukraine During Easter Period

As Easter Sunday concluded across Ukraine, Russian forces initiated a large-scale overnight drone attack (нічна атака дронів) [nichna ataka droniv] involving nearly 100 unmanned systems targeting multiple regions. Ukrainian officials reported that these coordinated strikes resulted in civilian injuries, power outages, and the activation of air raid alerts (повітряна тривога) [povitriana tryvoha] across a broad geographic range, including areas from Zaporizhzhia to Chernihiv.

According to Ukraine’s Air Force, defensive units successfully intercepted 87 out of 98 incoming strike unmanned aerial vehicles (ударні безпілотні літальні апарати) [udarni bezpilotni litalni aparaty] launched shortly after midnight on April 13. The aerial assault involved multiple drone models, including loitering munitions (барражуючі боєприпаси) [barazhuiuchi boieprypasy] such as Shahed and other variants. These were deployed from different launch points, including Russian territory and occupied Crimea. Ukrainian forces used aviation units, anti-aircraft missile systems (зенітні ракетні комплекси) [zenitni raketni kompleksy], electronic warfare capabilities, and mobile response teams to counter the attack.

Despite interception efforts, nine drones reached designated targets across nine locations, while debris from destroyed aerial threats caused damage at an additional site. Ukrainian authorities confirmed that airspace incursions (порушення повітряного простору) [porushennia povitrianoho prostoru] were ongoing into Monday morning, with hostile drones still detected within national airspace.

In the Zaporizhzhia region, Russian forces conducted 456 strikes over a 24-hour period across 28 settlements, employing 431 drones, primarily first-person-view drones (FPV-дрони) [FPV-drony]. The targeted towns included Orikhiv, Huliaipole, Stepnohirsk, and Pavlivka. Additional attacks involved multiple launch rocket systems (реактивні системи залпового вогню) [reaktyvni systemy zalpovoho vohniu] and artillery fire. One civilian woman sustained injuries, and authorities recorded 10 instances of damage affecting residential buildings, infrastructure, and vehicles. In Novooleksandrivka, a separate drone strike wounded 10 police officers and one civilian.

In the southern Kherson region, ongoing hostilities resulted in two injuries within a 24-hour period. Russian forces targeted settlements including Antonivka, Stanislav, Sofiivka, Tiahynka, and the regional capital using drones, artillery, and airstrikes. The attacks damaged private homes, vehicles, and auxiliary structures. These events followed a previous strike on April 11, which resulted in three fatalities, including a trolleybus driver (водій тролейбуса) [vodii troleibusa].

Meanwhile, in the Kharkiv region, five settlements experienced attacks on Sunday, leaving at least four individuals injured. Among them were civilians in Zolochiv and Bohodukhiv, including cases of physical injury and acute stress reaction (гостра стресова реакція) [hostra stresova reaktsiia]. Another individual was wounded in Oleksandrivka following an explosion caused by an unidentified object. Russian forces utilized a combination of Geran-2, Molniya, and FPV drones, damaging homes, commercial structures, and vehicles across multiple districts.

Ukrainian officials also reported 10,721 violations of the declared Easter ceasefire (великоднє перемир’я) [velykodne peremyria], indicating continued hostilities despite prior announcements. In addition, Russian shelling in the Kharkiv region resulted in two further injuries in the city of Zolochiv.

In the northern Chernihiv region, a Russian strike on an energy facility led to widespread disruption, leaving more than 12,000 customers without electricity. The regional energy provider confirmed that critical infrastructure (критична інфраструктура) [krytychna infrastruktura] had been damaged. Emergency repair crews remained on standby, awaiting security clearance before initiating restoration work.

Kyiv report violations of 32-hour Orthodox Easter truce.