Share and Follow
IN BRIEF
- Russia has changed tactics and has started striking Ukraine in the daytime.
- Ahead of Easter, drones struck residential and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine’s central Zhytomyr and Kyiv regions.
In a significant escalation of its ongoing military campaign, Russia launched a large-scale daytime attack on Ukraine on Friday, resulting in the deaths of at least two individuals. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the assault, describing it as an “Easter escalation.”
This marked a notable shift in Moscow’s strategy, as it has traditionally executed major drone and missile strikes under the cover of darkness throughout the conflict’s more than four-year duration. Recently, however, Russia has increasingly opted for daytime operations, deploying hundreds of drones and missiles. This shift set a new precedent on March 24, when the highest number of weapons was reported in a single daytime strike.
On Friday, residential areas and civilian infrastructure in the Zhytomyr and Kyiv regions were targeted by drone strikes, resulting in the deaths of one person in each location, according to statements made by the regional governors on Telegram.
President Zelenskyy addressed the situation on social media platform X, highlighting the intensified nature of the Russian attacks. “Essentially, the Russians have only intensified their strikes, turning what should have been silence in the skies into an Easter escalation,” he stated, emphasizing the gravity of the recent developments.
“Essentially, the Russians have only intensified their strikes, turning what should have been silence in the skies into an Easter escalation,” Zelenskiy said on X.
On Friday evening, the governor of the eastern Donetsk region, Vadym Filashkin, said a Russian bomb strike killed three people in Kramatorsk, a frequent target in four years of conflict.
Kramatorsk is one of the heavily defended cities in the “fortress belt,” seen by Russia as a key target in its slow advance westward through Donetsk region.
Earlier this week, Zelenskyy proposed a halt in strikes for Easter holidays, and said Ukraine would reciprocate if Russia stopped attacks on the energy sector. Moscow rejected the idea.
“The purpose of these daytime strikes is clear. Russia is deliberately trying to increase the number of civilian victims, disrupt life, spread fear, and damage Ukraine’s infrastructure,” Ukraine Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on X.
Strike hits veterinary clinic
Ukraine has destroyed 515 out of 542 drones and 26 out of 37 missiles launched by Russia since Thursday evening, Ukraine’s air force said on the social media app, Telegram.
“We can see that the enemy is using new routes, new drones which they are constantly modernising, and new tactics,” air force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said on state television on Friday.
In the Kyiv region, a veterinary clinic was damaged in the strike alongside private houses, residential and administrative buildings. Around 20 animals were killed, governor Mykola Kalashnyk said.
In Zhytomyr region, 18 buildings – including houses – were destroyed and over 100 were damaged, authorities said.
Poland has scrambled fighter jets even though there was no record of Polish airspace having been violated, its military said.
In the northeastern region of Kharkiv, two people were killed, and over two dozen others were injured in missile, bomb and drone attacks over the past 24 hours, according to the region’s governor, Oleh Syniehubov.
“The current series of strikes has been perhaps the most intense since the start of the war and certainly the heaviest since the beginning of the year,” Kharkiv mayor, Ihor Terekhov said.
Ukraine hits back
On Saturday, Ukraine retaliated and launched a drone and missile attack on southern Russia killing at least one person, injuring four others, and sparking a blaze on a foreign-flagged vessel.
Yuri Slyusar, governor of the Rostov region, said one person was killed and four seriously injured in an air attack by Ukraine.
Commercial infrastructure was damaged during the missile attack on the city of Taganrog. A fire broke out in the warehouse premises of a logistics company, Slyusar added.
A commercial vessel was also damaged and a fire broke out as a result of a Ukrainian drone attack in the Sea of Azov.
Samara governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev said the Russian city of Togliatti was attacked by Ukrainian drones. Ukraine has previously targeted the TogliattiAzot chemical fertiliser producer.
For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.