By Our Correspondent
National News – Ukrainian authorities reported a deadly escalation of the Russia-Ukraine war following coordinated Russian drone and missile strikes across multiple cities on Wednesday night, April 15, 2026.
The attacks killed at least 15 people and injured about 100 civilians, hitting Kyiv, Dnipro, Odesa, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Kherson, as air defence systems attempted interceptions amid continued frontline tensions.
Officials said the strikes followed a fragile Easter ceasefire period marked by mutual accusations of violations and renewed hostilities.
The coordinated assault represents a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict, with Ukrainian officials confirming that Russia launched nearly 700 drones alongside 19 ballistic and cruise missiles, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
He said Ukrainian forces intercepted around 636 drones.
The strikes affected residential areas and critical infrastructure, leaving some regions without power and causing emergency rescue operations in collapsed buildings in Kyiv.
Authorities said a 12-year-old boy was among victims in the capital, highlighting the human cost of the attacks.
Regional reports indicated Odesa suffered some of the deadliest impacts, with eight people killed, while Dnipro recorded at least three deaths and multiple injuries after missile strikes destroyed residential buildings.
In Kharkiv, drone attacks injured a 77-year-old woman and a 66-year-old man.
Across the border in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai, regional authorities said two children aged five and fourteen were killed in a Ukrainian drone strike, underscoring cross-border retaliation claims from both sides during the escalation.
President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attacks, stating that Russia “does not deserve any softening of global policy or lifting of sanctions,” and urged stronger international pressure.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the strikes as war crimes and called for immediate sanctions and military support.
Zelensky also warned of a critical shortage of Patriot air defence missiles, while peace negotiations remain stalled as Moscow insists on broader political agreements before a ceasefire, and Kyiv demands an immediate halt to hostilities.
Peace efforts remain stalled as both sides continue exchanging strikes despite previous short-lived Easter ceasefire attempts.
