Russian drone attacks on the Ukrainian cities of Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Kramatorsk late on April 8th have left dozens injured and caused damage to several residential buildings, local officials reported.
Serhiy Lysak, governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region, stated that “Dnipro has suffered the worst” from the Russian strikes carried out during the night. According to him, at least 15 people have been injured, with many of them in serious condition.
Lysak added that the attack on Dnipro damaged 15 private homes and dozens of vehicles. He also reported that several business, administrative buildings, and other city infrastructure had been damaged by the Russian strikes.
Attacks were also reported in Kharkiv and Kramatorsk. In Kramatorsk, in the Donetsk region, at least five people were injured.
Local authorities reported hearing more than 20 explosions in Kharkiv, with at least two people confirmed injured.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Air Force stated that it had shot down 32 out of 55 drones launched by Russia during the night, with eight drones “failing to reach their targets.”
On the other hand, Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed that its air defense systems had destroyed 158 drones during the night, including 29 over the southern Rostov region.
Russia’s aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, stated that several airports in the southern part of Russia were closed on the morning of April 9th for security reasons.
Ukrainian Army Commander-in-Chief, General Oleksandr Syrskiy, claimed that Kyiv had recently carried out “successful” airstrikes on Russian air bases.
“A few days ago, our successful actions destroyed a long-range Tu-22M3 bomber. It had just landed, and one of our drones hit it,” he told Ukrainian media outlet LB.ua.
According to Syrskiy, the cost of such an aircraft could be up to 100 million dollars.
On the ground, according to the latest report from the Institute for the Study of War, Russian forces, which began their invasion of Ukraine in 2022, are currently pursuing three different objectives in their efforts to seize control of the city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region, reports Radio Free Europe.
“The situation in the south and southwest of Pokrovsk remains extremely dynamic amid intensified offensive operations by Russia,” the report said.
With Russian forces having spent the last 13 months trying to capture the city, the Institute for the Study of War emphasized that Ukrainian drone operations and localized counterattacks continue to complicate Moscow’s progress in the area.
