Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, had been experiencing one of the least violent phases of the war for weeks. Russian long-range attacks have continued throughout the spring, but with less intensity compared to previous months, which saw systematic destruction of the Ukrainian energy system. The Easter truce, announced by the Kremlin on April 11 and 12, left the skies of Ukraine away from the front silent. The silence was broken in the early hours of this Thursday when Russian missiles and drones caused at least 14 deaths in Kiev and the cities of Odesa and Dnipro.
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Russia and Ukraine accused each other of violating the Orthodox Easter truce days. The truth is that fighting and attacks continued as usual in the front-line regions. But the ceasefire was respected in long-range bombings.
Kiev shook during this early morning due to explosions from Shahed drones and Russian missiles. Four people, including a minor, lost their lives in the Podil district, one of the most central in the capital. Emergency Services reported early in the morning that the injured numbered more than fifty.
The city that suffered the worst is Odesa, on the Black Sea coast. At least 9 civilians have died and 23 were injured, according to the military administration in the region. In Dnipro, two people died and at least 34 were injured, according to the military government of this eastern Ukrainian city.
The Ukrainian Air Forces have identified that in the bombings over Ukraine in the last 24 hours, Russia fired 44 missiles and 659 long-range bomb drones. The drones intercepted by air defenses were 636 and the missiles, 31.
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The poor interception rate of ballistic missiles is striking: only 8 out of 19 missiles were stopped, whereas usually most are intercepted. The Air Forces have not given explanations but the president, Volodymyr Zelensky, stated in a message on his social networks that there are delays in international contributions to Ukrainian air defense: “I have ordered the Air Force commander to contact the partners who previously committed to delivering missiles for Patriot systems and other systems.” The US-made Patriots are the main asset in the Ukrainian arsenal to neutralize the threat of Russian missiles.
Zelensky admitted on Wednesday that the number of available Patriot anti-aircraft missiles “is at a minimum.” The reason is that the production of this weaponry is being allocated to the Middle East to protect US bases and those of its allies in the war against Iran.
Another notable aspect of this morning’s bombing is Russia’s increasing use of Shahed drones with jet engines. They are more costly to produce but harder to shoot down. The swarm of Ukrainian interceptor drones and combat aircraft confronted their flight over Kiev last night. Anti-aircraft machine guns are losing prominence, but a study published on April 14 by Militarnyi, a Ukrainian defense media outlet, emphasized that interceptor drones still need to evolve significantly to more effectively shoot down jet-powered Shaheds.
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