Strike Targets Busy Nikopol Marketplace
A Russian drone struck a market in the southern Ukrainian town of Nikopol at 09:50, killing five people and injuring 21 others. The victims included a 14-year-old girl, and the attack shattered market kiosks with metal and glass debris.
Casualties Extend Beyond the Market
Two men suffered injuries in a follow-up strike on the same Nikopol site, as reported by the prosecutor general's office. Earlier attacks across Ukraine on Friday left 15 civilians dead from drone and missile strikes.
Russia's Widespread Drone Offensive
According to France 24, Russia launched 286 long-range drones against Ukraine overnight from Friday to Saturday, with Ukrainian forces intercepting 260 of them. Casualties emerged in the northeastern city of Kharkiv and the northern Sumy region due to these strikes. Moscow claimed it shot down 85 Ukrainian drones in response, revealing the intensity of aerial exchanges.
Ukrainian Retaliation Hits Russian Sites
Ukraine conducted drone and missile attacks on the southern Russian city of Taganrog, killing one person and seriously injuring four others at a logistics company that caught fire. Strikes also targeted factories, including one in Togliatti that produces synthetic rubber and another in the Luhansk region's Alchevsk metallurgical plant, halting production and damaging blast furnaces.
War Crimes Investigation and Truce Offer
The prosecutor general's office is probing the Nikopol attacks as a war crime, citing the civilian toll and timing in a busy spot. President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed a truce for the Easter holidays, though Russia has not responded. Major daytime attacks by Russia, which were once rare, have been increasing. A British intelligence assessment indicated that the situation on the eastern frontline was the "most favourable" for Ukraine in 10 months, as the advance of Russian troops appears to have slowed.
The sources also report that Russia launched almost 300 drones against Ukraine overnight, while Ukraine intercepted 260 of them.