Deadly daytime attack: Russia launches massive strike on Ukraine with 500+ drones and missiles
Photo: Ukraine endured another night and morning under a massive attack (facebook.com/DSNS.GOV.UA)
On April 3, Russia launched a large-scale combined attack on Ukraine, using more than 500 drones and cruise missiles. Strikes hit residential buildings, a shopping mall, and even a veterinary clinic in broad daylight — leaving people dead and injured, and causing power outages.
RBC-Ukraine reports everything known about the aftermath of the Russian terror attack.
Key points:
- Russia attacked Ukraine with Shahed drones, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles from Tu-95 and Tu-160 bombers, and deployed MiG-31K aircraft.
- A total of 37 missiles and 542 drones were launched. Air defenses shot down or suppressed 25 missiles and 515 drones.
- Kyiv region: A drone hit a residential high-rise in Obukhiv and a veterinary clinic in Fastiv (around 20 animals killed). One person was killed, eight injured.
- Kharkiv: The city has been under attack for two days, with 37 strikes recorded. Twenty-five apartment buildings and a church were damaged, and over 500 windows were shattered. Five people were injured.
- Zhytomyr region: Infrastructure was hit. One person was killed, and four injured were rescued from under rubble. At least 15 houses were damaged.
- Sumy: A strike hit a shopping mall in the city center. Four people were injured, including a minibus driver.
- Poltava: A residential building and a garage were damaged. One person was injured.
- Emergency power outages were introduced in Kyiv and several regions.
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Poland scrambled fighter jets and put air defenses on high alert.
What Russia used in the attack
Out of 579 aerial targets, Ukrainian air defense shot down or suppressed 541 — including 26 missiles and 515 drones:
0 out of 10 Iskander-M ballistic missiles;
24 out of 25 Kh-101 cruise missiles;
2 out of 2 Iskander-K cruise missiles;
515 out of 542 attack drones (Shahed, Gerbera, Italmas).
There were impacts from 11 missiles and 27 drones across 20 locations, as well as debris from downed drones falling in 22 locations.
Kyiv region details
- Obukhiv district: a drone hit a residential building, injuring five people, including a child.
Photo: In Obukhiv, a drone crashed into a high-rise building; in Chabany, it struck a veterinary clinic (facebook.com/DSNS.GOV.UA)
- Bucha district: three apartment buildings, a car dealership, and an educational institution were damaged. One 51-year-old man was killed, another person injured.
Photo: A drone crashed between a kindergarten and a school in Vyshneve, Kyiv region (facebook.com/DSNS.GOV.UA)
Fastiv district: private homes and an administrative building were damaged. Two people were injured. A veterinary clinic was destroyed, killing about 20 animals.
Kharkiv
The city has been under massive attack for two days. A total of 37 strikes were recorded across 18 locations. For the first time, Russia used jet-powered drones.
25 apartment buildings were damaged, with over 500 windows shattered.
Kyivskyi district: a direct hit on an apartment between the 2nd and 3rd floors.
Osnovianskyi district: the roof of an office building burned, a church was damaged.
Shevchenkivskyi district: falling drone debris set cars on fire, with casualties reported.
Photo: Russian terror against the people of Kharkiv has been ongoing for the second day in a row (t.me/ihor_terekhov)
At least five people were injured.
Zhytomyr region
Missile and drone strikes hit residential areas and civilian infrastructure.
One person was killed, and four injured were rescued from the rubble. At least 15 homes were damaged.
Sumy
A shopping mall in the city center was hit, damaging the building and windows. The number of injured rose to four, including a minibus driver.
Photo: A drone struck a shopping and entertainment center in Sumy (t.me/serhii_kryvosheienko)
In the region, Russian forces also dropped aerial bombs on Shostka. A residential building was damaged. A 59-year-old woman was killed, and four others were injured.
Poltava
A drone fell in an open area. The blast wave damaged windows of a residential building and a garage. One person was injured.
Emergency power outages
Due to the attack, the energy system situation sharply worsened. Two types of restrictions were introduced: Emergency outages (without schedules) in Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Cherkasy regions. Scheduled hourly outages continue in Mykolaiv and Poltava regions.
Power disruptions due to strikes and new damage were recorded in Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions.
International reaction
During the attack, Poland scrambled fighter jets and placed air defense and radar systems on the highest alert due to Russian missiles near its borders. The Polish Armed Forces Operational Command called these actions preventive.
It is worth noting that the drone attack, which continued into the daytime, began the previous evening and lasted all night.
Russian forces targeted Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Pavlohrad, and dropped aerial bombs on the Sumy region.
According to Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation, the main goal of such attacks is to increase civilian casualties — which is why the strike was carried out on a working day using a large number of drones and missiles.
