Russia launches massive drone assault on Ukraine, strikes Kharkiv and Dnipro

Crime Diary, Europe-Asia, International

INTERNATIONAL, 2 April 2026 (NPA) — Russia carried out a sweeping overnight drone offensive across Ukraine, striking residential areas, infrastructure, and port facilities, leaving at least one civilian dead and several others injured.

Authorities in Kharkiv reported multiple waves of attacks beginning on the evening of 1 April. Mayor Ihor Terekhov confirmed that a Molniya suicide drone struck a residential high-rise in the Shevchenkivskyi district, shattering windows and hitting the ninth floor. Casualties were reported, though details remain under verification. Subsequent strikes with Shahed drones ignited fires in the Kyivskyi district, damaging vehicles and targeting critical infrastructure.

The State Emergency Service (DSNS) said two civilians were injured in Chuhuiv, Kharkiv region, after drones set ablaze several floors of a residential building. The fire spread across 300 square metres, damaging nearby homes and a gas network.

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In the Dnipropetrovsk region, Synelnykove suffered a deadly strike that killed one man and injured a woman and a 12‑year‑old boy. Fires engulfed a shopping complex, an administrative building, and private homes.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Community and Territorial Development confirmed that port infrastructure in Odesa was also attacked. Warehouses, hangars, and administrative facilities were damaged, with containers and a civilian car set alight. No casualties were reported in that strike.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia launched 172 drones between 6 p.m. on 1 April and the morning of 2 April, including Shahed, Gerbera, and Italmas models. Air defences intercepted or suppressed 147 of them, but 22 drones struck 12 locations, with debris falling in eight others.

Emergency services remain deployed across affected regions as Ukraine continues to repel one of Russia’s largest drone assaults in recent months.