Russian attacks kill 18 in Ukraine as Zelensky lobbies allies for air defense support

Published April 16, 2026 7:26pm ET



Russia launched its most intense missile and drone attack against Ukraine in months, killing at least 18 people, after weeks of a relative lull in attacks.

Russia’s strategic air campaign against Ukraine has grown massively in scale since September 2022, with salvos going from a few dozen missiles and drones to regular waves of nearly a thousand drones and missiles, after heavy investment into the production of the weapons. The first half of April saw a rare lull in the scale of strikes as Spring returned, capped by a brief, complete halt in honor of Orthodox Easter. This lull was broken on Wednesday into Thursday, with Moscow launching 659 attack drones, 19 ballistic missiles, and 25 cruise missiles, according to the Ukrainian air force.

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