Huge aerial barrage on Ukraine

Russia hit Ukraine with one of its biggest recent air assaults, firing nearly 700 drones and 19 missiles in attacks that killed civilians in Kyiv, Odesa and Dnipro. (cbsnews.com) Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Russia used almost 700 drones plus ballistic and cruise missiles, while Associated Press reported at least 16 dead and more than 80 injured after strikes that lasted for hours from daytime into the night on April 16. (wsav.com) (cbsnews.com) AP reported four people killed in Kyiv, including a 12-year-old, nine killed in Odesa, three killed in the Dnipro region and one in Zaporizhzhia. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said more than 50 people were injured in the capital alone. (wsav.com) (rferl.org) The barrage landed as Ukraine’s backers met in Berlin. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said allies were aiming to provide about $60 billion in military and security assistance in 2026 through the Ukraine Defense Contact Group process. (kyivpost.com) (euronews.com) European officials are also pushing a €90 billion European Union loan package for Ukraine. Bloomberg reported this week that Brussels was trying to finalize the package after a political roadblock in Hungary eased. (bloomberg.com) (yahoo.com) The immediate problem is not only money but interceptors. Rutte said Kyiv still needs more air-defense systems and missiles, and Germany used the Berlin meeting to press allies to check their stocks of Patriot missiles. (euronews.com) (msn.com) That shortage has become more acute as demand for the same weapons has risen outside Europe. Reuters and other outlets reported in March and April that the war with Iran was straining global Patriot missile supplies that Ukraine relies on against ballistic attacks. (yahoo.com) (politico.eu) Russia’s strikes also kept pressure on Ukraine’s power grid. Ukrenergo said on April 17 that attacks on energy facilities had left consumers without electricity in seven regions, including Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia. (ukrinform.net) Ukraine has spent months trying to expand domestic drone production and secure more Western air defense while Russia increases the size and frequency of combined drone-and-missile attacks. The next test is whether pledged aid turns into launchers, interceptors and repairs fast enough to blunt the next barrage. (euronews.com) (nbcnews.com)