Russia‑Ukraine drone strikes

Russia and Ukraine have resumed mass drone attacks, shifting strikes back onto oil sites, ports and cities after a brief Easter truce. (aol.com) On Saturday, April 18, Ukrainian drones hit two oil refineries in Russia’s Samara region, an oil depot in occupied Crimea and the Baltic Sea port of Vysotsk near St. Petersburg, according to Russian regional officials and a Ukrainian military commander. Russia’s Defense Ministry said it shot down 258 Ukrainian drones overnight. (aol.com) Russia has kept up its own long-range attacks on Ukraine this week. On April 15, Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 324 drones and three ballistic missiles, while officials said port infrastructure in the south was hit and at least seven people were wounded. (usnews.com) The fighting has moved beyond trenches and front-line artillery into a contest over fuel, shipping and repair capacity. Refineries turn crude oil into diesel, gasoline and jet fuel, and ports move those products to domestic buyers and export markets. (gcaptain.com) Ukraine has spent months trying to cut into Russia’s oil-processing and export system, which helps fund the war and supply the military. The Institute for the Study of War said on April 18 that Ukraine’s long-range strike campaign was exploiting stretched Russian air defenses to damage oil infrastructure and military assets in Russia and occupied Crimea. (understandingwar.org) Russia has paired that pressure with larger barrages against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. On April 16, Ukrainian officials said Russia launched 19 ballistic missiles, 25 cruise missiles and 659 drones in one of the deadliest nationwide attacks of 2026, with strikes and falling debris hitting dozens of locations. (kyivindependent.com) Civilian harm has become a central part of the drone war. The United Nations human rights office said short-range drone attacks killed 395 civilians and injured 2,635 between February 2022 and April 2025, with most recent casualties in Ukrainian-controlled territory caused by Russian attacks. (ohchr.org) The immediate claims from both sides remain hard to verify independently in real time, and each military highlights interceptions as well as damage. But the pattern is clear: Ukraine is targeting Russia’s energy logistics, and Russia is sustaining high-volume strikes on Ukrainian population centers and ports. (aol.com)