KYIV, April 19: Russian strikes and Ukrainian counterattacks escalated overnight, causing casualties and damage in both countries, officials said Sunday.
In Ukraine, Russian drone attacks killed at least two civilians. In the northern city of Chernihiv, a 16-year-old boy was killed in a “massive” nighttime strike after rescuers later recovered his body from rubble.
Four others, including three women and one man, were injured, while several homes caught fire. In the southern city of Kherson, another drone strike hit a van in the city centre, killing a man and injuring another, according to regional officials.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 236 drones overnight, of which 203 were intercepted. The remaining drones hit targets in 18 locations across the country.
Ukraine also said it struck a Russian drone production facility in Taganrog in southwestern Russia, near the Ukrainian border.
The target was identified as the Atlant Aero factory, which produces strike and reconnaissance drones and related components. Ukrainian officials said the strike caused a fire at the site.
Russian regional authorities confirmed damage in Taganrog, reporting three injuries in an attack on commercial infrastructure.
Fires broke out in warehouses, and damage was also reported to commercial buildings, a vocational school, and vehicles.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said it intercepted 274 Ukrainian drones overnight, along with guided aerial bombs and a missile, though it did not confirm how many reached targets.
The exchanges highlight the intensifying drone warfare between the two sides, with both Ukraine and Russia targeting infrastructure deep inside each other’s territory.
While Russia’s strikes continue to hit civilian areas in Ukraine, Ukraine is increasingly focusing on Russian military-linked industrial sites. (AP)
