Latest News on the War in Ukraine: 9 Dead, 49 Injured in Day of Terror for Southern Ukraine

On April 7, 2026, southern Ukraine experienced a devastating day as Russian military forces executed two lethal strikes aimed at civilian populations in the cities of Nikopol and Kherson. These attacks led to the deaths of nine individuals and left 49 others injured, as reported by local officials.

The first attack occurred around 9 a.m. when a Russian FPV drone, operated by a Russian operator, deliberately struck a passenger bus in central Nikopol, located in the Dnipropetrovsk region. This assault claimed the lives of four people and injured 15 others, three of whom are in critical condition. Earlier that day, an 11-year-old boy was killed, and five more people were injured in a separate attack in the region, as reported by Governor Oleksandr Hanzha.

Simultaneously, a Russian strike on a pharmacy in Kherson resulted in the deaths of an additional four individuals. Later that day, another strike on a bus in Nikopol led to five more injuries. Civilians in Kherson and Nikopol, as well as in smaller settlements, are frequently targeted by artillery, bombs, and, notably concerning, drones due to their proximity directly opposite Russian forces on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River.

The Russian tactic, known as "human safari," which involves targeted strikes on civilians using precision small drones, was refined in Kherson during 2024 and 2025 and has since spread across the Dnipro as well as throughout the frontline and state border.

In response to these attacks, Ukraine struck the Russian oil terminal at Ust-Luga in the Leningrad region on the night of April 7, damaging critical infrastructure used for exporting petroleum products. According to the General Staff of Ukraine, the attack targeted a terminal that is a significant facility associated with the Russian state pipeline operator Transneft-Baltika. Preliminary reports indicate that three storage tanks were hit.

The General Staff noted that this facility is a critical component of Russian oil export infrastructure, the revenues from which are used to finance the war against Ukraine. The full extent of the damage is still being assessed. This attack marks the latest in a series of Ukrainian long-range strikes on key oil refining terminals in Russia along the Baltic and Black Seas, as Kyiv seeks to limit the profits Russia gains from rising global oil prices.

The latest strike occurred just a week after Kyiv conducted a full-scale assault on oil refining terminals in the region, including the Ust-Luga port, which was hit at least five times between March 22 and March 31. Photos and videos shared on social media indicate explosions in the port area, which began around 5 a.m. local time, according to reports from local residents.

Regional Governor Oleksandr Drozdenko claimed that during the attack, 22 Ukrainian drones were shot down in the region, without specifying the target of the assault. The Kyiv Independent cannot immediately confirm these reports or statements made by Russian officials.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detained a foreign cargo ship in Odesa that was part of a shadow fleet used by Russia for the illegal transportation of goods from occupied territories and evasion of international sanctions. According to investigators, the vessel was involved in exporting Ukrainian agricultural products from occupied Crimea. Its owner was under Ukrainian sanctions and allegedly attempted to evade restrictions by repeatedly changing the ship's name and nominal ownership through third countries.

The ship was detained in the commercial port of Odesa after arriving under the flag of an African country, likely to load a shipment of steel pipes. The SBU reported that the vessel had entered Sevastopol at least seven times before the full-scale invasion of Russia, exporting grain in violation of Ukrainian legislation. In one documented case in January 2021, it transported nearly 7,000 tons of grain from Crimea to North Africa.

At the time of the seizure, there were 17 crew members on board, including the captain, all citizens of Middle Eastern countries. The Russian shadow fleet refers to a network of vessels that operate under constantly changing names, flags, and ownership structures to evade sanctions imposed due to Moscow's war against Ukraine. These vessels are widely used for transporting sanctioned oil on global markets, helping to sustain Russia's economy and finance its military efforts.

The Sheskharis oil terminal in the Russian port city of Novorossiysk halted crude oil exports following damage from new Ukrainian drone attacks, Reuters reported on April 7, citing sources familiar with the situation. Explosions in the port were initially reported on the night of April 5, with local residents stating that drones attacked the oil terminal and damaged a residential building.

This attack is the latest in a series of Ukrainian long-range strikes on critical oil refining terminals in Russia along the Baltic and Black Seas in recent weeks, as Kyiv attempts to limit the profits that Russia receives from rising global oil prices. The strike was later confirmed by the General Staff of Ukraine and a source within the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). Six out of seven oil loading berths at the terminal, used for loading and unloading tankers, were reported damaged, according to a source speaking to the Kyiv Independent. The attack also impacted key ground infrastructure, including a pipeline control point and an oil metering station. Large fires broke out at the strike sites, and the full extent of the damage is still being assessed, the General Staff noted.

During the same mass attack, Ukrainian drones targeted the Russian frigate "Admiral Makarov," which was docked in the port, reported drone systems commander Robert "Magyar" Brovdi on April 6.