Two Dead, 19 Injured as Russian Drones Strike Residential Blocks in Odesa and Sumy

Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 133 out of 160 drones overnight, but multiple impacts on apartment buildings caused civilian casualties just hours before a Kremlin-declared Easter ceasefire. Make us preferred on Google Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied (Photo by DSNS) Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google Russian forces launched a massive drone offensive across Ukraine in the early hours of Saturday, April 11, killing two people in Odesa and injuring 17 others in Sumy , local officials and military authorities reported. The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated that Russia deployed 160 UAVs of various types –including Shahed, Gerbera, and Italmas – launched from Kursk, Orel, and occupied Crimea . Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 133 drones, but 20 impacts were recorded across 10 locations, with debris falling in 11 other areas. Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . In Odesa, the strike killed two civilians and injured two others. The City Military Administration reported significant damage to dozens of private and apartment buildings, as well as a dormitory, a kindergarten, and critical infrastructure sites. In Sumy, two separate strikes targeted residential high-rises. According to the regional police, 17 people were wounded, including a 14-year-old boy. The attack damaged 12 apartment blocks, a private residence, and another kindergarten. “The first hit destroyed the roof of a high-rise, sparking a fire. The second strike hit another residential building, forcing an evacuation,” the State Emergency Service reported. The drone offensive comes just hours before a unilateral ceasefire decreed by Russian President Vladimir Putin was set to begin at 4 p.m. on Saturday for the Orthodox Easter holiday. Other Topics of Interest Five Visits to Moscow, None to Kyiv: US Analyst Backs Zelensky’s Criticism US analyst Paul Goble told Kyiv Post that Zelensky is voicing broad frustration that Washington appears more aligned with Moscow than Kyiv, and dismissed Putin’s Easter ceasefire as propaganda. The move has been met with deep skepticism in Kyiv. Ukrainian officials and analysts, including Elkhan Nuriyev of the Officers’ Union, described the gesture as a “PR stunt” intended to equate Moscow with Washington following the fragile ceasefire in the Middle East . Air raid sirens sounded over Kyiv minutes after the Kremlin’s announcement, reinforcing doubts about the truce’s legitimacy. President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously proposed an Easter ceasefire on March 30 , which the Kremlin dismissed at the time as not being a “clearly formulated” initiative.