New Mass Strikes, Old Sanctions, and Space Nukes – Ukraine Latest, April 16

More defense loans, new strikes on Tuapses refinery, and updates on logistics routes around Donetsk – updates from Ukraine and beyond Make us preferred on Google Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Ukrainian rescuers work at the site of heavily damaged buildings following a Russian air attack in Dnipro, on April 16, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Roman PILIPEY / AFP) Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google Ukraine witnessed another major airstrike overnight, lining the morning horizon with plumes of smoke. Preliminary casualty reports pointed to 9 dead and 23 injured in southern Ukraine’s Odesa, with Odesa, Kyiv, Dnipro and Kharkiv – all major regional capitals – among the hardest hit . The timing coincides with fresh packages pledged by Kyiv’s European allies, including a new one with Italy , though President Volodymyr Zelensky had also called for quicker deliveries, as demonstrated by the recent strikes . Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . The new support also comes in the form of a $1 billion defense loan from the UK via the G7 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) mechanism, plus $60 billion pledged by NATO on top of the EU’s €90 ($103 billion) billion loan, though exactly what that $60 billion covers remains less clear. Another form of support comes through sanctions, with Ukraine’s foreign intelligence saying they have inflicted severe economic losses on Russia, just as the US decided to resume sanctions on key oil firms Lukoil and Rosneft – a major win for Kyiv. As the former Finnish intelligence chief puts it – maybe Ukraine can just win the war in a year if the aid is just tripled , saving all that extra funds and headaches for reconstructions. In terms of battlefield updates, Ukraine just hit the Tuapse refinery once again alongside various energy sites in Russia overnight, with another 16 high-value targets across the front hit by Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces (USF). Other Topics of Interest What Neutrality Means in War: Switzerland’s Role in Ukraine Swiss Ambassador Felix Baumann discusses neutrality, Ukraine support, and diplomacy in wartime – plus personal insights from accordion-playing to leading in crisis. As Ukraine slowly regains some ground, the Azov Corps also said its drones now control Russian logistics routes around Donetsk in what might be a major upset for Russian troops in the region, potentially thwarting Moscow’s years-long attempt to capture it. Granted, Russia’s rumored space nukes have now entered the discussion once again as a US Space Force commander warned of Russia’s plans to, quite literally, nuke the orbit – which is concerning. Meanwhile, Europe’s Special Tribunal for Russia’s crime of aggression is also gaining traction, with Austria being the latest  to sign the agreement, boosting the number of nations needed to make it work. On a side note, a Russian helicopter pilot went at length to complain about the Russian command in his suicide video , while Russian commanders were declared persona non grata by Moldova over Transnistria. Plus some good news on prisoners of war (POW) exchanges – a round might be coming soon , with Ukraine set to exchange captured troops for collaborators willing to defect to Russia . Win-win? Interested in more updates like this? Subscribe to our daily newsletter here . Leo Chiu is a journalist and editor based in Eastern Europe since 2015. He has witnessed two presidential elections in Belarus and traveled widely to conflict zones and contested regions, producing reporting that bridges the gap between major developments and local realities.