A large-scale daytime Russian attack killed at least two people in Ukraine on Friday, authorities said, in what President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced as an “Easter escalation.” as Moscow changes tactics to evade Ukrainian air defenses.
Since the start of the war more than four years ago, Russia has mainly carried out large drone and missile strikes at night. In recent weeks, it has repeatedly sent hundreds of drones and missiles throughout the day, breaking a record for the number of weapons used in such an attack on March 24.
On Friday, drones attacked residential and civilian infrastructure in the central regions of Khitomir and kyiv, killing one person in each.their governors reported through the Telegram application.
“In essence, the Russians have only intensified their attacks, turning what should have been a silence in the heavens into an Easter escalation“Zelensky said in X.
Earlier this week, Zelensky proposed a truce in attacks during the Easter holidays and He said Ukraine would do the same if Russia stopped attacks on the energy sector. Moscow rejected the idea.
“The purpose of these daytime attacks is clear. “Russia is deliberately trying to increase civilian casualties, disrupt daily life, sow fear and damage Ukraine’s infrastructure.”said Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko in X.
An attack hits a veterinary clinic
Ukraine has destroyed 515 of 542 drones and 26 of 37 missiles launched by Russia since Thursday afternoon, as reported by the Ukrainian Air Force on Telegram.
“We can see that the enemy is using new routes, new drones that they constantly modernize and new tactics”Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said on state television on Friday.
In the kyiv region, a veterinary clinic was damaged in the attack, along with private homes and residential and administrative buildings. About 20 animals died, Governor Mykola Kalashnyk reported.
In the Khitomir region, 18 buildings, including homes, were destroyed and more than 100 were damaged, according to authorities.
Poland has mobilized fighter jets despite the fact that there is no evidence that Polish airspace has been violated, its Army reported. In the northeastern region of Kharkiv, two people were killed and more than two dozen injured in missile, bomb and drone attacks in the past 24 hours.according to the governor of the region, Oleh Syniehubov.
“The current series of attacks has been perhaps the most intense since the start of the war and, without a doubt, the strongest since the beginning of the year”said Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov.
