Russian drones, the stars of April battles in Ukraine

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Russian drone attacks reached their highest pace last April, marking an increase compared to the previous month.

Russia launched a record number of long-range attack drones against Ukraine last month, according to an analysis conducted by Agence France-Presse based on data published by the Ukrainian Air Force.

According to the daily reports issued by the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia launched 6,583 long-range drones in April, an increase of 2 percent compared to the number launched in March.

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The data shows that Ukraine successfully shot down 88 percent of all drones and missiles launched against its territory, while it boasts that its anti-drone defense systems are the best in the world.

As U.S.-sponsored talks to end the conflict remain stalled, Moscow is seeking to intensify its daytime long-range drone strikes, a move that Kyiv says aims to maximize civilian casualties.

Russia previously launched long-range drones at night, but daytime attacks have increased in recent weeks.

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In earlier statements, Pavlo Palisa, deputy head of the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said the daytime attacks represent a new attempt to “terrorize civilians” after the end of winter.

He added in an interview with Ukrainian media at the beginning of last month: “There is also an economic dimension. Intensive attacks in the middle of the workday significantly paralyze commercial activity.”

For its part, Moscow denies targeting civilians and maintains that its attacks are aimed at military sites and energy facilities linked to the army.

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The port of Odesa under bombardment

Oleh Kiper, governor of the Odesa region in southern Ukraine, said on Friday that a Russian drone attack overnight damaged port infrastructure in the region and injured two people in the city of the same name.

Emergency services reported that an apartment was destroyed and a roof caught fire after strikes hit a 16-story building. In another high-rise building, a fire broke out on the twelfth floor.

Emergency services released images showing a high-rise building ablaze and firefighters at work.

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The Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority said ports in the greater Odesa region and along the Danube River were attacked, adding that the strikes damaged docking and storage facilities and caused fires that were quickly contained.

It added that the ports continue to operate.

On the same day, the TASS cited the Russian Ministry of Defense as saying that Russian forces had taken control of the village of Boukaliany in the Kharkiv region in northeastern Ukraine.

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