Ukrainian forces target Russian military sites amid drone strikes
A night-time strike in northern Ukraine resulted in the death of a 16-year-old boy and left four others injured, according to the military administration of Chernihiv.
Russian forces launched 236 drones against Ukrainian cities, with a significant 203 being intercepted, showcasing Ukraine’s air defence capabilities amidst ongoing conflict.
“Every dollar paid for Russian oil is money for Moscow’s war,” stated President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, condemning the extension of US sanctions waiver on Russian oil.
Key developments
A night-time drone strike in northern Ukraine resulted in the death of a 16-year-old boy and injured four others, according to Dmytro Bryjynsky, head of the military administration of Chernihiv.
Ukrainian Defence Forces targeted several strategic Russian assets overnight, including a facility of Atlant Aero in Taganrog, which is linked to drone manufacturing. Local authorities reported injuries from this strike.
Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, condemned the US decision to extend a suspension of sanctions on Russian oil, highlighting concerns over ongoing access to funds for military actions against Ukraine.
Ukraine targeted with over 230 Russian drones, Zelenskyy blasts US green light for Russian oil
By Serge Duchêne
Published on
A night-time strike in northern Ukraine claimed the life of a teenager and wounded four people, the city’s military administration said on Sunday.
“One person was killed: a 16-year-old boy”, Dmytro Bryjynsky, head of the military administration of the town of Chernihiv, said on Telegram.
He added that four people were injured in the attack, which damaged several homes as well as administrative and school buildings.
On Saturday night, Russian forces launched 236 drones against Ukrainian cities, 203 of which were shot down or neutralised by Ukrainian air defences. 18 sites were directly hit, and debris also fell on 8 other locations.
On the morning of 19 April, Russian drones hit a taxi in Kherson and railway infrastructure in the Poltava region, causing the death of one person.
Kyiv strikes Russian military targets
On the night of 18 to 19 April, units of the Ukrainian Defence Forces carried out strikes against several strategic Russian targets on temporarily occupied Ukrainian territory and on Russian territory.
According to the General Staff, a facility belonging to Russia’s military-industrial enterprise Atlant Aero (Taganrog, Rostov region) was hit causing a fire to break out.
The governor of the Rostov region, Yuri Sliusar, confirmed that a rocket attack had targeted the region, he added that three people were being treated by medical services in Taganrog. Commercial infrastructures were also hit and a fire broke out in warehouses, Sliusar, said.
According to Ukrainian outlet Pravda, Atlant Aero oversees the full design, production and testing process for the Molniya reconnaissance and strike drones, as well as components for the Orion drone. The latter, which weighs around one tonne, can carry a payload of up to 250 kg, including aerial imaging equipment, radio-electronic reconnaissance modules, optoelectronic systems, guided aerial bombs and missiles.
According to ASTRA, an open source intelligence medium (OSINT), Atlant Aero had already been the victim of attacks in January and March 2026.
The Ukrainian strikes also hit a Russian ammunition depot near Trudove, a temporarily occupied area of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region. Equipment and supply depots were targeted near Mangush, Topoline and Mariupol in the Donetsk region, as well as in Zaporizhzhia’s Smila. As well as, Tankers near the town of Novopoltavka were also struck.
The Ukrainian military also reported that, for the first time, its anti-drone forces had shot down a ‘Shahed’ using an interceptor launched from an unmanned surface vessel.
Kyiv blasts suspension of sanctions on Russian oil
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday denounced the extension announced on Friday of the suspension of US sanctions on Russian oil, claiming that “every dollar paid for Russian oil is money for Moscow’s war” in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy did not mention the US, but President Donald Trump’s administration on Friday granted a one-month waiver to the sanctions, allowing the sale of Russian oil and petroleum products that were already loaded on vessels at sea.
Zelenskyy said there were currently more than 110 tankers carrying Russian oil at sea in breach of international sanctions, carrying more than 12 million tonnes of crude “which, due to the easing of sanctions, can again be sold without consequences”.
“This represents $10 billion – a resource that is being directly converted into new strikes against Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said on his social networks.
“This week alone, Russia has launched more than 2,360 drone strikes, more than 1,320 guided aerial bombs and nearly 60 missiles,” he added.
According to Zelenskyy, “it is important to prevent Russian oil tankers from accessing ports and to prohibit them from delivering oil there. The aggressor’s oil exports must decrease, and Ukraine’s long-term sanctions continue to work towards this end.”
For her part, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, Olha Stefanishyna, called on the US administration to reinstate sanctions limiting trade in Russian oil.
“Russia must not be allowed to profit from the actions of its ally Iran. We urge the U.S. administration to reinstate sanctions on RU oil & petroleum products”, she wrote on X.
“If Russia sees that destabilisation and fanning the war are beneficial, new problems in the world will not be long in coming. Notably, the Russian representative has already called the oil waiver a ‘cooperation’.”