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Over 500 Russian drones attacked Ukraine, at least 3 killed and 32 injured

Russia carried out one of its largest coordinated attacks on Ukraine on April 3, launching more than 540 drones — including around 330 Shahed-type UAVs — along with 25 Kh-101 cruise missiles, 10 Iskander-M ballistic missiles, and 2 Iskander-K cruise missiles, according to Ukraine’s Air Force. Air defenses intercepted 515 drones and 26 missiles, but 11 missiles and 27 drones struck around 20 locations, with debris recorded at 22 additional sites. The attack began overnight and continued into the daytime, involving Tu-95 and Tu-160 strategic bombers as well as a MiG-31 fighter jet.

At least three people were killed and 32 others injured across multiple regions. In Kyiv Oblast, one person died and eight were injured, including a child, as homes, apartment buildings, vehicles, and even a veterinary clinic — where about 20 animals were killed — were damaged. In Kharkiv, drone strikes injured at least seven people, three critically, with one of the wounded later dying in the hospital. In Zhytomyr Oblast, a 70-year-old woman was killed, and at least seven others were injured. Additional casualties were reported in Sumy Oblast, where a drone hit a shopping center, injuring six people, including a 17-year-old girl.

The scale and timing of the attack highlight a shift in Russian tactics, with mass strikes now extending into daylight hours rather than being limited to nighttime operations. Mobile air defense units can't freely move due to traffic. Ukrainian officials say this approach is designed to overwhelm and exhaust air defenses over prolonged periods while maintaining constant pressure on civilians. Military analysts add that such sustained assaults also serve a psychological purpose, aiming to destabilize daily life and test how long Ukraine can withstand continuous large-scale attacks.

Russia continues to expand its military cooperation with Iran to facilitate Iranian strikes on US and Israeli forces in the Middle East

The Financial Times reported on March 25, citing Western intelligence assessments, that Russia is close to completing a phased shipment of drones, medicine, and food to Iran. According to two officials briefed on the matter, discussions between Moscow and Tehran on drone deliveries began shortly after the start of the U.S.-Israeli military campaign, with logistics and transfers entering an active phase in early March. The shipments are expected to be completed by the end of the month as part of a broader pattern of growing cooperation between the two countries.

Officials noted that while the exact type of drones included in the shipment remains unclear, Russia is likely limited to supplying systems such as the Geran-2, a domestically produced version of the Iranian-designed Shahed drones. At the same time, current and former Western officials said that Russia declined Iran’s request for advanced S-400 air defense systems, suggesting some limits to the depth of military support Moscow is willing or able to provide.

In addition to these shipments, Russia has reportedly already assisted Iran by supplying modified Shahed drone components and satellite imagery, which have been used to support Iranian strikes on U.S. forces and allied targets in the Middle East. Analysts assess that this cooperation reflects Moscow’s broader strategic objective of countering the United States, which Russia continues to view as one of its primary geopolitical adversaries.

Ukraine has passed the Easter truce proposal to the US

Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine has asked the United States to help arrange an Easter ceasefire with Russia, but it remains uncertain whether Washington will pass the proposal on to Moscow. Speaking to journalists, he noted that initial signals from Russia in the media suggest a lack of willingness to agree, though it is unclear how serious that response is.

According to Zelensky, Kyiv has formally conveyed its proposal to the American side and is now waiting to see whether the U.S. will be able to communicate it to Russia. He stressed that Ukraine’s position remains unchanged, and the offer of a temporary Easter truce is still on the table despite the uncertainty surrounding Russia’s reaction.