Russian Drone Attack in Nikopol Market Causes Multiple Casualties
A Russian drone attack targeted a market in southern Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of five individuals and injuring 21 others, including a 14-year-old girl, according to the prosecutor general's office.
The incident occurred at 09:50 local time (06:50 GMT) in the town of Nikopol, situated just across the Dnipro River from territory occupied by Russian forces since the onset of their full-scale invasion.
Photographs released by the regional prosecutor depict destroyed market kiosks scattered with debris such as metal, glass, and food items.
This attack follows a series of drone and missile strikes across Ukraine on Friday, which claimed the lives of at least 15 civilians.
Counterattack in Taganrog Results in Casualties
In a related development, Russian authorities reported that a drone and missile strike by Ukrainian forces on the southern Russian city of Taganrog overnight caused at least one fatality and seriously injured four others.
Nikopol, frequently subjected to shelling, has seen nearly half of its population of approximately 100,000 residents evacuate for safety. Despite this, the recent drone strikes struck during a busy Saturday morning period, leading to a significant number of casualties.
The prosecutor's office noted that a second strike at the same location injured two men and confirmed that investigations into the attacks are ongoing, with the incidents being examined as potential war crimes.
Continued Drone Assaults and Air Defense Responses
The Ukrainian air force reported that Russia launched nearly 300 drones against Ukraine overnight, with casualties also recorded in the northeastern city of Kharkiv and the northern Sumy region. Meanwhile, Moscow claimed to have intercepted and shot down 85 Ukrainian drones.
Yuri Slyusar, governor of the Rostov region, stated that the attack in Taganrog led to a fire at a logistics company facility within the city.
A Ukrainian defense ministry official attributed the casualties to
"Russian air defence operations".
Strikes on Russian Military Industrial Facilities
Kyiv reported two attacks targeting factories reportedly utilized by the Russian military-industrial complex. The defense official described a
"massive attack"on a plant in Togliatti that produces synthetic rubber and petrochemical raw materials.
Subsequently, Ukraine's Security Service announced that drone strikes had halted production at the Alchevsk metallurgical plant located in the Russian-occupied area of Ukraine's Luhansk region. The agency indicated that, as a result of the attack—the second within a month—blast furnaces, production shops, and other critical sections of the factory sustained damage.
Calls for Truce Amid Escalating Attacks
President Volodymyr Zelensky has extended an offer for a truce to Russia during the Easter holidays; however, Moscow has yet to respond to this proposal.
Daytime attacks by Russian forces, which were previously uncommon, have been increasing in frequency. These escalations coincide with stalled efforts to end the conflict, led by the United States, following a shift in focus by US President Donald Trump and his administration toward the Middle East conflict.
