Latest Updates on the War in Ukraine – April 16, 2026
Have you missed the latest events on the war in Ukraine? 20 Minutes summarizes for you every evening. Here is the essential news for Thursday, April 16, 2026, the 1,513th day of the conflict.
Highlight of the Day
Once again, horror strikes. On Wednesday night to Thursday, a rain of Russian missiles and drones hit Ukraine, especially in Kiev and the southern city of Odessa. The preliminary toll of this extensive aerial offensive is 19 dead and 11 injured. “Simple people, children, civilians killed by Russian madness,” commented Volodymyr Zelensky from the Netherlands.
The president of the European Union Council denounced “an atrocious attack.” “The act of aggression by Russia against Ukraine has failed, and that is why it chooses to deliberately terrorize civilians,” stated Antonio Costa.
The Russian Ministry of Defense explained that these strikes targeted military-industrial sites and energy infrastructure used by the Ukrainian army. Russia also announced the deaths of two children, aged 5 and 14, in a Ukrainian drone strike in the Krasnodar region.
Quote of the Day
“For years, we have been living under the weight of sanctions… We have already learned to minimize their impact. We will continue to do so.”
Quite nonchalant. Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson downplays the impact of the United States’ decision to reimpose sanctions on Russian oil. They had been partially suspended for a month to curb the rise in oil prices caused by hostilities in Iran.
Statistic of the Day
7. The number of Moldovan nationals sentenced to fines by the Paris criminal court in the case of graffiti discovered on June 7, 2024, on the walls of the National Assembly buildings. They stenciled the image of a coffin with the inscription “French soldiers in Ukraine.”
Absent from their trial on February 23, five of the defendants were fined €1,000, one €7,000, and the one who was present as the organizer to €10,000. They were all acquitted of the offense of “demoralization of the army” for which the prosecution had sought imprisonment.
Trend of the Day
Slovakia takes over from former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the case of the Druzhba pipeline, a partially Ukrainian infrastructure damaged in January by strikes and which allows these two East European countries to source Russian oil.
Like the Orban team before him, Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar declared on Thursday that his country would block the next wave of EU sanctions against Russia unless compensation for the pipeline is obtained.
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“We have no other way to compel Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the European Commission to restore the operation of Druzhba,” stated the minister before Slovak deputies.
