War in Ukraine: Russian drone strikes at highest level in April

Russian forces notably increased their number of strikes during the day – whereas Moscow previously targeted Ukraine almost exclusively at night – which Kiev denounces as a tactic.

Russia targeted Ukraine with a record number of long-range drone strikes in April, according to an analysis by AFP of data released by the Ukrainian air forces. Moscow launched 6,583 long-range drones in April, a 2% increase from March, with a significant increase in daytime strikes, as negotiations to end the conflict triggered by the Russian invasion in February 2022 have stalled.

The Russian forces notably increased their number of strikes during the day – whereas Moscow previously targeted Ukraine almost exclusively at night – which Kiev denounces as a tactic aimed at maximizing civilian casualties as the conflict has already claimed tens of thousands of lives. The number of missiles fired by Moscow – 141 – also increased by 2% compared to the previous month, but far from the 288 strikes recorded in February. According to Ukrainian air force data, 88% of drones and missiles were intercepted during the month.

Kiev has significantly expanded its range of drones since the start of the war and regularly praises the effectiveness of its interceptor drones, which it claims have no equal elsewhere on the planet. These devices are particularly used by some Gulf countries to counter the Shahed drones launched by Iran since the start of the war in the Middle East. April saw several massive daytime airstrikes.

“The new tactic of Russia to combine a vast nighttime strike with an equally vast daytime strike will likely lead to an increase in civilian casualties,” estimated the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in April. “Russia may want, with these series of daytime strikes, to target civilians and civilian infrastructures more heavily, particularly in public and open areas, especially as temperatures rise and more Ukrainians may be outdoors,” adds this American research center.

For Pavlo Palissa, deputy head of the presidential administration, these daytime attacks aim to “terrorize civilians” after Moscow’s devastating strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure throughout a long and icy winter, which left hundreds of thousands of households without water, electricity, and heating. “There is also an economic aspect. Massive attacks in the middle of the workday greatly paralyze activity,” he estimated in early April with Ukrainian media. Russia systematically claims to only target Ukrainian army-related objectives. Negotiations between Kiev and Moscow under American mediation have stalled since Washington’s engagement in the war in the Middle East triggered by the Israeli-American strikes against Iran on February 28.