Russia launches deadliest aerial assault of the year on Ukraine

World Russia launches deadliest aerial assault of the year on Ukraine, killing 16, officials say By Aidan Stretch Aidan Stretch Reporter Aidan Stretch is a CBS News reporter based in Kyiv, Ukraine. Read Full Bio Aidan Stretch April 16, 2026 / 6:06 AM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Kyiv, Ukraine — Russia launched its deadliest aerial assault so far this year on Ukraine, killing 16 people, including a 12-year-old child, according to Ukrainian officials. Ukraine's Defense Ministry said Thursday's overnight attack included nearly 700 drones and 19 ballistic missiles targeting cities across the country. Ukraine's capital bore some of the heaviest damage. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said the strikes killed four people, including the 12-year-old, adding that a drone slammed into an 18-story building. Regional officials said nine people were killed in Odesa and two in the southeastern city of Dnipro, where drones also struck residential buildings. Ukraine's southeastern cities of Mykolaiv and Kherson were without power Thursday morning, as the Russian attack targeted energy infrastructure in the region.  A crater caused by a Russian strike is visible in the ground on April 16, 2026 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Russia launched a massive missile and drone attack overnight. Andriy Zhyhaylo / Oboz.ua / Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia should not receive sanctions relief in the wake of the attack and implored allies to impose more pressure on Moscow. "Russia is betting on war, and the response must be exactly that: we must defend lives with all available means, and we must also apply pressure for the sake of peace with the same full force," Zelenskyy said in a social media post. "I am grateful to those in the world who work with us in this way and who help Ukraine in a timely and comprehensive manner, fully aware that every act of support truly matters for saving lives."A U.S. Treasury Department&nbs...