In brief
A drone strike attributed to Russia targeted a market in Nikopol, Ukraine, resulting in five fatalities and 21 injuries. The attack, which occurred during a busy morning, has drawn attention to the rising civilian casualties in the region. The Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office has opened an investigation into the incident as a potential war crime.
A Russian drone attack on a market in southern Ukraine has killed five people and injured 21, including a 14-year-old girl, the prosecutor general's office reports.
The attack took place at 09:50 (06:50 GMT) in the town of Nikopol, located across the Dnipro River from territories held by Russia since its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Images released by regional prosecutors show destroyed market kiosks littered with debris from the attack.
This incident follows hostilities on Friday, where at least 15 civilians died due to drone and missile strikes across Ukraine.
Ukrainian military actions have also led to casualties in Russia, with reports of a drone and missile attack on Taganrog resulting in one death and several serious injuries.
Nikopol is frequently shelled, with nearly half of its 100,000 residents evacuated for their safety. However, this drone strike occurred in a crowded area, leading to higher casualties.
The prosecutor’s office has confirmed that two additional injuries happened as a result of a second strike in the same location, with investigations considering the offenses as potential war crimes.
The Ukrainian air force has reported another wave of Russian drone overflights, with significant casualties noted in Kharkiv and the Sumy region.
Conversely, the Russian authorities announced the interception of 85 Ukrainian drones during the same period.
Yuri Slyusar, governor of the Rostov region in Russia, indicated that the Taganrog attack caused significant industrial fire damage.
A Ukrainian defense ministry spokesperson attributed casualties in the area to 'Russian air defense operations.' Meanwhile, Ukrainian attacks targeted factories with suspected military uses, reportedly impacting a production facility in Togliatti, and another in Alchevsk was reported to be out of service following strikes.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has offered Russia a truce for the Easter period; however, Moscow has yet to respond, and daytime military assaults, once rare, have recently become more common.
A British intelligence assessment described current front-line conditions as the 'most favorable' for Ukraine in recent months, suggesting a slowdown in Russian troop advances.
Diplomatic efforts led by the US to resolve the conflict have reportedly stalled as attention shifts towards events in the Middle East.
In a recent tour of Middle Eastern nations, Zelensky sought support against Russian missile attacks, offering Ukrainian drone technology amidst a backdrop of escalating global oil prices impacting Ukraine's military capabilities.
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