Russian forces have notably increased their number of strikes during the day – while Moscow previously targeted Ukraine almost exclusively at night – which Kiev denounces as a tactic.
The month of April saw a record number of long-range drone strikes by Russia on Ukraine, according to an analysis by AFP of data published by the Ukrainian air forces. Moscow launched 6583 long-range drones in April, a 2% increase from March, with a notable increase in daytime strikes, as negotiations to end the conflict triggered by the Russian invasion in February 2022 remain at a standstill.
Russian forces have notably increased their number of strikes during the day – while Moscow previously targeted Ukraine almost exclusively at night – a tactic denounced by Kiev as aimed at causing maximum civilian casualties, as the conflict has already claimed tens of thousands of lives. The number of missiles fired by Moscow – 141 – also saw a 2% increase from the previous month, but far from the 288 shots recorded in February. According to Ukrainian air force data, 88% of drones and missiles were intercepted during the month.
“Terrorizing Civilians”
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 equivalent elsewhere on the planet. These drones are notably 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.
“Russia’s new tactic of combining a large nocturnal strike with an equally large daytime strike is likely to cause an increase in civilian casualties,” the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) stated in April. “Russia may, with these series of daytime strikes, be aiming to target civilians and civilian infrastructure more heavily, including public and open areas, particularly as temperatures rise and more Ukrainians may be outdoors,” added this American study center.
According to Pavlo Palissa, deputy head of the presidential administration, these daytime attacks are intended to “terrorize civilians” after Moscow’s devastating strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure throughout a long, cold winter that 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 told Ukrainian media in early April. Russia consistently claims to only target Ukrainian military-related objectives. Negotiations between Kiev and Moscow under American mediation have stalled since Washington’s involvement in the Middle East war triggered by Israeli-American strikes against Iran on February 28.
