Russia attacked Dnipro with drones, injuring at least 15

On April 8, Russia launched a drone attack on the city of Dnipro, injuring at least 15 people, according to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Serhii Lysak. As of April 9, eight victims remain hospitalized, with one sustaining light injuries and the rest in moderate condition. The attack caused a series of explosions between 10 and 11 p.m. local time, sparking multiple fires and inflicting widespread damage across the city.

The drone strikes hit residential and industrial areas, damaging four houses, 15 high-rise buildings, around 20 vehicles, and several enterprises and administrative buildings. Dnipro, one of Ukraine’s largest cities and a vital humanitarian and logistics hub during the full-scale war, has frequently been targeted by Russian missile and drone attacks. Just days earlier, on March 28, a major drone strike killed four people and injured 24 more.

In addition to Dnipro, Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine was also hit by a mass drone attack on April 8, causing further casualties and destruction. These ongoing assaults come amid Russia’s continued rejection of a U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire. Ukraine has already agreed to the ceasefire and awaits Russia’s compliance to begin the truce.

Russia attacked Kramatorsk, three people injured

The city of Kramatorsk in Donetsk Oblast came under a large-scale Russian drone attack late in the evening of 8 April, leaving a number of casualties, including a child.

According to Oleksandr Honcharenko, Head of Kramatorsk City Military Administration an 11-year-old girl, her 34-year-old mother and her 55-year-old grandmother were injured. No people were killed.

Russian large-scale attack on Kharkiv caused fires and injured civilians

On the night of April 8–9, Russian forces launched a large-scale drone attack on the city of Kharkiv, targeting several districts and causing widespread destruction. According to Dmytro Chubenko, spokesperson for the Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor's Office, around 20 strikes were recorded in the Osnovianskyi, Industrialnyi, Shevchenkivskyi, and Kyivskyi districts. The majority—approximately 15 of the 20 strikes—hit the Osnovianskyi district, specifically targeting industrial infrastructure.

In the Kyivskyi district, around 10 residential houses were damaged. The Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor’s Office released a video showing the aftermath, while Ukraine’s State Emergency Service published photos of the destruction. Two people were reported injured: a 65-year-old security guard sustained a head injury and an acute stress reaction, while a woman around 50 also required medical attention for stress-related symptoms.

Chubenko confirmed that Russia used Geran-2 UAVs in the attack, which resulted in significant damage across the targeted areas. This strike is part of a continuing pattern of aerial assaults on Kharkiv, underscoring the persistent threat to both civilian and industrial areas far from the front lines.

The US and Russia will discuss embassy operations in Istanbul

The United States and Russia are set to hold a new round of talks in Istanbul on April 10, with the discussions strictly limited to the issue of normalising embassy operations between the two countries. According to U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, the focus will be solely on stabilising the functioning of diplomatic missions and not on broader political or security matters.

Bruce made it clear that the talks do not signal a move toward overall bilateral normalization. “These talks are solely focused on our embassy operations, not on normalising a bilateral relationship overall, which can only happen, as we've noted, once there is peace between Russia and Ukraine,” she stated during a press briefing.

The meeting in Türkiye is expected to center on practical aspects such as staffing, visa issues, and diplomatic logistics, as both sides attempt to maintain minimal operational stability in their missions amidst the ongoing war in Ukraine and heightened tensions.