Over 400 Russian drones detected in Ukraine's airspace during mass attack, at least 4 killed, over 30 injured

Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.

Russia carried out a mass daytime attack on Ukraine on April 3, deploying hundreds of drones and killing at least four people, and injuring over 30 others, local authorities said.

Ukraine's Air Force reported that from 6:00 p.m. on April 2 until 2:00 p.m. on April 3, Ukraine was attacked by more than 542 Russian drones, around 330 of which were Shahed-type drones, 25 Kh-101 cruise missiles, 10 Iskander-M ballistic missiles, and two Iskander-K cruise missiles.

According to preliminary data, air defense forces have intercepted 26 missiles and 515 drones. Eleven missiles and 27 drones bypassed defenses and struck 20 locations. Additionally, drone debris was found at 22 different sites.

Ukrainian forces first detected the drones around 4 a.m. local time. By 5 a.m., Ukrainian monitoring channels reported the presence of two Tu-160 aircraft, each capable of carrying up to 12 cruise missiles.

The number of drones continued to surge throughout the morning — 240 were recorded in Ukrainian airspace at 7 a.m., nearly doubling by 9 a.m., according to Yurii Ihnat, head of the Air Force communications department.

Ihnat also confirmed that Russia had deployed Tu-95 and Tu-160MS strategic bombers as part of the attack. Around 10:20 a.m. local time, Ukraine detected a MiG-31 fighter jet taking off, shortly before the Air Force reported that Russian missiles had been launched, mainly from the country's east and south.

At least one person was killed and eight others, including a child, were injured in Kyiv Oblast during the morning attack, according to the Kyiv Oblast Military Administration.

The strike damaged homes, high-rise apartment buildings, vehicles, administrative buildings, and other civilian infrastructure across three districts in the oblast. The Russian attack also targeted a veterinary clinic, killing around 20 animals.

During the day, Russian drones targeted the Shevchenkivskyi district of Kharkiv, injuring at least seven people, three of whom are in critical condition, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

A man and a woman died in hospital after being injured in the Russian April 3 attacks on Kharkiv, according to the governor.

Between 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. local time, Russia launched a series of missile and drone strikes against Zhytomyr Oblast, killing a 70-year-old woman and injuring at least ten others, Ukraine's Emergency Service said.

Ihnat likened the pattern of the morning attack to previous Russian strikes on March 23–24 and March 31–April 1, when mass attack that began at night extended into daytime hours.

Drones have been reported over Kirovohrad, Vinnytsia, Sumy, Cherkasy, Poltava, Zhytomyr, and Kyiv oblasts, according to the Air Force.

Russian forces launched overnight strikes across Ukraine as well, with the heaviest attacks focused on the border regions of Kharkiv and Sumy, parts of which remain under Russian occupation.

Three ballistic missiles and several drones struck the regional center of Kharkiv, while guided aerial bombs hit the city of Shostka in Sumy Oblast, killing one woman and injuring four others, according to local authorities.

Hours later, Russian drones targeted the regional center of Sumy. One drone struck a shopping center, injuring at least six people, including a 17-year-old girl, the local military administration said.

Ballistic missiles were also launched toward Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts during the night, according to the Air Force.

This spring, Russia has increasingly carried out attacks during daytime hours, marking a shift from the winter months, when large-scale drone and missile strikes were typically launched at night.

"(The Russians) are testing us," Ihnat told the Kyiv Independent on March 22. "The question is, how many resources can they afford to use?"

"If they could launch a thousand drones a day consistently, they would. As it stands, they are just keeping us on edge constantly," Ihnat added.

Viktor Kevliuk, a reserve colonel and analyst at the Center for Defense Strategies, said that these prolonged attacks are designed to exhaust Ukraine's air defenses over the course of the day, paving the way for more effective strikes.

These strikes also serve as a psychological tactic aimed at intimidating the civilian population, the analyst added.

"(Their) goal is to create a sense of constant danger," Kevliuk told the Kyiv Independent.