Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin’s forces launch 280-drone assault as Zelensky hits out at ‘Easter escalation’ – UK Times

Russian forces attacked Ukraine with 286 drones on Friday night after Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of an “Easter escalation”.

Ukrainian air defence forces destroyed or jammed 260 drones in the country’s north, south, east and centre, Ukrainska Pravda reported.

The Ukrainian president had proposed a ‌halt in strikes for Easter, telling Russia it would reciprocate if it stopped attacks on the energy sector.

In a post on social media, Zelensky said: “Not a single hour of peace for our people, and this is Russia’s response to our proposal for an Easter ceasefire. Essentially, the Russians have only intensified their strikes, turning what should have been silence in the skies into an Easter escalation.”

A ​Ukrainian drone and missile attack on southern Russia killed at least one person, injured four ⁠others, Russian officials said on Saturday.

Yuri Slyusar, ⁠governor of ​the Rostov ⁠region, said the attack sparked a blaze aboard a foreign-flagged commercial vessel.

He also said a fire ‌broke out in the warehouse premises of a logistics company.

Sixteen Kenyans are missing in Russia after joining its army, Kenya’s foreign affairs minister Musalia Mudavadi told a Senate committee, adding that the number had risen from 10 to 16 within 24 hours. It remains unclear whether they are dead or alive.

Thirty-eight others are in Russian hospitals under restricted access, 47 have returned home and two are being held by Ukraine as prisoners of war. Mudavadi estimated 165 Kenyans are actively involved in military operations, bringing the total who have participated in the conflict to more than 250.

The minister said recruits had been lured by promises of salaries of up to $2,700 (£2,040) a month, signing bonuses of up to $23,000 (£17,400) and the possibility of Russian citizenship. “Contrary to prevailing reports, the majority of Kenyans enlisted with full knowledge and willingly,” he said.

Kenya and Russia agreed to halt the recruitment following talks between Mudavadi and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow last month. Ukrainian intelligence has estimated more than 1,700 people from 36 African countries have been recruited to fight for Russia.

A Ukrainian drone and missile attack on southern Russia killed at least one person and injured four others on Saturday, Rostov region governor Yuri Slyusar said. Commercial infrastructure was damaged in the city of Taganrog, where a fire broke out at a logistics company warehouse.

A foreign-flagged vessel was also struck and caught fire in the Sea of Azov. The city of Togliatti was separately attacked by Ukrainian drones, though it was not immediately clear what was hit. Ukraine has previously targeted the TogliattiAzot chemical fertiliser plant there.

Russia’s army seized just 23 sq km of territory in Ukraine in March — its smallest advance since September 2023 and almost nothing compared to 319 sq km in January — according to analysis of Institute for the Study of War data by AFP.

The ISW attributed the slowdown to Ukrainian counteroffensives, Russia’s ban on Starlink terminals in Ukraine, and Kremlin restrictions on Telegram, which is widely used by Russian troops at the front. Russia lost ground in some areas, particularly on the southern section of the frontline between the Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

Meanwhile, Russian strikes killed 14 people in Ukraine on Friday in a daytime barrage using more than 500 drones and dozens of missiles. Ukrainian drone attacks have also left Russia’s Baltic oil export hubs at Ust-Luga and Primorsk unable to handle shipments, forcing refineries to seek alternative export routes.

Ukraine has brought back eight children and teenagers from occupied territories, a Ukrainian humanitarian NGO has announced.

Mykola Kuleba, the founder of Save Ukraine, said they had all been living in conditions of pressure and fear, and their lives were under constant threat.

One 14 year old, Zoryana, was among those rescued. Mr Kuleba said she had been separated from her father by Russians, who was stripped of his documents and deported.

The girl was forced to study in a Russian school, where she was told about the greatness of Russia and taught to use weapons, he said.

Mr Kuleba wrote: “They are all in our Hope and Recovery centers and are receiving psychological support, documentation assistance, housing, and care — everything to help them regain a sense of security and start building a future.

“But thousands of children still remain under occupation. They are forced to be silent, conformed, and prepared for war. But we are not stopping.”

Volodymyr Zelensky called on lawmakers to pass key legislation next week to avert a funding crisis, help Ukraine fight the war against Russia, and enact key reforms ⁠required for European Union accession.

Due to lagging reforms and slow legislative progress in late 2025 and early 2026, Ukraine missed deadlines to unlock billions from its key lenders, economists said.

With the need for external financing standing at $52 billion this year – equivalent to around a quarter of annual economic output – the budget situation is desperate.

Zelensky said: “I ⁠have a list of key draft laws that ​are ⁠critical for securing funding.” They range from strengthening the court system to reforming energy sector procedures.

“I believe that members of parliament from ⁠all parties must understand the importance of these bills for Ukraine’s budget,” said Zelensky.

David Arakhamia, ‌head of the ruling Servant of the People faction, said lawmakers planned to meet on Monday to discuss the legislation with the key ministers. Voting is planned for 7 and 8 April.

Ukraine depends ‌on Western financial support as it fights a bigger and ‌better-equipped enemy. Since the 2022 invasion, Kyiv has received about $174 billion in economic aid.

But this year, key funding has been stalled after Hungary’s prime minister Viktor Orban, who maintains close ties with Moscow, blocked a 90 billion euro loan to ⁠Ukraine. By contrast, Russia will benefit from the surge in global oil prices due to the war in Iran.