In the early hours of April 23, Russian forces launched an attack on Dnipro, targeting a residential building with a drone strike. The assault resulted in the deaths of two individuals, while eight others sustained injuries, including two young girls aged 9 and 14 who were hospitalized.
Local authorities reported that the drone strike also ignited nearby vehicles and a store. The regional military administration head, Oleksandr Hanzha, confirmed the casualties and indicated that three adults were hospitalized with moderate injuries.
Meanwhile, European Union ambassadors have initiated a written procedure to approve a €90 billion loan for Ukraine, along with a 20th sanctions package against Russia. This process is expected to conclude by the end of the day on April 24, as representatives of EU member states sign off on the measures.
President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed hope that the upcoming EU summit would facilitate the release of the financial aid and sanctions against Russia, while also aiming to open negotiation clusters for Ukraine’s EU accession.
In a related development, Zelensky addressed a report by The New York Times regarding the potential renaming of parts of Donetsk region to “Donnieland.” He emphasized that during negotiations, he only refers to the territories as Donetsk and Luhansk regions, asserting their status as Ukrainian land. He remarked, “The main thing is that Donetsk and Luhansk regions remain Ukrainian territory, not ‘Putinland.'”
In another significant statement, Kyrylo Budanov, head of the President’s Office, highlighted that free arms sales are not feasible during the ongoing conflict. He noted that Ukraine could only export surplus weaponry, such as naval drones and older models of UAVs, while stressing the importance of preventing the uncontrolled leakage of military technology.
Additionally, Ukraine’s Human Rights Commissioner, Dmytro Lubinets, is calling for a review of a court decision in Lecce, Italy, which allowed the illegal adoption of a Ukrainian child evacuated to Italy in 2022. Lubinets emphasized that the child, whose father is missing in action and whose mother is alive, should not be separated from her family. He criticized the Italian court for overlooking the parents’ involvement and for the systemic violations leading to the adoption.
Lastly, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) is investigating the execution of 306 Ukrainian prisoners of war from February 2022 to April 2026. SBU’s chief investigator, Andriy Shvets, reported that numerous cases of war crimes, including torture and extrajudicial killings, have been documented. He noted that the most severe cases have occurred in the Kursk and Donetsk regions, with the actions of Russian forces being sanctioned by their political leadership.
A recent Russian drone attack on Dnipro has resulted in casualties, while the EU moves forward with a substantial aid package for Ukraine. Key Ukrainian officials are addressing various issues, including illegal adoptions and military technology exports amid the ongoing conflict.