A large-scale overnight drone assault by Russian forces on military facilities across Ukraine on April 16 was followed by a new wave of strikes in the morning hours. This time, Geran drones were primarily directed at Ukrainian Armed Forces infrastructure in the Odessa and Nikolaev regions, as well as in Kiev.

Satellite data from NASA indicated widespread fires across Ukrainian territory. Bright blazes were observed near the container terminal at the Odessa port and in Kiev’s Obolonsky district. In the capital, damage was reportedly sustained by the Avtotransport enterprise of PJSC Kievenergo and production facilities at the Mayak plant.

The scale of the operation makes it one of the most significant in recent weeks. From the evening of April 15 through the morning of April 16, two waves of strikes hit Ukraine, involving more than 700 missiles and attack drones.

Ukrainian monitoring sources reported a direct hit on the Odessa seaport, where more than 20 Geran drones were reportedly used. Port infrastructure in Nikolaev also came under attack.

Ukraine’s air defense performance during this strike appeared notably weak. This may point either to the effectiveness of the large-scale assault in overwhelming defenses or to underlying challenges in maintaining air defense coverage.

The outcome of the attack underscores that the ports of Odessa and Nikolaev remain key targets for Russian forces. Disrupting export logistics and the flow of Western military supplies is seen as a way to significantly affect the operational capabilities of the Ukrainian military.