Zelenskyy reacts to new Russian strike: "We proposed Easter ceasefire, they responded with "Shaheds"

During the night of April 1, 2026, Russia launched 339 drones at Ukraine overnight in a large-scale attack that hit civilian infrastructure, with the western city of Lutsk facing the most severe damage, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

Emergency crews are still dealing with the aftermath of the overnight raid in Lutsk, where Russian kamikaze drones struck key infrastructure..

"Firefighting is still underway in Lutsk after the overnight strike by Russian "Shahed" drones. There were hits on purely civilian facilities: Russians destroyed food warehouses and a Nova Poshta terminal. A residential building was also damaged," Zelenskyy said.

All emergency services and municipal crews are working at the strike sites. Rescuers are currently trying to fully contain the fire.

Several other regions were also targeted, including Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, Poltava, Odesa, Kharkiv and Khmelnytskyi regions, Zelenskyy said, adding that some drones were still in Ukrainian airspace.

"Beyond Volyn, Russia targeted multiple regions across Ukraine in an effort to overwhelm air defenses and cripple the power grid.

"Overnight, Russia also struck Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, Poltava, Odesa, Kharkiv and Khmelnytskyi regions. Shahed drones are still in our skies. In total, Russia used 339 drones against Ukraine tonight, around 200 of them Shaheds," the president said.

Attack follows ceasefire proposals

Zelenskyy said the mass attack was effectively a response by the Kremlin to Ukraine’s proposals for a temporary ceasefire. Ukraine had suggested a humanitarian pause during Easter and a moratorium on strikes against energy facilities, but Moscow chose escalation.

"We proposed a ceasefire for Easter and received "Shaheds" in response. We also proposed a ceasefire specifically regarding energy facilities, but the Russians ignore this and again try to hit our substations and transformers," Zelenskyy said.

The global threat from Russia

Zelenskyy stresses that Russia’s aggression has long since expanded beyond the borders of the European continent. Moscow is actively utilizing its resources to fuel conflicts in other parts of the world, particularly in the Middle East.

"Russia continues to drag out the war in Europe and is openly investing its intelligence to assist the Iranian regime in igniting war in the Middle East and the Gulf. It is Russia that represents a global threat, and its contempt for life and peace is what stands in the way of any diplomacy," the head of state said.

The president urged international partners to intensify sanctions pressure on Russian oil and trade, while also providing additional air defense systems. He said that the higher the interception rate and the stronger the economic restrictions against Russia, the faster guaranteed security and peace will come to Europe.