Russia Ukraine Latest News Today: Strikes Kill 7, Crimea Hits

Seven people died in a Russian strike on a Dnipro apartment block overnight — one of several incidents that kept emergency responders busy across eastern and southern Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces were striking back hard: at least three Russian ships took damage in Crimea, and a strike hit near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, killing one worker. The pattern on the ground right now is a grinding contest where both sides are landing blows and both are absorbing losses.

Recent Russian strikes: 7 dead in Dnipro (BBC) ·
Ukraine counterstrikes: 3 Russian ships damaged in Crimea (Kyiv Independent) ·
Zaporizhzhia incident: 1 worker killed at nuclear plant (Al Jazeera) ·
Dnipro residential hit: 4 deaths reported (BBC) ·
Odesa attacks: Russian strikes claimed (Al Jazeera)

Key facts from multiple independent sources are summarized in the table below.

Who is winning the war in Ukraine?

The honest answer is that no single metric tells the whole story — and right now the war is defined by contested, shifting territory rather than a clear-cut victory for either side. Ukrainian forces have made measurable gains, but Russia continues to press attacks across multiple sectors.

Latest battlefield reports

Army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi announced on April 6, 2026 that Ukrainian forces recaptured 12 settlements and 480 square kilometers of territory across eastern and southeastern fronts since late January, according to the Council on Foreign Relations (policy research organization tracking global conflicts). Geolocated footage published in late March showed Ukrainian forces liberating Minkivka northeast of Kostyantynivka and advancing near Zakitne east of Slovyansk, per Institute for the Study of War (independent defense research institute).

The battlespace saw increased combat activity with many days seeing 150 to 200 tactical engagements in March 2026, according to Eurasia Review (regional affairs analysis outlet). Kostiantynivka and Pokrovsk alone accounted for 30 to 40 percent of overall military action that month, while Kupiansk, Lyman, Huliaipole, and Sloviansk remained significant flashpoints, per the same report.

Key metrics for assessment

Ukrainian forces destroy an average of 90 percent of Russian drones deployed against positions on the left bank of the Dnipro River, according to a Ukrainian marine corps spokesperson cited by Institute for the Study of War. A Ukrainian battalion commander reported that Russian forces intensified attacks after receiving reinforcements and conducted an assault on a 10-kilometer stretch using large numbers of manpower, motorcycles, and transport vehicles — and that Ukrainian forces killed 90 percent of Russian personnel involved in that assault.

Who has a stronger army, Russia or Ukraine?

By raw numbers, Russia holds a significant advantage — particularly in aviation and naval assets. But raw numbers do not tell the whole story, because equipment quality, maintenance rates, crew training, and supply logistics all factor into combat effectiveness.

Personnel comparison

Russia’s advantages show clearly in major categories. As of 2025, Russia possessed approximately 4,300 aircraft while Ukrainian Armed Forces possessed 324 aircraft, a disparity of roughly 13-to-1, per Statista (data research platform covering global statistics). Russia’s naval fleet was 4.7 times larger than Ukraine’s as of the same year. Russia is also one of nine countries that possessed nuclear weapons as of 2025 and held the world’s largest inventory of nuclear warheads as of early 2024, per Statista.

Equipment and tech edges

Ukrainian strikes, pipeline attacks, and international seizures of tankers have reduced Russia’s oil export capacity by at least 40 percent as of March 25, 2026, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. Ukraine has targeted Russia’s three main western oil export ports in recent weeks. This economic pressure directly affects Russia’s ability to fund and maintain its military apparatus over time.

How many soldiers does Russia have left?

Hard numbers are difficult to verify independently, but the observable battlefield behavior gives a clearer picture than any single statistic.

Current estimates

Russian forces deployed an average of 2,000 to 2,500 drones per week to strike Ukrainian positions on the left bank of the Dnipro River, according to a Ukrainian marine corps spokesperson cited by Institute for the Study of War. Russian forces used 3,247 drones over the past week as of March 24 to strike those positions.

Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief General Oleksandr Syrskyi reported that Russian forces launched over 600 attacks in the past four days as of March 10, 2026 to break defensive lines, per the Council on Foreign Relations. That sustained assault tempo suggests Russia has not run out of soldiers — but the tactics being used, including massed infantry assaults relying on motorcycles and transport vehicles, indicate pressure to keep units in the fight despite high attrition rates.

Losses reported

Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that its air defenses intercepted 389 Ukrainian drones across 13 regions and Crimea on March 25, 2026 — reportedly the largest reported overnight attack since the start of Russia’s invasion, per the Council on Foreign Relations. This figure alone illustrates the scale of the ongoing drone war and the strain it places on both sides’ air defense systems.

Is Russia’s military weakened?

Yes — in meaningful ways, though not uniformly across all capabilities. Russia’s military has sustained real damage to equipment and prestige, but it retains substantial firepower and the ability to generate new drones and missiles through domestic production.

Performance indicators

The Zirkon hypersonic missile launcher Ukraine destroyed on the night of March 23-24 represented a high-value target — the kind of system whose loss carries symbolic and operational weight beyond its tactical value, per Institute for the Study of War. Ukraine’s Main Military Intelligence Directorate also posted geolocated footage on March 24 showing forces striking a column of Bastion-M coastal missile system launchers in occupied Crimea. Earlier, on the night of March 13-14, Ukrainian forces struck a Russian Iskander-M ballistic missile launcher in occupied Crimea.

Recent strike impacts

Russian glide bombs killed four people and wounded sixteen in Sloviansk on March 10, 2026, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. Russian forces conducted nine KAB airstrikes against Druzhkivka on March 24, killing one and damaging residential infrastructure, per Institute for the Study of War. The pattern shows Russia can still inflict casualties through air power even as it loses high-end equipment on the other side.

Does Ukraine have any fighter jets?

Ukraine operates a much smaller fleet than Russia — 324 aircraft compared to Russia’s 4,300 as of 2025 — but the number of planes is less important than how they are being used and what air defenses they face.

Current inventory

As of 2025, Ukraine possessed 324 aircraft versus Russia’s 4,300, a disparity documented by Statista. The Ukrainian Air Force has had to husband its resources carefully, using Soviet-era MiG-29s, MiG-31s, and donated F-16s for specific missions rather than seeking air superiority against Russia’s larger fleet.

Recent operations

Ukraine has shifted much of its strike activity to drones and long-range missiles rather than piloted aircraft. Ukrainian strikes against Russian naval assets in Crimea — including the March 23-24 strike that damaged three ships — relied on a combination of drones, Neptune anti-ship missiles, and naval drones rather than fighter-bombers flying into contested airspace.

The focus on drones allows Ukraine to strike at range while keeping pilots out of danger. Russian forces responded with their own massive drone campaigns — launching 392 Shahed-type, Gerbera-type, Italmas-type, and other strike drones plus 34 missiles overnight March 23-24, of which Ukrainian forces downed 256 drones and 25 missiles, per Institute for the Study of War.