Ukraine Conflict Monitor
Update
Ukraine war situation update | 18 – 24 April 2026
A gunman kills seven civilians and takes hostages in an extremely rare incident in Kyiv.
Key stats
1,639 political violence events
No change compared to last week
138 incidents of violence targeting civilians
3% increase compared to last week
At least 45 civilians killed by targeted violence
38% decrease compared to last week
Key events
-
21 Apr.
Sumy — Russian drones injure 39 civilians in Sumy city, including 25 children
-
24 Apr.
Kherson — Russian strikes on Kherson city kill four civilians and injure 13 others
-
24 Apr.
Ukraine — Russia and Ukraine exchange 193 prisoners of war each
Key trends
- Russian forces seized a settlement south of Zaporizhia city and two settlements near the international border with Russia in the Kharkiv region. Russian forces also made advances across the frontline in the Donetsk region.
- Ukrainian forces regained control over Andriivka in the Sumy region.
- Russian forces launched at least 32 long-range missile and drone attacks, including in the central and northern regions of Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zhytomyr, and Kyiv, as well as in the city of Kyiv.
- Russian strikes killed at least 41 civilians in the Kherson, Kharkiv, Zaporizhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Donetsk, Odesa, Zhytomyr, and Chernihiv regions. According to Russian sources, Ukrainian strikes killed one civilian in the Russian-controlled part of the Donetsk region.
Spotlight: The deadly mass shooting and hostage situation in Kyiv overshadows the more frequent threat of covert activity
While an extremely rare event, the recent mass shooting in Kyiv indicates an emerging threat to Ukraine if proven to be linked to Russian operations. On 18 April, a gunman opened fire on passers-by and barricaded himself in a supermarket with hostages in the Holosiivskyi borough of Kyiv before being killed by police. Besides the shooter, seven people were killed, and 14 others were injured. Investigators revealed that the perpetrator had anti-Ukrainian views and connections to Russia, but have not yet offered proof that he was in contact with Russian operatives.1
The mass shooting suggests yet another threat in addition to explosions, assassinations, and property destruction that Russian recruits or supporters are already perpetrating. Unlike frequently foiled assassination attempts, mass shootings require little preparation and contact with the target and could be more difficult to prevent. Previous indiscriminate shootings of civilians by Russian soldiers in front line communities demonstrate that the Russian military is not averse to the tactic. Yet, such direct violence is unlikely without ideological conviction and will remain rare far from the front line, as most instances of anti-Ukraine sabotage are motivated by a monetary reward.
In contrast, covert activity behind enemy lines has remained frequent in Ukraine and Russia since it first spiked in 2024. In April alone, ACLED records 29 such incidents across the two countries. Throughout the week, pro-Ukraine resistance groups damaged equipment supporting Russian communication and logistics in Russia and occupied Ukraine, while Russian authorities claimed to seize explosives meant to blow up a security agency facility.2 In Ukraine, a student recruited by Russia threw a package with flammable liquid at the Lutsk city council and a bank building.
Covert activity most often targets military communication lines, equipment, and military officials. However, such incidents — particularly those conducted against Ukraine — also focus on civilian and symbolic targets, aiming to spread panic and fear in the local population. Over the past two months, more than half of the covert activity against Russia targeted military sites or facilities primarily used by the military. A third targeted dual-use equipment and law enforcement, and under 10% attacked strictly civilian targets. Meanwhile, a third of covert activity against Ukraine targeted civilians or exclusively civilian facilities.
