general | April 11, 2026

Germany grants permission to Poland to export old MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine

Russian shelling in the southern Kherson region killed at least two civilians Thursday, a regional official said, as authorities prepare to implement additional safety measures for the Orthodox Easter holiday. 

A 45-year-old man died in the city of Kherson from wounds he sustained after Russian forces shelled a park, Oleksandr Prokudin, the head of the Kherson regional military administration, said on national television Thursday. 

Another civilian died in the village of Zmiivka, when "the Russians hit the building of a local school with guided aerial bombs," Prokudin said. 

"Today the enemy aviation stuck Zmiivka village of Beryslav district. The Russians hit the building of a local school with guided aerial bombs. According to preliminary information, one person was killed and another was wounded," Prokudin said.

On Wednesday, Russian forces attacked the liberated territories in the Kherson region 46 times, he said. Kherson city was shelled five times, he added. 

Prokudin also commented on safety measures ahead of the Orthodox Easter holiday this weekend. 

"We have no right to put people in danger, so the Kherson region security council took a few important decisions to make the Easter holidays safe," he said. 

As part of the measures, during the curfew hours from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time —residents won't be allowed to visit churches and cemeteries, Prokudin said.

"These are the forced measures which have to be taken due to mines danger on the graveyard and a high possibility of Russian strikes," he said. "I ask the residents to treat these rules with understanding and follow them, because this is for your own safety."

About 60,000 people remain in Kherson city at the moment, which is about 20% of the city's pre-war population, Prokudin said.