Sunday, April 28

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles in Lviv on April 27, 2024. (Denys Shmyhal / Telegram)

Russian authorities detain 12th suspect in connection with Moscow terrorist attack. Another Tajik citizen has been taken into custody due to his alleged connection with the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall on March 22, according to a Moscow court ruling on April 27.

Ukraine’s military intelligence says it hit Russian $5 million radar system. The Podlet-K1, also known as the 48Ya6-K1, is a modern mobile radar system designed to detect air targets at low and extremely low altitudes, according to the Army Recognition website.

Russian media: Russia's Krasnodar Krai oil refinery 'partially suspends' operations after drone attack. A Russian oil refinery in Slavyansk-on-Kuban in Krasnodar Krai partially suspended operations following a purported Ukrainian drone attack, Russian state-owned news agency TASS reported on April 27.

Zelensky dismisses Kyiv Oblast official detained over car accident. Volodymyr Maibozhenko, the head of the Brovary District Military Administration in Kyiv Oblast, was dismissed from his post, according to a presidential decree issued on April 27.

Military denies media report about pulling Abrams tanks from front. "The tanks are doing a great job on the battlefield, and we are definitely not going to hide from the enemy what makes them hide. Furthermore, we will not leave our infantry without powerful fire support," the unit that operates the American tanks said on Telegram.

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Politico: Zelensky told Johnson Ukraine could hold on until 'March or April' without US aid. Politico wrote that when Volodymyr Zelensky met Mike Johnson in the speaker's office last December, he provided him with a deadline for how long Ukraine could hold on without Washington's backing.

Naftogaz: Russia's morning attack targeted gas infrastructure. The Naftogaz Group did not specify in what oblasts the targeted gas facilities were located, nor what the full consequences of the attack were.

WSJ: Putin likely did not directly order Navalny's death, US intelligence says.

The finding does not indicate that Vladimir Putin is not guilty of Alexei Navalny's death, only that he did not order it at that moment, the Wall Street Journal wrote.

Military: Russia gains foothold in Ocheretyne in Donetsk Oblast. "The part (of Ocheretyne) in which the enemy is located is under our fire control. All steps are being taken to push the enemy out of there," Nazar Voloshyn, a spokesperson of the Khortytsia group of forces, said on April 27.

Source: SBU hits oil refineries, military airfield in Russia’s Krasnodar region. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) launched drone strikes against two oil refineries and a military airfield in Russia’s Krasnodar region overnight on April 27, a source in the security and defense forces told the Kyiv Independent.

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The US weapons making their way to Ukraine right now

After months of delays and frustration, U.S. military aid is once again heading to Ukraine in significant quantities.

Among the first to arrive will be a $1 billion package of weapons and equipment from U.S. stockpiles, the Pentagon announced on April 24.

Photo: Serhii Mykhalchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images

Human cost of war

Russian attacks on Nikopol district injure 2 women. Russian attacks against the Nikopol district of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on April 27 injured two women aged 88 and 40, Governor Serhii Lysak said.

Russian drone attack injures truck driver in Kharkiv Oblast. A Russian drone attack on a truck in Kharkiv Oblast injured a 52-year-old truck driver, Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported on April 27.

Russian attacks against 4 Ukrainian regions kill 1, injure 14. Russian forces struck a psychiatric hospital in Kharkiv overnight, injuring a 53-year-old female patient, Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported. “At the time of the attack, 60 patients and five employees were in the medical building,” he said.

Russia attacks Ukraine’s energy infrastructure overnight, casualties reported. Russian forces hit energy facilities in Dnipropetrovsk, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Lviv oblasts in a mass missile attack against Ukraine overnight on April 27, causing damage and casualties, Ukrainian authorities reported.

General Staff: Russia has lost 465,054 troops in Ukraine since Feb 24, 2022. Russia has also reportedly lost 7,268 tanks, 13,971 armored fighting vehicles, 16,019 vehicles and fuel tanks, 11,905 artillery systems, 1,049 multiple launch rocket systems, 775 air defense systems, 348 airplanes, 325 helicopters, 9,485 drones, 26 ships and boats, and one submarine.

International response

Medvedev threatens Russia may seize private US assets if Washington seizes frozen Russian reserves. Russia could seize assets and property of U.S. individuals held in Russia if Washington confiscates Russian sovereign assets, Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, threatened on April 27.

Australia announces $65 million aid package for Ukraine. The Australian government announced a new aid package for Ukraine worth 100 million Australian dollars ($65 million) on April 27, following a meeting between Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles in Lviv.

Slovak citizens raise $4 million for Czech ammunition initiative after government refuses to contribute. Slovak activists collected 3.9 million euros ($4 million) for the Czech ammunition initiative for Ukraine in 12 days, after the Slovak government refused to participate.

Shmyhal: Ukraine has received $12 billion in international aid this year to help cover budget deficit. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced during a government meeting that Ukraine has received approximately $12 billion in external financing since the beginning of the year to help address the budget deficit.

Opinions and insights

Illia Ponomarenko: The story of wartime Kyiv

“I'm not going to lie; many people right now, both in Ukraine and beyond, sometimes feel pretty close to desperation. A little hope is just what we need right now. When it comes to hope, my thoughts often go back to the Battle of Kyiv,” writes Illia Ponomarenko, former defense reporter at the Kyiv Independent.

You can pre-order Illia Ponomarenko's book, "I Will Show You How It Was: The Story of Wartime Kyiv," on Bloomsbury or Amazon.

Photo: Aris Messinis/AFP via Getty Images

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Dinara Khalilova, Nate Ostiller, Chris York,

Abbey Fenbert, Olena Goncharova, Olga Rudenko, Kateryna Hodunova, Kateryna Denisova, and Sonya Bandouil.

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Saturday, April 27

Russia’s war against Ukraine

A leg-amputee Ukrainian serviceman, patient of the Unbroken National Rehabilitation Centre, attends a session at a shooting range in Lviv on April 26, 2024. The action was organized by the charity foundation ROXY as a part of the rehabilitation of military personnel who are being treated or undergoing rehabilitation. (Yuriy Dyachyshyn/AFP via Getty Images)

Military: Russian forces trying to encircle Chasiv Yar. Russian troops are trying to encircle the town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast, Nazar Voloshyn, the Khortytsia Group of Forces' spokesperson, said on national television on April 26.

Zelensky reminds world of Russian nuclear threat on Chornobyl anniversary.

The Zaporizhzhia plant – the largest nuclear plant in Europe – has been under Russian occupation since March 2022. The Chornobyl plant was also occupied by Moscow's forces for 35 days at the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.

Ukraine retrieves bodies of 140 fallen soldiers. The Geneva Conventions dictate that people who lost their lives during war are entitled to a dignified burial.

Source: Ukraine destroys Russian Ka-32 helicopter at Moscow airfield. A Russian multirole helicopter Ka-32 was destroyed at the Ostafyevo airfield in Moscow overnight on April 26, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) reported. An intelligence source confirmed to the Kyiv Independent that the helicopter was destroyed as a result of a HUR operation.

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Shmyhal: Ukraine has received $12 billion in international aid this year to help cover budget deficit. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced during a government meeting that Ukraine has received approximately $12 billion in external financing since the beginning of the year to help address the budget deficit.

Latvia’s new foreign minister visits Ukraine, meets FM Kuleba. The newly appointed Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze arrived in Kyiv on the morning of April 26 and met with her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, the ministry reported.

Ukraine's military intelligence launches cyberattack against United Russia party. United Russia claimed earlier in the day that its electronic services were under large-scale DDoS attacks.

Russia's Sberbank reports $4.32 billion profit**, dividends to boost Kremlin war chest.** Being majority-owned by the Russian state, dividends can be used to fund the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Read our exclusives

Russia throws thousands of troops to capture Chasiv Yar. Why is it so important?

As the U.S. took months to approve the next package of much-needed military aid to Kyiv, Russia used the moment to step up its offensive operations. After capturing Avdiivka and multiple villages in the east, Moscow now has its eyes on the next primary target, the town of Chasiv Yar.

Photo: Roman Chop/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images

Explainer: 38 years after Chornobyl, Ukraine relies on nuclear for more than half its energy production

Thirty-eight years after the Chornobyl disaster, Ukraine’s nuclear industry continues to produce around half of Ukraine’s power output and remains vital to keeping the country functioning. The share of energy output in Ukraine that comes from nuclear power is the third highest in the world.

Photo: Dimitar Diloff/AFP via Getty Images

Ukraine war latest: US announces additional $6 billion in weapons for Ukraine

The U.S. will allocate $6 billion for military assistance for Ukraine under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, the U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced on April 26 after the U.S.-led Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting, also known as the Ramstein format.

Photo: Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images

Human cost of war

US envoy to OSCE: Russian 'double-tap' attacks have killed at least 90 first responders since April 2022. "In March and April (of 2024) alone, Russia’s iterative attacks hitting first responders killed nearly 30 rescue workers in Odesa, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia and wounded more than 20," said Timothy Hanway, the acting U.S. envoy to the OSCE.

Russian attack on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast injures 3, including 9-year-old boy. Russian troops carried out nearly 20 attacks on the Nikopol District in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on April 26, injuring at least three people, regional governor Serhii Lysak reported.

Russian attacks in Kharkiv Oblast injure 4. A missile attack on the village of Shestakove injured a 42-year-old man. In the Bohodukhiv district, a Russian drone struck a civilian car and wounded three people.

Russian attack on Sumy Oblast kills 2 elderly women**, injures 3.** Russian forces shelled civilian infrastructure of Bilopillia in Sumy Oblast on April 26, killing two women and injuring three others, Ukraine's Interior Ministry reported.

Prosecutor's Office: Number of injured in April 25 Russian attack on Kharkiv Oblast rises to 13. The injured were hospitalized with blast injuries of varying severity.

International response

US to allocate additional $6 billion in aid to provide Ukraine with weapons. The U.S. will allocate $6 billion in military assistance for Kyiv under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), the U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced on April 26.

Minister: Belgium to allocate $213 million for German-led air defense initiative. Belgium will pledge 200 million euros ($213 million) for the German-led air defense initiative and supply Ukraine with rockets, Belgian Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder announced on April 26.

Kuleba: Latvia, Ukraine to bolster drone production. Ukraine and Latvia are working to increase joint drone production, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on April 26 during a press conference with Latvian counterpart Baiba Braze in Kyiv.

Belgium may deliver first F-16 jets to Ukraine in 2024. "In coordination with our partners in the F-16 coalition, our country will make every effort to speed up deliveries, if possible, by the end of this year," Belgian Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder said.

Spain confirms plans to send Patriot missiles to Ukraine. Madrid will provide Ukraine with Patriot anti-aircraft missiles, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles announced on April 26 at the Ramstein-format summit, without specifying the exact number.

Canada to donate nearly $12 million to Ukraine's drone production**, Czech ammunition initiative.** This is the first time Canada has directly contributed to the production of military drones in Ukraine.

Opinions and insights

Illia Ponomarenko: The story of wartime Kyiv

“I'm not going to lie; many people right now, both in Ukraine and beyond, sometimes feel pretty close to desperation. A little hope is just what we need right now. When it comes to hope, my thoughts often go back to the Battle of Kyiv,” writes Illia Ponomarenko, former defense reporter at the Kyiv Independent.

You can pre-order Illia Ponomarenko's book, "I Will Show You How It Was: The Story of Wartime Kyiv," on Bloomsbury or Amazon.

Photo: Aris Messinis/AFP via Getty Images

In other news

Kyiv evacuates children hospital due to attack threat. Kyiv authorities urgently evacuated two hospitals on April 26 after a Belarusian official appeared to threaten them with attack in a speech.

UK man with alleged Wagner ties charged with spying for Russia. Twenty-year-old Dylan Earl has been charged with planning an attack against London businesses connected to Ukraine after being recruited to spy for Russia.

Want to get the news faster? Follow our website: kyivindependent.com.

Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Dinara Khalilova, Nate Ostiller, Chris York,

Abbey Fenbert, Olena Goncharova, Olga Rudenko, Kateryna Hodunova, Kateryna Denisova, and Sonya Bandouil.

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Friday, April 26

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Bushes are blooming outside an apartment building in Dnipro on April 25, 2024. The building was hit by a Russian Kh-22 missile on Jan. 14, 2023, killing 46 people, including 6 children. (Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

NYT: US secretly sent Ukraine over 100 ATACMS last week. The U.S. secretly shipped over 100 long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine last week, some of which were immediately deployed and used to strike a Russian military airfield in Dzhankoi in occupied Crimea, the New York Times (NYT) reported on April 25.

Media: Number of Russian drones on front lines has doubled in 3 months. The sources in the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces told the outlet that Ukrainian efforts to counter drones by electronic means were becoming less effective as Moscow's forces adapted to changes in technology.

AP: Ukraine pulls US Abrams tanks from battlefield amid Russian drone threat. According to senior U.S. military officials, Russian surveillance drones and hunter-killer drones have changed the situation on the ground substantially, increasing the vehicles' risk of detection.

Reuters: Satellite imagery shows ship likely used to transfer North Korean arms to Russia docked in Chinese port. The U.K.'s Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) think tank said the cargo ship the Angara, currently docked at a shipyard in China's eastern Zhejiang province, has been involved in carrying North Korean military cargo to Russia overseas.

70% of energy infrastructure damaged by Russian attacks in Kyiv has been restored**, authorities say.** More than 1,000 units of electrical equipment damaged due to Russian attacks have been restored in Kyiv, amounting to 70% of the damage caused by drones and missiles, the Kyiv City Military Administration announced on April 25.

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Bloomberg: Qatar to host meeting on Ukrainian peace plan. The final list of countries attending the Qatar meeting has not been finalized but Russia has not been invited and China's participation remains unclear, Bloomberg said.

Zelensky: Ukraine hopes to continue cooperation with US regardless of election results. Ukraine hopes to continue working with Washington regardless of the outcome of the U.S. presidential election this coming November, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Fox News on April 25.

Greece won't send Patriots to Ukraine. Greece will not supply Ukraine with Patriot air defense systems or S-300 missiles, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on April 25.

German defense minister: Russia already produces surplus military equipment. Russia is already producing more arms and military equipment than it needs for its war against Ukraine, and is filling its weapons warehouses, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said, as reported by the German television channel n-tv on April 25.

Russia threatens to decrease diplomatic relations with US in response to REPO Act. Russia could lower its level of diplomatic relations with the U.S. if confiscated frozen Russian assets are transferred to Ukraine, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Russian state-controlled media on April 25.

Read our exclusives

Ukraine war latest: US secretly provides Kyiv 100 ATACMS; Denmark announces military aid for Ukraine

The U.S. secretly shipped over 100 long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine last week, some of which were immediately deployed and used to strike a Russian military airfield in Dzhankoi in occupied Crimea, the New York Times reported on April 25.

Photo: South Korean Defense Ministry via Getty Images

PTSD crisis looms as troop shortages take toll on Ukrainian soldiers’ mental health

Heavy fighting has taken a high toll on soldiers’ physical health, but the unseen effects of the war on their mental health could mean a PTSD crisis is looming for the country as well. PTSD can be caused by a traumatic event, such as combat.

Photo: Chris McGrath/Getty Images

When and how will US aid impact the front lines in Ukraine?

The country's defenders are already in dire straits in some parts of Donetsk Oblast, namely in the town of Chasiv Yar west of occupied Bakhmut. Ukrainian and Western officials said that due to artillery shortages, Russia could outshoot Ukraine's forces 10 to one in some areas.

Photo: Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty Images

Sumy Oblast fortifies amid looming threat of Kharkiv attack

Reports of a wide-ranging assault make the situation on the northeastern border uncertain. Ukrainian soldiers stationed in Sumy Oblast along the 350-mile zigzag-shaped border remain vigilant, fortifying and heavily mining the area while closely watching any movement by Russia.

Photo: Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty Images

Human cost of war

Ukrainian journalist, soldier killed on front lines. Ukrainian journalist and soldier Alla Pushkarchuk, call sign "Ruta," was killed in action in Donetsk Oblast on April 25.

General Staff: Russia has lost 462,980 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022. This number includes 1,040 casualties Russian forces suffered over the past day.

International response

Politico: US to announce new $6 billion weapons contract for Ukraine. The contract will include Patriot air defense systems, artillery, drones, counter-drone weapons, and air-to-air missiles, and may be finalized as soon as April 26, the officials said.

Denmark announces additional $633 million in military support to Ukraine. The Danish parliament agreed to add 4.4 billion Danish kroner ($633 million) in military support to the country's Ukraine Fund in 2024, the Danish Foreign Ministry announced on April 25.

Reuters: Next round of EU sanctions on Russia to target shadow fleet, ships transporting North Korean equipment. EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said earlier in April that the bloc is preparing its 14th round of sanctions against Russia, which should be adopted in spring.

European Parliament condemns Putin's election as illegitimate. The European Parliament overwhelmingly adopted a resolution condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin's March presidential election as illegitimate, Ukrinform reported on April 25.

Chinese officials separately met with US, Russian counterparts at Western Pacific Naval Symposium. Senior Chinese military officials separately met U.S. and Russian naval counterparts at the Western Pacific Naval Symposium in Qingdao, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian said during a press briefing on April 25.

Italy to cooperate with UNESCO in rebuilding Odesa, cathedral damaged by Russian attacks. The historic cathedral was partially destroyed by Russian missile strikes on the city in July 2023, which also killed one person and injured at least 18 others.

Minister: Lithuania may assist Ukraine in returning military-aged men. Lithuania's Defense Minister, Laurynas Kasciunas, said he was closely watching his Polish counterparts who announced a similar stance on April 24, though did not specify exactly what measures would be taken.

In other news

Russia vetoes UN vote on nuclear weapons in space. Speaking on April 24, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., described Russia's veto as "baffling."

Ukraine's Mariia Sulialina wins 2024 Civil Rights Defender award. Ukraine's human rights activist Mariia Sulialina has won the 2024 Civil Rights Defender of the Year Award, the organization announced on April 25. Sulialina, who heads the Ukrainian human rights organization Almenda, has been documenting Russia's war crimes against children.

Agriculture minister, accused of illegal acquisition of state-owned land, resigns. Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi, suspected of illegal acquisition of state-owned land, submitted his resignation to the Ukrainian parliament on April 25, Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk announced on Facebook.

Poll: 64% of Ukrainians believe democracy best form of government. Ukraine ranks sixth among countries surveyed, with a significant majority supporting the statement: "Democracy may have its flaws, but it is the best system of government."

Lithuania ridicules Belarusian claim of thwarted drone attack. Major Gintautas Ciunis, a representative of the Strategic Communications Department of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, promptly denied the unsupported allegations soon after.

Want to get the news faster? Follow our website: kyivindependent.com.

Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Chris York, Martin Fornusek, Toma Istomina, Nate Ostiller, Kateryna Hodunova, Rachel Amran, and Abbey Fenbert.

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Thursday, April 25

Russia’s war against Ukraine

The aftermath of Russian strikes on Kharkiv Oblast on April 24, 2024. (Governor Oleh Syniehubov/Telegram)

Zelensky on US aid: 'We will do everything to compensate for the 6 months that have passed in debate and doubt.' President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his April 24 evening address that Ukraine "will do everything" to compensate for the six months that passed while the country waited for the U.S. to pass further assistance for Kyiv.

Zaluzhnyi to start new ambassador to UK role 'in a matter of weeks'. Speaking to KYIV24, presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said some "logistical issues" still had to be resolved before he could take up his new position.

Russian priest suspended after presiding over Navalny's funeral. The document posted on the website of the Moscow City Diocese did not give an official reason for Dmitriy Safranov's suspension, but it is believed to be connected to Alexei Navalny's funeral.

Sources: SBU drone attack destroys 26,000 cubic meters of Russian fuel in Smolensk Oblast. Drones of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) attacked two oil depots in Russia's Smolensk Oblast overnight, destroying 26,000 cubic meters of fuel, sources in law enforcement agencies told the Kyiv Independent on April 24.

Parliament passes bill strengthening gambling oversight in first reading. Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, backed in the first reading on April 24 a bill strengthening the state's oversight over the gambling business, lawmaker Oleksii Honcharenko said.

SBU suspects metropolitan of Kremlin-linked church of leaking information about Ukrainian forces. According to the investigation, Metropolitan Arsenii, who served in the Svyatohirsk Lavra in Donetsk Oblast, allegedly told parishioners the coordinates of Ukrainian military checkpoints in the Kramatorsk district in Donetsk Oblast during a liturgy.

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Government bans sending passports to military-age Ukrainian men abroad. The Ukrainian government has banned sending identification documents and passports abroad for Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60, according to a decree published on the Cabinet of Ministers' website on April 24.

Prosecutors to request arrest of agriculture minister over alleged illegal acquisition of state-owned land. Ukraine's Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) will request the arrest of Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi with an alternative option of a Hr 200 million ($5 million) bail, Economic Pravda reported on April 24.

Justice Ministry freezes assets, accounts of ex-Supreme Court chief after failing to comply with court order. Ukraine's Justice Ministry froze all assets and accounts of former head of the Supreme Court Vsevolod Kniaziev after he failed to pay a court-ordered sum of nearly Hr 1 million ($25,200) over an illegally received gift.

Ukraine's parliament passes bill increasing the size of border guard by 15,000. The law would apply up to one year after the cancellation of martial law, which has been in place since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Russian man jailed for 10 years over railway sabotage, treason. Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, what were previously treated as acts of hooliganism have often been tried as acts of sabotage aimed at disrupting the Kremlin's war effort and those found guilty now face far harsher punishments.

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Ukraine war latest: Biden signs $61 billion aid bill for Ukraine; US began secretly providing ATACMS in March

U.S. President Joe Biden announced during a briefing on April 24 he had signed the foreign aid bill containing close to $61 billion for Ukraine into law, marking the final step of the legislative process.

Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Explaining Washington’s REPO Act that could kick-start the confiscation of frozen Russian assets

The U.S. on April 20 became the first nation to adopt legislation green-lighting confiscating frozen Russian assets for Ukraine. President Joe Biden signed the REPO Act alongside a $95 billion foreign aid bill that included $61 billion for Kyiv on April 24, setting the legal basis for liquidating immobilized Russian assets held in the U.S.

Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Human cost of war

Russian attacks over past day kill 1, injure at least 23. Russian forces also struck Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, causing damage but inflicting no casualties.

General Staff: Russia has lost 461,940 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022. This number includes 880 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

What's happening with Russia's assets frozen in the West?

International response

Zelensky: Russia planning to disrupt global peace summit in Switzerland. President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 24 that Ukraine has precise intelligence information that Russia is preparing to disrupt a global peace summit set to take place in Switzerland in June.

Latvian defense minister: Drone coalition raises over $535 million to buy drones for Ukraine. A drone coalition co-led by the U.K. and Latvia has collected over 500 million euros ($535 million) to purchase drones for Ukraine, Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds wrote on X on April 24.

Ukraine, Portugal start talks on security agreement. Ukraine and Portugal have begun negotiations on a draft bilateral security agreement, the Presidential Office announced on April 24.

State department confirms US began secretly providing Ukraine long-range ATACMS missiles in March The U.S. began this spring secretly providing Ukraine with long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) at President Joe Biden's direction, U.S. State Department Spokesperson Vedant Patel confirmed at a press briefing on April 24.

Bloomberg: Russia to supply China with cheaper gas compared to European market at least through 2027. Russia is expected to export natural gas to China with prices as much as 28% below those for Russia's European clients at least until 2027, Bloomberg reported on April 23, citing the Russian Economy Ministry's outlook.

Pentagon ready to send $1 billion in weapons to Kyiv after Biden signs aid bill. The Pentagon announced on April 24 that it is ready to move forward with sending $1 billion of weapons from U.S. stockpiles to Kyiv now that President Joe Biden has signed a $95 billion aid package that includes more aid for Ukraine.

Biden signs $61 billion aid bill for Ukraine. U.S. President Joe Biden signed the foreign aid bill containing close to $61 billion for Ukraine into law on April 24, marking the final step of the legislative process.

Bloomberg: France proposes new sanctions to target Russian disinformation, election interference. The proposal "would target those responsible for threatening the stability, security or sovereignty of EU member states or third countries by undermining elections, the rule of law, facilitating acts of violence or do so through the use of information manipulation and interference," Bloomberg wrote.

Reuters: Russia's April oil and gas revenue to double compared to 2023, slightly drop from March. The figures demonstrate that western sanctions targeting Moscow's oil and gas industries have not been as effective as hoped.

Yermak: 'I can tell you for sure – there will be more Patriots'. Speaking on national television, Andriy Yermak said Kyiv was "talking with many partners, primarily the U.S." about securing more of the badly needed systems and referred to recent news of German efforts to convince Washington to send more.

Hugo Boss to sell its Russian subsidiary. Along with many other Western companies, Hugo Boss suspended its retail operations in Russia after the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Ukraine receives 1.5 billion euros from EU in second tranche of financial aid.

The EU approved the four-year Ukraine Facility in February, allocating 33 billion euros ($35 billion) in loans and 17 billion euros ($18 billion) in grants.

Reuters: Canada grants Airbus waiver against sanctions on Russian titanium. Airbus has been granted a waiver by the Canadian government, allowing it to continue using Russian titanium after Ottawa became the first Western nation to ban the metal in its latest package of sanctions targeting the Kremlin, Reuters reported on April 23.

NYT: Project Maven AI having mixed results on Ukraine's battlefields. Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine presented the first opportunity to test how the system would work in a conventional ground war between two armies.

North Korea sends delegation to Iran. North Korea's delegation is led by Yun Jung Ho, North Korea’s minister of external economic relations, state media said.

Pentagon says military aid can arrive in Ukraine 'within days' once Biden signs bill. Speaking ahead of the final vote in the Senate, Pentagon spokesperson General Pat Ryder did not provide specifics but said, "We would expect to be able to deliver aid within days."

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Chris York, Martin Fornusek, Lili Bivings, Kateryna Denisova, Nate Ostiller, Kateryna Hodunova, Olena Goncharova, and Rachel Amran.

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