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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Thursday, March 28

Russia’s war against Ukraine

A local woman, holding a dog in her arms, stands near the site of a Russian aerial bombardment of a high-rise residential building in the Shevchenkivskyi district on March 27, 2024 in Kharkiv, Ukraine. (Oleksandra Novosel/Suspilne Ukraine/JSC "UA😛BC"/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

Air Force: Ukraine can down Zircon hypersonic missile with Patriot, SAMP/T. Air Force spokesperson Ilia Yevlash's statement came after reports that Russian troops had used Zircon ballistic missiles in a March 25 attack on Kyiv. The researchers continue to examine the debris to determine what type of missile was launched.

Russian attacks on Dnipro hydroelectric plant caused $3.5 million in environmental damage. Russia's attack on the Dnipro Hydroelectric Power Plant on March 22 caused at least $3.5 million in environmental damage, although that figure is expected to rise, Ukraine's Environment and Natural Resources Minister Ruslan Strilets said on March 27.

SBU: 2 alleged Russian agents caught helping FSB plan missile strikes in Kyiv and Odesa. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has detained two Ukrainian men accused of helping Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) plan missile strikes on military installations and communications infrastructure including the Kyiv TV tower, the service said on March 27.

Zelensky visits Sumy Oblast, inspects fortifications. President Volodymyr Zelensky was briefed on the project for the construction of a platoon stronghold near Sumy, which includes reinforced concrete structures, firing positions for tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, and corrugated steel shelters.

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Defense Ministry list key points in updated mobilization bill. The draft law on mobilization, which is being amended by lawmakers, proposes to lower the enlistment age and introduce basic military training for adults, according to Ukraine's Defense Ministry.

Partisans: Russia constructing barriers to prevent further strikes on Black Sea fleet. Russian forces in occupied Crimea are constructing barriers at the entrance to Sevastopol Bay to prevent further Ukrainian strikes on the Black Sea fleet, the partisan group Atesh reported on March 27.

Reuters: Russia turns to Belarusian gasoline amid decreasing domestic supplies. Russia is increasing imports of gasoline from Belarus to avert possible shortages connected to recent Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries, Reuters reported on March 27, citing four undisclosed trade and industry sources.

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Ukraine war latest: Russia attacks civilians in Kharkiv; Zelensky inspects fortifications

Russian troops attacked a residential neighborhood in Kharkiv on March 27, killing one civilian man and injuring at least 19 other people, including four children, Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported.

Photo: Oleh Syniehubov/Telegram

How thousands of Ukrainian children cope with losing parents to war

Almost 1,800 Ukrainian children have been made orphans by the war, the National Social Service of Ukraine said in a comment to the Kyiv Independent. At a young age, these children have to learn to cope with the loss and live without their parents' support.

Photo: Viacheslav Ratynskyi / The Kyiv Independent

In Putin’s Russia, state violence is on full display

When the men accused of committing last week's terrorist attack in Moscow appeared in front of a Russian court, their battered faces told a story of physical torture.

Photo: Tatyana Makeyeva/AFP via Getty Images

Human cost of war

Russian attack on Kharkiv Oblast town kills 12-year-old child. Russia attacked the town of Borova in Kharkiv Oblast on the evening of March 27, killing a 12-year-old boy, the Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor's Office reported.

Russian drone attack in Kherson Oblast kills woman. Mykhailivka, a small village on the western bank of the Dnipro River, has been hit by Russian attacks numerous times since it was liberated from Russian occupation in the fall of 2022.

Russian attack on Kharkiv residential area kills 1, injures at least 19**, including children.** Russian troops attacked a residential neighborhood in Kharkiv on March 27, killing one civilian man and injuring at least 16 other people, including four children, Mayor Ihor Terekhov reported.

Russian attacks on Nikopol, Donetsk Oblast kill man, injure 3 civilians. Russian troops attacked Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and Ukrainsk in Donetsk Oblast, killing a man and injuring three other people, including a 49-year-old woman, according to the authorities.

Opinions and insights

Opinion: Ukraine may have no choice but to lower its fighting age

“Ukraine’s politicians have been reluctant to lower the fighting age because it would be unpopular. Many defend the relatively high combat age as a social virtue to protect Ukraine’s young adults from the battlefield unless they volunteer,” writes Brian Bonner, former chief editor of the Kyiv Post.

Photo: Jose Colon/Anadolu via Getty Images

Opinion: Russia's policy of torture on show in Moscow terror 'trial'

“When Russian security forces apprehended one of the terror suspects, they cut off his ear and reportedly forced him to eat it. The suspect’s mutilation was celebrated on Russian social media,” writes Daniil Ukhorskiy,

litigation officer at Legal Action Worldwide.

Photo: Olga Maltseva/AFP via Getty Images

International response

UK general admits military 'couldn't fight Russia for more than a couple of months.' The striking admission was the latest warning from U.K. defense and military officials cautioning that the country is unprepared for armed conflict.

Bloomberg: US in talks with Turkey for more explosives to boost shell production. The U.S. is negotiating to increase purchases of explosives from Turkey to boost the production of artillery shells amid allies' efforts to provide Ukraine with ammunition, Bloomberg reported on March 27, citing unnamed officials familiar with the matter.

General: Germany to hand over 10,000 artillery shells to Ukraine in coming days. Germany will hand over 10,000 artillery rounds from its own military stocks to Ukraine in the next coming days, German General Christian Freuding said in an interview with Deutsche Welle (DW) published on March 27.

Poland doubles its contribution to Czech ammunition initiative for Kyiv. Poland has decided to double its donation to the Czech-led initiative to purchase artillery shells for Ukraine, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said in Riga on March 27, without providing a specific figure.

Council of Europe Development Bank to lend almost $110 million to Ukraine for housing. Council of Europe Development Bank has allocated a loan of 100 million euros ($108 million) to restore housing for Ukrainians, Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said on March 27.

UK defense secretary calls on Europe not to curb Ukrainian imports. U.K. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps urged Europe not to restrict imports from Ukraine, pointing out London's decision to extend tariff-free and quota-free imports from Ukraine for most goods for another five years.

EU ambassadors agree on 'new compromise' regarding extension of Ukraine trade deal. EU ambassadors "agreed on a new compromise" regarding the extension of the trade agreement with Ukraine, ensuring a "balanced approach between support for Ukraine and protection of EU agricultural markets," the Belgian presidency of the EU Council announced on March 27.

In other news

Budanov: Russia knew about terror attack preparations at least since Feb. 15. According to Kyrylo Budanov, Russia knew from where the attackers would come and through which two countries they would enter Russian territory. "Don't let them tell you stories on how this (attack) appeared out of nowhere," the intelligence chief commented.

Top judicial official, previously accused of holding Russian citizenship**, resigns.** The High Qualification Commission, one of Ukraine's key judicial bodies, approved on March 27 the request of its chair Roman Ihnatov to be dismissed from the commission.

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

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