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.

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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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