Sunday, April 9
Russia’s war against Ukraine
A Ukrainian serviceman prays as he attends the Easter Vigil mass at the Cathedral of St. Alexander on April 8, 2023 in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Photo by Roman Pilipey/Getty Images)
Zelensky: NATO can’t protect Europe without Ukraine joining the alliance. President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 8 that NATO could only guarantee the protection of Europe when Ukraine officially joins the 31-member alliance.
NGO: 31 deported children returned to Ukraine. Ukraine has arranged the return of 31 more children who had been forcibly deported to Russia, Mykola Kuleba, head of the NGO Save Ukraine announced on April 8. The children are expected to arrive in Kyiv in the late afternoon.
General Staff: Russia tries to capture all of Bakhmut, fierce fighting rages for Marinka. Russian forces continue their offensive on Bakhmut in their latest attempts to completely capture the largely ruined city in Donetsk Oblast after eight months of hostilities, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported on April 8.
Air Force: Increased Russian use of gliding bombs highlights need for F-16 jets. Air Force Spokesperson Yurii Ihnat stated that Russian forces are using high-explosive 500 kilogram bombs that have been modified with wings and elementary guidance systems to enable Russian planes to strike from beyond the range of Ukraine’s air defenses.
2 injured in Russian airstrikes on Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Russian airstrikes on the front-line towns of Orikhiv and Huliaipole in Zaporizhzhia Oblast on April 8 injured two civilians, according to the regional prosecutor’s office. The bombs struck private residences and outbuildings, knocking out windows and wounding two men aged 56 and 67.
Support the Kyiv Independent for as little as $5 a month. Become a member today.
Satellite imagery shows new 70-kilometer Russian trench in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Russia has dug a 70 kilometer long unbroken trench as part of their defensive lines in the occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, according to satellite imagery obtained by the Ukrainian outlet Center for Journalistic Investigations.
ISW: Russian forces using artillery to offset degraded offensive capabilities. A Kremlin-backed commander and former Russian-installed proxy official Alexander Khodakovsky said on April 8 that the Russian command has decided to almost completely halt the daily issue of ammunition to areas of the front where there are no active offensive operations.
Ukrenergo: Russia has fired over 1,200 missiles, drones at Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since October. It was “the most difficult heating season in the history of the Ukrainian energy system,” Ukrenergo said, adding that 43% of the energy grid was damaged. The U.K. Defense Ministry said in their latest update that Russia’s campaign to severely degrade Ukraine’s unified energy system within the winter has apparently failed.
Ukraine claims Russia planning early graduations for military schools amid personnel shortage. Ukraine’s General Staff claimed on April 8 that Russia is preparing to hold early graduations from some military schools amid a personnel shortage due to the “significant losses” it is facing on the battlefield.
Telegraph: Twitter lifts restrictions on Russian top government accounts. The Telegraph reported that Twitter had removed search restrictions on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s official Twitter account, as well as Russia’s Foreign Ministry and Russian Embassy in London accounts.
Read our exclusives
Estonian minister warns ‘false peace is prelude to new wars,’ backs NATO membership for Ukraine
In an exclusive interview with the Kyiv Independent, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu admitted that he is not satisfied with either the quantity or pace of the allies’ arms support.
Photo: John Thys/AFP via Getty Images
| Learn More |
Human cost of Russia’s war
Governor: 2 killed, 1 injured by Russian shelling in Kharkiv Oblast. Two men were killed, and a woman was injured by a Russian shelling in villages near Kupiansk in the northeastern Kharkiv Oblast, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov reported on April 8.
Russia targets Zaporizhzhia overnight on April 9, killing 2. Two Russian missiles hit a private residence in the city of Zaporizhzhia on April 9, acting Zaporizhzhia Mayor Anatolii Kurtiev reported on Telegram.
General Staff: Russia has lost 177,680 troops in Ukraine since Feb 24, 2022. Russia has also lost 3,636 tanks, 7,020 armored fighting vehicles, 5,599 vehicles and fuel tanks, 2,727 artillery systems, 533 multiple launch rocket systems, 282 air defense systems, 307 airplanes, 292 helicopters, 2,298 drones, and 18 boats, the military said.
International response
Zelensky: Poland to send 200 Rosomak infantry vehicles to Ukraine. Poland will provide Ukraine with 200 Rosomak infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), and half of them will arrive in the near future, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 8.
French defense chief speaks with Zaluzhniy, promises continued support. Ukraine’s top commander Valeriy Zaluzhnyi spoke on the phone to France’s Chief of Defense Staff Thierry Burkhard to discuss the situation on the front on April 8. Burkhard said he assured Zaluzhnyi of continued weapons and training support for the Ukrainian military.
Ukraine, Poland to jointly repair T-64 tanks. Ukraine’s state-owned defense conglomerate Ukroboronprom announced on April 8 that it would launch joint maintenance of Soviet-era T-64 tanks with a unit of state arms producer Polish Armaments Group (PGZ).
Want to get the news faster? Follow our website: kyivindependent.com.
Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Oleksiy Sorokin, Alexander Khrebet, Francis Farrell, Igor Kossov, Toma Istomina, Asami Terajima, Brad LaFoy, and Olena Goncharova.
If you’re enjoying this newsletter, consider becoming our patron on Patreon or donating via GoFundMe. Start supporting independent journalism today.
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to react!