Tuesday, April 9
Russia’s war against Ukraine
A man inspects the carnage of a Russian attack on Bilopillia in Sumy Oblast on April 8. The day’s attacks on Bilopillia and the city of Sumy killed one person and injured six others. (Sumy Oblast Military Administration/Telegram)
Ground Forces commander calls on Ukrainians to join the army amid manpower shortage. “No matter how much help we get, how many weapons we have – we lack people,” Ukraine’s Ground Forces Commander Oleksandr Pavliuk said.
Russian missile ship set on fire near Kaliningrad, Ukraine’s intelligence claims. A source from Ukraine’s military intelligence confirmed to the Kyiv Independent that its operatives were behind the fire.
FT: Damage to Ukraine’s energy grid worse than in 2022-23 but more localized. Ukrainian officials said the damage to energy infrastructure caused by Russia is worse than in the winter of 2022-2023, although it is more localized, according to the Financial Times.
Air Force: Ukraine downs 20 drones overnight. Ukrainian air defense units destroyed all 20 Shahed-type drones that Russia launched overnight, the Air Force said in its morning update on April 9.
State Department: Russia is playing ‘very dangerous game’ at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. The U.S. continues to monitor the conditions at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant following reports about strikes on the plant’s main reactor containment, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a press conference on April 8.
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Military intelligence: Ukraine directly controls Black Sea oil rigs, undermining Russia’s reconnaissance capabilities. Russia’s reconnaissance capabilities in the sky, on the water, and on land suffered after Ukraine regained control of a set of oil drilling platforms located in the Black Sea last autumn, Ukraine’s military intelligence said on April 8.
Anti-Kremlin militia says ‘hot phase’ of recent incursions into Russia is over. The Russian Volunteer Corps announced the completion of the “hot phase” of its raids into border regions of Russia from Ukraine on April 7 in the evening.
Washington Post: Russia uses trolls to undermine US support for Ukraine. Moscow is trying to undermine Ukraine’s support in the U.S., using its troll farms and political strategists, in light of Kyiv’s critical need for further aid to defend itself from Russia, the Washington Post reported on April 8 after reviewing internal Kremlin documents obtained by a European intelligence service.
The Economist: Russian attacks aim to make Kharkiv uninhabitable for civilians. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov told The Economist that his city has no intention of giving up. He pointed out that Kharkiv had already gone through a worse situation at the start of the full-scale war when only 300,000 residents of the population of 2 million remained in the city.
Board Guard: Ukraine builds up defenses along entire border with Russia, Belarus. Ukrainian forces are building up defensive capabilities along the entire border with Russia and Belarus, Ukraine’s State Border Guard spokesperson Andrii Demchenko said on April 8 on national television.
Russia’s ice-class ship Katerina Velikaya reportedly caught fire, leaving 1 dead, 3 injured. Russia’s unique ice navigation vessel Katerina Velikaya caught fire while it was under repair at the shipyard Dalzavod in Vladivostok, Primorsky Krai, Russia’s Far Eastern Prosecutor’s Office claimed on April 8.
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Ukraine war latest: Russian missile ship set on fire near Kaliningrad, Ukraine’s intelligence claims
The Russian missile ship Serpukhov, which was docked off the exclave of Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea, was set on fire on April 8, Ukraine’s military intelligence claimed.
Photo: Valya Egorshin/NurPhoto via Getty Images
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Human cost of war
Governor: Russian attack on Poltava Oblast kills 1, injures 10, including 3 children. Russian forces struck a residential building in Poltava Oblast late on April 8, killing one person and wounding 10 more, including three children, Governor Filip Pronin reported.
1 killed, at least 5 injured in Russian attacks on Sumy Oblast. A woman was killed and at least five more people were injured in Russian air strikes on Sumy Oblast on April 8, Ukrainian authorities reported.
Authorities: Russian attacks in Donetsk Oblast kill 1, injure 5, including teenage girl. Russian attacks against Chasiv Yar and Selydove in Donetsk Oblast killed one person and wounded five more, including a teenage girl, regional authorities reported on April 8.
International response
Denmark announces $5.8 million in aid for Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. “Energy security and supply is being used as a weapon against Ukraine to wear down Ukrainian citizens,” said Danish Energy Minister Lars Aagaard.
Bloomberg: Switzerland aims to host Ukraine’s peace formula summit in mid-June. Switzerland aims to host a global peace summit on Russia’s war against Ukraine in mid-June with 80-100 countries invited to attend, Bloomberg reported on April 8, citing people familiar with the matter.
EU to impose restrictions on export of Ukrainian agriculture products, agrees to free trade extension. The European Council announced on April 8 that it had reached a provisional deal with European Parliament representatives to extend the suspension of import duties and quotas on Ukrainian exports to the EU until June 2025, but with new restrictions on agriculture products.
Russian FM Lavrov arrives in China on official visit. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has arrived in Beijing, China, on a state visit, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced on the morning of April 8.
In other news
Reuters: Russia asks Kazakhstan to resupply gasoline in case of shortages, sources say. Russia has asked Kazakhstan to be ready to supply the country with 100,000 tons of gasoline in case of Russian gasoline shortages caused by an increase of Ukrainian drone attacks on oil refineries, three sources told Reuters on April 8.
Ukraine, Hungary agree on opening new border checkpoint. Ukraine and Hungary agreed on opening a new border crossing for passenger vehicles at Velyka Palad-Nagyhodos and expand the Luzhanka-Berehshuran crossing to allow for empty vehicles weighing over 7.5 tons, the Infrastructure Ministry reported on April 8.
French billionaire Xavier Niel to buy 2 Ukrainian telecoms companies in one of largest acquisitions in country’s history. The total value of the acquisition, including the purchase price and investment, is expected to be over $1 billion, a source involved in the deal told the Kyiv Independent.
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