Russia-Ukraine War Newsletter – APRIL 1-7, 2024
Latest military, political, humanitarian and economic developments
SUMMARY
Russian forces continue attacks in eastern Ukraine, increasing the number and scale of mechanized assaults.
In recent days, Russian drone and missile strikes have been deliberately targeting the critical infrastructure of the city of Kharkiv, aiming to create conditions that would force the population to flee (approximately 1 mln people), effectively making the city uninhabitable.
Russia is increasingly using "double-tap" attacks, striking the same locations repeatedly - targeting rescue workers who arrive at the sites to deal with the aftermath of drone and missile attacks. The latest Russian "double-tap" attacks hit Kharkiv, killing three rescue workers, and Zaporizhzhia .
The Armed Forces of Ukraine struck at the Russian infrastructure on the territory of Tatarstan, demonstrating the ability to hit targets at a distance of more than 1000 km.
On April 7, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported a drone explosion at the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in his communications with colleagues in the EU and NATO, reported that China is assisting Russia "on a scale that raises concerns". China has intensified its support for the Russian military-industrial complex, particularly by providing essential sanctioned goods and satellite imagery to the Kremlin for strikes on Ukrainian targets.
OPERATIONAL SITUATION
Positional battles continue on the front line. The Russian military continues attacks, concentrating its efforts in the eastern direction. They are trying to capture Chasiv Yar near Bakhmut and to advance in the Avdiivka area. There is an increase in the number and scale of Russian mechanized ground assaults in some areas of the front.
Russian troops continue to strike at the territory of Ukraine. During the week, they were especially active in attacking Kharkiv, which was subjected to intense strikes with guided aerial bombs. Civilian casualties were also caused by missile strikes on Dnipro on April 2 and Zaporizhzhia on April 5.
Ukrainian air defense repels daily attacks carried out by UAVs. On the night of April 2, it intercepted 9 out of 10 kamikaze drones used; on the night of April 4 – 11 out of 20 drones; on the night of April 5 – all 13 UAVs used; on the night of April 6 – 28 out of 32 drones and 3 out of 6 missiles; on the night of April 7 – all 17 UAVs.
One of the targets of Russian attacks remains Ukraine's energy system. DTEK company reported that it lost 80% of its generating capacity as a result of the strikes. Ukrenergo was forced to apply temporary measures to limit electricity consumption in Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kirovohrad, Poltava and Sumy regions.
During the week, the losses of civilians in different regions of Ukraine as a result of the actions of the Russian military amounted to at least: in the Donetsk region, 7 people killed and 15 people wounded; in Kherson region – 3 people killed and 28 people wounded; in the Kharkiv region, 15 people killed and 37 people wounded; in Dnipropetrovsk region – 19 people wounded; in Zaporizhzhia region – 7 people killed and more than 20 people wounded; in Odesa region – 1 person killed.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine launched several strikes on Russian military infrastructure. On the night of April 2, drones attacked targets on the territory of Tatarstan - an enterprise in the city of Yelabuga, which produces kamikaze drones for the Russian army, and an oil refinery in Nizhnekamsk. On the night of April 5, drones attacked a Russian military airfield in the Rostov region. Russian sources report ongoing shelling of the city of Bedgorod and UAV attacks on the city of Kursk on Russian territory. In addition, on April 1, a car was blown up on the territory of the temporarily occupied Starobilsk (Luhansk region), and a local collaborator was killed in the incident.
On April 2 President Zelenskyy signed a law that allows for the mobilization of conscripts from the age of 25 (previously from 27 years old). This change in the mobilization age reflects the ongoing need for Ukraine to bolster its military forces. Russia’s Defense Ministry said on April 3 that more than 100,000 people have signed up to fight as contract soldiers in the war against Ukraine so far this year.
HUMANITARIAN SITUATION, POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS
According to data from the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, international partners have allocated over 700 million USD for humanitarian demining projects from 2022 to 2027. Among the key donors are the United States, Switzerland, Norway, EU countries, Japan, the Netherlands, Germany, and others. Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, there have been 656 mine-related accidents. Explosions have killed 296 civilians, with another 665 injured.
Ukraine's defense industry is ramping up domestic weapons production amidst the ongoing war with Russia. Key developments include: increasing production of the Bohdana artillery cannon from one to eight per month and tripling armored vehicle production and quadrupling anti-tank missile output compared to prewar levels. Funding for research and development is forecast to increase by eight times this year — to $1.3 billion from $162 million — according to an analysis of Ukraine’s military budget through 2030 by Janes, a defense intelligence firm.
Former adviser to the Office of the President and SBU official Artem Shilo, who is suspected of organizing a scheme to seize almost 100 million UAH in procurement at Ukrzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways), was taken into custody on April 4. On April 5, a bail of 30 million UAH was posted for him. According to the investigation, from June to December 2022, the leader of the criminal group, through controlled officials of Ukrzaliznytsia, ensured the selection of a predetermined company as a supplier of power transformers at an inflated cost.
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