Ukraine Daily

Monday, 11 April 2022

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Russia’s war against Ukraine

Debris of the world’s biggest cargo aircraft Antonov An-225 Mriya pictured at the Hostomel Airfield on April 8, 2022 (The Kyiv Independent)

UK intelligence update: Russia tries recruiting troops from Moldova’s occupied Transnistria. Following its “mounting losses,” Russia is trying to increase the number of troops with personnel discharged from military service since 2012 and by recruiting soldiers from Russian-occupied Transnistria, the British Ministry of Defense reported on April 10.

Denisova: Kremlin forces Ukrainians deported to Russia to receive local passports. Some 12,000 passports have already been issued. “Forced passportization is illegal and is not recognized in Ukraine, it is contrary to the principles and norms of international law and is a direct violation of the Geneva Convention,” Ombudsman Lyudmyla Denisova said.

CNN: Satellite imagery shows a 12-kilometer-long Russian military convoy east of Kharkiv. Satellite images by Maxar Technologies show a military convoy of armored vehicles and “trucks with towed artillery” moving south through Velyky Burluk, a village in Kharkiv Oblast not far from Ukraine’s border with Russia, on April 8.

Kyiv reopening after siege: 900 grocery stores, 460 cafes working. According to the city administration, among the opened businesses are 340 hairdressers salons, 535 car repair shops, 35 food markets, 55 bakeries, 75 clothes and shoes stores. See the map of businesses that have reopened.

General Staff: Russia prepares for an ‘offensive operation’ to break through Donbas defense lines. Russia continues to regroup equipment and troops, transferring battalion tactical groups to Belgorod, Voronezh, and Kursk regions bordering Ukraine. The main goal is to take full control of the four Ukrainian cities – Popasna, Rubizhne, Nyzhne, and Novobakhmutivka. There is also a possibility that Russia will launch new attacks on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-biggest city, the Armed Forces report.

New York Times: Russia will likely wage an offensive between Izium and Dnipro. U.S. analysts predict Russian troops will carry out a major offensive from Izium to the central city of Dnipro, a strategic target in Donbas region, unnamed U.S. military officials said on April 10. The assessment came as satellite images showed hundreds of military vehicles moving towards the city of Izium, located some 230 km east of Dnipro. Russian forces need Izium to hold their western-forward battle lines.

Zelensky: ‘We are defending the ability of a person to live in the modern world.’ In a “60 Minutes” interview with CBS on April 10, President Volodymyr Zelensky said the world is responsible for what is happening in Ukraine, comparing its inaction to that of countries that stood aside during the Second World War. “Are those countries who did not participate in the war responsible? The countries who let German forces march through Europe? Does the world carry responsibility for the genocide? Yes. Yes, it does.”

World Bank predicts Ukraine’s economy to shrink by almost half in 2022. Ukraine’s economy is on course to contract by over 45% this year as Russia’s full-scale invasion and the impact of a “deep humanitarian crisis” takes its toll, the World Bank said on April 10 in a new report. The organization also forecasts Russia’s 2022 GDP output to fall 11.2% due to financial sanctions.

Almost entire city of Severodonetsk shelled, says governor. Luhansk Oblast Governor Serhiy Haidai said “the city’s infrastructure has been almost completely destroyed.” On April 10, two residential buildings and a clinic were hit by Russia.

Putin, Lukashenko to meet in Russian Far East on April 12. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko will discuss the war in Ukraine at Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Russian Far East. Russian state-controlled media reported that there will be a press conference after the meeting.

UN: Over 4.5 million refugees have fled Ukraine since beginning of Russia’s all-out war. According to the most recent data from the United Nations’ refugee agency 4,503,954 refugees have fled Ukraine since Feb. 24. Poland has received the most refugees with over 2.6 million, closely followed by Romania and Hungary with over 686,000 and 419,000, respectively.

FM Kuleba: ‘Extremely difficult to even think of negotiations with people who commit, find excuses for atrocities, war crimes.’ “But I understand one thing — if sitting down with the Russians will help me prevent at least one massacre, like in Bucha, or at least another attack in Kramatorsk, I have to take that opportunity,” Dmytro Kuleba said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Ukrainian government allocated $32 million for reconstruction of destroyed infrastructure. Kyiv Oblast will receive almost half, or $13 million. In Chernihiv and Sumy oblasts, the government will spend $8 million for each, in Zhytomyr Oblast – $3 million. “This is just the first phase, and there is still a lot of work ahead to rebuild our country,” said Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

UK intelligence: Further evidence of Russian war crimes, allegations of sexual violence persist. The UK Ministry of Defense said in an update on April 10 that a “makeshift grave containing deceased Ukrainian civilians” has been found near Burzova, a village near Kyiv, following Russian forces’ withdrawal from northern Ukraine.

190 priests demand head of Ukrainian Orthodox Church Moscow Patriarchate be brought to church tribunal for position on war. Archpriest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) Andriy Pinchuk on April 10 accused Patriarch Kirill of Moscow of blessing the actions of Russian troops in Ukraine, which he called a moral crime.

The human cost of Russia’s war

At least 227 civilians killed by Russian forces in Donetsk Oblast, excluding Mariupol and Volnovakha. Head of Donetsk Regional Military Administration Pavlo Kyrylenko also said in a Telegram post on April 10 that 748 civilians are known to be wounded in Donetsk due to attacks by Russian forces.

10 people, including a child, killed on April 10 due to Russian attacks on Kharkiv Oblast. Eleven people were injured. According to Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Synehubov, intense fighting is ongoing near Izyum, a city with a pre-war population of 45,000 people.

International response

Slovakia confirms negotiations with Ukraine on sale of Zuzana howitzers. “I can confirm that we are in talks,” Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad said during a televised debate. Zuzana-2, a self-propelled howitzer, has a maximum range of 50 kilometers.

Sullivan: Russia planned attacks on civilians in Ukraine. In an interview with ABC News on April 10, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that available intelligence “indicated that there was a plan from the highest levels of the Russian government to target civilians who oppose the invasion.”

The Times: Finland, Sweden set to join NATO as soon as summer. Officials are quoted as having said that Russia made a “massive strategic blunder,” as the two countries are forecasted to join the alliance in the coming months. NATO membership for Finland and Sweden was reportedly “a topic of conversation and multiple sessions” during talks last week.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Asami Terajima, Daria Shulzhenko, Natalia Datskevych, Teah Pelechaty, Olena Goncharova, Oleksiy Sorokin, Olga Rudenko, Toma Istomina, Lili Bivings and Brad LaFoy.

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