Russia's Ongoing Assault on Ukraine: Critical Updates from the Frontlines

Dispatches from Ukraine. Day 1,154.

Russia’s Attacks on Ukraine

Kharkiv region. A Russian missile strike In Ukraine's second-biggest city, an attack struck crowded urban zones on April 18, resulting in the death of one individual and injuries to around 120 locals, with five of them being children. Additionally, a Russian air raid hit the village of Petropavlivka located in east Ukraine. killed Two individuals on April 21.

Kherson region. On April 21, a Russian drone was involved. dropped Explosives in the southern village of Bilozerka resulted in the death of one woman and injured two additional individuals.

Donetsk region. A Russian air attack on April 19 struck A home in the eastern city of Kostyantynivka was hit, resulting in the deaths of two civilians. The rescue crews encountered ongoing shelling throughout the recovery mission.

Sumy region. On the morning of April 18, Russian troops launched Three drone attacks hit a bakery in northeast Ukraine, resulting in one civilian death and another injury.

Quoting Ukrainian military officials, The Times newspaper from the UK has highlighted a significant rise in the utilization of banned chemical weapons By Russian troops aiming to overwhelm Ukrainian defenses along the eastern battlefronts. Russia, being a party to the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, refutes these claims. Meanwhile, Ukraine reports over 7,000 documented cases where Russian forces employed such weaponry since the conflict began three years ago, with about one-third occurring within this current year. These arms lead to severe effects including breathing difficulties, nausea, intense burning sensations, and various incapacitating conditions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared A "Easter ceasefire," promising to halt military activities in Ukraine from the night of April 19 through April 21. The Kremlin statement was presented as a compassionate initiative, with Putin encouraging Kyiv to follow suit. Nevertheless, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy highlighted the irony behind Putin’s assertions when Russian drones struck Ukraine shortly after the supposed truce began. Ukrainian authorities echoed his sentiments. reported Over 2,000 breaches of the ceasefire by Russia were reported, asserting that artillery attacks and offensives at the eastern and southern battlefronts did not cease entirely but merely lessened in frequency. When the truce expired, Russian troops restarted their offensive against Ukraine with a series of nighttime drone and missile raids.

Ukraine is under pressure To react to a series of suggestions put forth by the Trump administration regarding resolving the conflict with Russia. The American proposal that Ukrainian authorities obtained during their time in Paris on April 17 involves acknowledging Russia’s annexation of Crimea from 2014 and rejecting Ukraine’s ambitions for NATO membership. It is anticipated that Kyiv will consider these suggestions at an important gathering scheduled for April 23 in London.

The new proposals put forth by Washington mark a substantial shift away from America's traditional stance, which has consistently opposed Russia’s land grabs and backed Ukraine’s efforts towards joining Europe. These potential compromises have encountered opposition within Ukraine, where safeguarding its territory remains a priority. It's worth noting that the Trump administration hasn’t insisted on complete Russian evacuation from seized parts of Ukraine; rather, they've suggested stabilizing the situation at present frontlines. Back in January, this kind of arrangement—one indicating diminishing backing from their key partner—was seen as particularly concerning for Ukraine.

Russian authorities are systematically seizing thousands of residences belonging to Ukrainian citizens in the besieged southeastern city of Mariupol With over 5,700 assets marked for seizure, as revealed by BBC Verify's investigation, most of these confiscated residences belonged to individuals who either escaped the area or perished during Russia’s assault in 2022. According to Human Rights Watch, this attack resulted in more than 8,000 fatalities. However, Ukraine suggests that the actual death toll among civilians could be much higher, potentially reaching into the tens of thousands. This move from Russia forms part of their larger strategy to strengthen their grip on the captured territory, involving not only property seizures but also erecting new military structures and replacing street names with those sanctioned by Moscow.

The recently enacted laws by the pro-Russian government have expedited the confiscation procedures, nearly eliminating the possibility for Ukrainians to protect their property rights. Besides these legal challenges, reclaiming one’s possessions requires traveling along routes that pass through areas controlled by Russia, complete with rigorous checkpoint inspections. Property holders from Ukraine, most of whom do not want to obtain Russian citizenship, must decide whether to undertake this hazardous journey or risk forfeiting their assets.

On April 19, President Zelensky stated announced the comeback of 277 Ukrainian POWs Through a prisoner swap facilitated by the United Arab Emirates, the most recent exchange has raised the total number of released prisoners of war to 4,552 since the start of the conflict. The day before, on April 18, Ukraine had reported this development. secured The return of 909 fallen soldiers' remains from southeastern Ukraine.

Culture Front.

British art publisher FUEL is set to release Ukrainian Modernism , an photography book by Dmytro Soloviov, featuring over 120 architectural landmarks throughout Ukraine From Kiev’s iconic Hotel Salute to the Uzhhorod airport, the book will explore the blend of function and style in Soviet-era constructions. Although historically significant, these edifices often go unnoticed despite facing constant risks of demolition. The revenue generated from this publication will benefit the British Red Cross' relief initiatives in Ukraine.

In 2024, Russia reportedly delivered more than 90,000 copies of propaganda literature will be distributed to libraries in the eastern part of the Luhansk region. The latest distribution of books was part of the Kremlin’s nationwide "Culture" initiative, launched in Russia in 2019 and extended into the annexed Ukrainian regions starting in 2023. According to Ukrainian literary experts, this effort by Russia seeks to supplant Ukrainian cultural expressions with Russian ideologies and to influence upcoming generations of Ukrainian youth against their nation.

By Danylo Nosov, Alan Sacks