Saturday, April 15

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Servicemen bid farewell at the funeral of Vladyslav Dzikovski, who died in combat. The system administrator of Detektor Media, Vladyslav Dzikovskii, went missing while performing a combat mission in December 2022 his death was only confirmed in April 2023. (Photo by Maksym Polishchuk/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Ombudsman: Execution videos with alleged Ukrainian soldiers will not affect treatment of Russian POWs. The alleged executions of captive Ukrainian soldiers that have appeared in videos circulating online will not affect Ukraine’s treatment of Russian prisoners of war, chief ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets told the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

Kuleba: Ukraine joining NATO does not require Membership Action Plan. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on April 14 that NATO’s Membership Action Plan (MAP) is no longer a necessary step for Ukraine’s path to joining the military alliance.

Ukraine retrieves bodies of 82 fallen soldiers. The bodies of 82 fallen Ukrainian defenders were returned from the possession of Russian forces, Reintegration Ministry reported on April 14.

Melitopol Mayor reports explosion near concentration of Russian equipment. A “powerful” explosion was heard in the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol in Zaporizhzhia Oblast on the morning of April 14, exiled Mayor Ivan Fedorov said on national television, cited by Ukrainska Pravda publication.

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Wagner Group founder: ‘Ideal’ option for Russia to cease active phase of war and go on defensive. Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin’s press service published a text on April 14 that says the “ideal option” would be for Russia to cease the active phase of the war and “firmly entrench” itself in the territories it currently occupies.

UK Defense Ministry: Russia intensifies assault on Bakhmut as Wagner, regular army improve cooperation. Ukrainian defenders still hold the western districts of the city, but they have come under particularly intense Russian artillery fire over the past 48 hours, the ministry wrote in its daily intelligence update.

ISW: Moscow launches Pacific Fleet exercises in hopes to make itself more attractive to China. The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on April 14 that the Russian military had raised the Pacific Fleet of the Eastern Military District to the highest level of combat readiness for combat checks.

Der Spiegel: German company producing weapons for Ukraine **suffers cyberattack.**The German arms manufacturing company Rheinmetall was the victim of a cyberattack on April 14, according to Der Spiegel. Rheinmetall said its automotive sector was attacked, but its military division was not affected.

Human cost of Russia’s war

2-year-old child among 8 killed, 21 injured in Russian missile strike on Sloviansk. The death toll in the April 14 Russian missile strike on Sloviansk has risen to eight, Donetsk Oblast Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on national television. Twenty people have also been reported injured.

General Staff: Russia has lost 181,090 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022.

Ukraine’s General Staff reported on April 14 that Russia had also lost 3,650 tanks, 7,069 armored fighting vehicles, 5,640 vehicles and fuel tanks, 2,784 artillery systems, 535 multiple launch rocket systems, 283 air defense systems, 307 airplanes, 293 helicopters, 2,339 drones, and 18 boats.

Read our exclusives

Explainer: What we learned from Pentagon leak and why it matters

The documents detail the strength of Ukraine’s counteroffensive buildup, the U.S.’s doubt that it will go very far, Ukraine’s approaching vulnerability to air attacks, and how the U.S. surveils foes and allies and many more.

Photo: Getty Images

Ukraine war latest: Russia intensifies Bakhmut assault

Russia has “re-energized” its nine-month-long assault on Bakhmut as the Russian Defense Ministry and the Wagner mercenary group appeared to have improved cooperation, a Western intelligence report said on April 14.

Photo: Getty Images

International response

Japan provides $400 million for Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts. Japan signed an agreement to give Ukraine $400 million toward reconstruction efforts, according to a Facebook post from the Ministry of Reconstruction on April 14.

AP: China pledges not to sell arms to any party of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on April 14 that his country wouldn’t sell weaponry to either side of the Russia-Ukraine war, the Associated Press reported. Speaking at a joint news conference with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock, Qin also said Beijing would regulate exports of goods with dual civilian and military use.

Foreign Ministry criticizes Orbán’s claim Ukraine is financially ‘non-existent’ country. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Oleh Nikolenko has criticized Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s comment that Ukraine was a financially “non-existent” country, calling the remark “cynical” given the amount of aid Hungary also receives from the EU.

Poland to ‘gradually’ supply MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine. Polish President Andrzej Duda said during a press conference on April 14 that Poland will transfer MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine ‘gradually’ while Poland waits for their own air fleet to be replenished by NATO aircraft.

Netherlands, Switzerland pledge funds to IFC program for Ukraine’s economy. The Netherlands and Switzerland committed additional funds to a $2 billion International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) program that is aimed at bolstering Ukraine’s economy, the organization said in a press release on April 14.

Anand: All 8 Leopard 2 tanks pledged by Canada now in Poland. All eight Leopard 2 tanks pledged to Ukraine by Canada are now in Poland, Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand reported on April 14.

Check out our latest video podcast

Episode #3 is dedicated to the massive leak of U.S. military intelligence, and what it revealed about Russia’s war against Ukraine.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Olga Rudenko, Dinara Khalilova, Francis Farrell, Kate Tsurkan, Olena Goncharova, Brad LaFoy, and Haley Zehrung.

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