Wednesday, April 17

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Ukrainian military medics of the 12th Azov brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine provide medical aid to a wounded soldier at a stabilization point in Donetsk Oblast on April 16, 2024. (Photo by Anatolii Stepanov /AFP via Getty Images)

Zelensky: Russia fires 10 times more shells, uses 300 aircraft in Ukraine only.

Russia is firing shells at a ratio of around 10:1 to those of Ukraine and has 30 times more aircraft, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with PBS NewsHour published on April 16.

Military: Fall of Chasiv Yar would open Russia’s way to ‘last strongholds’ in Donetsk Oblast. “If the Russian occupiers manage to capture this city, they will have the opportunity to launch an offensive on Kostiantynivka, Druzhkivka, Kramatorsk, and Sloviansk,” military spokesperson Nazar Voloshyn told Politico.

Ombudsman: Almost 37,000 Ukrainians considered missing. Ukraine registers almost 37,000 people who are considered missing, including children, other civilians, and military personnel, Ukraine’s Chief Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said on April 16.

Ukrainian survivor of Russian torture files legal complaint in Argentina. Argentina’s constitution allows for trials on “international crimes, including crimes against humanity and war crimes, irrespective of where they took place,” on the basis of universal jurisdiction, TRP said in a press release.

Zelensky signs mobilization bill. Ukraine’s bill on mobilization has been signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to the online portal of Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, on April 16.

Deputy PM: Ukraine hopes to begin EU accession talks in June. The EU should be able to offer a negotiating framework to begin the process of Ukraine’s ascension to the European Union in June, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna said during a press briefing on April 16, as reported by the Hromadske news outlet.

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Bloomberg: Russia does not have capability to launch offensive on Kharkiv.

Western officials do not believe that Russia has the capability to launch a new attack on Ukraine’s second city of Kharkiv “without a major replenishment of Russian troops,” Bloomberg reported on April 16.

Zelensky: Ukraine to convene NATO-Ukraine Council to discuss air defense. Ukraine will send a request to convene a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine council to discuss the defense of Ukrainian skies and supplies of air defense systems, President Volodymyr Zelensky said during his evening address on April 16.

General Shapovalov appointed as new head of Southern Operational Command. Brigadier General Hennadii Shapovalov has been appointed as a new commander of the Southern Operational Command’s forces, the command said on April 16.

IMF expects Ukrainian economy to grow by 3.2% in 2024, by 6.5% in 2025. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts that Ukraine’s gross domestic product (GDP) will grow by 3.2% in 2024 and by up to 6.5% in 2025 even as the country continues to grapple with the full-scale invasion.

Bloomberg: Russian aluminum company could lose 36% of sales due to sanctions. Nearly 40% of sales at Russia’s largest aluminum producer, Rusal, are at risk due to sanctions imposed by the U.S. and U.K., Bloomberg reported on April 16.

Read our exclusives

‘Double-tap’ attack. Understanding one of Russia’s cruelest tactics in Ukraine

Hitting a building, waiting for first responders and the media to arrive, and hitting the same place again to target those who came to put out the fire, help the victims, or document a potential war crime is a well-honed tool of Russia.

Photo: State Emergency Service of Ukraine

Speaker Johnson advances aid bills, but time running out as Ukraine’s supplies dry up

House Speaker Mike Johnson said on April 16 that following new rounds of talks with House Republicans, he planned to advance three separate aid packages for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and other U.S. allies.

Photo: Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images

Ukraine war latest: Russia destroyed Kyiv Oblast power plant after Ukraine ran out of air defense missiles, Zelensky says

Russian forces destroyed the Trypillia Thermal Power Plant in Kyiv Oblast because Ukraine had run out of missiles to defend it during an attack, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with PBS NewsHour.

Photo: Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images

Human cost of war

Russia attacks 13 communities in Sumy Oblast, injuring 1. Russian forces struck 13 communities in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy Oblast in 35 separate attacks throughout the day, the regional administration reported on April 16. One civilian was injured in the Yampil community following Russia’s airstrike.

Opinions and insights

Opinion: A look at the drone arsenal Russia uses against Ukraine

“Russia has massively scaled up drone production to supply its troops on the front with as many as possible. This only highlights the importance of supplying Ukraine with more air defense systems to protect the Ukrainian military and civilians alike from Russian drone attacks,” writes Andrii Kharuk, a Ukrainian military historian.

Photo: Ukrainian Presidential Office/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

International response

Latvia to send first batch of drones to Ukraine as part of drone coalition. The Latvian government will deliver its first batch of drones as part of the Latvian-led drone coalition, Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina told reporters on April 16.

PACE adopts resolution calling for using frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) voted unanimously on April 16 in support of a resolution calling for frozen Russian assets to be transferred to a new fund for Ukraine’s reconstruction.

White House: Johnson’s Ukraine, Israel proposal appears to cover desired aid, more details needed. The White House believes that House Speaker Mike Johnson’s proposal on a series of foreign aid bills for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan appears “at first blush” to cover the necessary assistance, U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on April 16.

Scholz says he asked Xi to ‘put pressure on Russia’ to end invasion. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on April 16 that he has asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to “put pressure” on Moscow to end its war in Ukraine, as “China’s word carries weight in Russia.”

How Zelensky became Ukraine’s president in 2019

In other news

Media association calls for replacement of southern military command’s press department head. Ukrainian media association Mediarukh called on April 16 for the replacement of Nataliia Humeniuk, the head of the military’s Southern Operational Command’s press department, for supposedly hindering proper war coverage in Kherson Oblast.

Judiciary council opens disciplinary proceedings against ex-Supreme Court chief. Ukraine’s High Council of Justice opened a disciplinary case regarding the conduct of Vsevolod Kniaziev, the former head of the Supreme Court suspected of corruption, the council’s press service said on April 16.

Media: Corruption prevention agency begins monitoring SBU cybersecurity chief following media investigation. The National Agency on Corruption Prevention began monitoring Illia Vitiuk, the suspended cybersecurity chief of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), following an investigation by the investigative outlet Slidstvo.Info, the outlet reported on April 16, citing a statement from the agency.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Francis Farrell, Kateryna Denisova, Elsa Court, Martin Fornusek, Rachel Amran, and Olena Goncharova.

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