These are the major events on day 1,142 of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
This is the current situation as of Friday, April 11:
Conflict
- Russia stated that its air defense systems intercepted 48 Ukrainian drones overnight and during the early morning in Bryansk, Kursk, Kaluga, Belgorod, Moscow, Oryol regions, as well as in the Russian-occupied Crimea.
- According to the Russian Ministry of Defence, its forces took control of the border village of Zhuravka in Ukraine’s Sumy region.
- Ukrainian authorities reported 145 Russian drones in their airspace during overnight strikes, out of which 85 were demolished while 49 were “lost” due to electronic warfare tactics, as reported by Kyiv’s air force.
- At least 13 civilians were injured due to Russian drone attacks in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, and the southern city of Mykolaiv overnight, as per local authorities. The drone strikes also damaged nine apartment blocks, several garages, and an administrative building.
- At least one individual was killed and three others were wounded in a Russian missile attack on Ukraine’s Dnipro city. The attack damaged civilian infrastructure and sparked a large fire, according to the regional governor, Serhiy Lysak.
- One person was also killed in a separate drone strike on a residential building in the city of Zhytomyr, west of Kyiv, as stated by Ukrainian officials.
- Footage from a Ukrainian surveillance drone obtained by the Associated Press showed four Ukrainian prisoners being killed by soldiers wearing Russian uniform markings.
- The Kremlin’s shorter version of the video, posted by a Russian military blogger, showed the Ukrainian soldiers lying on the ground alive. The video’s caption stated that the “enemy chose not to be killed and surrendered with their hands up”. The video did not depict their execution.
Cessation of Hostilities
- Moscow’s Defence Ministry accused Ukraine of conducting 11 attacks on Russian energy infrastructure over the past 24 hours, despite a mutually agreed 30-day truce on energy strikes.
Politics and Diplomacy
- Russia released Russian-American ballet dancer Ksenia Karelina, who was serving a 12-year prison sentence, in a prisoner exchange with the US, as reported by Reuters, citing Karelina’s lawyer.
- Karelina was convicted of treason by a Russian court for donating $52 to a US charity aiding Ukraine. She was traded for Arthur Petrov, a German-Russian citizen arrested in 2023.
- China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs advocated for a “sober” assessment of its role in the Ukraine crisis following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s claim that Kyiv’s intelligence had information about 155 Chinese citizens fighting alongside Russian forces against Ukraine. A spokesperson for the ministry also warned against making “irresponsible” statements about the presence of Chinese fighters in Ukraine.
- President Zelenskyy accused Russia of systematically recruiting fighters in China for the conflict in Ukraine. He stated, “All necessary actions must be taken to ensure Russia does not have similar opportunities to prolong and expand the conflict.”
- The United States and Russia engaged in talks in Istanbul, Turkiye, aimed at normalizing diplomatic ties between the two nations. The discussions were led by Russia’s new ambassador to Washington, Alexander Darchiev, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Sonata Coulter.
- Defense ministers from approximately 30 countries, part of the “coalition of the willing,” convened in Brussels to discuss a “reassurance force” for Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow. However, key questions regarding its mission and potential support from the US remained unaddressed.
- The US ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink, is stepping down after three years of service, as announced by the US Department of State.
