Key developments on day 1,161 of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine
This is the summary of developments as of Wednesday, April 30:
Conflict
- Russian drone assaults hit Kharkiv and Dnipro on Tuesday night, resulting in at least one fatality and 38 injuries, including two children, according to officials.
- The Russian Ministry of Defence announced the capture of the village of Doroshivka in northeastern Kharkiv region.
- Sumy’s governor stated that Russian troops are attempting to establish a buffer zone in the northeastern region but have not been successful.
- Earlier drone strikes by Russia on Tuesday resulted in the death of a 12-year-old girl in central Dnipropetrovsk region and injuries to three people in Kyiv.
- Ukrainian authorities mandated the evacuation of seven villages in eastern Dnipropetrovsk region, which are now threatened as Russian forces advance.
- A Ukrainian drone attacked a car in Russia’s Belgorod region, which shares a border with Ukraine, causing two deaths and three injuries.
- Russia’s Defence Ministry reported destroying 91 Ukrainian drones overnight, with 40 intercepted in the Kursk region.
- Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal stated that Russia’s attacks have reduced the country’s domestic gas production by nearly half over winter, necessitating continued imports.
Diplomatic Efforts
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated calls for a complete ceasefire after Russia announced a unilateral three-day truce from May 8-10.
- Zelenskyy also spoke at a meeting in Warsaw about Russia’s potential military maneuvers in Belarus this summer, under the guise of military exercises.
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the US may cease mediation unless Russia and Ukraine present “concrete proposals” for ending the conflict.
- The US clarified its stance, advocating for a “complete and durable ceasefire” rather than a brief truce for celebratory purposes.
- Russia declined Ukraine’s suggestion to extend the truce to 30 days, citing unresolved “questions” that make a lengthy ceasefire challenging.
- Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN’s political affairs chief, expressed support for the increased diplomatic efforts to secure negotiations and progress towards a ceasefire and settlement.
- France and the UK endorsed US mediation efforts, criticizing Russia, who in turn denied accusations of targeting Ukrainian civilians. Kyiv emphasized that peace must not come at any cost.
- France accused Russia’s military intelligence of orchestrating cyberattacks on multiple French institutions since 2021, aiming to destabilize the country.
Political Developments
- An investigation by Forbidden Stories revealed that Ukrainian journalist Viktoriya Roshchyna was tortured and had her organs removed while in Russian captivity.
- A Russian military court sentenced a man to 27 years for attempting to kill army pilots with poisoned substances on Ukrainian orders.
- Ukraine detained defense officials suspected of providing the army with defective mortar shells.
- Latvia sentenced one of its citizens to six years in prison for fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine, per the Latvian prosecutor’s office.
