4 April. The heaviest fighting took place in Bakhmut and Marinka, where battles continued for control of the city centres. Ukrainian forces repelled 30 attacks on Bakhmut. Russia carried out missile strikes and drone attacks; 14 of 17 Shahed drones were shot down. Drones struck the area of Odesa airport.

In Melitopol, Russian forces distributed leaflets urging evacuation deep into Russia in anticipation of a Ukrainian counteroffensive, as part of a psychological warfare campaign. In the Avdiivka area, Russian troops reportedly employed grenades containing chloropicrin. Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk appealed to Ukrainians living in occupied territories to leave in preparation for the planned counteroffensive. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) warned that Russia’s nuclear threats were intended to deter Western support for Ukraine and were primarily propagandistic in nature. The United States announced a new military assistance package worth USD 2.6 billion. Meanwhile, classified Pentagon documents concerning Ukraine’s counteroffensive were leaked on social media, prompting the Pentagon to launch an investigation.

5 April. Russian forces continued attacks on Bakhmut, where fighting for the city centre persisted. Odesa again came under shelling. Serhii Cherevatyi denied reports of alleged ammunition shortages on the Russian side. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy paid an official visit to Warsaw, signing agreements on arms deliveries, including Rosomak armoured personnel carriers, Rak self-propelled mortars, and additional MiG-29 fighter jets. President Andrzej Duda announced the delivery of 14 MiG-29 fighters and reaffirmed Poland’s support for Ukraine’s NATO membership bid. The ISW assessed that President Vladimir Putin was accelerating the integration of occupied territories into the Russian Federation. Russian advances were also reported in the Bakhmut area.

6 April. The UK Ministry of Defence reported that Russian forces had entered central Bakhmut, threatening Ukrainian logistical lines. The ISW noted that Russia was forming new specialised units composed of reservists and withdrawing equipment from Crimea in anticipation of a Ukrainian counteroffensive. Ukraine’s defence conglomerate Ukroboronprom announced the launch of 125 mm ammunition production in cooperation with the Polish Armaments Group. China distanced itself from Russia, with its ambassador to the EU stating that the “friendship without limits” was purely rhetorical; China does not recognise Crimea as part of Russia and does not intend to supply weapons to Moscow.

In the occupied areas of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts, Russian forces intensified preparations for evacuating the local population to Crimea, spreading information about a forced evacuation of civilians planned for late April.

8 April. Russia conducted heavy shelling, including four missile strikes, hitting civilians in the Kupiansk area, causing fatalities in Dvorichna and injuries in Podoly. Repression intensified in occupied territories: in Kherson Oblast, phone inspections and house searches were carried out. Due to missile shortages, Russian forces increasingly relied on FAB-500 guided aerial bombs, which proved difficult for Ukrainian air defences to intercept.

9 April. Commander of Ukraine’s Ground Forces, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, stated that Russian forces attacking Bakhmut were employing a “Syrian-style” scorched-earth tactic, but that “the defence of Bakhmut continued; the situation was difficult but under control.” He noted that Russian forces were compelled to deploy special units due to heavy losses suffered by the Wagner Group. Russia continued missile attacks, striking Zaporizhzhia and Kostiantynivka with S-300 systems, resulting in civilian deaths and the destruction of residential buildings. Forced passportisation persisted in occupied territories; in Tokmak, obtaining a Russian passport required, inter alia, a Ukrainian passport, a birth certificate, and fingerprinting.

Ukraine resumed electricity exports for the first time since October 2022, having achieved a surplus within its power system.

In the following days, Russian pressure on Ukrainian citizens in occupied territories continued. In Snizhne, hospital staff without Russian passports were dismissed, while in Enerhodar movement permits were introduced. Ukraine and Russia also conducted a prisoner exchange, with 106 Russian soldiers exchanged for 100 Ukrainians.

MiG-29 aircraft transferred by Slovakia were reportedly deliberately damaged by Russian technicians; Ukraine undertook their repair. The Russian State Duma adopted legislation introducing electronic conscription summonses. The UK Ministry of Defence and the ISW confirmed that Russian airborne troops had been equipped with TOS-1A thermobaric rocket systems, indicating their anticipated involvement in offensive operations.

Illustrative photo generated by AI