18 April. Russian forces carried out four missile strikes, as many as 60 air raids and 58 artillery attacks, the majority of which were directed at Odesa. In the occupied areas of Kherson Oblast, Russian troops continued extensive mining operations, including in the water areas of the Konka and Dnipro rivers, leading to accidents involving civilians.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy paid his first visit to forward Ukrainian positions in Avdiivka, stating that since the beginning of the invasion 2,235 Ukrainian prisoners of war had returned from Russian captivity.

The Ukrainian military command introduced new regulations governing journalists’ access to combat zones, dividing them into three categories (yellow, red and green) based on security considerations. In addition, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine created an online database of Russian and pro-Russian separatist fighters killed in Ukraine, identifying by name 56,827 casualties.

In the following days, deliveries of air defence systems to Ukraine were resumed. Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov and Deputy Defence Minister General Oleksandr Pavliuk confirmed that MIM-104 Patriot air defence systems from the United States, Germany and the Netherlands had arrived in Ukraine. Denmark and the Netherlands also announced the transfer of 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, to be delivered in the first quarter of 2024. Furthermore, South Korea declared its readiness to supply weapons to Ukraine in the event of mass attacks on civilians, provoking a sharp reaction from Russia. Dmitry Medvedev warned of possible military assistance to North Korea.

On 20 April, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg visited Ukraine, and President Zelenskyy received an invitation to attend the NATO summit scheduled for July in Vilnius.

An incident occurred in Russia when a Russian Su-34 supersonic aircraft accidentally “released aviation ordnance” over the city of Belgorod, causing an explosion and injuring three people. Oleksii Danilov, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, described the event as “provocative shelling of their own cities.”

On 21 April, the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, bringing together more than 50 countries, met for the 11th time in the Ramstein format. Ukraine once again requested Western fighter aircraft. Germany, Ukraine and Poland signed an agreement on the establishment of a Leopard 2 tank repair hub near the Polish–Ukrainian border. In addition, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed that “all NATO Allies agree that Ukraine will become a member of the Alliance,” albeit only after the end of the war with Russia.

A court in Moscow issued an in absentia arrest warrant for General Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukrainian military intelligence, in connection with the attack on the Crimean Bridge.

In the following days, numerous cases of looting and forced mobilisation were reported. For example, in Berdiansk the occupation authorities attempted to export stolen grain. In the same city, Russian forces ordered medical personnel who had accepted Russian passports to register for military service under threat of dismissal, in order to compensate for shortages of military doctors. The UK Ministry of Defence reported that Russia had accelerated the integration of occupied territories by coercing residents into accepting Russian passports in order to portray the invasion as a success. Residents of Kherson Oblast were threatened with deportation and confiscation of property if they failed to accept Russian passports by 1 June.

On 24 April, the Ukrainian General Staff reported clashes between Russian soldiers and mercenaries of the Wagner Group in Stanytsia Luhanska, resulting in a firefight and casualties on both sides.

At approximately 3:30 a.m., Ukrainian drones struck the base of the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol. Russia claimed that three unmanned surface vessels had been destroyed, while Ukraine did not comment on the attack. The Institute for the Study of War revealed that Russia was transporting Iranian ammunition via the Caspian Sea. The Centre for Eastern Studies reported that Russian forces had resumed attacks west of Bakhmut in an attempt to cut the route to Chasiv Yar. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba appealed for urgent ammunition deliveries, accusing France of blocking purchases from outside the European Union and insisting on the exclusive participation of EU-based companies.

Illustrative photo generated by AI