Dispatches from Ukraine, provided by Forbes Ukraine’s editorial team.
As Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues and the war rages on, reliable sources of information are critical. Forbes Ukraine’s reporters will continue to gather information and provide updates on the situation. We will be sharing them here as they come. Live coverage from Forbes Ukraine’s site can be found here.
Monday, April 4. Day 40. By Daryna Antoniuk
National
Ukraine’s defense minister said that Russia is planning to capture the eastern city of Kharkiv and surround Ukraine’s eastern frontline. The Ukrainian authorities haven’t yet provided any evidence to support the prediction.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Bucha today, where the bodies of unarmed Ukrainian civilians and mass graves were found on April 3.
On April 4, Ukrainian law enforcement officers found a torture chamber in the basement of a children's sanatorium in Bucha.
The Kremlin denied any accusations of genocide in Bucha. In fact, Russia spreads false information and blames Ukraine for the atrocities there.
The EU, in turn, said it’s ready to send joint investigations teams to Ukraine to document Russian war crimes.
Regional
Zhytomyr. Russian troops withdrew from Zhytomyr Oblast on April 4.
Odesa. The southern port city of Odesa was hit by an airstrike overnight. There are no reports of deaths.
Kyiv. Ukrainian authorities extended the curfew in liberated Kyiv Oblast until 6 a.m. on April 7 since Ukraine’s defense forces are still clearing mines left behind by Russian troops.
Mykolaiv. Russian troops shelled a road near a bus stop in Mykolaiv on April 4. One person was killed and five were injured in the missile strikes on Monday.
Mariupol. Around 150,000 people are trapped in the port city of Mariupol. It is impossible to bring humanitarian aid there, or to open humanitarian corridors out of the city.
Mariupol's mayor said that the city is "on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe."
On April 4, the Red Cross failed to reach Mariupol again due to security conditions.
World
U.S. president Joe Biden called Russian president Vladimir Putin a war criminal and said he would seek more sanctions following the discovery of Russian atrocities in the town of Bucha, near Kyiv.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he supports further sanctions against Russia, including a ban on Russian coal, and oil.
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel believes she made the right decision to block Ukraine's NATO membership in 2008, according to its press secretary. She did not respond to Ukrainian president Zelensky’s invitation to visit Bucha to see how Ukrainians were tortured there.
