Here is the situation on Thursday, April 4, 2024.
Fighting
- Kharkiv regional governor, Oleh Syniehubov, said three emergency workers were killed in a Russian attack on Ukraine’s second-largest city. The three had gone to help after a Russian drone struck some residential buildings and were caught in a second Russian attack. Syniehubov said a total of four strikes had hit the city.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia fired more than 3,000 guided aerial bombs, 600 drones and 400 missiles at Ukraine in March, as it stepped up its long-range air strike campaign on the country’s energy infrastructure.
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Ukraine’s air force said it shot down all four drones Russia used in an attack on the central regions of Kirovohrad, Cherkasy, Khmelnytskyi and Zhytomyr. The attack caused a fire in Kirovohrad, but no other damage or injuries were reported.
- Zelenskyy said he believed Russia was “preparing to mobilise 300,000 military personnel by June 1”, but provided no evidence. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the claim was untrue.
- Russia’s Defence Ministry said more than 100,000 people had enlisted for military service in the Russian armed forces so far this year, 16,000 of them in the 10 days after the attack on the Crocus City Hall. ISIL (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for the March 22 attack.
Politics and diplomacy
- France denied Russian claims that it expressed willingness to hold dialogue on Ukraine or discuss possible peace negotiations when the two countries’ defence ministers spoke on Wednesday.
- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said his country’s support for Ukraine was unwavering during a phone call with Zelenskyy.
- Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow viewed South Korea’s decision to impose sanctions on Russian individuals and entities as “unfriendly” and will respond. South Korea imposed sanctions against two Russian ships it says were carrying military cargo to North Korea. It has also sanctioned those it says have links to Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programmes.
- Germany said it detained the Atlantic Navigator II, a cargo ship sailing from Russia, that made an unscheduled stop at the German port of Rostock. Customs said it was investigating the vessel, carrying 251 containers of birch wood, on suspicion of breaching European Union sanctions against Russia.
Weapons
- Visiting Kyiv, Finland’s President Alexander Stubb signed a 10-year security deal with Ukraine. Stubb said Finland would also send 188 million euros ($203m) in additional military aid, including air defences and heavy-calibre ammunition.
- NATO foreign ministers, meeting for a two-day summit in Brussels, agreed to start planning military support for Ukraine on a long-term basis. A proposal to establish a $107bn, five-year fund, drew mixed responses.
- Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the country’s Western allies were not providing enough air defence for Ukraine to protect itself against Russian aerial attacks. Kuleba said he would press NATO members for 5-7 Patriot systems during the Brussels summit.
