RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Western military aid to Kyiv, worldwide reaction, and the plight of civilians and refugees. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.
Latest Developments At A Glance
- The Ukraine Defense Contact Group, also known as the Ramstein Format, is to hold a virtual meeting on April 26 to discuss ways to speed up the delivery of much-needed military aid for Ukrainian forces.
- Several civilians were wounded and infrastructure was damaged by Russian shelling of several Ukrainian regions early on April 25, local officials said.
- Ukraine's agriculture minister offered to resign on April 25 after he was named as a suspect in a multimillion-dollar corruption investigation.
- U.S. President Joe Biden has signed a long-delayed military aid package hours after it was passed by the Senate, saying U.S. military aid will begin flowing again to Ukraine in the next few hours.
- The U.S. State Department confirmed that the United States sent long-range missile systems known as ATACMS to Ukraine for use inside its territory, and the weapons arrived in the country this month.
- Ukrainian drones struck fuel and energy facilities in Russia's Smolensk region, setting them on fire, regional head Vasily Anokhin said on Telegram.
- Ukraine has moved to restrict consular services at its diplomatic missions for men of conscription age who live abroad as Kyiv tries to increase troop levels in its fight to repel invading Russian forces.
- A Russian drone attack on Ukraine's Black Sea port city of Odesa early on April 23 wounded nine people, including four children, regional administration chief Oleh Kiper said
Ukraine Welcomes Long-Delayed Military Aid, Vows To Make Up For Lost Time
U.S. President Joe Biden signed a $61 billion military aid package for Ukraine on April 24 and said shipments of arms will begin within hours. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed the aid, saying the country's military must act fast to make up for months of losses. One military officer said Russia's logistical infrastructure is a likely target for a renewed Ukrainian counteroffensive. By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service
'There Is Hope': What Do Ordinary Ukrainians Think About The Passage Of U.S. Military Aid?
Ukrainians welcomed news that the U.S. House of Representatives had passed a long-delayed aid bill critical to Ukraine's defense against Russia’s ongoing invasion. Speaking to RFE/RL on April 21, many Kyiv residents expressed hope, saying the $61 billion package could help slow advancing Russian forces. By Roksolana Bychai and Borys Trotsenko
Many Critics, Few Enthusiasts As Ukraine Moves To Fill The Ranks For The Fight Against Russia's Invasion
After long delays and heated debate, the Ukrainian parliament has passed a mobilization bill seeking to strengthen the army as invading Russian forces gain ground. There's plenty of doubt as to whether the watered-down, fragmented legislation can fix a recruitment system widely regarded as broken. Read the story by Aleksander Palikot here.
Ukraine's Three-Front War: Advancing Russians, Depleted Artillery, Exhausted Troops
The eastern Ukrainian city of Chasiv Yar is being wiped from the map as Russian jets drop heavy, guided bombs that flatten apartment blocks and elite airborne units edge into the city’s eastern outskirts. Low on ammunition and morale, Ukraine is hard-pressed to hold on across the long front line. Read the story by Mike Eckel here.
Does The West Need Stronger Sanctions On Russia To Help Ukraine Win The War?
Tom Keatinge from the Royal United Services Institute explains why the Western response to sanction Russia is falling short and why leaders need to make tough decisions if they want Ukraine to win the war. Read the interview by Reid Standish here.
Ukraine Has No Navy. But It's Hammering Russia In The Black Sea.
The landing ship that purportedly sank off Crimea last week is one of nearly two dozen Russian warships that Ukraine has seriously damaged or sunk since the full-scale invasion two years ago. It’s an extraordinary set of naval losses inflicted by a country that currently doesn’t even have a navy. Read the report by Mike Eckel here.
Battlefield Woes Mounting, Ukraine Gets A New Top General. Who Is He?
Ukraine's new top commander is a Soviet-trained artillery officer known for his role in thwarting the Russian thrust to capture Kyiv in 2022. Oleksandr Syrskiy is also known for his command during the disastrous retreat in 2015 in Debaltseve, and what some say was the costly defense of Bakhmut. Read the report by Mike Eckel and Todd Prince here.
Is Russia Betting It Can 'Outlast The Attention Span Of The West' To Defeat Ukraine?
Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to waste lots of lives and money to defeat Ukraine, argues Professor Peter Roberts, a senior associate fellow at the U.K.-based Royal United Services Institute. In an interview with RFE/RL's Georgian Service, Roberts says Putin is in it for the long haul and betting on the West's short attention span to defeat Ukraine. Read the interview by Vazha Tavberidze here.
Interactive: Occupied, Militarized Crimea
As Ukrainian leaders vow to reclaim all territories seized by Russia, Moscow has prepared extensive defensive measures, particularly in Crimea, a region unlawfully annexed in 2014. This area, now under Russian occupation, has been heavily militarized with an array of air bases and army bases, making it one of the most fortified zones in the war. View the interactive map by Crimea.Realities, Schemes, RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, and Central Newsroom here.
