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
- A day of mourning has been declared for those killed in Russian missile strikes on the city of Dnipro and its surroundings in Ukraine's southeast as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy again appealed to Kyiv's allies to urgently supply his embattled country with more air defense.
- The European Union's foreign policy chief called on EU member states to give Ukraine more air defense systems as the embattled country grapples with increasingly intense Russian air strikes on its infrastructure while its stocks of weapons and ammunition dwindle as critical U.S. aid remains stuck in Congress.
- Meanwhile, with rare bipartisan momentum, the U.S. House of Representatives pushed ahead on April 19 on the foreign aid package, which includes billions of dollars of support for Ukraine.
- The United States and Ukraine’s other partners have already started working on Ukraine’s economic recovery even as Kyiv focuses on defending itself because both Kyiv and its partners know that "part of Putin’s war strategy is to try and destroy Ukraine’s economy,” said the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine’s economic recovery.
- At least 17 people have died in a Russian air strike on the city of Chernihiv, an attack President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said couldn't be thwarted because Ukraine lacked "sufficient" air defenses due to dwindling supplies from allies, especially the United States.
- The U.S. House of Representatives will have its long-awaited vote on aid for Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific as soon as this weekend, Republican Speaker Mike Johnson said, paving the way for its possible passage despite fierce objections from the right wing of his conference.
- Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said 20 countries had pledged enough money to buy 500,000 artillery shells under the Czech Republic's international fundraising drive to buy badly needed ammunition for the Ukrainian Army.
- Ukraine said it had identified almost 37,000 people who have not been accounted for since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
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.
Long-Delayed U.S. Aid To Ukraine May Soon Take Shape. Here's How.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson may propose a Ukraine aid bill as early as next week, following a six-month delay that has undermined Kyiv’s defense against the Russian invasion, but made clear it will differ from the plan passed the Senate in February. Here’s what it could look like, and the challenges it could face. Read the story by Todd Prince here.
What's Ukraine's New War Strategy? Dig In, Hold On, Find More Soldiers, Hope For U.S. Weaponry
Russia is advancing. Ukraine is rushing to dig defenses. New U.S weapons aren’t expected soon. Ukraine’s military needs men. The government doesn’t want new mobilization. Things are looking grim on the battlefield these days. 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.
The Coming Year May Not End The War In Ukraine. But It Could Decide The Outcome.
Russia's war against Ukraine probably won't end in 2024. But talk of a stalemate may be misleading -- and the fate of further U.S. weapons supplies will be an enormous factor. In any case, the coming year will be crucial for the war, for the West, and, above all, for Ukraine. Read the analysis by Steve Gutterman 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.
With Western Weapons In Doubt, How Long Can Ukraine Hold Out?
Not since the opening weeks of Russia’s invasion in February 2022, when its forces seemed poised to capture Kyiv and force the government to capitulate, has the outlook for Ukraine’s military commanders and its political leadership been so gloomy. Read the report by Mike Eckel here.
