April, 05

The Armed Forces of Ukraine have been able to liberate further territories in the Chernihiv oblast from the troops of the Russian Federation (hereinafter: Russia). Ukrainian forces have also reached the Russian border in some parts of the oblast.

The Ukrainian forces have continued demining efforts, the collection of evidence of war crimes as well as the search for killed individuals in the areas liberated from Russian control.

Despite the blockade of Chernihiv, local authorities have called on their citizens not to return to the city in order to avoid mines and exposure to shelling.

Russian troops have kept on shelling cities and villages including:

Mariupol – Civilian cargo ship hit near the berths of Mariupol’s port

Kharkiv – Ecopark destroyed with the majority of its animals either killed or to be put down

Mykolayiv – Children’s hospital shelled

Inzhenerne – School of arts damaged

Lysychansk – Evacuation buses targeted by shelling

Rubizhne – Nitric acid tanks destroyed

Avdiivka – Coke plant hit by shelling

New York – Phenolic plant hit by shelling

Mariinka

Severodonetsk

The shelling of chemical facilities risks triggering effects comparable to attacks with chemical weapons. Ukrainian and Western intelligence officials have warned of the risks of targeting such infrastructure on numerous occasions.

The Ukrainian Air Defence has managed to shoot down some of the rockets launched by Russian forces targeting the western oblasts.

Russian troops continue to terrorize civilians residing in the areas under its control.

Evidence regarding violations of humanitarian and human rights law targeting civilians is being collected in areas liberated from Russian control. Collected reports include evidence on the killing of animals.

In Kherson, Russian troops have gotten hold of information regarding activists and war veterans who served in the Anti-Terrorist Operation or the Joint Forces Operation.

Russian troops have reportedly evicted civilians from hostels in the Kherson oblast in order to accommodate their own troops in the freed facilities.

Civilian evacuations are taking place in several oblasts, with, for example, nearly 1200 people evacuated from the Luhansk oblast. Despite evacuation efforts, 615 000 Ukrainians have been forcefully deported to Russian territories.

Russia has claimed responsibility for the killing of more than 90 men wearing civilian clothes during an evacuation operation in Mariupol. Despite admitting to the killings, Russian officials have reiterated their claim that the men were Ukrainian soldiers disguised as civilians.

The Russian invasion and ensuing hostilities have had a disastrous effect on Ukraine’s economy. Approximately half of Ukraine’s population is unemployed and food prices have soared.

However, the fighting spirit of Ukrainians remains strong. According to a survey conducted by the Ukrainian research organisation Rating, 95% of the respondents say that Ukraine will be able to counter the Russian invasion. The survey was conducted on March 30-31.

The ambassador of Lithuania to Ukraine has announced plan to return to Kyiv. The decision has been welcomed in political and professional circles.

Russian officials and media outlets continued to spread strong narratives regarding Russia’s special operation in Ukraine, and the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, has underscored the official stance claiming that reports documenting atrocities in Bucha and Mariupol are falsified. In a recent statement, Medvedev reiterated that the goal of the Russian special operation is to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine and change the “false myths” occupying the minds of Ukrainians. According to Medvedev, the overarching aspiration of the operation is to create “an open Eurasia stretching from Lisbon to Vladivostok”.

Russian officials have warned of Ukraine steering itself toward disintegration and internal divisions.

Information regarding the successes of the Russian army in Ukraine as well as humanitarian operations taking place in Kharkiv and Donetsk oblasts continue to be spread.

Russian media and official narratives continue to expand and disseminate statements regarding violations of humanitarian law committed by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The Head of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Alexander Bastrykin, has instructed the Committee to launch criminal proceedings against Ukrainian soldiers accused of torturing Russian prisoners of war.

Russian officials continue to dismiss accusations regarding crimes committed by its troops against civilians in the Kyiv oblast. The Ministry of Defence of Russia has issued a statement claiming that the videos documenting alleged crimes “have been fabricated by Ukrainian soldiers of the 72nd main center of psychological operations”. According to Russian sources, the Ukrainian secret service has resorted to similar psychological methods of warfare in Sumy, Konotop, and other Ukrainian cities.

The Russian military has been called “Warriors of Christ” on some social networks.

The Russian media has continued to spread anti-Ukrainian hysteria and appeals to Russian cultural figures to support the Russian army.

The so-called State Council of Crimea has launched a legislative initiative aiming at amending the Civil Code of Russia to enable the seizing of property belonging to unfriendly countries and foreigners. The bill is likely to pass both in Crimea as well as on the federal level in Russia.