Summary of the Events of the Day
Russia spent most of the day shelling the Donbas and Kherson Contact Lines. Ukrainian forces were able to push back Russian forces farther north from Kharkiv.
Battle for the Skies
Ukraine received and installed an S-300 missile system received from Slovakia and used it to shoot down 15 targets alone on its first day of use – one plane, five cruise missiles, and nine military drones. Another drone was shot down over Dnipropetrovsk.
Battle for the Donbas (Donetsk, Luhansk, Mariupol)
No attacks were made from Izyum today as Russian forces concentrated more on reconnaissance missions. All along the Donbas Contact Line attacks by troops were reduced, but attacks by artillery and mortar increased. This is Russia’s main tactic which is shelling the line and then attacking with troops. A Russian missile struck an elementary school in Severodonetsk in the morning while children were present, but no one was hurt.
Battle for Southern Ukraine (Kherson, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhia, Kryvyi Rih, and Odesa)
Russian forces fired heavily upon the communities between the Zelenodilske Reservoir and Kakhovka Reservoir – Mala Kostromka, Zelenodolsk, Velyka Kostromka, and Maryanski – in preparation to retake these communities and resume their drive on Kryvyi Rih and Zaporizhia.
Russia is kidnapping Ukrainian civilians in Russian-occupied Melitopol forcing them to fight against Ukraine with their families at gunpoint. Please pray for a friend of mine who is in hiding in Melitopol with his family.
Battle for Kharkiv
Another four civilians were killed after another day of constant shelling of Kharkiv. Russian forces are mostly defending their positions so that they can continue to send artillery fire on the city.
Ukrainian forces liberated Ruska Lozova which is 12 miles north of Kharkiv pushing Russian forces farther back from Kharkiv.
Other Regions
Russia fired mortars for thirty minutes against residential targets in the Sumy region in the morning. Later in the day Russian helicopter randomly fired unguided missiles at civilian targets in the Sumy region. There were no casualties.
Other News
Since Russia escalated their war against Ukraine on February 24, their revenue from fuel sales has nearly doubled bringing them in $62 billion over the last two months alone. Although the sanctions have reduced their exports by 30%, the rising cost of fuel has created a windfall of profits used to finance Russia’s genocide of Ukraine. 71% of their fuel sales come from Europe alone with Germany being their largest customer accounting for nearly 15% of their sales.
Ten Russian soldiers who committed war crimes against Ukrainian civilians during the Russian occupation of communities around Kyiv, have been identified. Much of the atrocities committed against the people of Bucha with a pre-war population of 37,000 are being chronicled. The town came under attack on February 27 and was fully under Russian occupation by March 5. At that time only 4000 residents were still residing inside the town. Russian forces retreated on March 31 and the following day it was liberated by Ukrainian forces. On the main street alone, they discovered twenty civilians lying dead on the street. One man had fallen over his bike, another had a bag of food in his hands he was taking home to his starving family, and another had his hands tied behind his back. Soon several mass graves were discovered bringing the total killed to 400, most of them killed execution style.
44% of Ukrainian businesses that had shut down because of the escalation of war have now reopened for business.
International Support
The U.S. Congress approved (417-10) the Lend-Lease bill which will make it easier to provide Ukraine with weapons as it did for the Allies in World War II. It now goes to President Biden for his signature.
Poland delivered 400 T-72 tanks to Ukraine as well as dozens of infantry fighting vehicles.
The UK, The Netherlands, and Azerbaijan have reopened their embassy in Kyiv. The U.S. embassy still remains closed.
Denmark has refused to purchase Russian fuel in rubles and Norway closed all of its ports to Russian ships.
Kazakhstan assured Ukraine that they will not be used to circumvent international sanctions against Russia.
Spain delivered 200 tons of weapons in Poland destined for Ukraine.