Viacheslav Chaus, head of the Chernihiv Regional Military Administration, announced this on Telegram Russian drones targeted a house in a village within the Semenivka community "A 38-year-old local man rushed to help He survived by a miracle and was evacuated," Chaus added He stressed that the target of the attack was the home of an ordinary civilian and pensioner Russian forces attacked a logging company in the Semenivka community of the Novhorod-Siverskyi district While citing and using any materials on the Internet links to the website ukrinform.net not lower than the first paragraph are mandatory citing the translated materials of foreign media outlets is possible only if there is a link to the website ukrinform.net and the website of a foreign media outlet Materials marked as "Advertisement" or with a disclaimer reading "The material has been posted in accordance with Part 3 of Article 9 of the Law of Ukraine "On Advertising" No 1996 and the Law of Ukraine "On the Media" No 2023 and on the basis of an agreement/invoice Online media entity; Media identifier - R40-01421 A Russian missile fell in Chernihiv region on Sunday, March 16. Additionally, Russians attacked the city council of the border town of Semenivka with a drone, the head of the Chernihiv Regional Military Administration, Vyacheslav Chaus, informs on Telegram an enemy ballistic missile — likely an Iskander — fell outside a settlement in the Semenivka community," Chaus stated He also reported an FPV drone attack on the border community of Semenivka in Chernihiv region and parts of the settlement are without electricity Preliminary reports indicate no casualties Earlier, on the night of March 16, Russian forces launched drone attacks on Chernihiv One enemy drone struck a five-story residential building during a repeated drone assault on the city Russia launched 90 drones across Ukraine that night while 33 more — identified as decoy drones — were lost from radar without causing damage This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page The Russian army struck the Semenivka railway station in the Chernihiv region This was announced by Ukrzaliznytsia (the Ukrainian state railway company) "Railway infrastructure is under enemy fire Russian terrorists struck the Semenivka railway station in the Chernihiv region," the statement reads The company emphasized that there were no casualties or injuries That is according to Head of the Chernihiv Regional Military Administration Viacheslav Chaus Russians used strike drones to attack a passenger train in Semenivka as the train was set to depart in half an hour there were no casualties,” Chaus wrote on Telegram an FPV drone struck a business facility in Novhorod-Siverskyi Russian forces launched drone strikes on a hospital in the same town of Semenivka The head of the Chernihiv Regional Military Administration, Vyacheslav Chaus reported that Russian forces struck a hospital in the town of Semenivka and two departments of the facility were damaged "Russians have once again attacked a hospital The intensive care and dental departments were hit," Chaus said a nurse from the Semenivka City Hospital was injured in the drone strike And it happened on a major religious holiday These Russian criminals have nothing human left in them," Chaus added He also shared photos of the aftermath of the strike on the hospital Photo: Aftermath of Russia’s drone strike on a hospital in Semenivka Russian forces also shelled the city of Kherson today A children’s hospital in the city center was damaged in the attack and hospital staff were all sheltering in a safe area," said Head of the Kherson City Military Administration Roman Mrochko the Russian military used attack drones to strike the town of Zolochiv in the Bohodukhiv district of the Kharkiv region The attack damaged a hospital and more than 10 residential buildings And in the early hours of March 19, Russian forces launched another drone strike on the Sumy region. One of the drones hit the roof of a hospital marking the second healthcare facility attacked in a single night a Russian drone struck the roof of another medical facility in the city of Sumy The explosion shattered windows and damaged the building Russia carried out a drone strike on a passenger train in the Chernihiv region. No casualties were reported, Viacheslav Chaus, Head of the Chernihiv Regional Military Administration, reports. Russian forces struck a passenger train in Semenivka half an hour before its scheduled departure According to the Head of the Chernihiv Regional Military Administration the train had not yet been filled with passengers although a carriage sustained serious damage an enemy FPV drone struck an industrial facility in the Novhorod-Siverskyi district last week Russian forces shelled two districts in the Chernihiv region and a residential house also came under fire The Russian army struck the railway station in the city of Semenivka due to a direct hit on the railway station building the roof was damaged and windows shattered In early January, the Russian army bombed the border town of Semenivka in the Chernihiv region. The central part of the town came under fire local authorities and police reported seven people wounded in the attack it was later revealed that nine people had been injured In addition, an explosion was heard in Kharkiv this night, April 14. At that time a threat to the city from an enemy drone was announced either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content New maps show Russian forces advancing west of the captured Ukrainian stronghold of Avdiivka with anxieties over future military aid deepening in Kyiv just weeks before Ukrainian officials say that Moscow could kick off a new offensive in the east of the country Russia's "most significant gains" over the start of this month were around the village of Pervomaiske and between the settlements of Tonenke and Umanske, as well as around Semenivka, Julian Röpcke, a defense specialist with German tabloid newspaper Bild, said in a post to X, formerly Twitter Semenivka sits immediately southeast of Berdychi perched northwest of the village of Orlivka Russia has been advancing west of Avdiivka since it took control of the strategic eastern Ukrainian city in mid-February following months of bitter and bloody fighting Ukraine rushed to re-establish defensive lines but has been largely unable to stop Russia's slow gains Russia's government said it had captured Tonenke and Moscow is also believed to control the village of Orlivka The U.S. think tank, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said on Sunday that Russian forces had advanced southeast of Umanske — west of Orlivka and Tonenke — and in southern Semenivka Moscow has also made some gains northwest of Pervomaiske and to the center of the village said on Sunday that Russia had advanced southwest of Umanske as well as in southern and central Semenivka Ukraine's military said on Monday that it had "repelled" eight Russian attacks around Pervomaiske and the village of Nevelske Russia's Defense Ministry said in a statement on Monday its forces had fought off five Ukrainian counterattacks including around Berdychi and the village of Novokalynove The fall of Avdiivka was the most significant win for the Kremlin since it captured the now-decimated city of Bakhmut in May 2023 Ukraine said fighters with the country's 25th Airborne Brigade had stopped a "massive" Russian attack close to Tonenke destroying a handful of Russian tanks and armored vehicles The ISW think tank described the attack as Moscow's "first battalion-sized mechanized assault" since the Kremlin kicked off its offensive on Avdiivka in October 2023 Ukraine did so while contending with deeply felt shortages of crucial supplies Kyiv "successfully repelled intensive enemy attacks across the entire line of contact despite the persistent material resource constraints," Ukraine's Centre for Defense Strategies said on Sunday Ukrainian officials have said Russia could launch a renewed offensive on Ukrainian positions as early as next month They have emphasized the importance of military aid packages from the West to enable Ukrainian forces to fend off new attacks A new tranche of military, economic and humanitarian aid for Ukraine, worth around $60 billion, has been bogged down in Congress for months by infighting security assistance is the backbone of Western support for Kyiv "If there is no U.S. support, it means that we have no air defense, no Patriot missiles, no jammers for electronic warfare, no 155-milimetre artillery rounds," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told The Washington Post in an interview published in late March Should the front lines not hold out because of shortages "the Russians could go to the big cities." the head of Kyiv's military intelligence agency said in an interview published over the weekend with German broadcaster ARD that Russia will focus on the Donbas region of Ukraine or the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsletters in your inbox See all Today’s Paper#masthead-section-label, #masthead-bar-one { display: none }Russia-Ukraine War By Josh Holder, Constant Méheut, Eric Schmitt and Thomas Gibbons-Neff Rudimentary Ukrainian trench lines outside Avdiivka Russian forces continue to make small but rapid gains outside of the eastern Ukrainian city of Avdiivka attributable in part to dwindling Ukrainian ammunition and declining Western aid But there’s another reason the Kremlin’s troops are advancing in the area: poor Ukrainian defenses rudimentary trench lines populate the area west of Avdiivka that Ukraine is trying to defend according to a Times review of imagery by Planet Labs These trench lines lack many of the additional fortifications that could help slow Russian tanks and help defend major roads and important terrain Avdiivka became the site of a fierce standoff over the last nine months, emerging as one of the bloodiest battles of the war. When Russia captured the city on Feb the Ukrainian Army claimed it had secured defensive lines outside the city But Russian troops have captured three villages to the west of Avdiivka in the span of a week and they are contesting at least one other Sources: Satellite image from Planet Labs; Russian-controlled territory (as of Feb 2024) from the Institute for the Study of War with American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats Project Satellite imagery at the scale shown here is widely available officials said privately that it was concerning that Ukraine did not shore up its defensive lines early or well enough and that it may now face the consequences as Russian units advance slowly but steadily beyond Avdiivka British military intelligence said on Thursday that Russian forces had advanced to about four miles from the center of Avdiivka in the past two weeks a small but unusually rapid advance compared with previous offensive operations Ukrainian commanders have had ample time to prepare defenses outside Avdiivka and Ukraine has had a tenuous hold on it since Russia launched its full-scale invasion two years ago But the Ukrainian defenses outside Avdiivka show rudimentary earthen fortifications often with a connecting trench for infantry troops to reach firing positions closest to the enemy The lack of robust Ukrainian entrenchments in the area is especially glaring when compared with the formidable Russian defenses that thwarted Kyiv’s advances last summer during the Ukrainian counteroffensive Russian fortifications outside the southern village of Verbove which Ukraine tried and failed to retake this fall 2024) from the Institute for the Study of War with American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats Project; Russian fortifications based on data from Brady Africk Unlike the poorly fortified villages that Russian forces are trying to capture outside Avdiivka Verbove has a concentric ring of fortifications It starts with a trench wide enough to ensnare advancing tanks and armored vehicles followed by a mesh of cement obstacles known as dragon’s teeth — also used to stop vehicles — and Satellite imagery from February shows the multilayered Russian defenses to the west of Verbove with thousands of shell craters visible in the surrounding fields There are many possible reasons for Ukraine’s apparent lack of defenses Ukrainian officials may have been too focused on offensive operations last year to dedicate the necessary resources to building the kind of multiple trenches and tank traps that Russian engineers built since late 2022 in the country’s south Russia is building a vast network of trenches traps and obstacles to slow Ukraine’s momentum “Who cared and who considered it as an option — because it’s a very costly option — the construction of defensive lines noting that Ukraine had few resources to spare at the time There may have also been a psychological element at play If Ukrainian troops heavily mined certain areas to thwart Russian advances it would be a tacit acknowledgement that they were unlikely to carry out offensive operations in the same area at a future date They’d effectively be writing off that territory to the Russian military While Moscow began building defensive lines in the south more than half a year before Kyiv’s counteroffensive, Ukraine appeared to have begun plans for new fortifications only three months ago, when government officials announced the creation of a working group to coordinate efforts between civilian and military authorities Responsibility for building the first line of defense would fall to the military units stationed in the area, the officials said, while the next defensive lines would be built by civilian authorities, with the help of private contractors. Denys Shmyhal, Ukraine’s prime minister, said that some 30 billion Ukrainian hryvnias had been allocated for fortifications this year Areas in the eastern Donetsk region, where Avdiivka is, “will receive maximum attention,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a visit near the front line in late November noting the “need to boost and accelerate the construction of structures.” But Pasi Paroinen, an analyst from the Black Bird Group which analyzes satellite imagery and social media content from the battlefield said that “nothing significant has happened” since Mr but they do not yet constitute a particularly formidable defensive line” and are not comparable in scale to Russia’s fortifications in the south The Ukrainian authorities have said they lack people able to carry out the construction work. In mid-January, local officials in the western Ivano-Frankivsk region said they were looking for 300 workers willing to help build fortifications in the Donetsk region And even the units we have lack equipment,” Mr materials and experienced personnel when it built its defensive lines The absence of strong defensive lines outside of Avdiivka has been denounced in recent days by several Ukrainian journalists in a rare show of public criticism of the military Delays in the construction of fortifications mean that Ukrainian troops may now be left to reinforce their defensive lines while under fire from the Russian Army making the task exponentially more difficult Hrabskyi said Russia was currently preventing Ukrainian troops from shoring up their defenses by relentlessly bombarding them including with powerful glide bombs carrying hundreds of kilograms of explosives that can smash through even well-prepared fortifications “The quality of these defensive lines cannot be good enough to resist massive bulldozer tactics by the Russian forces,” Mr Oleksandra Mykolyshyn contributed reporting An earlier version of this article misstated the quantity of explosives carried by Russian glide bombs They carry hundreds of kilograms of explosives Click here to see ISW’s interactive map of the Russian invasion of Ukraine This map is updated daily alongside the static maps present in this report Click here to see ISW’s 3D control of terrain topographic map of Ukraine Use of a computer (not a mobile device) is strongly recommended for using this data-heavy tool Click here to access ISW’s archive of interactive time-lapse maps of the Russian invasion of Ukraine These maps complement the static control-of-terrain map that ISW produces daily by showing a dynamic frontline ISW will update this time-lapse map archive monthly Note: The data cut-off for this product was 1pm ET on April 28 ISW will cover subsequent reports in the April 29 Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment Note: ISW has corrected this update to reflect that it was elements of the 6th CAA’s 25th and 138th motorized rifle brigades that conducted several company-sized mechanized assaults near Synkivka in December 2023 Recent Russian gains northwest of Avdiivka have prompted Ukrainian forces to withdraw from other limited tactical positions along the frontline west of Avdiivka although these withdrawals have yet to facilitate rapid Russian tactical gains Russian forces remain unlikely to achieve a deeper operationally significant penetration in the area in the near term Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi reported on April 28 that Ukrainian forces withdrew from Berdychi (northwest of Avdiivka) and Semenivka (west of Avdiivka) to positions further west in order to preserve Ukrainian personnel.[1] Syrskyi acknowledged that Russian forces are making tactical advances northwest of Avdiivka and Semenivka following Ukrainian withdrawals from limited tactical positions in the area suggesting that Ukrainian forces maintain positions and capabilities in the area that are slowing further westward Russian advances for the moment Russian forces will likely continue to make tactical gains in the Avdiivka direction in the coming weeks and Ukrainian commanders may decide to conduct additional withdrawals if Russian forces threaten other Ukrainian tactical positions in the area.[4] The next line of defensible settlements in the area is some distance from the Ukrainian defensive line that Russian forces have been attacking since the seizure of Avdiivka in mid-February 2024 although Ukrainian forces may be able to use defensible windbreaks in fields immediately west of the current frontline to slow future Russian attacks.[5] The complete Ukrainian withdrawal to reportedly fortified positions further west of Avdiivka would likely allow Russian forces to make relatively rapid advances through these fields although the advances would likely be rapid only if Ukrainian forces do not try to hold positions in the fields Syrskyi added that Ukrainian forces are committing elements of brigades that have undergone rest and reconstitution to stabilize the situation in the Avdiivka direction.[6] The arrival of reconstituted Ukrainian reinforcements will likely allow Ukrainian forces to slow Russian tactical gains and possibly stabilize the front Ukrainian forces have struggled with under-resourcing and are facing a reported one-to-three manpower disadvantage northwest of Avdiivka but have nonetheless prevented more than a division’s worth of Russian combat power from making the types of advances that these force and materiel disparities should in principle have allowed Russian forces to achieve.[7] The arrival of Ukrainian reinforcements and additional materiel will force the Russian command to either accept that a near-term wider or deeper penetration is unlikely or commit additional reserves to the area to continue pursuing tactical gains Russian forces currently have opportunities to achieve operationally significant gains near Chasiv Yar and are preparing reserves to support a large-scale offensive effort expected this summer.[8] The immediate commitment of additional Russian reserves to an opportunistic tactical penetration in the Avdiivka area where Russian forces are far away from operationally significant objectives may consume manpower that otherwise could support operationally significant gains in the Chasiv Yar area or that were intended for use in summer 2024.[9] Russian forces will likely have to replenish and reinforce attacking units and decrease the tempo of offensive operations west of Avdiivka if they do not commit additional reserves which would likely constrain Russia’s ability to make additional rapid tactical advances in the area.[10] The continued Russian stabilization of their salient northwest of Avdiivka presents the Russian command with a choice of continuing to push west towards its reported operational objective in Pokrovsk or trying to drive northwards to conduct possible complementary offensive operations with the Russian effort around Chasiv Yar Ukrainian officials have previously identified Pokrovsk as the Russian operational objective in the Avdiivka direction and Syrskyi reiterated this assessment on April 28.[11] Russian forces could alternatively decide to advance north from their tactical penetration in the Ocheretyne area along the H-20 (Donetsk City-Kostyantynivka) highway to pressure Ukrainian forces defending in the Toretsk area and possibly the operational rear of the Ukrainian defense in and west of Chasiv Yar Russian forces have long aimed to seize four major cities that form a fortress belt in Donetsk Oblast (Slovyansk and Chasiv Yar is operationally significant because it would provide Russian forces with a staging ground to launch offensive operations against Druzhkivka and Kostyantynivka.[12] The Russian military command could decide that advances north along the H-20 highway would allow Russian forces to conduct subsequent complementary offensive operations from the east and south against the southern edge of the Ukrainian fortress belt in Donetsk Oblast The Russian tactical penetration northwest of Avdiivka is roughly 20km southwest of Toretsk roughly 18km south of Oleksandro-Kalynove (the next major settlement south of Kostyantynivka) This distance is notably not greater than the distance to Pokrovsk which is roughly 30km west of the Russian salient northwest of Avdiivka A drive up along the H-20 would be a serious undertaking and would not be rapid The Russian command may decide to continue pushing west towards Pokrovsk because there may be greater opportunities for tactical gains in the area west of Avdiivka than towards the north and because of the Russian preoccupation with reaching the western borders of Donetsk Oblast Syrskyi also noted that the threat of a possible future Russian offensive operation against Kharkiv City is causing Ukraine to allocate additional forces and equipment to defending the city although ISW continues to assess that the Russian military lacks the forces necessary to seize the city Syrskyi stated that Ukrainian forces are monitoring the increased number of Russian forces regrouping in the Kharkiv direction particularly near Synkivka.[16] Syrskyi noted that Ukrainian forces have recently improved their positions near Synkivka (northeast of Kupyansk) and a Russian milblogger claimed that Russian forces retreated a short distance from Synkivka due to manpower shortages in the area suggesting that Russian forces have likely pulled at least some elements of the 6th CAA from the area.[17] ISW has not observed reports of elements of the 6th CAA operating in the Kupyansk direction since late March and Russian forces are not conducting active offensive operations in the areas where elements of the 6th CAA were previously attacking.[18] Elements of the Russian 6th CAA were previously involved in offensive operations near Synkivka that began in October 2023 and continued throughout the winter and early spring 2024.[19] Likely elements of the 6th CAA’s 25th and 138th motorized rifle brigades conducted several company-sized mechanized assaults near Synkivka in December 2023 which resulted in significant armored vehicle losses and no tactically significant advances.[20] The brigades’ inability to seize Synkivka despite repeated mass infantry and mechanized assaults over a months-long offensive effort calls into question their combat effectiveness and the combat effectiveness of the 6th CAA and Northern Grouping of Forces more broadly ISW continues to assess that a potential future Russian offensive to seize Kharkiv City would be an extremely ambitious undertaking that would pose significant challenges to Russian forces particularly since Russian forces will be facing better-equipped Ukrainian forces following the arrival of US military assistance.[21] Russian forces would not have to seize Kharkiv City to reap the benefits of drawing Ukrainian manpower and equipment away from other critical areas of the frontline The Russian military appears to be learning from past operational planning mistakes and may intend for the threat of a Russian offensive on Kharkiv City to stretch Ukrainian forces across a wider frontline in eastern Ukraine ahead of the start of the Russian summer offensive effort.[22] The Ukrainian 47th Mechanized Brigade denied a recent report that Ukrainian forces had pulled US-provided M1A1 Abrams tanks from the frontline The Associated Press (AP) reported on April 26 citing two unspecified US military officials that Ukraine has removed Abrams tanks from the frontline partly because Russia’s widespread drone usage has made it too difficult for Ukrainian forces to operate Abrams without Russian forces detecting and striking Abrams with drones.[23] The Ukrainian 47th Mechanized Brigade denied the report stating that Abrams perform well on the battlefield and that the 47th Mechanized Brigade would not “hide [a tank] from the enemy that makes the enemy hide themselves” or leave Ukrainian infantry without fire support.[24] ISW does not report on the specific Ukrainian tactical deployment or use of its own or Western-provided weapons systems apart from what US or Ukrainian officials say Recent Russian efforts to increase control over migrants in and entering Russia following the March 22 Crocus City Hall terrorist attack appear to be straining relations between Russia and Tajikistan The Tajik MFA reported on April 28 that Russian authorities detained almost 1,000 Tajik citizens at Vnukovo Airport in Moscow and dozens of Tajik citizens in Zhukovsky and Employment Shakhnoza Nodiri stated on March 30 that Tajikistan observed an outflow of Tajik migrants from Russia following the Crocus attack and that many Tajik migrants are calling the Tajik government stating that they want to leave Russia out of fear and panic.[29] Russian authorities increased crackdowns against Central Asian migrants entering and living in Russia after the Crocus City Hall attack since the majority of people arrested in connection with the attack were Tajik citizens.[30] Russian authorities arrested several Russian journalists working for Western publications in Russia within the past several days likely as part of an ongoing effort to limit Western and independent Russian media’s ability to reliably report on Russia Western and Russian opposition media widely reported that Russian authorities recently arrested Sergei Karelin who previously worked with the Associated Press (AP) and Deutsche Welle and the arrests of Karelin and Gabov in particular demonstrate one such application of this expansion.[34] We do not report in detail on Russian war crimes because these activities are well-covered in Western media and do not directly affect the military operations we are assessing and forecasting We will continue to evaluate and report on the effects of these criminal activities on the Ukrainian military and the Ukrainian population and specifically on combat in Ukrainian urban areas We utterly condemn Russian violations of the laws of armed conflict and the Geneva Conventions and crimes against humanity even though we do not describe them in these reports Russian Subordinate Main Effort #1 – Luhansk Oblast (Russian objective: Capture the remainder of Luhansk Oblast and push westward into eastern Kharkiv Oblast and northern Donetsk Oblast) Russian forces recently made confirmed advances northwest of Svatove amid continued Russian offensive operations in the area on April 28 Geolocated footage published on April 28 indicates that Russian forces reportedly elements of the 272nd Motorized Rifle Regiment (47th Tank Division advanced within Kyslivka (northwest of Svatove).[35] Geolocated footage published on April 28 indicates that Russian forces advanced south of Novoselivske (northwest of Svatove).[36] Russian milbloggers claimed that Russian forces advanced west of Krokhmalne (northwest of Svatove) although ISW has not observed visual evidence of this claim.[37] Russian milbloggers continued to claim that Russian forces seized Kyslivka.[38]  Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi reported on April 28 that Russian forces have concentrated their main effort in the Kupyansk direction northwest of Svatove near Berestove and Stelmakhivka and that Russian forces have made limited gains in these areas.[39] Syrskyi stated that Russian forces are trying to exploit airpower and artillery advantages to reach the administrative borders of Luhansk Oblast Fighting continued northwest of Svatove near Kyslivka and Stelmakhivka; west of Svatove near Kopanky; and southwest of Svatove near Novoyehorivka and Novoserhiivka.[40] Fighting continued near Kreminna on April 28 but there were no confirmed changes to the frontline Russian Subordinate Main Effort #2 – Donetsk Oblast (Russian objective: Capture the entirety of Donetsk Oblast the claimed territory of Russia’s proxies in Donbas) Positional fighting continued in the Siversk direction (northeast of Bakhmut) on April 28 Positional fighting continued east of Siversk near Verkhnokamyanske and south of Siversk near Rozdolivka.[44] Elements of the Russian 6th Motorized Rifle Brigade and the “GORB” detachment (both of the 2nd Luhansk People‘s Republic [LNR] Army Corps [AC]) are reportedly operating near Spirne (southeast of Siversk).[45] Positional fighting continued near Chasiv Yar on April 28 Fighting continued near the Novyi Microraion (eastern Chasiv Yar); north of Chasiv Yar near Hryhorivka; east of Chasiv Yar near Ivanivske; and southeast of Chasiv Yar near Klishchiivka and Niu York.[46] A Russian milblogger posted footage of Russian Su-25 aircraft conducting airstrikes near Chasiv Yar to support dismounted Russian infantry.[47] Ukrainian forces have withdrawn from two settlements northwest of Avdiivka amid continued fighting in the area on April 28 Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi stated on April 28 that Ukrainian forces have withdrawn from Berdychi (northwest of Avdiivka) and Semenivka (west of Avdiivka) to unspecified lines to the west.[48] A prominent Russian milblogger reported that Ukrainian forces withdrew from Berdychi on the evening of April 27 after Russian forces reportedly seized Semenivka on April 26 and broke through a Ukrainian fortified area near Ocheretyne (northwest of Avdiivka) threatening to encircle Ukrainian forces in Berdychi.[49] Russian milbloggers reported that the Russian “Mag Dogs” detachment of the 74th Motorized Rifle Brigade (41st Combined Arms Army [CAA] Central Military District [CMD]) then seized Berdychi and raised a Russian flag on its western outskirts before midnight on April 27.[50] Russian milbloggers claimed that Russian forces seized Novokalynove (northwest of Avdiivka) on April 27 and advanced to the eastern outskirts of Keramik (immediately north of Novokalynove); advanced west of Berdychi and into western Netaylove (southwest of Avdiivka) on April 28; and seized Keramik on April 28.[51] ISW has not observed confirmation of these Russian claims beyond the seizures of Berdychi and Semenivka Fighting also continued northwest of Avdiivka near Umanske Novopokrovske (immediately southwest of Solovyove) and Novoselivka Persha (immediately southwest of Novopokrovske).[52] The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) claimed on April 28 that Russian forces seized Novobakhmutivka (northwest of Avdiivka) after Russian forces likely seized the settlement overnight on April 24 to 25.[53] Elements of the Russian “Vega” Spetsnaz detachment (24th Guards Spetsnaz Brigade Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff [GRU]) reportedly continue operating in the Avdiivka direction.[54] Southern Military District [SMD]) are reportedly fighting in Krasnohorivka.[58] Positional fighting continued south of Velyka Novosilka near Staromayorske in the Donetsk-Zaporizhia Oblast border area on April 28.[59] Russian Supporting Effort – Southern Axis (Russian objective: Maintain frontline positions and secure rear areas against Ukrainian strikes) Positional engagements continued in western Zaporizhia Oblast on April 28 but there were no confirmed changes to the frontline in this area Positional engagements continued near Robotyne and Verbove (east of Robotyne).[60] Kherson Oblast occupation head Vladimir Saldo claimed on April 28 that Russian forces recently advanced near Robotyne.[61] A Russian milblogger reiterated claims that Ukrainian forces recently intensified shelling in western Zaporizhia Oblast.[62] Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi reported on April 28 that Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Veletenske (southwest of Kherson City) and established control over Nestryha Island in the Dnipro River Delta southwest of Kherson City.[63] The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces repelled several Russian assaults near Krynky in east (left) bank Kherson Oblast.[64] Russian milbloggers claimed on April 28 that Ukrainian forces conducted an unsuccessful ATACMS strike targeting Russian air defense units near occupied Cape Tarkhankut Crimea on the night of April 27 to 28.[65] One Russian milblogger claimed that there were also explosions near occupied Dzhankoi Crimea.[66] Ukrainian and Russian officials have yet to comment on the claimed strike and Drone Campaign (Russian Objective: Target Ukrainian military and civilian infrastructure in the rear and on the frontline) Russian forces conducted a limited series of drone and missile strikes against Ukraine on the night of April 27 to 28 Ukrainian military officials reported that Russian forces launched four Shahed-136/131 drones from occupied Crimea an S-300 air defense missile from Belgorod Oblast and five drones of an unknown type from occupied Kherson Oblast.[67] Ukrainian forces reportedly destroyed the four Shahed drones over Kyiv and Kirovohrad oblasts and a drone of an unknown type over Mykolaiv Oblast Ukraine’s State Emergency Service reported that Russian drones damaged a hotel in Mykolaiv City.[68] Ukrainian Kherson Oblast Military Administration Head Oleksandr Prokudin stated that a Russian missile struck Kherson City at noon on April 27 and that Russian anti-aircraft missiles struck Beryslav and Kherson raions at dawn on April 28 and an agricultural enterprise.[69] Russian sources including the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) claimed that Russian forces struck an ammunition and aircraft equipment warehouse in Chernihiv Oblast the Starokostyantyniv airfield in Khmelnytskyi Oblast and the Kamyanka airfield in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.[70] the executive director of Ukraine’s largest private energy operator DTEK stated on April 28 that Russian forces have targeted Ukrainian thermal power plants almost 180 times since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.[71] Sakharuk stated that the April 27 strike series was the fourth-largest Russian strike against Ukrainian thermal power plants in 2024 Russian Mobilization and Force Generation Efforts (Russian objective: Expand combat power without conducting general mobilization) The United Kingdom’s (UK) Minister of State for the Armed Forces stated on April 27 that the UK assesses that Russian forces have suffered 450,000 killed and wounded personnel since the start of the full-scale invasion on February 24 2022.[72] Docherty stated that Russian forces have lost over 10,000 armored vehicles and the overall combat effectiveness of Russian formations and units continues to decline as they degrade in Ukraine.[77] Russian forces have weathered heavy losses in Ukraine and will continue to rely on quantitative advantages in manpower and materiel to pressure Ukrainian forces The Russian government published a resolution on April 28 announcing that the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) will begin to issue electronic summonses through the Unified Military Registry for the fall 2024 conscription cycle starting on November 1.[78] The resolution states that Russian officials will consider an electronic summons served seven days after it is posted on the Russia State Services portal and that if a conscript does not appear within 20 days of the summonses being served and the Kremlin likely intends to use the registry to crack down on Russian draft dodgers.[82] Russian authorities have reportedly formalized a procedure for recruiting those accused of criminal offenses for military service in Ukraine Russian outlet Kommersant reported on April 27 that Russian criminal investigators a previously scarcely-used provision that allows deferment of sentences in “exceptional cases” that Russian courts have been using more frequently since the start of the full-scale invasion.[88] This procedure notably does not require that Russian authorities formally prosecute the accused and Russian authorities may use these measures to coerce people into military service through accusations with increasingly suspect evidence Kommersant reported that Russian authorities are already implementing this procedure in occupied Ukraine and Russian federal subjects bordering Ukraine and that Russian authorities are gradually extending it to all of Russia.[89] Russian Technological Adaptations (Russian objective: Introduce technological innovations to optimize systems for use in Ukraine)   Ukrainian Defense Industrial Efforts (Ukrainian objective: Develop its defense industrial base to become more self-sufficient in cooperation with US ISW is not publishing coverage of Ukrainian defense industrial efforts today Activities in Russian-occupied areas (Russian objective: Consolidate administrative control of annexed areas; forcibly integrate Ukrainian citizens into Russian sociocultural ISW is not publishing coverage of Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine today Russian Information Operations and Narratives The Ukrainian Resistance Center reported on April 28 that Russian occupation authorities are intensifying information operations to diminish trust in Ukrainian authorities and the military in occupied Ukraine The Ukrainian Resistance Center reported that Russian information operations aim to discredit Ukrainian military and political leadership and compromise the activity of Ukrainian forces.[94] The Ukrainian Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security warned that Russian Telegram channels are specifically spreading false information about alleged divisions between senior Ukrainian political and military leadership to diminish trust in Ukrainian officials and degrade Ukrainian morale.[95] Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov baselessly claimed on April 28 that panic is growing among Ukrainian forces on the frontline in an attempt to sow panic in Ukraine.[96] Peskov’s statement is also likely intended to artificially inflate the success of recent Russian tactical advances along select sectors of the frontline to Russian domestic audiences Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Spokesperson Maria Zakharova reiterated boilerplate Russian information operations about Russian-backed Moldovan breakaway republic of Transnistria on April 28 Zakharova continued to falsely portray Russia as a legitimate guarantor and mediator in the 5+2 negotiating format for the Transnistrian conflict and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) as mediators and the European Union (EU) and US as observers.[97] Russia is not an impartial outside party in the conflict between Moldova and Transnistria and thus is not a legitimate mediator Russia has historically and continues to use pro-Russian actors in Transnistria to set conditions for Russian hybrid operations against Moldova.[98] Significant activity in Belarus (Russian efforts to increase its military presence in Belarus and further integrate Belarus into Russian-favorable frameworks and Wagner Group activity in Belarus) Note: ISW does not receive any classified material from any source and Western reporting and social media as well as commercially available satellite imagery and other geospatial data as the basis for these reports References to all sources used are provided in the endnotes of each update [2] https://t.me/osirskiy/670 ; https://armyinform.com dot ua/2024/04/27/dlya-proryvu-v-rajoni-ocheretynogo-okupanty-zadiyaly-do-chotyroh-brygad/ [5] https://isw.pub/UkrWar031324%C2%A0;%C2%A0https://isw.pub/UkrWar022924%C2%A0;%C2%A0https://isw.pub/UkrWar022724%C2%A0;%C2%A0https://isw.pub/UkrWar021824%C2%A0; https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-april-20-2024 [8] https://isw.pub/UkrWar042724 ; https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-april-13-2024 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar041324 [11] https://t.me/osirskiy/670 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar041324 ; https://isw.pub/UkrWar040724 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[98] https://isw.pub/UkrWar042724; https://isw.pub/UkrWar040524; https://isw.pub/UkrWar031924 Russia's Defense Ministry said Monday that its troops had taken control of another village near the captured town of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine’s partially occupied Donetsk region Russian forces gained control over Avdiivka in February after one of the bloodiest battles since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine over two years ago Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces had “liberated” the village of Semenivka The Russian military said Sunday it had captured the nearby village of Novobakhmutivka Moscow said its troops around the city of Donetsk had managed to drive “deep” into Ukrainian defensive lines Russian forces have made notable gains in the Donetsk region over the last week prompting rare criticism by Ukrainian military bloggers of the country's armed forces Ukraine's army leaders have conceded that Russia has achieved some “tactical successes” in the area and that its own positions have deteriorated Kyiv is awaiting the arrival of billions of dollars in U.S which it hopes will stabilize the situation on the sprawling front lines Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help please support us monthly starting from just $2 and every contribution makes a significant impact independent journalism in the face of repression including Iranian-designed Shahed-type drones located about 70 kilometers northwest of Donetsk remains one of the most fiercely contested sectors of the front where Russia has concentrated its main offensive efforts since March  (Updated:  May 6, 2025 11:41 am)Ukraine's drones target Moscow second night in a row, Russian official claims, ahead of Victory Day parade. Debris from one of the drones reportedly fell on the Kashirskoye Highway The reported attack comes just days before Russia's Victory Day parade and three-day "truce." Vice President Mike Pence said Putin "only understands power." About 800 million euros ($905 million) will be allocated for the acquisition and installation of anti-tank mines to deter potential aggression  (Updated:  May 6, 2025 9:36 am)War analysisFrance is sending Ukraine more AASM Hammer bombs — here's what they can do Polish President Andrzej Duda said the United States has tools that can effectively influence the Kremlin arguing that only President Donald Trump has real leverage over Russian President Vladimir Putin The number includes 1,430 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day "To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause: The Many Lives of the Soviet Dissident Movement" by Benjamin Nathans which covers dissent in the Soviet Union and Russia today Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on May 5 announced they had facilitated Russian journalist Ekaterina Barabash's escape from Russia to France after she fled house arrest on April 21 A Russian drone attack on Odesa Oblast on May 5 killed one and caused damage to local infrastructure "We appreciate that Germany plays a pivotal role in supporting Ukraine throughout the years of war Ukraine is also grateful for your personal commitment," President Volodymyr Zelensky said MPs will be able to ask questions and learn more about the details of the agreement in meetings with Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko May 6-7 MP Serhii Sobolev told the news outlet Suspilne The ratification vote is scheduled for May 8 by Kateryna HodunovaUkrainian army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi photographed during an interview on June 30 (Anastasia Vlasova for The Washington Post via Getty Images)Editor's note: The article was updated on April 29 with additional information on developments in Kherson Oblast Ukrainian troops have retreated west from the villages of Berdychi the Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi said on April 28 Berdychi, Semenivka, and Novomykhailivka villages are located in the Pokrovsk District in the western part of Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast which remains one of the hottest sectors of the front line as Russia continues its offensive The Khortytsia Group of Ukraine's Ground Forces reported on April 27 that Russian forces managed to break in and gain a foothold in a part of Ocheretyne a front-line village nearly 10 kilometers from Berdychi and Semenivka Syrskyi described the situation in the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove sectors as "the most difficult one" now According to the commander-in-chief, Russia is involving up to four brigades (from 8,000 to 32,000 personnel) to conduct assault operations in the direction of the cities of Pokrovsk and Kurakhove west of Avdiivka, which was captured in February "In general, the enemy has succeeded tactically in these directions but has failed to achieve an operational advantage," Syrskyi said in a statement shared on Facebook and Telegram adding that Ukraine will do unit rotations in this sector of the front Syrskyi stressed that Russian troops were attacking the entire front line The situation is changing "dynamically," he added Russian forces continue their offensive operations in the directions of Kupiansk and Lyman settlements in Kharkiv Oblast Syrskyi said that the situation in the south also remains "intense" as Russia tries to advance near the village of Krynky in Kherson Oblast, Robotyne and Verbove villages in Zaporizhzhia Oblast Ukrainian forces reportedly achieved some success in Kherson Oblast establishing control over the island of Nestryha which lies in the Dnipro River delta and has been long considered a "gray zone." Kyiv's troops also advanced in the Veletenske area Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy by Kateryna DenisovaThe aftermath of a Russian guided bomb attack on the town of Semenivka in Chernihiv Oblast on Jan (Viacheslav Chaus/Telegram)Russian attacks against Ukraine killed one person and injured at least 36 others over the past day Ukrainian forces downed 61 out of 103 drones, including the Shahed-type ones, launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported Another 42 drones were "lost," it added Russian troops attacked the border town of Semenivka in Chernihiv Oblast with four guided aerial bombs, targeting a residential area. Nine people, including two children aged eight and 13, were injured, Governor Viacheslav Chaus said The attack damaged two five-story buildings A Russian guided aerial bomb also destroyed a part of a residential building in the village of Svesa in Sumy Oblast The aftermath of a Russian attack on the village of Svesa in Sumy Oblast on Jan. 4, 2024. (Sumy Regional Military Administration/Telegram) Four people were injured in the town of Sloviansk and one more person in the village of Oleksiyevo-Druzhkivka in Donetsk Oblast, Governor Vadym Filashkin said In Kharkiv Oblast, Russian shelling killed a 74-year-old man near Kupiansk, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported Three people suffered injuries as a result of a Russian attack on the town of Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast In Kherson Oblast, Russian forces targeted 34 settlements, including the regional center of Kherson. Nine people were injured over the past day, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany Russian troops made progress at various points on the front line in Ukraine securing improved positions in the Kharkiv region according to Russia’s defence ministry Russia holds approximately 18% of Ukrainian territory primarily in the eastern and southern parts and has been advancing since Kyiv’s 2023 counter-offensive failed to significantly impact the entrenched Russian forces President Vladimir Putin in February ordered Russian troops to push further into Ukraine after the fall of the town of Avdiivka where he said Ukrainian troops had been forced to flee in chaos Russia’s defence ministry said its troops had taken the village of Semenivka Russia said it had defeated Ukrainian forces and foreign mercenaries in a number of other villages in the area Russia also reported defeating Ukrainian troops in the areas of Synkivka in the Kharkiv region and at a number of other points along the front line It also said it had struck Ukrainian drone workshops Ukraine’s general staff said that its troops had repelled enemy attacks near Semenivka and reported that its soldiers had repelled a number of other Russian attacks Reuters was unable to immediately verify battlefield accounts from either side Both sides have restrictions on journalists covering the conflict Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has resulted in thousands of deaths and sparked the most significant crisis in relations between Russia and the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis The West and Ukraine have vowed to continue their efforts until Russian forces are defeated describing the conflict as an attempt by Russia to reclaim land in an imperial manner and pull Ukraine back into Moscow’s sphere of influence Russia is reportedly rearming more rapidly than the West has increased the size of its army since before the invasion and has a population much larger than Ukraine’s which is currently seeking to draft more men into its military Russia says it will achieve all its aims in what it calls the “special military operation” in Ukraine, parts of which Moscow now says it considers to be Russian territory Russia casts the war as a battle with the West which Putin says ignored Moscow’s attempt at friendship after the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union and sought to grab control of Ukraine while enlarging the NATO military alliance eastwards the Russian defence ministry announced the capture of Novobakhmutivka which has become a focal point of fighting in recent days “Russian forces will likely continue to make tactical gains in the Avdiivka direction in the coming weeks,” said the Institute for the Study of War a research organization which says it is committed to helping achieve U.S “The next line of defensible settlements in the area is some distance from the Ukrainian defensive line that Russian forces have been attacking since the seizure of Avdiivka in mid-February 2024,” it said The attack caused damage to both the building and the surrounding area of the enterprise Firefighters extinguished the fire that broke out on the roof of the building and among stored timber products Police units from the town of Semenivka promptly arrived at the scene and documented the aftermath of the attack The incident has been recorded in the Unified Register of Pretrial Investigations under Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (War Crimes) Russian forces attacked a hospital in Semenivka with strike drones drones targeted a passenger train in the same town MENAFN21042025000193011044ID1109454685 World and Middle East business and financial news