THE RUSSO-UKRAINE WAR BRIEF
Day 1160 of the full scale invasion
Slava Ukraini! In early 2022 I began a Telegram channel aggregating news from a number of sources daily on the war in Ukraine. In June 2023 I began providing a daily draft for the Ukraine War Brief Podcast collecting news from over 70 sources daily, which formed the basis of the script. While the Podcast no longer exists I have continued to make this Brief available for my followers here on Substack for those who wish to keep up with the news from the war.
All the latest news on the Russo-Ukraine War 6 days per week
ALONG THE CONTACT LINE
GSAFU Morning Report
For: Apr 28, 2025
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in its Operational Information update at 08:00 on Apr 28 stated that day 1160 of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation against Ukraine had begun.
The situation on the line of combat remains tense in some sectors. Ukrainian defenders continue to actively counteract the Russian aggressor, causing them significant losses in personnel, equipment and technology. Exhausting the enemy along the entire front line and continuing to disrupt the plans of Russian occupiers to advance deeper into the territory of Ukraine.
During the past two days, 342 combat engagements took place.
Over the past 48 hours, the enemy carried out 1 missile strike, 197 air strikes, used 4,831 drones and fired approximately 10,000 artillery shells across the positions of Ukrainian forces and civilians.
Air Force Daily Report
57 ENEMY UAVS SHOT DOWN, 67 SIMULATOR UAVS FAILED TO REACH THEIR TARGETS (LOCATIONALLY LOST)
➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖
On the night of Apr 27, 2025 (from 9:00 p.m. on Apr 26), the enemy attacked with 149 strike UAVs (simulator drones of other types) - launch areas: Kursk, Bryansk, Orel, Primorsko-Akhtarsk - Russia.
The enemy air attack was repelled by aviation, anti-aircraft missile units, electronic warfare equipment, and mobile fire groups of the Defense Forces of Ukraine.
As of 09:00, it has been confirmed that 57 Shahed attack UAVs (and other types of drones) have been shot down in the east, north, south, and center of the country.
67 enemy drones-simulators - lost in location (without negative consequences).
As a result of the enemy attack, the Zhytomyr, Dnipropetrovsk, Odessa, Donetsk, Sumy, and Cherkasy regions suffered.
40 ENEMY UAVS SHOT DOWN, 74 SIMULATOR UAVS FAILED TO REACH THEIR TARGETS (LOCATIONALLY LOST)
➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖
On the night of Apr 28, 2025 (from 11:30 p.m. on Apr 27), the enemy attacked with 166 strike UAVs and other types of simulator drones from the areas of Kursk, Millerovo, Orel - Russia.
The main areas of attack are Sumy and Cherkasy regions.
The enemy air attack was repelled by aviation, anti-aircraft missile units, electronic warfare equipment, and mobile fire groups of the Defense Forces of Ukraine.
As of 5:00 p.m., it has been confirmed that 40 Shahed attack UAVs (and other types of drones) have been shot down in the east, north, and center of the country.
74 enemy drones-simulators - lost in location (without negative consequences).
As a result of the enemy attack, the Kharkiv, Donetsk, Sumy, and Cherkasy regions suffered.
Combat Operations in the Russian Federation
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US based think tank, in its Apr 27 Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment reported that:
Sumy - Kursk Border: Russian forces recently advanced in northern Sumy Oblast.
Assessed Russian advances: Geolocated footage published on Apr 26 indicates that Russian forces recently advanced along the C-191503 highway in northern Loknya (northeast of Sumy City).
Belgorod Incursion: Russian forces did not make confirmed advances in Belgorod Oblast on April 27 amid continued fighting.
The Khortytsia operational-strategic group
(Responsible for the northeastern part of Ukraine. )
Borova Sector: Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the Borova direction.
Assessed Ukrainian advances: Geolocated footage published on Apr 26 indicates that Ukrainian forces recently advanced to the southwestern outskirts of Zahryzove (northeast of Borova).
Chasiv Yar Sector: Russian forces recently marginally advanced in the Chasiv Yar direction.
Geolocated footage published on Apr 26 indicates that Russian forces recently advanced south of Ozaryanivka, although this advance likely did not occur within the past day.
Toretsk Sector: Russian forces recently advanced in the Toretsk direction.
Geolocated footage published on Apr 26 and 27 indicates that Russian forces recently advanced to the railway line in northeastern Shcherbynivka (west of Toretsk) and within central Berezivka (southwest of Toretsk)
The Tavria operational-strategic group
(Responsible for the central-eastern and southeastern part of Ukraine.)
Zaporizhia Sector: Russian forces continued offensive operations in western Zaporizhia Oblast on Apr 27 but did not advance.
Russian forces attacked southeast of Orikhiv near Mala Tokmachka and southwest of Orikhiv near Stepove and Mali Shcherbaky on Apr 26 and 27.
The Odesa operational-strategic group
(Responsible for Kherson, Qırım, (also known as Crimea) and the Black Sea.)
Dnipro Sector: Russian forces conducted limited ground assaults in the Kherson direction on Apr 26.
TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
Nothing major to report.
THE HOME FRONT
Russian attacks against Ukraine kill 6, injure at least 29 on Apr 26.
Russian attacks against Ukraine killed six people and injured at least 28 others over the past day, the Kyiv Independent reported citing regional authorities on Apr 27.
According to the report, Zhytomyr, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Donetsk, Sumy, and Cherkasy oblasts were hit in the attack.
A Russian drone attack on the city of Pavlohrad in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast killed one person and injured a 14-year-old girl, according to Governor Serhii Lysak.
“Two apartment buildings were damaged in the city. A fire broke out in one of them,” Lysak reported.
The attack also hit civilian infrastructure in Zhytomyr Oblast, damaging at least 15 private houses, Governor Vitalii Bunechko reported. One civilian was hospitalized following the attack, he said.
Two civilians were also injured in Sumy Oblast — in the Shostka and Krasnopillia communities — local authorities said.
Russian attacks on Donetsk Oblast killed four people over the past day and injured 17, Governor Vadym Filashkin said. Two people were killed in Kostiantynivka and two more in Novoekonomichne and Zoria.
In Odesa Oblast, a Russian drone strike damaged a three-story residential building, injuring a 35-year-old woman, Odesa Oblast Prosecutor's Office reported. A woman has been hospitalized, according to the report.
In Kherson Oblast, Russian forces targeted 25 settlements, including the regional center of Kherson. One person was killed, and five other people were injured, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported.
A 61-year-old man and a 61-year-old woman were injured in a Russian attack near Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.
Foreign nationals almost certainly make up a very small proportion of the Armed Forces' total recruitment numbers, with a significantly greater emphasis placed on recruiting from within russia. Nonetheless, some recruitment of foreign nationals will almost certainly continue in the medium term as russia maintains its current recruitment strategy, intended to replace heavy battlefield losses without resorting to a second wave of mobilization.
6 killed, 13 injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine over the past day.
Russian attacks across Ukrainian regions over the past day killed at least six civilians and injured at least 13, the Kyiv Independent reports citing regional authorities on April 28.
Moscow's forces have intensified their strikes against Ukrainian towns and cities even as Kyiv calls for an unconditional ceasefire.
In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a 73-year-old woman was injured during Russian drone and artillery attacks against the Nikopol district, Governor Serhii Lysak reported.
Russian attacks across Donetsk Oblast killed five people and injured six, Governor Vadym Filashkin said. This included three people killed and five injured in an air strike against Kostiantynivka, which damaged 21 houses.
In Kharkiv Oblast, a Russian drone attack against the town of Kupiansk injured a local doctor, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov.
Russian attacks across Kherson Oblast injured five civilians, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. Four high-rise buildings and 17 houses were damaged.
One civilian was killed in Russian attacks against Sumy Oblast, the regional military administration reported.
RUSSIAN WORLD
UK Intel - Russia has recruited more than 1,500 foreign nationals into its army.
In a bid to sustain its war against Ukraine , Russia has enlisted over 1,500 foreign nationals, mainly from Asia, former Soviet republics, and Africa, UK Defense Intelligence reports.
More than 1,500 foreign nationals were recruited in Moscow between Apr 2023 and the end of May 2024 to participate in Russia's illegal war against Ukraine, according to recent research by Russian media outlet Vazhnyye Istorii. The highest number of volunteers reportedly came from South and East Asia (771), followed by former Soviet republics (523) and Africa (72).
Russian military recruitment of foreign nationals is probably largely non-systematic, with most attracted to sign contracts on the basis of financial incentives and a prospective pathway to russian citizenship. It is likely that many foreign nationals are recruited through Moscow due to the city's higher signing-on bonuses, and relative international accessibility.
Defense Ministry Shows North Korean Soldiers Undergoing Training in Russia.
Russia’s Defense Ministry on Monday released a video showing North Korean soldiers undergoing combat training in Russia, shortly after both Moscow and Pyongyang confirmed reports of North Korean involvement in the war, the Moscow Times reports.
The video, shared by state media, shows Russian instructors teaching the North Korean soldiers how to handle Kalashnikov assault rifles, grenade launchers and shotguns for use against drones. The footage also shows hand grenade training and combat techniques in open areas and trenches.
Military authorities did not say when the video was recorded.
The footage was released hours after President Vladimir Putin thanked North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for sending troops to assist Russian forces in reclaiming territory from Ukrainian forces in the southwestern Kursk region.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Monday that Moscow is “absolutely” ready to send Russian troops to North Korea in exchange for Pyongyang’s assistance.
North Korea’s state news agency KCNA earlier reported that its soldiers fought in the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces launched a surprise incursion in August.
Kim said the deployment was carried out under the Russian-North Korean mutual defense treaty, according to KCNA.
RELATED INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Trump ‘urges’ Russia to stop attacks, says Zelenskyy might cede Crimea.
President Donald Trump urged Russia on Sunday to stop its attacks in Ukraine and suggested Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was ready to give up Crimea as the price of a peace deal with Russia, Reuters reports.
Speaking to reporters in New Jersey, Trump said he was disappointed that Russia has continued to attack Ukraine, and said his one-on-one meeting with Zelenskyy at the Vatican on Saturday had gone well.
Asked if Zelenskyy might be ready to give up Crimea - the Black Sea peninsula seized by Russia in 2014 - as part of a future peace deal with Moscow, Trump said: "Oh, I think so, yeah. Look, Crimea was 12 years ago."
Trump then blamed his Democrat predecessors, Presidents Barack Obama and President Joe Biden, for having allowed Russia to take Crimea "without a shot being fired".
"So, don't talk to me about Crimea. Talk to Obama and Biden about Crimea. And remember, this is Biden's war. This isn't Trump's war. I came in to try and solve a problem. And the problem is so many people are being killed."
U.S. proposals on ending the three-year war in Ukraine have called for Washington's recognition of Moscow's control over Crimea as well as de facto recognition of Russia's hold on other parts of Ukraine. In contrast, European and Ukrainian counter-proposals defer detailed discussion about territory until after a ceasefire is concluded.
On Zelenskyy, Trump said on Sunday: "I see him as calmer. I think he understands the picture, and I think he wants to make a deal."
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, meanwhile, said on Sunday that the Trump administration might abandon its attempts to broker a deal if Russia and Ukraine do not make headway.
"It needs to happen soon," Rubio told the NBC program "Meet the Press." "We cannot continue to dedicate time and resources to this effort if it's not going to come to fruition."
Trump and Zelenskyy, in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis, met in a Vatican basilica on Saturday to try to revive faltering efforts to end the war in Ukraine. The meeting was the first between the two leaders since an angry encounter in the White House Oval Office in February and comes at a critical time in negotiations aimed at bringing an end to the conflict.
Trump rebuked Russian President Vladimir Putin after that meeting, saying on social media that there is "no reason" for Russia to shoot missiles into civilian areas.
In a pre-taped interview that aired on the CBS program "Face the Nation" on Sunday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia would continue to target sites used by Ukraine's military.
When asked about a Russian strike on Kyiv last week that killed civilians, Lavrov said that "the target attacked was not something absolutely civilian" and that Russia targets only "sites which are used by the military."
Zelenskyy wrote on the messaging app Telegram that his top military commander reported that Russia had already conducted nearly 70 attacks on Sunday.
"The situation at the front and the real activity of the Russian army prove that there is currently insufficient pressure on Russia from the world to end this war," Zelenskyy said.
Ukrainian and European officials have pushed back against the U.S. proposals on how to end the war.
Mike Waltz, Trump's national security adviser, said the U.S. president has "expressed his frustration" at both Putin and Zelenskyy but remains determined to help negotiate an agreement. Waltz also said the United States and Ukraine would eventually reach an agreement over rare earth minerals.
Chuck Schumer, the top U.S. Senate Democrat, said on Sunday that he is concerned Trump will "cave in to Putin."
"To just abandon Ukraine, after all the sacrifice that they made, after so much loss of life, and with the rallying of the whole West against Putin, it would just be a moral tragedy," Schumer said on CNN's "State of the Union" program.
Trump’s demands for Ukrainian territorial concessions go too far, Germany’s defense minister says.
Germany will continue to support Ukraine with military aid even if the U.S. cuts back its assistance, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on April 27 in an interview with Tagesschau, criticizing U.S. proposals that Kyiv cede territory to Russia in exchange for peace.
"Ukraine could have done that alone, just a year ago, through a surrender," Pistorius said.
"Of course, I have long been aware that a lasting, trustworthy ceasefire or peace agreement could involve territorial concessions. However, they must not go as far as the latest proposal by the American president (Donald Trump)."
Previously, Axios reported that the Trump administration's final peace proposal would have involved U.S. recognition of Russia's control over Crimea and de facto acknowledgment of its occupation of other Ukrainian territories.
The plan would have also barred Ukraine from joining NATO while lifting sanctions on Russia and boosting U.S.-Russia economic cooperation.
The German defense minister emphasized that any peace deal involving territorial loss must consider security guarantees.
"I would not focus on the borders themselves," Pistorius said. "I would focus on which territories are involved in relation to the provided security guarantees."
Pistorius also said that Germany would continue its military support of Ukraine even if the U.S. discontinued its assistance. Berlin is Ukraine's second-largest military donor after the U.S.
“If Ukraine falls, if (Russian President Vladimir) Putin wins this war in the sense that he occupies Ukraine, or even if it is only in large parts, then this is a maximum threat to the NATO territory and, incidentally, also to neighboring countries such as Moldova and Georgia," he said. "This is not just about solidarity with Ukraine, it is about our security and our peace in Europe."
The Trump administration is yet to announce a new military aid package for Ukraine, even briefly pausing the already approved assistance in March.
In turn, Germany announced a new package of military assistance to Ukraine on April 17, including four additional IRIS-T air defense systems, missiles for Patriot batteries, and tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition for various weapon systems.
Political leaders from the Social Democrats (SPD) and the conservative CDU/CSU are also discussing the possibility of sending long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine.
Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz has expressed openness to authorizing the Taurus deliveries, a shift from the cautious stance of outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
MILITARY & TECH
NASAMS downs 11 Russian cruise missiles in less than 2 minutes.
Ukrainian forces operating NASAMS air defense systems downed 11 Russian cruise missiles in less than two minutes during a mass aerial attack, Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Kyrylo Peretyatko said in a video published on April 27.
"We probably broke all records of other countries for reload speed, and we are ready to keep doing it constantly to defend our country, as long as we have the missiles," he said.
"In one air defense battle, we shot down 11 cruise missiles. The operation lasted no more than two minutes," Peretyatko said.
He did not specify which Russian mass missile attack he was referring to.
The U.S./Norwegian-made National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) systems have been in service with Ukrainian forces since November 2022, when the U.S. delivered the first batteries amid escalating Russian airstrikes.
The NASAMS system, which has a maximum range of 50 kilometers depending on the model used, is particularly valuable for Ukraine as it uses the AIM-120 AMRAAM interceptor missile, which is the same missile used in air-to-air function in Western fighter jets.
Kyiv has consistently urged Western allies to expand air defense assistance, with President Volodymyr Zelensky even offering to buy Patriot air defense systems from the U.S., warning that existing systems are insufficient. U.S. President Donald Trump later rejected the offer.
While Ukraine presses for an unconditional ceasefire, in line with proposals from the U.S., Russia continues to reject the terms. It has reportedly intensified its aerial campaign and offensive operations across the front line.
Over the past week, the Ukrainian air force downed 442 Russian Shahed kamikaze drones and over 230 other attack drones, as well as 31 Kh-101/Kh-55SM cruise missiles, seven Iskander ballistic missiles, six Kalibr cruise missiles, and four Kh-59/Kh-69 guided air-launched missiles, the Air Force reported on April 27.
Apart from the front-line areas, Russian attacks targeted cities all over Ukraine, with a mass drone and missile attack on Kyiv overnight on April 24 killing 12 people and injuring 90, including children.
Two of Russia's Most Expensive Merlin Reconnaissance Drones Downed in Less Than Half an Hour.
Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to showcase the effectiveness of anti-aircraft FPV drones in neutralizing Russian reconnaissance assets. The Come Back Alive Foundation has recently released a video showing one of the crews operating FPV interceptors take down two russian Merlin drones, as claimed, consequently in just under 30 minutes, Defense Express reports.
The Ukrainian FPV crew was supplied with FPVs under the fund's Dronopad (Dronefall) project. Come Back Alive notes that overall, more than 12 Merlin-type reconnaissance drones have been destroyed since the start of the project.
In this case, featured in the video are none other than Merlin-VR unmanned aerial vehicles — experimental reconnaissance drones that are considered a rare find even in the russo-Ukrainian war realities, heavily saturated with various unmanned systems.
The model was first presented in fall 2021 by its developer, the Research Institute of Modern Telecommunications Technologies JSC (NII STT). It remains unknown whether mass production of these drones has already been launched or how many units there may be in Russian possession. With a payload capacity of 6.5 kg, it is said to fly almost silently for 10 hours straight at altitudes up to 5 km.
Merlin-VR is one of the most expensive scout drones in Russia, its price tag could reach $300,000 apiece, meaning that all 12 lost Merlins account for about $3.6 million in losses to the Russian military. Important to note, other Ukrainian units keep their own count of Merlin kills scored. For instance, one was hit in January, and one more in early April 2025. In both episodes, they were intercepted by cheap FPV drones.
Still, Merlin-VR remains an uncommon target for Ukrainian air defense units. The first confirmed downing dates back to summer 2022, and only five losses of this unique piece of equipment have been visually confirmed so far: five destroyed and another six captured relatively intact, according to the Oryx OSINT project. Often, confirmation of results is complicated by drones falling on enemy territory.
The seized samples were dismantled and analyzed, revealing the real insides of the system. In particular, it turned out there's a regular engine instead of a declared "hybrid power plant," and it's packed with Western electronics.
That’s it for today’s Brief folks if you would like to keep up with events in Ukraine daily please consider subscribing, it’s free!