UKRAINE WAR BRIEF DAILY DRAFT
For: 2024-04-08
Slava Ukraini! In early 2022 I began a Telegram channel aggregating news from a number of sources daily on the war in Ukraine. Since June 2023 I have provided a daily draft for the Ukraine War Brief Podcast collecting news from over 60 sources daily, much of which forms the basis of the script. While the Podcast is on hiatus I will make this Draft available here both on my own Substack and The People’s Media for those who wish to keep up with events on a daily basis.
INSIDE UKRAINE
ALONG THE CONTACT LINE
GSAFU Morning Report
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in its situation update at 06:00 on Apr. 8 stated that it was day 775 of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.
During the past day, 76 combat engagements took place. Over the past 24 hours, the enemy carried out 7 missile strikes, 104 air strikes, and 108 MLRS attacks across the positions of our troops and settlements. As a result of the Russian attacks, unfortunately, there are dead and wounded among the civilian population. Destruction and damage to residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure.
At the same time, Ukrainian soldiers continue to inflict losses in manpower and equipment on the occupying troops, exhausting the enemy along the entire front line.
Ukrainian missile forces struck 1 anti-aircraft missile system, 1 UAVs control post, 1 artillery system, and 3 concentrations of weapons and military equipment
Russia’s average daily losses slightly lower in March
The UK Ministry of Defence in their Apr. 7 Intelligence Update stated that the average daily number of russian losses (killed and wounded) in Ukraine reduced by 74 per day throughout March 2024, to 913 per day.
The decrease in losses corresponds with fewer reported attacks over the past month. The reduction in russian offensive operations highly likely reflects a series of factors: a period of rest and refit following the capture of Avdiivka, and intent to reduce death notifications during the russian election.
Since the February 2022 invasion, russian forces have sustained 658 losses a day on average. Each year has seen a rise in the daily average loss rate from 400 in 2022, to 693 in 2023, to 913 through the first quarter of 2024.The increase reflects russia’s ongoing reliance on mass to sustain pressure on Ukrainian frontlines.
Air Force Daily Report
The Ukrainian Air Force in its situation update at 06:00 stated that during the previous day they launched air strikes on 1 command post, 5 anti-aircraft missile systems, 1 communication tower, and 13 concentrations of troops, weapons, and military equipment
On the night of April 8, 2024, the enemy attacked with one H-59 cruise missile from the airspace of the temporarily occupied territories of the Zaporizhia region and 24th attack Shahed UAVs from Cape Chaud (TOT Ukrainian Crimea), and the Kursk and Yeisk areas (Russia).
As a result of anti-aircraft combat by the Defense Forces of Ukraine, a H-59 cruise missile was shot down in Dnipropetrovsk region and 17 Shaheds in Odessa, Mykolaiv, Kirovograd, Khmelnytsky and Zhytomyr regions.
The Khortytsia operational-strategic group
(Responsible for the Kup’yans’k, Lyman, and Bakhmut axes, in the northeastern part of Ukraine. )
Kup’yans’k axis: The enemy did not conduct any offensive (assault) operations in this area. Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to hold their positions.
Lyman axis: Ukrainian defenders repelled 2 attacks near Terny (Donetsk oblast) where the occupiers attempted to breach Ukrainian defensive lines.
Bakhmut axis: Ukrainian troops repelled more than 31 attacks in the vicinities of Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), Vyimka, Spirne Fedorivka, Rozdolivka, Vesele, Bohdanivka, Chasiv Yar Klishchiivka and Andriivka (Donetsk oblast).
The Tavria operational-strategic group
(Responsible for the Avdiivka, Novopavlivka, and Orikhiv axes, in the central-eastern and southeastern part of Ukraine.)
Avdiivka axis: Ukrainian defenders repelled 8 attacks in the vicinities of Netailove, Nevel’s’ke, and Netailove (Donetsk oblast), where the invaders attempted to dislodge Ukrainian troops from their positions.
Novopavlivka axis: Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to hold back the enemy in the vicinities of Krasnohorivka, Pobjeda, and Novomykhailivka, (Donetsk oblast). The invaders, supported by aviation, made 21 attempts to breach Ukrainian defenses in that area.
Orikhiv axis: The enemy conducted 5 attacks on positions of Ukrainian defenders in the vicinities of Staromaiors’ke (Donetsk oblast), Robotyne (Zaporizhzhia oblast).
The Odesa operational-strategic group
(Responsible for Kherson, Qırım, (also known as Crimea) and the Black Sea.)
Kherson axis: Ukrainian defenders continue to maintain their positions. Over the past day, the enemy carried out 8 unsuccessful assaults on the positions of the Ukrainian Defense Forces on the left bank of the Dnipro River.
TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
Nothing to report.
THE HOME FRONT
Russia shifts tactics, targets Ukraine’s less protected power plants
The Financial Times reported on 8 April that Russia has changed its tactics for attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, using high-precision missiles to destroy power plants in less protected areas than Kyiv. Some facilities reportedly will not be able to fully recover before next winter.
Between Mar. 22 - 29, Russia struck seven thermal power plants in less protected regions than Kyiv, which has one of the best air defense systems in the country. Russian missiles also hit two hydroelectric power plants,”
Ukrainian officials said that while the damage inflicted by Moscow is not as extensive, it is “worse than in the winter of 2022-23,” and it is clear that Russia’s goal now is to cause “permanent, irreparable harm.”
Ukraine has not provided details on the extent of damage at each station, but officials said some of them, including in Kharkiv Oblast near the Russian border, were almost completely destroyed, the FT reported.
“Our goal is to restore as much as possible by October,” said Maxim Timchenko, CEO of Ukraine’s largest energy producer, DTEK.
Russia aims to make Kharkiv “grey zone” uninhabitable for civilians
Russia has stepped up its bombardment of Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv since December. The city has received more ballistic missiles than at any time since the war’s start. The Economist reported, citing Ukrainian military sources, that drone assaults have become more frequent, flying faster and higher and featuring a carbon wing-coating that makes shooting them down harder.
The March 27th attack, which marked the first use of a glide bomb against Kharkiv, is described as a pivotal moment. Kharkiv’s mayor, Ihor Terekhov, said that the city has no intention of giving up, despite the recent escalation in tactics, including “double-tap” strikes (repeated shots on the same position designed to target emergency workers)
While taking Kharkiv would be a tall order for Russia, according to experts in the report, the fear remains that the Russians will turn nastier when they realize they can’t get what they want. “They won’t be able to take Kharkiv, but destroy it—perhaps,” says Denys Yaroslavsky, a local businessman turned special-forces reconnaissance commander.
The Economist reported that despite the dangers, civilians continue to live in Kharkiv “with families walking in the city’s central park and children playing football next to military facilities.” The city has started building underground schools.
“We are currently considering the issue of forced evacuation from the northern parts of the Kharkiv region, specifically the Kharkiv and Bohodukhiv districts. We will likely make a decision even for those settlements located further from the Russian border but still under fire. This is because the Russians have begun targeting populated areas that were not hit even a month ago,” Kharkiv Oblast head Oleh Syniehubov said, adding that the mandatory evacuation from 18 settlements in the Kupiansk direction in the Kharkiv Oblast was just completed.
Russian forces target industrial facility in Zaporizhzhia
Russian troops launched a missile strike on an industrial facility in the city of Zaporizhzhia on the afternoon of Apr.8 , injuring six people. Ivan Fedorov, the Head of Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration reported on Telegram.
"The Russians have attacked an industrial facility in Zaporizhzhia once again. Six people have been injured. The information about the aftermath of the missile attack is currently being gathered."
An infrastructure facility, 7 apartment buildings and a medical facility were also damaged.
RUSSIAN WORLD
Russian missile ship Serpukhov on fire in Kaliningrad region
A fire broke out on the Russian missile ship Serpukhov in the Kaliningrad region, causing significant damage, according to a source within special services. RBC-Ukraine reports.
The source says the fire engulfed the Serpukhov on April 7. It is a small missile ship of Project 21631 Buyan-M.
The missile carrier was burning at the military naval base Baltiysk in the Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation. The source did not specify the cause of the fire.
NEWS WORLDWIDE
Ally of Russia-friendly leader wins Slovakian presidential election
Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico, known for his friendly stance towards Russia and firm opposition to providing military aid to Ukraine, is set to consolidate his hold on power following the victory of his ally in the country's presidential election. The Kyiv Independent wrote.
Peter Pellegrini, Slovakia's former prime minister, garnered 53.85% of the vote, with over 98% of polling stations' ballots counted by the Statistics Office in the April 6 runoff election. A pro-Western opposition candidate Ivan Korcok, a former foreign minister, trailed behind with 46.14%.
Pellegrini assumes the role of Slovakia's sixth president since the nation's independence following the split of Czechoslovakia in 1993. He will take over from Zuzana Caputova, the country's inaugural female head of state. Caputova, a strong supporter of Ukraine in its resistance against Russia's invasion, opted not to seek re-election in June last year due to receiving threats to her life.
Critics express concerns that Slovakia, under Fico's leadership, could deviate from its pro-Western trajectory and align more closely with Hungary's direction under its populist Prime Minister, Viktor Orban.
Trump vows to force Ukraine cede Crimea, Donbas to Russia if elected
Former President Donald Trump, if elected, intends to push Ukraine to surrender Crimea and the Donbas region to Russia in order to end the war according to an article in the Washington Post.
Privately, Trump has said he believes both Russia and Ukraine “want to save face” and that some Ukrainians would accept being part of Russia, the WP reported, citing a person familiar with Trump’s thinking.
The former US president had previously claimed he could stop the war within 24 hours by bringing the parties to the negotiating table. But he has repeatedly declined to specify publicly how he would quickly settle a war that has raged for more than two years and killed tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians.
Granting Russia permanent control over Ukrainian territory would expand Putin’s authoritarian reach following Europe’s largest land war since WWII. Some of Trump’s own supporters have tried to dissuade him from this stance.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reiterated that Ukraine will not cede any territory to Russia from its 1991 borders.
MILITARY & TECH
Ukrainian hackers destroy data centre used by Russian defence industry
Ukrainian hackers, linked to the Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) cyber department, have destroyed a data centre used by Russian industrial giants. Among them are Gazprom, Lukoil, Telecom, and leading Russian defence industry enterprises. Ukrinform reports.
According to the source, more than 10,000 Russian legal entities have stored their data in the OwenCloud.ru cloud service. In particular, these are enterprises of the Russian defence industry, oil and gas, metallurgy, aerospace industry, as well as telecommunications giants. Among them are the Ural Civil Aviation Plant, Rubin Research and Production Enterprise, part of the Ruselectronics holding, Ural Special Equipment Plant, Gazprom, Transgaz, Lukoil, Rosneft, Norilsk Nickel, Rostelecom, Telecom, and Megafon.
According to sources, it was a joint operation of the Ukrainian hacker group BLACKJACK and the SBU Cyber Department. The successful operation resulted in the destruction of over 300 TB of data. In particular, 400 virtual and 42 physical servers that hosted internal documentation, backups and other programs that allowed customers to remotely control production processes at enterprises.
"The destruction of the Russian cloud service was a retaliation for the attack on the Ukrainian Parkovyi data centre in January this year," the source said.
That’s it for today’s Draft folks if you would like to keep up with events in Ukraine daily please consider subscribing, its free!
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