The major events on day 1,143 of Russia’s conflict with Ukraine are highlighted below.
Here is the current situation as of Saturday, April 12:
Fighting
The Russian defence ministry reported that 13 Ukrainian drones were destroyed by air defence units in a 30-minute span late on Friday. Nine drones were destroyed over the Rostov region on Ukraine’s eastern border, while four were destroyed in the Kursk region on Ukraine’s northern border.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the site of a deadly Russian attack in Kryvyi Rih, his hometown, where 19 people, including nine children and teenagers, were killed in a missile strike.
Ukrainian officials have provided Washington with a list of targets they believe Russia has attacked in violation of the energy infrastructure ceasefire agreed upon last month.
Military analysts speculate that Russia is gearing up for a new military offensive in the near future to increase pressure and bolster its position in ceasefire negotiations.
President Zelenskyy claimed that hundreds of Chinese nationals are fighting alongside Russian forces on the front lines in Ukraine, accusing Moscow of involving Beijing in its invasion. He stated that several hundred Chinese nationals are part of Russia’s occupation forces.
According to US officials and a former Western intelligence official, over 100 Chinese citizens fighting for the Russian military in Ukraine are believed to be mercenaries without direct ties to the Chinese government. Chinese military officers have reportedly been present behind Russian lines to observe and learn from the conflict.
Zelenskyy mentioned that Ukraine is prepared to purchase additional air defence systems, a topic he discussed with US President Donald Trump.
Ceasefire
Talks between US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday in Russia lasted over four hours but yielded no concrete results. The possibility of another phone call between Putin and Trump following the discussions was not ruled out by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Trump, in a post on Truth Social, emphasized the urgency for Russia to act, highlighting the devastating impact of the ongoing war and expressing regret that the conflict had not occurred during his presidency.
Russia has declined a US-backed proposal for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire and appears to be delaying a more limited truce in the Black Sea agreed upon last month.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, after co-chairing a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Brussels with British Defence Secretary John Healey, acknowledged that Russia’s continued aggression makes achieving peace in Ukraine seem unlikely in the near future.
If a ceasefire is not achieved by the end of the month, Axios reported that Trump could impose additional sanctions on Russia, citing an anonymous source.
As Russia persists in rejecting a truce, General Keith Kellogg, Trump’s envoy to Kyiv, hinted at the possibility of Ukraine being divided similarly to post-World War II Berlin, with different zones of control and international forces present.
Military Aid
European nations have pledged billions of dollars in additional funding to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion. The UK Defence Secretary Healey warned that 2025 is a crucial year for the conflict.
Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur mentioned that opportunities exist for Ukraine’s allies to purchase more weapons and ammunition as they monitor the global armaments market.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not attend the Ukraine donor’s forum but addressed the meeting via video conference.
Sanctions
A former Russian government minister was sentenced to over three years in prison in England for violating UK sanctions by receiving financial support from family members. Dmitrii Ovsiannikov, who was appointed governor of Sevastopol in Russian-annexed Crimea, became the first person convicted of breaching sanctions imposed after the annexation of Crimea in 2014.
Estonia’s navy detained an oil tanker suspected to belong to Russia’s “shadow fleet” in the Gulf of Finland for inspection.
Regional security
The reduction of US troops in Eastern Europe has raised concerns among analysts, who view it as a step towards closer ties with Moscow and a worrying development for Europe. According to NBC news, the US Department of Defense is considering withdrawing 10,000 troops from Europe.
President Putin announced significant investments for the rearmament of Russia’s navy. “Di dekade berikutnya, 8,4 triliun rubel [sekitar $97bn] dialokasikan untuk pembangunan kapal baru dan kapal perang,” kata Putin dalam pertemuan tentang pengembangan angkatan laut di Saint Petersburg, menurut agensi berita Rusia.
Putin mengatakan angkatan laut akan mengembangkan teknologi drone dan robot, dan dia mengklaim bahwa 49 kapal perang dari berbagai kelas telah dibangun di galangan kapal Rusia dalam lima tahun terakhir, termasuk kapal selam nuklir yang dapat dilengkapi dengan rudal hipersonik Zircon baru.
Menteri Luar Negeri Rusia, Sergey Lavrov, secara tajam mengkritik politisi Uni Eropa di tengah-tengah pendekatan antara Kremlin dan pemerintahan AS yang baru.
Politisi seperti Menteri Luar Negeri Jerman, Annalena Baerbock, diplomat puncak Uni Eropa, Kaja Kallas, dan Presiden Komisi Eropa, Ursula von der Leyen, tidak memikirkan pemilih mereka, tetapi telah menempatkan keinginan untuk menghukum Rusia di atas kesejahteraan warga negara mereka sendiri, kata Lavrov.