The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has now entered its 411th day, with no end in sight. As of Monday, April 10, 2023, the situation remains tense, with both sides continuing to engage in fighting and diplomatic efforts failing to bring about a resolution.
Fighting
Over the weekend, Russian forces launched a series of attacks on various parts of Ukraine, including 40 air strikes, four missile strikes, and 58 attacks from multiple-rocket launchers. The shelling resulted in the deaths of at least seven civilians, according to Ukrainian officials. The Zaporizhia region’s Governor reported that 18 communities were shelled, while the governor of the Kherson region said that two communities there were hit by bombs from warplanes late on Sunday.
In addition to the civilian casualties, two men died on Sunday in shelling in Kupiansk, a city that Russia had previously held before Ukrainian forces regained control of almost all of the province. The Wagner Group, a private Russian military company whose fighters have spearheaded the offensive on Bakhmut, has been incurring heavy losses, making it necessary to move in regular army units, according to Colonel Serhiy Cherevaty, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Eastern Group of Forces.
Despite these losses, Russia continues to be aggressive in its attacks on Ukraine. The Russian defense ministry announced on Sunday that it had destroyed a depot containing 70,000 tonnes of fuel near the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia. Ukraine’s military reported continued Russian attacks and shelling, with the heaviest fighting still focused on two cities, Bakhmut and Avdiivka, in the eastern Donetsk region.
Diplomacy
Efforts to resolve the conflict diplomatically have so far been unsuccessful. Ukraine’s First Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzhaparova is due to visit India on Monday to seek humanitarian aid and equipment to repair energy infrastructure damaged during Russia’s invasion. However, Russia has threatened to bypass a UN-brokered grain deal unless obstacles to its agricultural exports are removed, while Turkey seeks a grain deal extension.
The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said on Saturday that it thinks Russia’s overall offensive “is approaching culmination,” citing Ivan Tymochko, the head of the Ukrainian Council of Reservists for the country’s ground forces. However, this remains to be seen, as Russia continues to engage in aggressive attacks on Ukraine.
Pope Francis also weighed in on the conflict in his Easter message to the world on Sunday. He appeared to ask Russians to seek the truth about their country’s invasion of Ukraine and appealed for dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians following recent violence.
Conflict
In a concerning development, US officials suspect that highly classified military and intelligence documents that appeared online may have been leaked by someone from the United States. The documents contain details ranging from Ukraine’s air defenses to Israel’s Mossad spy agency. This leak could potentially have serious implications for the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Overall, the situation in Ukraine remains tense, with no end in sight to the conflict. Despite diplomatic efforts, Russia continues to engage in aggressive attacks on Ukraine, resulting in civilian casualties and damage to infrastructure. The international community must continue to work towards a peaceful resolution to this ongoing conflict.