The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has now entered its 412th day, and there have been several significant developments in recent days. Here is a summary of the current situation as of Tuesday, April 11, 2023:
Fighting
According to Denis Pushilin, the Moscow-installed head of the Donetsk region occupied by Russia, Russian forces now control more than 75% of Bakhmut. Ukrainian ground forces commander Oleksandr Syrskyi has reported that Russian troops are using “scorched earth” tactics in the area.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has condemned Russian air attacks on Orthodox Palm Sunday, which included an attack that killed a man and his daughter in their home in Zaporizhzhia.
In an exchange of prisoners, Ukraine has released 106 Russian prisoners of war in exchange for 100 Ukrainians.
The governor of the front-line town of Avdiivka reports that the town’s population has dropped from 32,000 before the war to just 1,800.
Diplomacy
The United States is still assessing an apparent leak of documents containing US military intelligence, which could pose a serious risk to national security and lead to the spread of misinformation.
The US government plans to rally allies this week to increase economic pressure on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and support Kyiv. Treasury Undersecretary Jay Shambaugh has made this announcement.
Ukraine’s deputy foreign minister has begun a visit to India, seeking a visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top officials. Emine Dzhaparova has also called for greater involvement by New Delhi in resolving the war in Ukraine.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing this week to discuss trade and the war in Ukraine.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has met with Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu for an unannounced meeting in Minsk. Lukashenko has stated that he has received indications from Moscow that Russia would defend Belarus “like its own territory” in the event of an external attack.
The Kremlin has stated that it is difficult to imagine France playing the role of mediator in Ukraine because Paris has taken the side of one of the parties in the conflict.
Washington has accused Moscow of violating international law by denying US officials consular access to detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. The US has formally designated Gershkovich as “wrongfully detained”.
Russian opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza has stated that he stands by all of his political statements, including those he made against Russia’s war on Ukraine, which have left him facing 25 years in jail.
A Russian court has sentenced two former officials to 19 years in prison for throwing Molotov cocktails at a town hall in protest against military mobilisation.