On the 1514th day of war, Russia continued aerial attacks on Ukraine, but at a lower level after Thursday’s massive bombardment:
- Russian forces launched over 20 attacks on two districts in the Dnipropetrovsk region. A drone hit a building.
- In the city of Kherson, a minibus caught fire after being attacked by a Russian drone.
- Russian drones also targeted the Odesa region today. Fires broke out in the port, as well as in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve.
- A drone entered Romanian airspace.
Meanwhile, Russia received a serious blow from an unexpected direction. The Kremlin publicly acknowledged the existence of criticisms directed at Putin's regime by a well-known Russian influencer with millions of followers. Her message garnered over 20 million views and more than a million likes.
Russia is trying to promote a new generation of pro-war influencers on the internet, organizing training camps for teenagers to spread the Kremlin's tough and anti-Western line among young people.
However, censorship comes at a heavy price: the restriction of Telegram, Russia's most widely used messaging platform, not only affects the population's access to uncensored information but also the infrastructure supporting Russian military operations in Ukraine, including frontline communications and fundraising campaigns.
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Meanwhile, following the release from Viktor Orban's "restraints," the European Union is planning to soon unlock a €90 billion loan for Ukraine.
And Russia, Ukraine, and the USA have been mentioned as possible perpetrators of the explosions that destroyed the gas pipelines connecting Russia to Europe, in a €580 million lawsuit filed by Nord Stream.
Russia's Attacks
- Over 20 attacks in Dnipropetrovsk - Russian forces launched over 20 attacks on two districts in the Dnipropetrovsk region, injuring two people. Multiple infrastructure elements, buildings, houses, and a farm were damaged. Additionally, the Russians hit a transportation facility in the city of Dnipro in the morning, causing a fire, authorities announced. Drones hit a building, a company's perimeter, and a trolleybus, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda.
- Minibus on fire - A minibus was targeted this morning by a Russian drone in Kherson, but neither the driver nor the passengers were injured. Additionally, two men were injured this morning in Russian attacks on the Kherson region, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda.
- Attack in Odesa - Russian drones attacked the Odesa region, causing fires in the port and the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve. Firefighters quickly extinguished the flames, and there were no casualties, as reported by the Ukrainian Emergency Service.
- Drone in Romanian airspace - Russians once again attacked civilian and infrastructure targets with drones in the northern area of the Chilia branch, near the Romanian border last night. One of the drones briefly entered Romanian airspace. Details HERE.
- A missile and over 170 drones - Russian forces attacked Ukraine with an Iskander-M ballistic missile and 172 drones starting Thursday evening. The Ukrainian Air Force destroyed or jammed 147 drones in the north, south, and east of the country. The missile and 20 drones hit in eight locations, as communicated this morning by the Ukrainian Air Force.
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What's Happening in Russia
- A young woman openly criticized Putin - The Kremlin publicly acknowledged on Thursday the existence of criticisms by a well-known Russian influencer, Viktoria Bonia, an online celebrity with millions of followers, who addressed a video message to Vladimir Putin, highlighting the real issues facing the Russian population, as reported by Reuters. The video message, posted on Instagram, garnered over 20 million views and over a million likes, despite the platform being officially banned in Russia, with access possible through VPN networks. In her message, Bonia, residing outside Russia, stated her support for Putin but criticized lower-ranking officials for not conveying the reality on the ground to him. She stated that the population is "bent like a bow" under administrative pressures and corruption, warning of the risk of a social explosion. Among other things, the influencer criticized the severe internet restrictions, slow response to floods in Dagestan, and mishandling of a bovine disease outbreak in Siberia, leading to massive animal culls. When asked about her message, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the authorities had taken note of it. "Of course, we've seen it. It's very popular. It touches on many topics, and work is being done on each of them," he said.
- Youth influencers trained to produce pro-war content - Russia is attempting to promote a new generation of influencers favorable to the war in Ukraine on the internet, organizing training camps for teenagers to spread the Kremlin's tough and anti-Western line among young people, as reported by AFP. Over 120 teenagers gathered in Moscow at the beginning of April in a camp dedicated to content creation, attending courses led by military personnel and state media journalists. The program includes creating online content, using artificial intelligence, and developing audiences. Another organization organizing similar camps, the Pioneers Movement, has launched competitions awarding teenagers with the best blogs and the highest number of views.
- Telegram Blockage Affects the Military and War Funding - The restriction of Telegram, Russia's most widely used messaging platform, not only affects the population's access to uncensored information but also the informal infrastructure supporting Russian military operations in Ukraine, including frontline communications and fundraising campaigns, as reported by The Insider. Despite the official stance, numerous pro-war "Z" channels openly criticized the measures. Several frontline correspondents emphasized that Telegram remains the primary coordination tool between units, used for sharing images, coordinates, intelligence information, and post-strike reports. Russian troops continue to use Telegram via VPNs, but fundraising campaigns have already suffered significant losses. The entire ecosystem of volunteers, engineers, and producers in the so-called "popular military-industrial complex" operates almost exclusively through Telegram. Limiting the application also affects mobile air defense groups and logistical coordination, with experts warning that the pace of military operations will inevitably slow down.
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Other Relevant Information
- EU Plans to Unlock Significant Loan for Ukraine - With the change in leadership in Hungary, the European Union is planning to start unlocking a €90 billion loan for Ukraine in the second quarter, announced European Commissioner for Economy Valdis Dombrovskis to AFP on Thursday. "We aim for the first tranche of our loan to Ukraine to be transferred to the country in the second quarter of this year," before the end of June, he added. The €90 billion loan is intended to cover two-thirds of Ukraine's financial needs, according to the commissioner.
- Trump Condemns Russia's "Horrific" Bombardment - The US President condemned the massive bombardment launched by Russia on Ukraine. Trump described the bombardment as "horrific" and stated that, in his opinion, the war could be stopped through an agreement. Details HERE.
- 3 Countries Suspected in Nord Stream Lawsuit - Russia, Ukraine, and the USA have been mentioned as possible perpetrators of the explosions that destroyed the gas pipelines connecting Russia to Europe in a €580 million lawsuit filed by Nord Stream. A trial at the High Court in London began on Thursday to determine if insurers, led by Lloyd’s of London, should cover the costs of one of the largest acts of sabotage on infrastructure in modern history, as reported by the Financial Times. Insurers claim that the 2022 explosions in the Baltic Sea were linked to the war between Russia and Ukraine or were ordered by a state, which would exempt them from policy coverage and mean they are not obligated to pay. Representing the insurers, Simon Salzedo stated in court that the attack, due to its complexity, sophistication, and geopolitical implications, indicates state involvement. In contrast, Nord Stream's lawyers argued that the explosions could have been carried out by non-state saboteurs.
- Netherlands to Produce Drones with Ukraine - Ukraine and the Netherlands will start joint drone production for the first time, announced Volodymyr Zelensky, on X. The announcement was made during the Ukrainian president's visit to the Netherlands, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda. Zelensky did not disclose further details about these cooperation plans.