On February 24 Russia invaded Ukraine intending to take over the capital, Kyiv, in order to dismantle and demilitarize the Ukrainian government. Since the initial conflict there has been daily content from news outlets, this is a breakdown of the latest news on Russia and Ukraine as of April 15.
Ukraine:
Because the beginning assault on Kyiv was unsuccessful, the Russian military has retreated and instead focused on the Donbas region of Ukraine.
According to the New York Times, retreating forces have left behind anti-personnel mines in civilian areas and housing. These mines are banned by international treaty in most countries, excluding Russia and the United States. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that this is a “war crime.”
On April 13 the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) released a report stating that there are now 1.4 million people in Ukraine without running water, with the potential to affect over 4 million in the future. This is a result of the damage on water infrastructure from the ongoing attacks.
The New York Times reported the latest success for Ukraine is the sinking of the Russian flagship on April 14, however, Russia has stated the damage was from ammunition on the ship.
Russia:
President Vladimir Putin spoke on the war publicly on April 12 during a 61st anniversary celebration of Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, according to the BBC. Putin stated that the invasion would continue “rhythmically and calmly.”
In a Bloomberg article, the Presidential address was summarized as, “peace talks are stalled, and [Putin] vowed to continue his ‘military operation’ even as he called the conflict ‘a tragedy’.”
Various companies and organizations have pulled their operations out of Russia since the conflict began in support of Ukraine. The latest to do so is the European Space Agency on April 13, that it would discontinue its partnership with Moscow on the Luna-25 and Luna-27 missions to the moon.
United States and other countries:
NPR reported on April 13 that President Biden told reporters in Iowa before boarding Air Force One that Putin was a “war criminal” and that he was “committing genocide.”
The President has since announced that the United States will be sending $800 million to Ukraine.
The money will be for “weapons, ammunition, and other security assistance,” according to the statement. This culminates to over $2.4 billion sent in aid from the Biden administration.
Aside from the United States, multiple countries have come forward in their support for Ukraine. Bloomberg reported that the presidents of Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia are currently in Kyiv talking with Zelenskyy. Prime Minister Boris Johnson also visited the capital of Ukraine to talk with Zelenskyy previously this week.
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