Russia-Ukraine Daily News

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#ICYMI 🇷🇺 Students across #Russia are being offered large financial incentives to join drone units fighting in Ukraine as operators and engineers, while companies in Russia's ​central Ryazan region have been given quotas to sign up workers for the army, documents show. reuters.com/world/europe/r…

He doesn’t have to try to withdraw. He can do more damage keeping the US in just by announcing he won’t honor an Article V invocation. The alliance acts by unanimous consensus. It would be the end of NATO with a recalcitrant Washington.

"The president seems lost. Perhaps he should have stayed off the podium, for a bit longer, rather than display how adrift he is to the American public and the world."

This is a potentially significant issue with the adoption of cheap UAS. Some UAS provided by Western companies to Ukraine only worked on a specific frequency, and the companies did not allow Ukrainians to change it or make other modifications. If that frequency was being effectively jammed on a certain part of the front line, then that UAS was essentially worthless. The innovation cycle is so fast that units need to be able to adapt the systems to the specific conditions of their operating environment.

🤦‍♂️ Trump: We shouldn't have got involved in Ukraine pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/…

NATO chief to visit Washington next week as Trump threatens exit from alliance reut.rs/4m2vzaZ reut.rs/4m2vzaZ

Hopes for a swift end to the Middle East war faded after President Trump vowed more aggressive strikes on Iran, in an eagerly anticipated address that disappointed investors hoping for clearer signals of a way out reut.rs/4saxdZF

NEW: The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) claimed that Russian forces seized the entirety of Luhansk Oblast for the third time over the course of Russia's full-scale invasion, even though Russian forces have controlled most of Luhansk Oblast since October 2022. The Kremlin's aggrandized claims about the seizure of Luhansk Oblast are part of a wider coordinated information campaign that aims to create a false sense of urgency to force Ukraine to cede unoccupied parts of Donetsk Oblast. Other Key Takeaways: Russian forces conducted another prolonged strike series against Ukraine with a total of 700 drones launched in two waves on the night of March 31 to April 1 and during the day on April 1. Russia's new tactic of prolonged nighttime and daytime strikes reflects aspects of the way Iran is currently launching drone and missile salvos at Israel and the Gulf. ISW has observed reports of seven Ukrainian drones crashing in Baltic and Finnish territory since March 23, possibly as a result of Russian electronic warfare (EW) efforts. Russian exports of non-energy resources are benefiting from the ongoing war in the Middle East. The Kremlin is reportedly turning to university students as part of its forced covert mobilization efforts. The European Union (EU) will transfer €1.4 billion in proceeds from frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine. Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the Pokrovsk and Hulyaipole directions.

⚡️Ukraine denies Russia's claims of fully capturing Luhansk Oblast. The Russian Defense Ministry announced on April 1 that its forces had "completed" the occupation of Luhansk Oblast. The Ukrainian military dismissed the claim as propaganda. kyivindependent.com/ukraine-denies…

⚡️Ukrainian drones reportedly strike oil refinery in Russian city of Ufa. Ukrainian drones struck an oil refinery in the Russian city of Ufa in the early hours of April 2, independent media reported. kyivindependent.com/ukrainian-dron…

Ufa, good morning

⚡️Trump threatened Europe over Strait of Hormuz, with weapons for Ukraine as bargaining chip, FT reports. Outraged at European countries' refusal to help reopen the Strait, Trump threatened to halt the PURL program selling U.S. arms to NATO for Ukraine. kyivindependent.com/trump-threaten…

The number of Russian long-range drones launched on Ukraine last month "is more than the total drones launched in overnight attacks between September 2022 (first use) and July 2024".

Today, we had a detailed discussion with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, joined by Lindsey Graham and Mark Rutte, on how to strengthen diplomacy, what steps are possible, and on security guarantees and the involvement of Europeans. It was a positive conversation. Thank you, Steve, Jared, Lindsey, and Mark. We agreed to strengthen security guarantees, and I have already instructed our team to promptly update the documents so that the security guarantees for Ukraine are strong, the prospects for post-war reconstruction are real, and everything is doable. Everything must be kept current. We see how the world is changing – how much can shift in a single moment. This concerns both alliances and security challenges alike. Ukraine must receive reliable security: this is the main task. I am grateful that the U.S. President’s envoys hear us and are ready to work together to find the right compromises, steps, and decisions. The key lies in how and what all of us discuss with Russia, and in how the documents are prepared, particularly those on security guarantees. So that Ukrainians clearly understand how partners will respond in the event of renewed Russian aggression, and what will actually deter Russia from aggression. We need strong, shared positions, and Ukraine’s contribution to this strength is unquestionable. We continue working with America. I thank everyone who is helping. I expect that the teams will work substantively in the coming days so that we can all feel progress. A trilateral format – a leaders’ format – all of this is necessary.

FT Exclusive: Officials familiar with the discussions said that the US president threatened to stop supplies to Nato’s weapons procurement initiative for Ukraine. ft.trib.al/ksoN0Kg

@jacksonhinklle 3rd time's the charm?) Russia previously claimed full control over Luhansk in July 2022 and then again in July 2025. x.com/i/status/20393…

🚨🇷🇺🇺🇦 BREAKING: RUSSIA announces that the Lugansk People’s Republic has been FULLY LIBERATED

My baseline scenario for this evening: Trump sets timeline on end of war, says he has won, declares that Hormuz is now Europe's problem, and that Europeans are free-loading ingrates. Does not withdraw from NATO, but says he is considering changing the US commitment in some form.

Neutralizing Russian UAV operators is a top priority. Within the Army of Drones.Bonus system, hitting an operator now earns 2x points. No pilot is safe — dedicated units are already hunting them across the front. Watch SSU Alpha in action. Preemptive strikes save lives.

There’s been a lot of discussion about the potential threat FPV drones could pose to US forces on the ground, with some going as far as claiming that American troops would suffer heavy casualties from FPV drones. That’s possible, but it’s also worth questioning the assumptions:

41 russian air defense assets struck by @usf_army in March. Nebo-SVU “Imbir” radar (S-300V system) destroyed, Tor-M2 SAM system struck. Work by the 9th Battalion “Kairos,” 414th Brigade “Magyar’s Birds.” On the last night of March, the Birds of the USF from the 414th Brigade hunted down and burned a rare Soviet 9S19 “Imbir” radar in the temporarily occupied Luhansk region, and also struck a Tor-M2 SAM system in the temporarily occupied Donetsk region. Also in the video – March strikes on four additional enemy air defense elements that had not previously appeared in reports: • S-300V system radar – struck on March 13 by pilots of the 412th Brigade “Nemesis,” USF, in the TOT of Donetsk region • Osa SAM system – work of the 427th Brigade “Rarog,” USF, Donetsk region • Tor-M2 SAM system – target engaged by pilots of the 413th Separate Regiment “Raid,” USF, Bryansk region, Russia • Strela SAM system – work of the 429th Brigade “Achilles,” USF, Belgorod region, Russia In total, during March 2026, 41 enemy air defense assets were taken out – 39 SAM systems and radars, plus 2 mobile electronic warfare systems. Over the winter, USF operations reduced the enemy’s air defense by 54 units – 39 SAM systems and 15 radar systems, as reported on March 4. Total: 95 air defense assets eliminated over the winter and the first month of spring. On December 24, the USF launched its Deep Strike Coordination Center, focused on targets in operational depth. The Birds of the USF continue their work. The sky over the TOT is getting lighter. Follow USF results live: USF online scoreboard “PIDRAKHUYKA” sbs-group.army MAGYAR 🇺🇦 01.04.26