Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,160

On Tuesday, April 29, 2018, this is how things are going.

Fighting

• Following a Russian attack on the capital, the Ukrainian military issued a red alert and air defense systems responded with explosions across Kiev.
• The Ukrainian military reported that 40 of the 166 drones launched by Russia on Monday were shot down by it. Additionally, it claimed that electronic warfare had redirected 74 drones and that four regions had been hit.
• According to the regional governor, one of those attacks left customers without access to gas in parts of the city of Cherkasy and nearby villages after one of them struck a gas facility in the country’s central Cherkasy region.
• In remarks made in reference to the killing of senior Russian military officers Yarosalv Moskalik last week, Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised his foreign intelligence service for the “liquidation” of top Russian military figures.
• 51 Ukrainian drones were destroyed, most of them over Russia’s western Kursk region, according to the Moscow-based Ministry of Defense, less than three hours after being reported late on Monday.
• According to a military analyst, Russia could have gained additional territory if it made the decision to launch an incursion into Kursk as a result of Ukraine’s decision. According to Christopher McCallion, a fellow at Defense Priorities, a think tank based in Washington, DC, “essentially traded territory it values the most – its own – for territory it didn’t value and that it couldn’t hold for forever.”

Russia declares a unilateral truce.

• On May 8 through May 10, Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, struck a three-day ceasefire in his conflict with Ukraine to commemorate the Soviet Union’s and its allies’ victories in World War II.
• Zelenskyy demanded a “full and unconditional ceasefire for at least 30 days” to provide “a basis for real diplomacy,” and that the world didn’t want to wait until May 8 for a truce.
• Putin and Zelenskyy must step up to the table of negotiations, according to the White House, and Trump, the president of the United States, wants a permanent ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
• The Trump administration’s failure to fulfill its promise to end the Ukraine war “shortly” after taking office came as it was approaching its 100th day in power.
• Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, stated in an interview on Monday that he had told the US to “increase pressure on Russia” and that he had told them to “increase pressure on Russia” over the next ten days. According to Macron, implementing a ceasefire in Ukraine would take “crucial” measures over the next 15 days.

Politics and diplomacy

• According to Zelenskyy, a mineral deal with the US has “become stronger, more equitable” after the initial discussions, while Kyiv’s ministry of foreign affairs stated that the country was attempting to close any deal as soon as possible.
• After the US suspended its support for the organization, the UN refugee agency cut some programs to help Ukrainians flee the front lines.
• Berlin’s new government predicted a bigger role for the alliance as it considers its future. You can count on us, according to German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who cited Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a significant threat during a ceremony held at NATO’s Brussels headquarters.
• A draft document released ahead of an EU-UK summit next month suggested the United Kingdom put forward a broad statement of shared values with the European Union that emphasizes support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the Paris Climate Agreement, and free trade.
• Elon Musk’s Starlink launched its first batch of Project Kuiper internet satellites, and Amazon launched a rival service. It replaces Starlink, which has been crucial to Kyiv’s war effort and where Musk has previously threatened to end Ukraine’s access due to the development.