Gabriel B
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Ukraine - April 05, 2024

Ukraine - April 05, 2024

Apr 17, 2024

Russian troops have officially entered Chasiv Yar. In particular, the canal district, which sits on the eastern side of the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas canal. Russian forces have yet to secure a genuine foothold in the city, or even in the canal district though. Fighting has been contained to the eastern periphery. Ukraine's propaganda network has been struggling with this development, with official denials coming out that Russian troops have entered the city, even as Ukrainian media channels have published combat footage that has been geolocated to the city.

After the attack on Morozovsk airbase, Ukraine launched smaller drone attacks against a few other airbases as well. Ukraine claims to have destroyed six warplanes and damaged an additional eight with a swarm of drones at Morozovsk. Russian sources have denied any aircraft losses, though admitted that their were personnel losses during the cleanup efforts. Both Russian and Ukrainian sources stated that dozens of drones were involved in the attack on Morozovsk. The other attacks involved much smaller numbers of drones. High quality fresh satellite imagery of Morozovsk is lacking, so none of the claimed destruction or damage done to warplanes has been able to be independently confirmed. The imagery has nevertheless confirmed a high degree of activity, with many planes having been moved. This by itself is not an indication of anything really though.

Independent Russian media outlet Mediazona, working alongside the BBC, have names for fifty thousand Russian soldiers who have been killed while fighting in Ukraine. Almost a further 25 thousand have been killed, who were Fighting under the DPR or LPR banner. This is just the lowest number for Russian war deaths; the genuine number is likely significantly higher. It also doesn't take into account other casualties, such as troops who have been wounded or captured. It's safe to say, that overall Russian casualties are in the hundreds of thousands.

Tensions in Moldova have shot upwards due to two separate events. The first is that yet another drone has struck the breakaway region of Transnistria. This is not the first time drones have hit assets belong to the Transnistrian authorities, and there still aren't any answers as to who is responsible. The second involves Moldova's other autonomous entity, Gagauzia. The region is under federal control, but has strong pro-Russian sentiments, and consistently agitated for more autonomy. Today, they outright threatened to secede if Moldova chose to reunify with Romania. The likelihood that Gagauzia could exist as an independent state with its current borders is quite slim, as it is made of multiple disconnected pieces.

Lukashenko has added to the uneasy atmosphere in Europe by following a handful of other countries by suspending the convention on armed forces in Europe. Russia abandoned the treaty last year, prompting NATO as an organization to suspend their organization in response. Poland, as an individual country, remained fully in the treaty until last month when they suspended their participation. This is what has prompted Belarus to also suspend their participation.

The EU is making a major push to wrest Armenia from Russian influence. A plan was announced which will see €470 million be invested in Armenia over the next four years. Russia has recently talked up their relationship with Azerbaijan, while Armenia has simultaneously accused Azerbaijan of building up supplies along their border with the intention of invading in the near future.

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