Victory Chronicles-DAY 1135

Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service says Russia has intensified its disinformation campaign that seeks to undermine Ukraine’s statehood and cast doubt on the legitimacy of the government in Kyiv, warning that the operation has entered a “critical phase.”

According to a statement on the agency’s website, the Kremlin’s strategy seeks to “eliminate Ukraine not on the battlefield, but in the minds of people” by promoting narratives that question the legitimacy of Ukraine’s leadership and democratic institutions.

Ukrainian intelligence says the campaign is coordinated by Russia’s security services under the supervision of Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin’s administration. Disguised as peace initiatives and analytical discourse, the effort seeks to sway both Ukrainian and international audiences with several key narratives.

One of them is that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not the legitimate leader because elections have not been held, though under martial law they cannot take place.

“These actions are accompanied by the infiltration of Kremlin talking points into public discourse in partner countries,” the agency said, citing growing efforts to question the legitimacy of Ukraine’s government and propose negotiations that exclude Kyiv.

Ukraine says 22 percent of Russian-recruited saboteurs are minors. Nearly one in five individuals that Russian intelligence services entice to carry out sabotage and terrorist acts in Ukraine are minors, according to Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU).

“Russians often target minors, the unemployed, and people with various dependencies — including drug, alcohol, or gambling addictions,” said SBU spokesperson Artem Dekhtiarenko in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. “These individuals are more susceptible to psychological manipulation.”

According to the SBU, 22 percent of detected saboteurs were underage, 55 percent were unemployed, and 7 percent had prior criminal convictions.

Russian ballistic missile strike kills 4, injures over 10 civilians in Kryvyi Rih. A Russian ballistic missile struck Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s hometown of Kryvyi Rih in south-central Ukraine on April 2, killing at least four civilians and injuring more than a dozen others, Ukrainian officials reported.

The strike occurred around 5:03 p.m. local time, with the Ukrainian Air Force warning of a high-speed target approaching the area shortly beforehand. According to regional officials, the missile hit an industrial facility and damaged several apartment buildings. A fire broke out at the scene and has since been extinguished.

Among the injured were a 29-year-old woman and two men, aged 35 and 41 years old. A six-year-old girl was treated on site, while an eight-year-old boy was hospitalized in serious condition.

Ukrainian forces repel Russian assault near Andriivka, destroy armored vehicles. Ukrainian troops repelled a Russian armored-led assault near the village of Andriivka in Donetsk Oblast, destroying a column of armored vehicles and inflicting significant personnel losses, Ukraine’s General Staff reported on April 3.

The Russian attack involved approximately two platoons of personnel and several armored units. Ukrainian defenders destroyed seven vehicles and damaged five more. According to the General Staff, 18 Russian soldiers were killed and seven wounded during the engagement.

Key Takeaways:

• Russian officials are continuing to exploit the temporary energy infrastructure ceasefire’s vague or unfinalized terms.
• U.S. officials reportedly continue to acknowledge Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin’s unwillingness to commit to a general ceasefire in Ukraine.
• CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Kirill Dmitriev will reportedly meet with US Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff in Washington, D.C. on April 2.
• The Russian military command reportedly began reorganizing the motorized rifle brigades of the 51st and 3rd combined arms armies (CAAs) such that each army would have three rifle divisions or motorized rifle divisions, likely in an effort to improve the CAAs’ administrative structure, especially over larger numbers of non-mechanized riflemen.
• The Ukrainian General Staff reported on April 1 that Russian forces in Ukraine are continuing to use ammunition equipped with chemical agents prohibited under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
• Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Pokrovsk, and Russian forces recently advanced near Toretsk, Pokrovsk, and Velyka Novosilka.
• Russian authorities continued efforts to solidify their control over the Russian information space and discourage criticism of the Russian military’s conduct of the war in Ukraine.

Ukrainian soldier Oleksandr Bodaratskyi killed in action along Donetsk axis. Oleksandr Bodaratskyi, a 40-year-old Ukrainian soldier with the call sign “Fiksik,” was killed on May 25 during a firefight with Russian forces in the Donetsk region.

Bodaratskyi was born in Fastiv, a suburb south of Kyiv. He graduated from local school No. 3 and later trained as a cook and bartender. While working full-time, he earned a degree in mechanical engineering. 

In 2002, he took the military oath. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Bodaratskyi volunteered for military service. He served as a rifleman-driver in the 208th Separate Battalion of the 114th Territorial Defense Brigade.

For his service, he received the “For the Defense of the Native State” and “Unbreakable Heroes of the Russo-Ukrainian War” medals, as well as the “Golden Cross” awarded by the Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.

“He was a true patriot who always said, ‘If not me, then who?’” his niece Kateryna said. “He was full of life, wrote beautiful poems, and was a model of honor and strength. His life was short, but it was bright.”

Bodaratskyi was buried in the Alley of Glory at the International Cemetery in Fastiv. He is survived by his parents, wife Yuliia, sons Danyil and Andrii, sister, brother, and extended family.

*Oleksandr’s story on the Heroes Memorial – a platform for stories about the fallen defenders of Ukraine.

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