Victory Chronicles-DAY 1136

Kharkiv’s enduring Russian week-long aerial attacks saw killing three civilians killed and 34 others injured on April 3, local officials said. Six drones struck the city’s Novobavarskyi district in the northeastern part of the city – Ukraine’s second most populous city – hitting a densely populated residential area, according to regional officials. 

One drone destroyed part of a two-story residential building, causing it to collapse. First responders were still clearing debris early on April 3, as several people were believed to be trapped under the rubble.

Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said fires broke out at the impact sites, and at least 30 apartment buildings were damaged. He confirmed that two adults — a man and a woman — were killed in the collapsed building. Their 10-year-old daughter was still missing as of 1:30 a.m. local time.

Regional prosecutor’s office spokesman Dmytro Chubenko said two other residents of the same building — a 70-year-old woman and her 50-year-old son — had not been heard from since the attack.

Among the injured were a 9-year-old boy, who suffered a severe stress reaction, and a 16-year-old boy with a broken leg. Rescuers warned the number of casualties could rise.

Russia seeks gains during ceasefire talks, plans troop surge of 150,000

Russia is leveraging ongoing ceasefire discussions and potential peace negotiations to solidify territorial gains in Ukraine, and according to Western officials, may be seeking to install a pro-Kremlin government in Kyiv. 

attempting to use and future Despite facing mounting military and economic difficulties, the Kremlin appears intent on pressing forward militarily if a full Ukrainian capitulation through diplomacy cannot be secured. According to Pavlo Palisa, Deputy Head of Ukraine’s presidential office , Russia plans to add about 150,000 soldiers this year—roughly equivalent to 15 mechanized infantry divisions.

“Their formation is ongoing,” Palisa said. “Russia has no issues with manpower, but they won’t be able to deploy all these troops simultaneously. We expect them to apply pressure where possible on the front lines.”

Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces have reported advances near Pokrovsk, while Russian forces continue limited progress near Lyman, Toretsk, and along the Kursk and Belgorod borders. Russia’s State Duma legislature also passed bills this week granting veteran status to those who fought in the Kursk region.

In Washington, the Treasury Department announced on April 2 it had lifted sanctions on Karina Rotenberg, the wife of sanctioned Russian oligarch Boris Rotenberg, who is considered an ally of Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin.

Ukrainian officials warned that Moscow’s current battlefield pressure and diplomatic maneuvering are part of a broader strategy to force concessions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for sustained international pressure on the Kremlin to prevent further aggression.

On April 4, Russian forces launched a drone strike on an armored evacuation vehicle in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region, targeting it as it was returning from a mission to rescue civilians and animals from frontline areas. The vehicle, operated by the NGO “Buty Dobru,” is part of a dedicated team that regularly helps evacuate residents from the most dangerous zones near the frontlines.

Roman Mrochko, head of the Kherson City Military Administration, explained that the group’s director, Andrii Petukhov, had just completed five successful evacuations when the vehicle was hit on its way back. “Thankfully, the vehicle was armored, so there were no casualties,” Mrochko said. “But it was completely destroyed by the fire.”

Mrochko also condemned the Russian forces for deliberately targeting humanitarian missions, making it increasingly dangerous and difficult to carry out evacuations in the heavily shelled “red zones” of Kherson. The attack underscores the relentless threat facing those working to save lives in one of the war’s most perilous regions.

Ukrainian drone forces destroy three Russian air defense systems worth $50 million. Over the past two weeks, operators from the 14th Separate UAV Regiment of the Defense Forces detected and destroyed three Russian air defense systems on the Donetsk front: two Buk systems of unspecified modifications and one Tor system. The estimated total value of the equipment destroyed is approximately $50 million.

Strike drones equipped with target acquisition and automatic guidance systems were used in the operations.

• Russia seeks to leverage ongoing ceasefire and future peace negotiations to seize large amounts of territory in Ukraine and install a pro-Russian puppet government in Kyiv but will likely continue military operations in Ukraine if the Kremlin is unable to achieve a full Ukrainian surrender through diplomacy.
• Russia is facing significant military and economic challenges that could seriously compromise Russia’s ability to wage its war in Ukraine, factors that could increase the Kremlin’s desire to accomplish its objectives in a mediated ceasefire or peace negotiation in the short-term if possible.
• The US Treasury Department announced on April 2 that the United States lifted sanctions on Karina Rotenberg, the wife of Russian businessman and oligarch Boris Rotenberg.
• Ukrainian forces advanced near Pokrovsk. Russian forces advanced in Kursk and Belgorod and near Lyman, Toretsk, Kurakhove, and Velyka Novosilka.
• The Russian State Duma adopted a bill on April 3 to grant veteran status to Russian military personnel and volunteer formations that fought in Kursk Oblast.

Fallen Ukrainian soldier Ihor Damrin remembered for courage and kindness. Ihor Damrin, a senior soldier with the call sign “Sula,” was killed on March 27, 2024, while performing a combat mission near the village of Urozhaine in Donetsk Oblast. He was 35 years old.

Russian tanks shelled Ukrainian positions early that morning, and one round hit the observation post where Damrin was stationed. The post was destroyed, and he sustained fatal injuries.

Born in the city of Zavodske, Poltava Oblast, Damrin studied at Chervonozavodska School No. 2 and later graduated from Vocational School No. 32 in 2006 with a specialization in carpentry. He worked in Kyiv Oblast and spent his free time with family and friends.

He joined the National Guard of Ukraine in March 2022, serving in the 12th Separate Battalion. For his service, he received the “For Loyalty to the People of Ukraine” badge, second class, and was posthumously awarded the Order for Courage, third class.

“There are very few kind and bright people like him in the world,” said his wife, Tetiana. “He was deeply loyal to his comrades. He wore his patch with pride — it read: ‘It doesn’t matter who is ahead. What matters is who is beside you.’ Those deep blue eyes — like the ocean — you won’t find eyes like his again.”

Damrin was laid to rest in his hometown of Zavodske. He is survived by his wife and sister.

*Ihor`s story on the Heroes Memorial – a platform for stories about the fallen defenders of Ukraine

• Ukraine’s foreign minister: Ukraine will not accept Russia’s demand to give up NATO membership
• French-UK delegation arrives in Kyiv to discuss military contingent
• Poland hands over 5,000 Starlink systems to Ukraine
• Denmark announces new aid package for Ukraine worth nearly US$1 billion
• Coalition of the willing urges Kremlin to quickly agree to or reject ceasefire
• Senior NATO general says Ukraine is not doomed to lose war