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Ukraine Invasion Day 1,135: Putin remains unwilling to commit to general ceasefire [1]

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Date: 2025-04-02

Russian forces conducted a series of drone strikes against Ukraine on the night of April 1 to 2 and a missile strike on April 2.

The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces launched 74 Shahed and decoy drones from the directions of Millerovo, Rostov Oblast; Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Krasnodar Krai; and occupied Cape Chauda, Crimea. [93] The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Ukrainian forces downed 41 drones over northern, eastern, and southern Ukraine and that 20 drones were ”lost,” likely due to Ukrainian electronic warfare (EW) interference. Ukrainian official sources reported that the drone strikes struck Kharkiv, Donetsk, Sumy, and Odesa oblasts and that a ballistic missile struck civilian infrastructure in Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast during the day on April 2, killing four civilians. [94]

Ukrainian Luhansk Oblast Military Administration Head Artem Lysohor reported on April 2 that Russian forces have increased their assault tempo and activity in Luhansk Oblast. [48] The spokesperson for a Ukrainian brigade operating in the Lyman direction stated on April 2 that Russian forces are increasingly using mass infantry attacks for daily assaults and that Russian force are not conducting mechanized assaults as frequently as they used to in Fall 2024. [49] The spokesperson stated that Russian forces recently have been conducting ground assaults nearly daily, primarily sending penal recruits into fire to expose Ukrainian firing positions and to enable trained Russian infantry to better attack Ukrainian positions. The spokesperson stated that Russian forces conduct artillery, MLRS, air, and first-person view (FPV) drone strikes to support small group infantry attacks before assembling into larger groups of 10 to 15 soldiers for subsequent attacks. The commander of a Ukrainian brigade operating in the Lyman direction reported on April 2 that Russian forces are trying to seize Lyman by enveloping its flanks in order to facilitate movement to the Oskil River and establish Lyman as a Russian logistics node. [50]

Kirill Dmitriev met with U.S. officials in Washington on Wednesday as the Trump administration continues to press Russia and Ukraine to agree to a ceasefire, two U.S. officials familiar with the matter said. WASHINGTON, April 2 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin's investment envoymet with U.S. officials in Washington on Wednesday as the Trump administration continues to press Russia and Ukraine to agree to a ceasefire, two U.S. officials familiar with the matter said. Dmitriev, a Stanford-educated former Goldman Sachs investment banker, is one of the most U.S.-savvy members of Russia's elite, with close relations to some key members of the Trump team. He is the highest-ranking Russian official to travel to the U.S. on state business since Russia's 2022 expanded invasion of Ukraine. It was not clear what Dmitriev discussed with the U.S. officials.

"pissed off" with Putin and raising the possibility of imposing sanctions on those who buy Russian crude. Russia is the world's second largest exporter of crude after Saudi Arabia. But his visit comes after President Donald Trump expressed his frustration with the pace of ceasefire talks, saying on Sunday he waswith Putin and raising the possibility of imposing sanctions on those who buy Russian crude. Russia is the world's second largest exporter of crude after Saudi Arabia.

US officials reportedly continue to acknowledge Russian President Vladimir Putin's unwillingness to commit to a general ceasefire in Ukraine. Two US officials familiar with the matter told Reuters on April 1 that senior Trump administration officials have discussed the likelihood that the United States will not be able to secure a long-term peace agreement in Ukraine in the coming months and are preparing new plans to pressure Russia and Ukraine into an agreement. [5] The sources noted that Trump administration officials acknowledged that Putin is actively resisting US efforts to accomplish a peace agreement in Ukraine and used a series of meetings and calls over the weekend of March 29-30 to discuss possible mechanisms to bring Russia to the negotiating table. A senior US official stated that the Trump administration is considering levying additional tariffs and sanctions against Russia. Another source familiar with the discussions similarly told Fox News on April 1 that US President Donald Trump believes that Putin is "slow-rolling" negotiations on a general ceasefire in Ukraine and that the Trump administration is considering increasing sanctions against Russia in order to force Putin to the negotiating table. [6] Trump recently told NBC News that he is considering additional sanctions against Russian oil and stated during a press conference on March 30 that there is an unspecified "psychological deadline" for Russia to agree to a general ceasefire agreement. [7] ISW previously noted that it is not possible for the United States or the wider West to exert maximum pressure against Russia with economic tools alone, as Russia's ongoing and forecasted future economic struggles are closely tied to Russian military losses on the battlefield. [8] The United States can leverage Russian vulnerabilities and achieve a stronger negotiating position by continuing — or increasing — military aid to Ukraine such that Ukrainian forces can continue to inflict significant manpower and materiel losses on Russia.

understandingwar.org/...

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