As the war between Russia and Ukraine enters its 407th day, we take a look at the main developments.
This is the state of affairs on Thursday, April 6, 2023:
Diplomacy
- Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a rare trip outside the country to meet his Polish counterpart and closest ally Andrzej Duda in Warsaw. Zelensky secured increased military support and was awarded Poland’s highest decoration, the Order of the White Eagle.
- French President Emmanuel Macron said China plays an “important role” in finding a path to peace in Ukraine because of its close relationship with Russia when he and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on a three-day visit to Beijing kicked off.
- Albania, Malta, the United Kingdom and the United States were leaving a meeting of the United Nations Security Council as Russia’s Commissioner for Children’s Rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, spoke by video. Lvova-Belova is wanted by the International Criminal Court for transferring Ukrainian children to Russia.
- Russia’s announcement that it will station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus shows that a joint statement by Russia and China on the use of nuclear weapons was nothing more than “empty promises,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.
- Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Maria Zakharova said Moscow would ignore a letter from media groups urging the release of a US reporter accused of espionage because the US has not shown the same respect for a Russian pro- war blogger killed by a bomb in Saint Petersburg.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin told new US ambassador Lynne Tracy that the US was responsible for the dramatic deterioration in relations between the two countries in a televised speech at the Kremlin.
- Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu discussed the Swedish NATO bid and developments regarding Ankara’s purchase of F-16 fighter jets with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
- The head coach of the Ukrainian freestyle ski team said that not excluding Russian and Belarusian athletes from the international competition is a loss for the country. The Ukrainian government has said its athletes will not be allowed to participate in the Paris 2024 qualifiers if they have to compete against Russians.
To fight
- Three people were killed and six injured in artillery attacks on the towns of Oleksievo-Druzhkivka and Velyka Novosilka in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.
- According to the Russian news agency RIA, a Ukrainian drone crashed near the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.
- Ukraine’s president said the situation in the eastern city of Bakhmut is very difficult and “according decisions” would be taken if Kiev’s troops risk being surrounded by Russian troops.
- Belarus said it will hold a military exercise at the Brestsky training ground near the border with Ukraine and Poland from April 5 to 7.
Weapons
- The US unveiled a new $2.6 billion military aid package for Ukraine, including three air-surveillance radars, anti-tank missiles and fuel trucks.
- Poland promised to supply 14 Soviet-designed MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine and help form a coalition of Western powers to supply warplanes to Ukraine, as it did with main battle tanks.