More than 100 Chinese nationals fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine are acting as mercenaries and do not appear to have direct ties to Beijing, according to two U.S. officials cited by Reuters. However, a former intelligence official told Reuters that Chinese military officers were present behind Russian lines, with Beijing’s approval, to observe and draw tactical lessons from the war.
On April 12, Russian forces attacked a civilian vehicle in the Dniprovskiy district, Kherson Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. The drone dropped explosives on the car, fatally wounding a 27-year-old man.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha reaffirmed Ukraine’s desire for peace but warned against the misuse of the term. “We want to end this war this year. But it is important not to manipulate,” he said.
The initiative is part of a broader Nordic-Baltic effort to support Ukraine’s land forces. Norway will take the lead role in the training component, working in close coordination with Ukrainian authorities and allied nations.
In an official statement from April 12, "Khortytsia" reported that although no offensive actions were carried out by Russian troops in the Kharkiv direction over the last day, Russians are actively replenishing their units and getting ready to resume offensive operations in the region.
Ukraine has also more than doubled its production of long-range drones in 2024 compared to the previous year, which is a 22-fold increase compared to 2022. In total, 324 new types of weapons were developed in Ukraine by the end of 2024.
According to the Air Force, Russia launched a total of 88 drones, including Shahed-type loitering munitions and various decoy drones, from the directions of Kursk, Millerovo, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia.
"This is not a peacekeeping force that will separate the currently warring sides down the line of contact," U.K. Defense Minister John Healy said after a "coalition of the willing" meeting in Brussels on April 10.
The injured victims, including a 14-year-old, have been taken to the hospital for treatment, according to regional Governor Vitalii Bunechko.
The captured fighter also said he was treated better in Ukrainian custody than during his time with Russian forces, according to a new interrogation video published April 10.
"Ambassador Brink is stepping down after three years in Ukraine," Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.
This week a spotlight has once again been shone on Victoria Spartz, the Ukrainian-born Republican lawmaker who is not a stranger to controversy. Born in Chernihiv Oblast, she moved to the U.S. in 2000. She was elected to Congress three times, in 2020, 2022, and 2024, and represents Indiana's
Russian forces have started using drones to scatter explosive devices across Ukraine, the country’s Interior Ministry warned on April 10.
The involvement of Chinese nationals in Russia’s war against Ukraine appears to be part of a “systemic” recruitment effort organized by Moscow, not isolated incidents, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 10.
Moldova’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mihai Popsoi has extended a public invitation to Elon Musk to visit the country and see firsthand the impact of U.S. development aid, following the Trump administration’s suspension of USAID programs worldwide.
The president stressed that Ukraine is ready to contribute its land and resources, but expects the U.S. to bring in technologies and capital.
Shmyhal highlighted progress made in areas including customs, intellectual property rights, education, information exchange, humanitarian policy, justice, public procurement, and national security.
