Victory Chronicles-DAY 1139

The number of people killed in the April 4 Russian projectile attack on the south-central industrial city of Kryvyi Rih – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s hometown – has increased to 20, local officials said two days later.

A 57-year-old man died in the hospital from extensive injuries sustained during the attack, said Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the city’s Defense Council. “Doctors worked around the clock, but the wounds were incompatible with life,” he wrote on social media.

Earlier reports stated that 18 people, including nine children, were killed in the initial ballistic missile strike on April 4. By April 6, the number of people injured had risen to 75. Authorities continue to treat the attack as an indiscriminate and deliberate strike on civilians.

Survey: Majority of Republicans oppose Ukraine aid as Democrats show strong support. A growing partisan divide is emerging in the U.S. over continued financial aid to Ukraine, with 83 percent of Democrats are in favor of ongoing support and 79 percent of Republicans are opposed, according to a new Wall Street Journal survey.

The survey found that 81 percent of Republican voters believe U.S. allies should take greater responsibility for their own defense and that American taxpayers should not fund their protection. In contrast, 83 percent of Democrats view international alliances as a source of strength and believe they deserve continued investment.

Overall, 49 percent of all respondents support additional aid to Ukraine, while 44 percent oppose it.

The data reflects increasingly isolationist views within the Republican base, while Democrats remain broadly supportive of global partnerships.

Kyiv crews continue clearing rubble 10 hours after Russian missile strike. Emergency workers in Kyiv’s northern Obolonskyi district have been clearing rubble and unstable structures for nearly 10 hours following a Russian missile strike on the capital early on April 6.

According to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service (SES), the attack occurred shortly after 5 a.m., with damage concentrated in residential areas.

As of 2:30 p.m. local time, emergency crews were still on site conducting search and rescue operations. The SES shared photos of the cleanup efforts.

Earlier, authorities confirmed that the body of a man was discovered in the Darnytskyi district on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River that bisects the city after the same overnight attack.

Ukrainian intelligence unit downs eight Russian drones in eastern skies. Eight Russian tactical drones were shot down over the eastern Donetsk and southrn Zaporizhzhia oblasts, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (HUR) reported on April 7.

The drones were taken out by specialists from the “Wings” special operations unit, part of the HUR’s Department of Active Operations. The downed unmanned aircraft include two Zala drones, five Supercam models, and one tactical Orlan drone.

The operation took place along the Pokrovsk front in the Donetsk region and other areas in eastern Ukraine, with video footage showing the drones being destroyed in midair.

Key Takeaways:

• The rate of Russian advances in Ukraine has been steadily declining since November 2024, in part due to successful Ukrainian counterattacks in eastern Ukraine.
• Russian forces conducted the largest series of missile and drone strikes against Ukraine in nearly a month overnight on April 5-6.
• Ukrainian officials highlighted the fact that Russia is leveraging its naval vessels in the Black Sea to conduct missile strikes against Ukraine as Russia continues to stall the Black Sea moratorium on military operations that Ukraine and the United States have jointly proposed.
• The Kremlin is attempting to portray Ukraine as consistently violating the proposed temporary ceasefire on strikes against energy infrastructure without providing evidence, in stark contrast to the pattern of Russian reporting about successful Ukrainian strikes against Russian energy infrastructure prior to the ceasefire proposal.
• Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Borova, and Russian forces recently advanced in Kursk and Sumy oblasts and near Kupyansk, Toretsk, Pokrovsk, and Kurakhove.

Ukrainian soldier Valerii Savrinskyi killed by enemy FPV drone near Bakhmut. Valerii Savrinskyi, a 24-year-old Ukrainian soldier with the call sign “Savrik,” was killed on September 20, 2024, during a combat mission near the settlement of Nelipivka in Donetsk Oblast. A Russian drone attacked his position.

Savrinskyi was a native of Kryvyi Rih, where he completed high school and trained as a cook and pastry chef. At age 20, he joined the National Guard of Ukraine, hoping to continue his education once the war ended.

During the full-scale invasion, he served with the 11th Brigade named after Mykhailo Hrushevskyi (military unit 3012), operating in a support gunner role. He was awarded the Presidential Decoration “For the Defense of Ukraine” and the National Guard’s medal “For Valiant Service.”

“Kind, honest, open. He had many friends. He had just found his beloved, but they didn’t have time to marry. He always smiled. Always believed in better days,” his mother Tetiana said. Savrinskyi was buried with honors in the Hero’s Section of Kryvyi Rih’s central cemetery. He is survived by his parents and older brother.

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

• Macron: How long will Russia insult peace proposals while killing civilians?
• White House: US did not impose new tariffs on Russian imports due to peace talks
• U.S. Secretary of State urges NATO allies to boost their own capabilities
• Ukraine will send a team to the US for talks on a new draft mineral deal
• Polish Foreign Affairs Ministry: Russia’s goal is continued war, not peace
• Trump urges Russia to stop strikes on Ukraine