Victory Chronicles-DAY 1141

Ukrainian forces struck a Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bomber with a drone in recent days, reportedly damaging or destroying the aircraft shortly after it landed, according to Ukraine’s top military commander.

Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces Maj. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi said in an interview with Ukrainian outlet LB.ua that the long-range bomber was targeted in a successful drone operation. He estimated the value of the aircraft at approximately 100 million dollars.

The Tu-22M3 is a supersonic, variable-sweep wing bomber developed by the Tupolev Design Bureau in the Soviet Union during the 1960s. While earlier variants have been retired, the Tu-22M3 remains in service with Russia’s military and is capable of carrying cruise missiles.

Ukrainian forces have increasingly used drones to strike deep into Russian-held territory, including high-value military assets such as aircraft and air defense systems.

Russia adds 8,000 to 9,000 contract soldiers monthly, Ukraine’s top general says. Russia is expanding its military by 8,000 to 9,000 troops each month through contract enlistments to sustain its war effort in Ukraine, according to Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces Maj. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi.

In an interview with Ukrainian media LB.ua, Syrskyi said that despite heavy losses, Russia is replenishing its ranks with well-paid contract soldiers. “In some regions, a contract can pay up to 40,000 US dollars,” he noted, describing the financial incentive as a powerful recruitment tool.

The general’s comments come as Ukraine continues to work toward a monthly mobilization goal of 30,000 troops, a target previously set by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Syrskyi emphasized the need to match Russian efforts to ensure Ukraine’s defensive capabilities remain strong.

Ukraine unveils new drone to intercept Russian Shahed UAVs. Ukraine’s defense industry has developed a domestically produced drone designed to intercept Russian Shahed drones, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced in a video released during Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s visit to Kyiv.

The new drone was presented to the Belgian delegation and has already proven effective in combat, with developers claiming it has successfully downed over 20 Shahed drones in the past two months. In addition to targeting Shahed-type loitering munitions, the drone can also engage smaller aerial threats, including Russian reconnaissance UAVs operating over Ukrainian territory.

While technical specifications remain limited, developers say the drone has a maximum speed of 200 km/h (about 124 mph) and can reach an altitude of up to 5 kilometers (approximately 3.1 miles). Ukrainian officials say the drone is currently the most successful interceptor of Shahed drones in the country’s arsenal and highlight the system as part of a broader strategy to replace expensive surface-to-air missiles with low-cost, high-efficiency drone solutions for countering slow and small aerial targets.

Key Takeaways:

• Ukrainian forces recently captured Chinese nationals fighting in the Russian military in several areas of Donetsk Oblast.
• Russian and US authorities announced a second round of US-Russia bilateral discussions focused on normalizing diplomatic missions but not on discussing the ceasefire agreements offered jointly by the US and Ukraine will be held in Istanbul on April 10.
• Russian forces are currently pursuing three distinct tactical objectives in the Pokrovsk direction, but Ukrainian drone operations and localized counterattacks are continuing to complicate Russian advances in the area.
• Russian advances northeast of Pokrovsk support both the ongoing Russian effort to envelop Pokrovsk from the east and west and the effort to pressure Kostyantynivka from the south by advancing along the T-0504 highway and eliminating the Ukrainian salient southwest of Toretsk.
• The situation immediately south and southwest of Pokrovsk remains extremely dynamic amid intensified Russian offensive operations and localized Ukrainian counterattacks and drone operations in the area.
• Russian forces continue to deplete manpower and materiel in unsuccessful mechanized assaults and ongoing infantry assaults with armored vehicle support further southwest of Pokrovsk.
• Russian forces have only made marginal advances throughout the Pokrovsk direction due to localized Ukrainian counterattacks and improved integration of Ukrainian ground and drone forces.
• Russian forces have spent the last 13 months and lost over five divisions’ worth of tanks and thousands of troops attacking toward Pokrovsk and trying to seize the town. Ongoing Russian offensive operations to seize Pokrovsk and attack Kostyantynivka highlight Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin’s determination to seize all of Ukraine through military means at whatever cost if he cannot do so through negotiations.

In Memoriam: Ukrainian soldier Danyil Kunchenko, a hero of Ukraine’s defense forces. Danyil Kunchenko, 22, a soldier of Ukraine’s 3rd Assault Brigade, was killed in action Jan. 9, 2025, near the village of Zelenyi Hai in the Izium district of Kharkiv Oblast. Known by the call sign “Amigo Chinazes,” he died while executing a combat mission on the frontlines.

Born in the city of Ukrainka in Kyiv Oblast, Kunchenko was a bright and determined young man. He studied Automation and Computer-Integrated Technologies at Tavria National University. Before joining the military, he worked as an electromechanic.

Motivated by the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, Kunchenko attempted to enlist immediately. Due to his age, he was able to join a year later. In 2023, he became part of the 3rd Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, where he served as a gunner in an assault unit. He took part in combat missions across Donetsk and Kharkiv regions, including Avdiivka, Kramatorsk and Pokrovsk.

“We were supposed to meet in Izium on Jan. 8. I waited for Danik there, but by the next morning he had stopped replying,” said his girlfriend, Valeriia. “His last message read, ‘Very soon, kitty, we’ll see each other.’”

Kunchenko was laid to rest at the Alley of Glory in his hometown of Ukrainka. He is survived by his father, two older sisters and his girlfriend.

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

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• Ukrainian army already receives fibre-optic drones with cable of up to 20 km
• Syrskyy: Russia’s offensive on Kharkiv, Sumy Regions already started
• Putin wants Western Balkans as his next ‘playground,’ UK warns
• US sanctions nearly shut down Russia’s last remaining oil business in Europe
• Drones attack Russia’s Mozdok, home to military air base
• Belgian PM: Belgium to provide Ukraine with €1bn aid package