Victory Chronicles-DAY 1155

A Russian drone strike on a bus transporting factory workers in the city of Marhanets, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, killed nine civilians and injured 42 others on the morning of April 23, according to regional officials.

Regional Governor Serhii Lysak said a Russian first person veiw  drone had struck the civilian bus. By 8:30 a.m., the number of fatalities rose to nine, including seven women and two men. The number of injured climbed steadily, reaching 42 by mid-morning, with 39 people hospitalized.

The State Emergency Service (SES) confirmed that the drone directly hit the bus. Photos from the scene show the vehicle’s roof severely damaged and casualties both inside and nearby.

Ukrainian courts order Russia to pay $21.7 billion in war damages to Ukrainians. Russian authorities have been ordered to pay 913 billion hryvnia ($21.7 billion) in war-related compensation to Ukrainian individuals and businesses since 2022, according to Opendatabot, a Ukrainian platform that provides access to official government data.

The largest individual payout went to a Kharkiv resident: 328 million hryvnia ($7.8 million). Businesses also saw major wins — the Magnat agricultural company received 247 billion hryvnia ($5.8 billion) across two cases, and the Alchevsk Coke Plant secured 12 billion hryvnia ($286 million).

Ukrainian courts have issued 1,482 rulings against Russia. In 2023 alone, 239 civil claims and 224 business cases were upheld.

Russia targets Kharkiv with overnight drone barrage, causes fires and destruction

Russian forces for third straight day launched a massive overnight drone attack on Kharkiv – Ukraine’s second largest city – striking civilian infrastructure and sparking large-scale fires and structural damage. Preliminary reports indicate no casualties.

Emergency and municipal services are working at the scene under the threat of repeat strikes, extinguishing fires and clearing debris.

Ukraine’s Artan unit crushes large-scale Russian assault in Zaporizhzhia. Ukraine’s Artan Defense Intelligence unit released footage of a major Russian assault being decisively repelled in the Zaporizhzhia sector ahead of Easter.

According to Ukraine’s military, Russian forces attempted a mass breakthrough using over 300 troops, 40 armored vehicles, three tanks, and about 10 buggies arranged in six columns. The assault targeted positions held by Ukraine’s defense and security forces, including the Artan active operations unit of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (HUR).

As the Russian columns advanced, Artan’s first person view drone operators and artillery crews opened fire. The first three infantry fighting vehicles were destroyed 8 kilometers (5 miles) before reaching the contact line. The rest of the convoy was eliminated on the approach.

In total, the Ukrainian defenders disabled or destroyed 15 vehicles and neutralized around 100 Russian soldiers, effectively halting the attempted breakthrough.

Key Takeaways:

• The Financial Times (FT) reported that Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin is willing to end the war in Ukraine on the current frontlines. Kremlin officials, including Putin, have repeatedly and explicitly emphasized that Russia maintains its territorial demands over all of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson oblasts, however, while also publicly signaling that Russia has greater territorial ambitions in Ukraine beyond these four oblasts.
• The Moscow Times reported that the Kremlin is attempting to use economic incentives to sway US-Russian talks about the war in Ukraine as the Kremlin is not sincerely interested in US President Donald Trump’s efforts to end the war. ISW cannot independently verify Kremlin sources’ statements, but recent Kremlin behavior is consistent with the Moscow Times’ insider reporting.
• Any potential future Russian agreement to freeze the front short of Russia’s full control of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts does not preclude future Russian aggression to achieve Russia’s more extensive territorial demands, especially if the agreement stipulates a moratorium on Ukraine receiving Western military aid.
• Kremlin officials continued efforts on April 22 to blame Ukraine for the lack of progress towards Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s proposed temporary ceasefire on strikes against civilian infrastructure.
• The Kremlin continues to reject Trump’s stated goal of achieving a ceasefire in Ukraine before a full peace settlement to end the war – in contrast to Ukraine’s continued support for a general ceasefire.
• Russian forces continue to innovate their long-range drone strike tactics in order to offset the effectiveness of Ukrainian mobile defense units.
• Russia is reportedly recruiting North Korean citizens to compensate for labor shortages in Russia, indicating that Russian-North Korean cooperation continues to deepen.
• Russian forces recently advanced in Kursk Oblast and near Toretsk.

In Memoriam: Ukrainian soldier Mykhailo Svirhun, a hero of Ukraine’s defense forces

Mykhailo Svirhun, 38, a National Guard sergeant in, was killed on April 23, 2024, near the village of Dolynske in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast while performing his duties. He served as the senior sergeant of the motor transport battalion in the 13th Operational Brigade “Khartia.”

Born in the village of Ruska Lozova in Kharkiv Oblast, Svirhun earned a degree in agricultural engineering from the Kharkiv National Automobile and Highway University. He lived in Kharkiv and worked in the private sector before joining the military. He was passionate about motorsports and participated in off-road and trial racing events.

“He was the best husband, father, friend and colleague,” said his widowed wife, Iryna. “Wherever he was, people gravitated toward him. He always showed up where he was needed.”

His comrades remembered him as cheerful yet demanding, someone who could connect easily with others and was always ready to help.

Svirhun was posthumously awarded the Order “For Courage,” Third Class. He was laid to rest at Cemetery in Kharkiv. He is survived by his father, sisters, wife, son and daughter.

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

• Bloomberg: Vance suggests Ukraine and Russia may exchange territories as part of peace deal
• Reuters: EU looking at options to forbid new Russian gas contracts
• The Guardian: London peace talks at ministerial level postponed
• Washington Post: Trump administration unwinds efforts to investigate Russian war crimes
• The Times: Ukrainian instructors train British forces to counter Russian drones
• EU top diplomat warns US against recognizing Crimea as Russian