Victory Chronicles-DAY 769

Ukrainian anti-aircraft gunners successfully destroyed a Russian Forpost strike and reconnaissance drone in the Black Sea. The Forpost drone, which costs around $7 million, is considered one of the most expensive drones in the world. It is similar in design and capabilities to the Turkish Bayraktar UAV. 

The drone was shot down by the Odesa Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade fighters, marking a significant achievement for the Ukrainian Air Force. According to Ilya Yevlash, spokesperson for the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Forpost drone is a large unmanned aerial vehicle capable of conducting reconnaissance and carrying an additional combat load, such as two missiles or other ground-targeting weapons. 

The United States has donated over 100 generators and 13 emergency vehicles to several regions in Ukraine to support their emergency services. This assistance was provided in response to Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The generators and emergency vehicles will help ensure the continuity of services in the cities of Dnipro, Vinnytsia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Cherkasy, and Chernivtsi. This donation comes as USAID had previously expressed concerns about its operational capabilities in Ukraine due to delayed funding from Congress.

The Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has reportedly attacked a Shaheed UAV production plant in Tatarstan, Russia. The plant, located 1000 kilometers from Ukraine, assembles Shahed kamikaze drones, known as Geran-2 by the Russians. The attack destroyed the plant’s production facilities. 

Zaporizhzhia paratroopers destroyed a column of enemy vehicles. The Official Public Channel of the Air Assault Troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this. “Four occupants’ tanks and two armored personnel carriers turned into scrap metal due to the filigree work of the paratroopers,” the statement reads.

The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) is intensifying efforts to falsely implicate Ukraine in the March 22 Crocus City Hall terrorist attack while denying any Islamic State (IS) responsibility or involvement in the attack. The SVR baselessly claimed on April 1 that the United States is attempting to cover up Ukraine’s alleged responsibility for the Crocus City Hall attack, including by blaming the attack on the Islamic State’s Afghan branch IS-Khorasan (IS-K).

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) recently demanded that Ukrainian authorities arrest and extradite people allegedly involved in the Crocus City Hall attack and a wider set of alleged “terrorist” attacks in Russia. ISW continues to assess with high confidence that IS conducted the Crocus City Hall attack and has yet to observe independent reporting or evidence to suggest that an actor other than IS was responsible for or aided the attack.

The Kremlin likely intends to capitalize on domestic fear and anger about the attack and hopes that perceptions of Ukrainian and Western involvement in the Crocus City Hall attack and wider alleged “terrorist” attacks in Russia will increase Russian domestic support for the war in Ukraine.

Reuters reported on April 1 that Iran warned Russia about a possible “major terrorist operation” at an unspecified date prior to the Crocus City Hall attack, according to “three sources familiar with the matter.” Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov and Russian Presidential Representative for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov denied the report that Iran warned Russia of a terrorist attack. The Russian government will likely continue to deny any reports that the Kremlin received a warning of a potential terrorist attack before the Crocus City Hall attack to deflect blame from Russia’s law enforcement and intelligence failure and divert accusations towards Ukraine.

The Russian MFA announced on April 1 that it is working to remove the Taliban’s status as a designated terrorist organization in Russia and announced that Russia invited the Taliban to participate in the May 14-19 Russia-Islamic World Forum in Kazan, Tatarstan Republic. The Kremlin’s hyper fixation on pinning the blame for the attack on Ukraine, as opposed to addressing very real and necessary terrorist threats, will likely continue to pose a security threat to Russia in the long term.

Fighter Andrii Tsiapych died on December 10, 2023, while performing his duties in the Avdiivka area of Donetsk Oblast as a result of an enemy air strike. The defender was 22 years old.

Andrii was born in the village of Pozdymyr, Lviv Oblast. After graduating from high school, he studied at the Chervonohrad Professional Mining and Construction Lyceum. He mastered the profession of an underground electrician. He worked as a loader at a small furniture company. He was interested in cars and everything related to them. He had many plans and dreams for his life, including starting his own family.

On December 2, 2022, he was drafted into the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served in the ranks of the Separate Presidential Brigade named after Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky. He was a mortar gunner in a mortar battery. In February 2023, he and his comrades-in-arms defended Avdiivka. For courage during combat missions, he received the “Golden Cross” award from the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“I will always remember my brother as a kind and sincere person to whom everyone was drawn. He was always there whenever someone needed his help. Even while at the front, Andrii always remained positive and had a smile on his face. He convinced all of us that everything would be fine,” said his younger sister.

The young defender was buried in his native village. Andrii is survived by his parents, sister and fiancée.

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

• US State Department: US opposes China supporting Russian aggression in Ukraine
• Pentagon says North Korea continues to provide weapons to Russia
• Ukrainian General Staff: Russians actively use aircraft to support their assaults
• Minister of Digital Transformation: Ukraine has drones that can fly distances over thousand kilometers
• WSJ: Russia using cryptocurrency to avoid sanctions