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Ukraine hits Ust-Luga and Primorsk for the third time in five days — the pace suggests Kyiv is trying to destroy Russia's Baltic oil export ports beyond repair. NASA satellite data confirmed new fires at both ports; together, they handle 2 million barrels of Russian crude exports daily. A drone also struck Severstal's blast furnace in Cherepovets on the same night.

Military

Ukraine destroys Russia's anti-drone radar system in Crimea, confirms damage of Kirishi refinery. The Ukrainian General Staff also reported more strikes on the occupied peninsula and in the occupied part of Donetsk Oblast.

Estonian intelligence: Ukraine's port strikes halt route carrying 40–50% of Russia's oil exports. Estonia's intel chief: Russia lost 11,000 troops in a week, gained nothing, and just lost its main oil export route.

The south in flames of great war: Ukrainian army reclaims 470 square kilometers of land in bloody confrontation. Russian forces launch record drone attacks that analysts say are designed to distract from catastrophic losses and a failing spring offensive.

Ukraine's paratroopers clear Berezove in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, completing near-total reversal of Russia's 2025 gains in the region. A senior Ukrainian general said in early March only five small villages still needed clearing across the entire oblast — Berezove was among them.

Russia's Black Sea Fleet fires at Ukraine once or twice a month and otherwise does nothing — now Moscow is trying to copy the drones that trapped it. A Ukrainian navy spokesman called Russia's fleet a "black hole" that barely functions, adding Russia is now developing naval drones in response to Ukraine's dominance.

Intelligence and technology

Ukraine is developing STRILA-2 with solid-fuel rocket booster based on German Jäger tech. Germany funded 15,000 STRILAs. Now it is investing in STRILA-2 with a rocket booster, AI guidance.

Ukraine's interceptor drones set record. Last year, this number would have meant catastrophe. During the 24 March attack, Ukrainian forces destroyed more than 94% of 999 incoming drones.

Latvia is sending new CVR(T) armored vehicles with 7.62 mm machine gun and 510 km range. One variant is an armored ambulance that evacuates wounded where no wheeled vehicle can follow.

Ukraine sent air defense experts to Saudi Arabia. They delivered results in a week. Ukraine has four years of real combat experience intercepting over 57,000 Iranian-designed drones.

Trump on Ukraine weapons diversion: "We do this all the time" — but NATO says PURL deliveries stay on track. The Washington Post reported earlier that air defense interceptor missiles procured for Ukraine under the $4 billion PURL mechanism could be redirected to the Middle East to replenish US stockpiles drawn down by the war in Iran.

International

US warns allies: Patriots could be interrupted for Ukraine, as supplies could shift to Iran war. Three European officials confirmed the warning.

UK just gave Ukraine's air defense £100 million superboost. It has brought total British air defense commitments over the past two months to £600 million.

Ukraine signs defense pact with Saudi Arabia after its experts spent week finding holes in region's air defenses. Ukraine offers combat-tested expertise in countering Iranian-designed drones, developed over four years and 58,000 intercepted drone attacks.

Bloomberg: Ukraine to sign air defense cooperation deal with Saudi Arabia. Zelenskyy arrives in Riyadh for unannounced Gulf tour; Kyiv offers drone interception expertise for US missile supplies.

Warsaw just made it legal to fight for Kyiv. It used to carry five years in Polish prison.

Heraskevych addresses UN panel after IOC banned his tribute helmet at Milan Cortina. The International Olympic Committee blocked Vladyslav Heraskevych from racing at Milan Cortina over a tribute helmet. On Thursday, the UN gave him a stage and his audience gave the helmet's names a standing ovation.

Humanitarian and social impact

Russia hits Kharkiv apartment block twice in one hour — rocket first, then shahed. Russian forces hit the same Kharkiv district twice within roughly 35 minutes on 27 March — a rocket strike on a nine-story block followed by a drone — while a separate UAV strike damaged a high-rise facade in Zaporizhzhia the same evening without reported casualties.

Ukraine eyes Easter prisoner swap as Budanov says negotiations are running daily. Since the full-scale invasion began, Ukraine has brought 8,669 prisoners home from Russia. Kyrylo Budanov wants to add to that number on 12 April — Orthodox Easter — and says everything necessary is being done to make it happen.

Political and legal developments

$10,000 per person: Moldova arrests 11 drivers in Ukrainian male smuggling network. Eleven taxi drivers in Moldova have been detained on suspicion of smuggling roughly 400 Ukrainian men out of the country for fees reaching $10,000 per crossing, Moldova's anti-organised crime prosecutors said.

New developments

Ukrainians opened record number of businesses in this European country. Nearest competitor managed 2,000. Ukrainians repeated their 2024 record across sectors from gastronomy and logistics to IT, as their homeland faces war.

Read our earlier daily review here.

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Russo-Ukrainian war, day 1493: Ukraine batters Russia’s Baltic oil lifeline as Estonian intelligence confirms 40–50% of exports halted