Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited by Mikhail Kolovangin
[REGNUM] Jans van Rensburg, Second Secretary of the British Embassy in Russia, has been stripped of his accreditation. A spokesperson for the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) public relations center explained that van Rensburg knowingly provided false information when applying for entry into Russia, violating Russian law.
According to the intelligence service, he conducted intelligence and subversive activities and attempted to obtain sensitive economic information during informal meetings with Russian experts.
The diplomat is now required to leave Russia within two weeks. The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned British Chargé d'Affaires Deini Dholakia to present a protest note.
The nature of the charges against van Rensburg demonstrates how the British model of work in Russia has changed. Instead of recruiting a single source, they are now building a broad network through universities, expert forums, banks, business associations, and regional visits, including to major industrial cities.
This scheme allows, under the guise of routine diplomatic and expert activity, to collect a large array of data—from sentiments in professional communities to details of industry reforms and sanctions pressure.
Some contacts are built long-term: through grants, joint research, conferences, educational programs, and informal meetings where not only academic issues but also political and economic topics are discussed.
The van Rensburg scandal became the latest link in a chain of expulsions of British employees who were covert intelligence agents.
In January 2026, the FSB announced the discovery of an undeclared British intelligence officer, Gareth Samuel Davies, who had been working undercover as the second secretary of the embassy's administrative and economic department. Davies's accreditation was also revoked, and he was given two weeks to leave.
In 2024, Russia revoked the accreditation of six members of the British Embassy's political department due to their involvement in coordinating subversive activities and escalating tensions around Ukraine. In 2025, two British diplomats were expelled on espionage charges.
Moscow's decisions to expel British spies are almost always followed by responses from London, which declares Russian diplomats personae non gratae and ramps up accusatory rhetoric about "threats to national security."
According to Russian data and published materials, following the provocative " Sergei and Yulia Skripal case " and other scandalous episodes, London built an entire system whose goal was to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia and simultaneously strengthen its influence in the post-Soviet space.
Russia links the coordination center for this work to the Directorate for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, which, according to Russian sources, was integrated into British intelligence and expanded after 2022.
This area includes "programs to combat disinformation and develop media," where British and affiliated organizations such as the BBC, Reuters, and Bellingcat* play a key role. Among the political overseers are senior officials from the Foreign Office and National Security, from Undersecretary Philip Barton to the heads of the special HMG Russia Unit.
A separate area is working through so-called soft power instruments, the most important of which for London for many years was the British Council*, officially engaged in promoting the English language and educational programs. In 2025, the Russian Prosecutor General's Office designated it an undesirable organization.
The Council's activities in regions neighboring Russia, primarily in Central Asia, appear to be a long-term investment in personnel who will shape the youth agenda and educational programs with an emphasis on moving away from Moscow.
The story of Janse van Rensburg shows that British activities in Russia are increasingly resembling less a classic residency and more a distributed network, in which one cell is embedded within another. Formally, this may be a cultural program, an expert seminar, cyber research, or a business mission, but in reality, it all boils down to London's political intelligence activities.
The withdrawal of accreditation, the designation of organisations as undesirable and public revelations have already led to the expulsion of many British diplomats from Russia over the past two years for links to intelligence.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Korrespondent] 23.59 On the evening of Wednesday, April 1, Crimean sources report power outages in the territory of Crimea and Sevastopol annexed by Russia amid a UAV attack. According to the Telegram channel Crimean Wind, there have already been two waves of attacks by "good drones", and as of midnight the raid is ongoing. Monitoring channels claim an attack on Crimea's energy infrastructure facilities.
23.26 On Wednesday evening, April 1, the Russians struck a residential high-rise building in the Shevchenkivskyi district of Kharkiv, causing injuries. According to the head of the OVA Oleg Synegubov, the drone hit destroyed the outer wall and ceiling of the building, and damaged the window glazing. Two people were injured - a 68-year-old woman and an 89-year-old woman.
20.55 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks with US President's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner on Wednesday, April 1. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and US Senator Lindsey Graham also joined the conversation.
It was about Ukraine's proposal for a ceasefire, as well as security guarantees and the involvement of European partners. The President said that the parties agreed to strengthen security guarantees for Ukraine.
"I have already instructed our team to promptly update the documents so that security guarantees for Ukraine are strong and the prospect of reconstruction after the war is real. So that everything is workable.
Everything must be relevant. We see what changes are taking place in the world, how much can change in one moment. This applies to both alliances and security challenges," Zelenskyy said.
According to the president, US representatives are ready to work together to reach compromises on ending the war.
19.39 In the area of the Pokrovsko-Mirnograd agglomeration, the Defense Forces of Ukraine recently stopped the offensive of Russian troops on several settlements at once. This was reported by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrsky.
According to him, the Pokrovsky sector remains the hottest along the entire 1,200-kilometer stretch of the active front. The general made another working trip to this sector.
Near Hryshyn, the invaders were destroyed by soldiers of the 32nd and 155th separate mechanized brigades. In the Myrnograd area, the 79th separate Tavriyskaya airborne assault brigade and the 14th operational brigade Chervona Kalina worked against the enemy.
In total, Ukrainian soldiers repelled 291 Russian attacks in this direction last week.
19:39 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer interaction with international partners to achieve peace, in particular communication with the American side.
"We have proposed a ceasefire for the Easter holidays and we expect the United States to support us," he said.
Zelensky stressed that Ukraine is doing everything possible to make diplomacy work. However, he added that Russia is not signaling any readiness. In his opinion, the situation can be changed by pressure and determination of partners, as well as the resilience of the Ukrainian military.
19.19 Oil and liquefied natural gas supplies from the Russian export ports of Primorsk and Ust-Luga in the Baltic Sea have effectively stopped, Reuters reported, citing the Finnish Border Guard Service, which monitors maritime traffic in the region.
After Ukrainian drone attacks that caused large-scale fires at the facilities, fuel loading was suspended last week.
In recent years, an average of 40-50 tankers carrying Russian oil and liquefied gas have passed through the Baltic Sea each week. Therefore, this halt in Russian oil and LNG exports was the most serious disruption in the modern history of Russia, the world's second-largest oil exporter.
19.11 The European Union will provide Ukraine with 1.4 billion euros in proceeds from frozen Russian assets to support the army and public services.
On 31 March, the EU received €1.4 billion from interest on frozen assets of the Russian Central Bank. These assets remain frozen due to EU sanctions, but the European Commission has agreed to redirect the proceeds to support Ukraine.
“These €1.4 billion will go where they are most needed: to support the Ukrainian state, to maintain essential public services and to support the brave Ukrainian Armed Forces. Our commitment to Ukraine’s victory and freedom is unwavering,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The receipt of this amount is the fourth such transfer, following the third tranche granted in August 2025. It covers revenues accrued during the second half of 2025.
18.49 A court in Moscow sentenced 39-year-old blogger Andrey Skutin, known under the pseudonym Tarakan, to two years and six months in a strict regime colony for "desecrating the St. George ribbon." In addition, he was banned from administering websites, posting articles and comments on the Internet for three years.
According to the investigation, on May 8, 2025, Skutin, while in the entrance of a house in Podilsk, Moscow Region, spat on a St. George ribbon several times during a live broadcast on YouTube.
18.43 On Wednesday, Russian aggressors launched another 361 UAVs over Ukraine - about 250 of them are strike "Shaheeds". Air defense units destroyed most of them, the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported.
"Taking into account the night attack from 6:00 PM on March 31 to 6:00 PM on April 1, 2026 (per conventional day), the enemy used more than 700 Shahed, Gerber, and other types of strike drones," the report says.
18.26 Ukrainian military struck a missile components manufacturing plant in the Bryansk region of the Russian Federation. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this.
18.22 The four people killed in the drone explosion in the Zolotonish district approached it "out of curiosity."
"At around 1:00 p.m., during an air alert due to a UAV crash in an open area between settlements in the Zolotonish district, its warhead detonated. The explosion killed four local residents who approached the crash site out of curiosity," the Cherkasy Regional Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.
17.59 Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi explained the need to create assault troops and the difference between their purpose and airborne assault troops. He reported this in an interview with the ICTV television channel.
17:45 Russian forces attacked Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk region with FPV drones and artillery. 10 people were injured.
17.34 In the Kolomyia district of the Ivano-Frankivsk region, about 11 thousand subscribers were temporarily without power as a result of a Russian attack on critical infrastructure facilities.
17.19 From the beginning of the day and as of 16:00, the Russian occupation army has carried out 64 assaults. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this in an operational update . The Russian army is most actively trying to advance in the Pokrovsky direction. There, battles are taking place in the areas of 10 settlements.
17.05 In Poltava community, a Russian drone crashed into the territory of private households. Four people were injured, including a child.
16.49 A case has been referred to court against a resident of the Lviv region who fraudulently extorted over UAH 2 million from the family of a missing serviceman, simulating a search and promising to return the body. The Prosecutor General's Office reported this.
16.47 Russian drones attacked critical infrastructure facilities within the Khust and Uzhhorod districts of the Transcarpathian region. Specialists from specialized services are working on the ground.
According to preliminary information, one person was injured - assistance was provided on the spot.
16.25 According to the evidence base of the Security Service, an FSB informant, whom the SBU military counterintelligence exposed in October 2025 in the Sumy region, received a prison sentence.
The man monitored the locations of temporary bases of the Armed Forces of Ukraine's aviation and flight schedules of combat helicopters. In addition, the attacker was scouting for the FSB information about the deployment of artillery units in the region. He paid special attention to the firing positions of multiple launch rocket systems and barrel artillery.
The tasks of the Russian special services were carried out by an employee of the local branch of Ukrzaliznytsia, who came to the attention of the occupiers when he was looking for "easy money" in Telegram channels.
SBU officers exposed the attacker early, documented his crimes, and detained him. During the searches, a smartphone with FSB "reports" was seized from him.
16.23 Russian troops struck a civilian enterprise in the Konotop district. This was reported by the head of the Sumy regional military administration, Oleg Grigorov.
"In the Bochechkivska community, men aged 50 and 30, as well as a 54-year-old woman, were injured as a result of a UAV strike," he noted.
The injured have already been taken to the hospital and are receiving the necessary medical care.
16.16 In the Kyiv region, a warhead of a Russian aeroballistic missile Kh-47 Kinzhal was found in a field and neutralized . This was reported by the State Emergency Service. A farmer who was cultivating land for spring sowing of grain reported the dangerous find.
15.57 Due to a massive drone attack in Ukraine, significant delays are being recorded for a number of passenger trains. As of 15:45, 25 flights are running with delays. The main reason for the delays in most cases is stated to be "the impact of hostilities."
Advisor to the Minister of Defense Serhiy "Flash" Beskrestnov stated that the 0Ukrzaliznytsia dispatch service has gained access to military airspace control systems, thanks to which it monitors the situation with strike drones.
According to him, evacuation of people occurs only if there is a real threat to the lives of passengers. In order not to evacuate passengers, the carrier's employees change the schedule if the situation is not critical.
"If the "Shahed" hits a car with people, it will be a "mass grave", so I draw the attention of passengers to the need to move away from the train at least a hundred meters. We have repeatedly recorded cases when a manually controlled drone from Russia flew to attack an infrastructure facility, but, seeing a train below, changed its mission and attacked the train," the advisor to the Minister of Defense said.
15.51 Units of the 7th Corps of the Airborne Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stopped the largest motorcycle assault in the Slavyansk direction since the beginning of the year. This is stated in a message on the Telegram channel of the 7th Corps of the Airborne Assault Forces.
15.42 Four people were killed in a Russian drone attack in the Zolotonish district of Cherkasy region. The Cherkasy OVA reported this on Telegram.
15.28 Russian drones attacked Transcarpathia. One of the "Shaheeds" hit an electrical substation. Local journalist Vitaliy Glagola reported this on Telegram.
"I just received a message that a drone hit an electrical substation in the village of Lipcha, Khust district. According to eyewitnesses, there is no electricity," he wrote.
Glagola later reported that another "Shahed" was shot down near Mizhhirya. Locals report that it fell near a settlement on a mountain. According to preliminary information, there is no damage from the fall.
"In the village of Maidan, an electrical substation was hit. The entire area near Mizhhirya is without electricity," the journalist added.
15.11 The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the Russian military had allegedly established control over the entire territory of the Luhansk region.
In October last year, Russian President Putin spoke about 0.13% of the territory of the so-called "LPR" remaining under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
"Units of the West Group of Forces have completed the liberation of the Luhansk People's Republic," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The Ministry of Defense first reported on the alleged complete capture of the Luhansk region by the Russian army on July 3, 2022. At that time, the department noted that the then Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to Putin about the "liberation of the Luhansk People's Republic."
Also in October 2025, at a plenary session of the Valdai Discussion Club , the head of the Kremlin stated that "almost 100% of the LPR is in the hands" of Russian troops.
15.01 The Russian army is trying to increase assault activity at the front, but this only leads to an increase in its losses. This was reported by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Telegram based on the results of a report by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrsky.
14.54 Ireland is allocating an additional 40.3 million euros for humanitarian and stabilization support to Ukraine. This was announced by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Defence of Ireland, Helen McEntee, at a joint press conference with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andriy Sybiga, in Kyiv on April 1, Ukrinform reports. According to her, this will bring Ireland's total humanitarian support and assistance this year to 65 million, which is the highest level since the full-scale invasion.
14.44 Russian singer and propagandist Nikolai Baskov has been charged in absentia with supporting Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine, the SBU reported. He has repeatedly discredited Ukrainians as a nation and justified the atrocities of racists.
14.03 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is to make a decision to withdraw the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the Ukrainian Donbas "as early as today." This brazen statement was made by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov at a briefing.
13.55 In March, 548 evacuation flights were carried out from combat areas, and ground robotic complexes are increasingly being used to evacuate the wounded. This was stated by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, following the results of the monthly working meeting on the performance of tasks by military medics.
"We will need more IRCs with armored capsules, more all-wheel drive and armored vehicles for evacuation groups. We must better protect both our wounded and the medics who work in the affected areas, saving the lives of soldiers," he emphasized.
13.41 Ukraine has received almost $1.3 billion from the Japanese government under the World Bank's PEACE in Ukraine project. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced this on Telegram.
According to her, the money is credited to the general fund of the state budget and is being used for social expenditures.
13.33 In Lutsk, rescuers extinguished large-scale fires at civilian facilities that erupted as a result of Russian shelling. The press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported this on Wednesday, April 1.
In particular, firefighters contained the fire on the territory of the Nova Poshta terminal on an area of 3.6 thousand sq. m, preventing the fire from spreading to the administrative building.
A fire was also extinguished in a warehouse building with an area of 21 thousand sq. m.
13.13 A woman was killed in a Russian drone attack in Kherson. Two other civilians were seriously injured. The press service of the regional prosecutor's office reported this on Wednesday, March 1.
In turn, the head of the OVA, Oleksandr Prokudin, clarified that the Russians had struck a civilian car with a drone in the Dnipro district of the city.
"As a result of dropping explosives from a drone, two women aged 63 and 59 died. My condolences to the families and friends of the killed," Prokudin noted.
A 62-year-old man was also seriously injured. The ambulance crew took him to the hospital with multiple injuries to the chest, abdomen, and limbs, contusion, explosive and closed head injuries. According to him, doctors are currently fighting for the victim's life.
Prokudin later said that a 63-year-old woman, who was found without signs of life, was taken to hospital. The victim is in extremely serious condition. She was diagnosed with a blast injury, multiple injuries to the head, face, torso and limbs.
13.06 The Romanian Ministry of Defense is discussing with Ukrainian drone manufacturers the implementation of a project to localize the production of drones. The project is funded by 200 million euros under the SAFE program. This was announced by the country's Defense Minister Radu Miruce on his Facebook page.
12.57 The Russian massive attack on Wednesday night is Moscow's de facto response to diplomatic efforts and Ukraine's proposal for a ceasefire for Easter, President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram.
12.36 Law enforcement officers have detained a battery commander who organized the sale of combat drones worth millions of hryvnias. The State Bureau of Investigation reported this.
The attacker sold drones to volunteers who are trying to provide for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. That is, equipment that was supposed to be transferred directly to the front was resold to those who help the military.
12.13 Russian troops carried out 1,302 strikes on the front line and residential areas of Donetsk region on March 31. The press service of the National Police reports this. It is noted that the Russians dropped six KAB-250 bombs on Sloviansk - 9 civilians were injured, including a girl born in 2014. 45 private houses, a railway station and infrastructure, and 8 cars were damaged. The enemy attacked Druzhkivka with five drones - one person was injured, 2 private houses and an outbuilding were damaged. One person was injured in Dobropillya.
The occupiers hit Kostyantynivka with a KAB-3000 bomb - 2 apartment buildings were destroyed. As a result of the shelling of Kramatorsk, a store and a civilian car were damaged. In Malotaranivka, an FPV drone damaged a car. In Mykolaivka, 2 apartment buildings and 3 garages were damaged, in Sviatohirsk - a tractor, in Mayaki - a civilian car.
11.52 A Russian agent was detained in the Kyiv region, who was registering Starlink satellite terminals on behalf of enemy special services . The SBU reported this.
The case involves a 24-year-old construction worker from Irpin. The man initially registered Starlink in his own name and provided the relevant details to the curator. Over the years, he "secretly" registered two terminals in the names of his colleague and his wife, and then planned to involve 20 more acquaintances.
11.15 On March 27, TSN cameraman and serviceman Yevheniy Solovey died at the front. This was reported by 1+1 media. It is noted that Yevheniy's story at 1+1 media began in 2011. Since then, Ukrainian viewers have seen thousands of important events through his eyes. Since 2014, Yevheniy has worked in the combat zone with military correspondents and recorded the truth about the war. In 2022, he volunteered for war and became a drone pilot.
11.17 The crash of an An-26 military transport plane killed 30 Russian servicemen – seven crew members and 23 passengers. The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation reported this.
10.58 A Russian intelligence agent was detained in Odessa after she tried to blow up a truck carrying valuable equipment for a local heating facility, the SBU reported.
The detainee turned out to be a resident of Chernivtsi, who was recruited by Russian special services via Telegram.
10.48 In March, 89.9% of Russian missiles and drones were shot down and suppressed. This was reported by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. In total, 5,935 enemy air attack vehicles did not reach their targets last month. Many lives were saved.
10.33 On Wednesday morning, new power outages were recorded in four regions of Ukraine due to shelling by Russian aggressors. This was reported by Ukrenergo. The most difficult situation now is in Sumy region, where a massive drone attack on energy infrastructure has been ongoing since last night.
10.00 As a result of a Russian FPV drone strike on a civilian car in the city of Nikopol on the morning of April 1, three people were injured. This was reported by the head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Administrative Organization Oleksandr Ganzha and the head of the regional council Mykola Lukashuk. It is noted that all the injured have been hospitalized. One of the men is in extremely "serious" condition. Another 42-year-old man and a 51-year-old woman are in moderate condition. Doctors are providing them with the necessary medical assistance.
9.41 Due to a large-scale fire caused by Russian shelling, heavy smoke is being recorded in Lutsk. The Lutsk City Council reported this on April 1.
9.27 On the front last year, 171 combat clashes between the Defense Forces of Ukraine and Russian invaders were recorded. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on April 1. Aviation, missile troops and artillery of the Defense Forces struck six areas of concentration of Russian manpower and equipment.
8.56 Air defense forces neutralized 298 of the 339 drones used by the Russians to attack Ukraine. The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this on April 1. 20 strike UAVs were recorded hitting 11 locations, as well as the fall of downed ones (fragments) at 5 locations.
8.45 Over the past 24 hours, the defense forces have destroyed 1,060 Russian occupiers and over 2,000 units of enemy weapons and military equipment. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this on April 1. The total combat losses of the Russians from 24.02.22 to 01.04.26 were approximately 1,298,730 people.
8.18 Partisans reconnoitered the composition of the track and pontoon-bridge battalions and documented the personnel regime of a separate railway brigade in Yekaterinburg, which provides logistics for the Russian Federation's Center group of troops in the Pokrovsky direction. This was reported by the partisan movement ATESH. It is noted that the 43rd brigade specializes in the restoration and operation of the railway infrastructure for the Center group of troops, ensuring military transportation and setting up pontoon-bridge crossings in the combat zone. Coordinates of the object: 56.871493, 60.548999. During the reconnaissance, the agents established the composition of the formation - the track and pontoon-bridge battalions, documented the security regime, daily routine and movement of personnel.
7.52 On the morning of April 1, Russian troops targeted an industrial enterprise in the city of Lutsk, Volyn region. This was reported by the Lutsk City Council and the city's mayor, Ihor Polishchuk.
"One of the industrial enterprises in Lutsk was hit. An apartment building was also damaged by the "Shakhed" wreckage," the city council said in a statement.
It is noted that all emergency services are working on the scene, and information about the victims is being clarified.
Later, Lutsk Mayor Ihor Polishchuk clarified that the invaders were attacking warehouses.
"The strategic targets for the attack were the Nova Poshta warehouse and the grocery warehouse of one of the retail chains. The balcony of one of the high-rise buildings, where a fire broke out, was also damaged," the mayor said.
05.58 At dawn on Wednesday, April 1, Russian forces launched a massive attack with Shahed-type strike drones on the territory of Ukraine. Dozens of drones were spotted in many regions, covering the central, southern, northern and eastern parts of the country, and also penetrated the western regions.
03.27 During the air alert in the Khmelnytskyi region on the night of Wednesday, April 1, air defense forces were working. As a result of the Russian attack, a fire broke out at one of the enterprises in the regional center. There was no information about casualties or deaths. This was reported by the head of the Khmelnytskyi regional military administration, Serhiy Tyurin.
01.29 The crash of a Russian military transport plane An-26 over occupied Crimea killed 29 people: six crew members and 23 passengers. According to propaganda media, the preliminary cause of the crash was a technical malfunction. Another Russian source from the crash site reported that the An-26 crashed into a rock.
00.31 On the evening of March 31, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported the loss of contact with the An-26 military transport aircraft during a planned flight over the territory of temporarily occupied Crimea. There is currently no official information about the condition of the crew. According to Russian media, up to 30 personnel were on board the An-26.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Korrespondent] The Russian army is most actively trying to advance in the Pokrovsky direction. There, fighting is taking place in the areas of 10 settlements.
Since the beginning of the day and as of 4:00 p.m., the Russian occupation army has carried out 64 assaults. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this in an operational update on Wednesday, April 1.
Thus, in the North-Slobozhansk and Kursk directions, an enemy attack is ongoing near Miropolske.
In the South Slobozhansky direction, the enemy twice stormed the areas of the settlements of Starytsia and Krasne Pershe.
In the Kupyansk direction, the enemy tried eight times to improve its position in the areas of the settlements of Kurylivka, Pishchane, Kivsharivka, and Novoplatonivka. Five clashes are ongoing.
In the Lyman direction, our soldiers repelled four attempts by the invaders to advance towards the settlement of Lyman.
In the Kostyantynivka direction, the invaders carried out 13 attacks near Kostyantynivka, Pleshchiivka, Ivano-Frankivka, Stepanivka, Yablunivka, and Sofiivka.
In the Pokrovsk direction, the invaders tried 18 times to push our soldiers out of the occupied positions in the areas of the settlements of Bilytske, Rodynske, Novooleksandrivka, Pokrovsk, Novomykolaivka, Kotlyne, Udachne, Molodetske, Novopidhorodne, and Filiya. Two clashes are ongoing.
In the Oleksandrivka direction, the enemy has advanced three times in the areas of the settlements of Oleksandrovgrad and Novohrygorivka. Two clashes are currently ongoing.
In the Hulyaipil direction, 10 attacks were successfully repelled in the areas of Varvarivka, Zaliznychne, Hulyaipil, Tsvitkovy, Girky, Svyatopetrivka, Olenokostyantynivka, and Myrny.
In the Dnieper direction, the enemy conducted two futile attacks towards the Antoniv Bridge and near the Bilogruy Island.
The enemy has not yet carried out active operations in the Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, and Orikhiv directions.
As a reminder, the Ukrainian army has liberated 470 sq. km of territory in the south of the country since the start of counter-insurgency operations this year. This was announced by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrsky.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited[NewsFront] 20:53 Ministry of Defense published footage of Russian UAV crews operating in various areas of the Northern Military District. 20:00 Posted operational information on the successes of the Russian Armed Forces in the East Zaporizhzhia direction.
19:03 Sumy direction: Attacks on Ukrainian Armed Forces reserves. April 1
In the area of the village of Malaya Korchakovka the enemy is suffering significant losses.
18:33 In the period from 09:00 Moscow time to 18:00 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 17 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:
Nine over the territory of Krasnodar Krai,
Three over the territory of Kursk Oblast,
Two over the waters of the Sea of Azov,
Two over the territory of Belgorod Oblast, and
One over the territory of the Republic of Crimea.
17:41 Servicemen of the counter-drone systems crew of the anti-aircraft division of the 35th Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Center group of forces during several hours of night combat work destroyed two hexacopters of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near the village of Grishino in the Donetsk People's Republic.
17:08 Commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces unit wrote off and sold combat drones for 15.2 million hryvnias
The Ukrainian prosecutor's office reports that from November 2024 to March 2026, he organized the systematic illegal write-off of UAVs that were transferred as part of the "Drone Army" project.
343 drones were deregistered and transferred to civilians for sale through online platforms. They were stored in residential and commercial buildings, as well as at post office branches. The proceeds were spent on cars, real estate, and jewelry.
16:41 Summary of the Ministry of Defense on the progress of the Special Military Operation as of April 1, 2026
Units of the North group of forces defeated formations of three mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a territorial defense brigade, and two National Guard brigades in the areas of the settlements of Veseloye, Vovchanskie Khutora, Izbitskoye, Nesternoye, and Pokalyanoye in the Khar'kov region.
In the Sumy region, the manpower and equipment of two territorial defense brigades were damaged in the areas of the settlements of Volnaya Sloboda and Pokrovka in the Sumy region.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 255 service members, 10 vehicles, and three artillery pieces. An electronic warfare station, four ammunition depots, a fuel depot, and five supply depots were destroyed.
Units of the West military group have completed the liberation of the Luhansk People's Republic.
The manpower and equipment of five mechanized brigades, the security brigade of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and two territorial defense brigades were damaged in the areas of the settlements of Grushevka, Gusinka, Mayak, Monachinovka, Nechvolodovka, Palamarevka, Prosyanka in the Khar'kov region, Krasny Liman and Yatskovka in the Donetsk People's Republic.
The enemy's losses amounted to more than 170 servicemen, an infantry fighting vehicle, an armored personnel carrier, two Cossack combat armored vehicles, 16 vehicles, six field artillery pieces, and an ammunition depot.
Units of the Southern Group of Forces have occupied more advantageous positions and lines. Formations of two mechanized brigades, a mountain assault brigade, and an airmobile brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been defeated near the settlements of Konstantinovka, Krivaya Luka, Piskunovka, Reznikovka, and Slavyansk in the Donetsk People's Republic.
The enemy lost up to 175 servicemen, a tank, three armored combat vehicles, 15 cars, an artillery piece, four ammunition depots and three supply depots.
Units of the Center Forces Group have improved their position along the forward edge. They have inflicted casualties on the personnel and equipment of five mechanized brigades, an infantry brigade, an airborne assault brigade, an assault regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a naval infantry brigade, the Azov* special forces brigade, three National Guard brigades, and a territorial defense brigade near the settlements of Grishino, Lenina, Novooleksandrivka, Novohryhorivka, Petrovka, Sergeyevka, Starorayskoye, and Toretskoye in the Donetsk People's Republic, and Gavrilovka and Raipole in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
Ukrainian armed forces lost up to 370 servicemen, a US-made Abrams tank, five infantry fighting vehicles, three armored personnel carriers, 11 armored combat vehicles, 14 cars, a field artillery gun, and two electronic warfare stations.
Units of the "East" force group defeated formations of a mechanized, two assault, two airborne assault brigades and three assault regiments of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Dobropasovo, Chernenkovo in the Dnipropetrovsk region, Vozdvizhevka, Komsomolskoye, Kopani and Krinovka in the Zaporizhzhia region.
The enemy lost up to 275 servicemen, an armored personnel carrier, 11 vehicles, an electronic warfare station, and a supply depot.
Units of the Dnepr group of forces improved their tactical position and defeated the manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' mountain assault brigade and territorial defense brigade in the areas of the settlements of Grigorovka and Orekhov in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Up to 70 servicemen, two armored combat vehicles, 11 cars and a US-made 155mm M-777 howitzer were destroyed.
16:00 As a result of attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces two civilians were wounded.
A man was injured when a drone detonated in the village of Oktyabrsky in the Belgorod District. He was taken to the Oktyabrsky District Hospital with shrapnel wounds to his face and legs. After receiving treatment, he will be transferred to Belgorod City Hospital No. 2. At the scene of the attack, windows were shattered, the façade of a commercial building was damaged, and four cars were damaged.
In the village of Maksimovka, Shebekinsky District, an FPV drone struck a car. The man, who sustained a shrapnel wound to his hand, was treated at the hospital. Hospitalization was not required. The car was damaged.
15:28 Commander of one of the units of the armed forces of Ukraine sentenced to life imprisonment
The court found the evidence collected by the Main Military Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation sufficient to convict Colonel Alexander Konev, commander of the 92nd Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. He was found guilty of committing a terrorist act in the Belgorod Region (Clause "b" of Part 3 of Article 205 of the Russian Criminal Code).
14:21 In the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian Armed Forces again attacked civil infrastructure of the Kherson region
In Velyki Kopani, Malaya Lepetikha, and Tavriysk, drone strikes damaged private homes. There were no casualties.
A gas distribution station in Kakhovka was damaged as a result of a drone strike.
In the area of the village of Podlesnoye, as well as in Knyaz-Grigoryevka and Novaya Kakhovka, passenger cars were damaged.
In Yekaterinovka, Velikolepetikhsky MO, an unused school building was damaged.
In addition, the enemy shelled Golaya Pristan, Kardashinka, Novaya Zburyevka and Staraya Zburyevka.
Aleshki, Gornostaevka, Zavodovka, Kairy, Kardashinka, Kostogryzovo, Kokhany, Korsunka, Krynki, Nechaevo, Novaya Zburyevka, Peschanovka, Proletarka, Radensk, Sagi, Solontsy, Staraya Zburyevka and Tyaginka were also attacked by drones.
13:32 From under the rubble in Vasilyevka extracted the body of a 12-year-old girl, who died as a result of an enemy attack on an apartment building.
12:40 Russian troops released the village of Boykovo in the Zaporizhzhia region and established control over the village of Verkhnyaya Pisarevka in the Khar'kov region.
12:04 In the city of Shebekino fighter of the Orlan unit was wounded.
While repelling an FPV drone attack, the man sustained a mine blast injury and shrapnel wound to the knee. His fellow soldiers transported him to the Shebekinskaya Central District Hospital. After receiving the necessary assistance, he will continue treatment in the hospital.
11:53 Ukrainian Armed Forces drones this morning attacked Luganskenergo official vehicle.
The vehicle was damaged, but no casualties were reported among the organization's employees.
11:01 From 07:00 Moscow time to 09:00 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed 16 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:
13 UAVs were flying over the territory of Krasnodar Krai,
Two UAVs were flying over the territory of the Republic of Crimea, and
One UAV was flying over the territory of Voronezh Oblast.
10:33 This night the Ukrainian Armed Forces carried out a strike on a two-story residential building in the city of Vasilyevka.
The house was almost completely destroyed; four victims were pulled from under the rubble: women born in 1942, 1970, and 1993, and a child born in 2022.
9:46 Summary about the operational situation in the Kursk region over the past 24 hours.
In total, 24 enemy drones of various types were shot down between 9:00 AM on March 31 and 7:00 AM on April 1. The enemy used artillery on evacuated areas 11 times. On two occasions, drones attacked our territory using explosive devices.
9:09 Crews of the heavy flamethrower systems "Solntsepek" of the "Vostok" group destroyed deployment points of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Zaporizhzhia region.
8:30 During the past night from 20:00 Moscow time on March 31 to 7:00 Moscow time on April 1, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 42 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:
30 – over the territory of the Rostov region,
Three –over the territory of the Republic of Crimea,
Two – over the territory of the Krasnodar region,
Two – over the waters of the Sea of Azov,
Two – over the waters of the Black Sea,
One – over the territory of the Belgorod region,
One – over the territory of the Kursk region,
One – over the territory of the Stavropol region.
8:01 Sumy direction successes of the Russian Armed Forces. April 1 at 7:00 AM Moscow time.
Soldiers from the 30th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 72nd Motorized Rifle Division liberated Malaya Korchakivka in the Sumy region. This village is located ten kilometers from the border of the Kursk region.
With the capture of Malaya Korchakovka, Russian troops managed to penetrate the unified system of fortifications of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in this section of the front, the creation of which the enemy began shortly before the defeat of the Ukrainian Armed Forces units in the Sudzhan border area.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] by Gevorg Mirzayan
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan arrived in Moscow on a visit. During his visit, hundreds of people protested his attacks on the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) at a rally outside the Armenian embassy.
The protesters brought with them posters: “In unity there is strength, in division there is weakness,” “The Armenian nation stands in defense of the Church,” “The Diaspora and Armenia are one,” and “Together with Holy Etchmiadzin.”
"This is already the fifth such rally taking place in Moscow. Additionally, similar events are held weekly in Russia's regions," public figure Mika Badalyan, one of the main figures behind this protest, explained to Regnum News Agency.
In particular, rallies against Pashinyan and in defense of the AAC took place in Rostov-on-Don, Kaliningrad, Tyumen, and other cities.
The conflict between Pashinyan and the Armenian Apostolic Church has been ongoing for several years. The Prime Minister and his supporters claim that the conflict stems from the Armenian Apostolic Church's clergy, led by Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, supporting "anti-Armenian interests." This includes the opposition, which is allegedly leading the country toward a new war with Azerbaijan, as well as external powers, which are allegedly seeking to deprive Armenia of its sovereignty.
SIMPLY PUT, RUSSIA.
"Certain forces linked to Russia, and with the support of Russian oligarchs, are trying to sacrifice Armenia's independence for their own interests," Pashinyan said.
And now, a number of media outlets under his control and even politicians are openly calling the Catholicos a Russian agent. Some government officials, including National Security Service head Andranik Simonyan, even refuse to recognize the Catholicos's ordination, openly supporting Pashinyan's plan to overthrow him.
PRIESTS DEFEND ARMENIA
In fact, the reason is that the Armenian Apostolic Church is currently one of the key obstacles to the implementation of Nikol Pashinyan's plan to completely reformat Armenia.
A reformatting that implies the rejection of key elements of Armenian identity (including the demand for recognition of the Armenian Genocide) in order to end the conflict with Azerbaijan.
The renunciation of any protection of Armenian cultural values in Karabakh and the rights of Armenians expelled from there, the surrender of Armenian territories to the control of Baku and, as a final stage, Armenia's geopolitical turn from an alliance with Russia to the status of a Western outpost in the Caucasus.
To implement this plan, Pashinyan has already jailed a number of opposition figures and launched an anti-Russian campaign across the country. "Armenia has today become a concentration camp named after Pashinyan. People are subject to sanctions and repression for any dissent," says Mika Badalyan.
However, he failed to intimidate the Church—despite the "jailing" of several bishops and the arrest of the Catholicos's relatives, the AAC did not submit to Pashinyan and continues to publicly oppose his plans.
But it must act without excessive aggression. By defrocking several schismatic priests whom Pashinyan recruited for his anti-church activities, the AAC is not encroaching on secular power.
"The Church has taken a very interesting position. On the one hand, it's not trying to negotiate with Pashinyan. On the other, it's not organizing any attacks on the prime minister, as it's guided by Christian values," says Mika Badalyan.
CHRISTIAN PROTEST
Of course, some might argue that the Church could be more proactive. "Some in Armenia believe the Armenian Apostolic Church should be more proactive and not just defrock priests who supported Pashinyan's actions against the Church. However, the current balanced approach is bearing fruit," Hayk Khalatyan, director of the Analytical Center for Strategic Studies and Initiatives, explains to Regnum News Agency.
According to him, on the one hand, a number of senior hierarchs of the Armenian Apostolic Church who supported Pashinyan have already abandoned that position. On the other hand, Pashinyan has failed to secure the support of the Armenian community abroad, which views his attack on the essentially apolitical church as baseless. This is also the view, in fact, of the Armenian population.
"Attacks on the church are having the opposite effect. People are consolidating around the Armenian Apostolic Church—its approval rating in the country has risen from 30% to 75%," says Mika Badalyan.
As a result, popular protest activity against Pashinyan is now crystallizing around the Armenian Apostolic Church. It's one thing to oppose the prime minister in defense of the country's "former" leaders (whom people have mixed feelings about), and quite another to defend the church.
"Society is prepared to defend the Church against the authorities. This is demonstrated, for example, by the willingness of thousands of people, despite the repression, to participate in rallies in support of the Armenian Apostolic Church, as well as the small number of rallies involving the Prime Minister that are held against the Church," says Hayk Khalatyan.
An example of this was the recent situation when Pashinyan was effectively ejected from St. Anne's Church in Yerevan. When the prime minister's security guards attempted to push back the congregation to allow their boss to pass, a scuffle ensued, and Pashinyan was forced to leave the church grounds. Police subsequently detained several people "on suspicion of hooliganism and interfering with the legitimate official and political activities of an official."
"The incident, recorded during the Prime Minister's brief visit, should be viewed as a consequence of the authorities' anti-church campaign and illegal, uncanonical actions that offend the religious feelings of believers and provoke such uprisings," the AAC said in an official statement.
TACTICAL PAUSE
This crystallization threatens Pashinyan with serious political consequences in the long term. Armenia faces parliamentary elections in June. The ruling Civil Contract party leads all polls, but its approval rating is only 24%.
The first place and potential victory are guaranteed only by the current fragmentation of the opposition, which can consolidate precisely around the AAC – a pan-Armenian structure that is acquiring the aura of a “martyr for Armenianism.”
Therefore, Pashinyan has now somewhat modified his policy towards it. First of all, he has shifted the focus from foreign conspiracy theories to the understandable and painful issue for all Armenians: not resuming the war with Azerbaijan.
"If Pashinyan previously tried to portray the Catholicos as practically an agent of the Russian secret services, now he's forced to position his fight against the clergy as a fight against revanchists who oppose a settlement with Azerbaijan. Even though the Armenian Apostolic Church is simply raising issues of preserving Armenian historical and cultural heritage in Karabakh, as well as the rights of people forcibly expelled from their homeland," explains Hayk Khalatyan.
Unfortunately for Pashinyan, however, this "tactical pause" is unlikely to help him. Rallies and protests will continue until the parliamentary elections, when the people will have to answer the question of whether they are satisfied with the current state of affairs.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] The Russian army has completely liberated the territory of the Luhansk People's Republic from the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF). The Russian Ministry of Defense press service reported this on April 1.
"Units of the West military group have completed the liberation of the Luhansk People's Republic," the department's report states.
In addition, over the past 24 hours, the Russian Armed Forces took control of the village of Verkhnyaya Pisarevka in the Kharkiv region and the village of Boykovo in the Zaporizhzhia region.
On March 30, the Russian army liberated the village of Novoosinovo in the Kharkiv region and the village of Lugovskoye in the Zaporizhia region. The following day, Russian forces drove the enemy out of the village of Mala Korchakivka in the Sumy region.
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