These are the key events on day 1,150 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Here is where things stand on Saturday, April 19:
Fighting
- Russia launched eight missiles and 87 drones in an overnight attack on Ukraine on Saturday, causing damage in five regions across the country, the Ukrainian air force said. Air defence units shot down 33 Russian drones while another 36 were redirected by electronic warfare. Damage was recorded in five regions in the south, northeast and east.
- A Russian missile attack killed one person in Kharkiv, while a drone attack killed another in Sumy, with at least five children among dozens injured. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said 15 residential buildings, a business and an educational facility were damaged in the attack.
- The city of Zaporizhzhia was hit by a Russian drone during the night. Regional Governor Ivan Fedorov reported the attack on Telegram, saying a fire had broken out and emergency services were responding.
- Russia claimed it targeted Ukrainian drone production sites and warned of escalation if Germany sends Taurus long-range missiles, calling it a step towards direct involvement in the war.
Politics and diplomacy
- The US has put forward a proposal to end the war in Ukraine that includes lifting sanctions on Russia, Bloomberg reported, quoting unnamed European officials. The US plan “would effectively freeze” the conflict, with invaded Ukrainian territory remaining under Russian control, according to the report.
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed NATO chief Mark Rutte on the plan, but warned Washington will “move on” if a ceasefire deal doesn’t appear viable within days.
- President Donald Trump later warned that the US would “take a pass” on mediating peace if Moscow or Kyiv continue to hinder progress towards ending the war.
- Russia and Ukraine will exchange 246 prisoners each on Saturday in a deal brokered by the UAE. The swap, the 13th mediated by Abu Dhabi, will add to a growing list of exchanges since 2022 and brings the total number of captives swapped to 3,233.
- A Russian court has sentenced 19-year-old activist Daria Kozyreva to two years and eight months in prison for allegedly “discrediting” the army through antiwar graffiti and quoting 19th-century Ukrainian poetry. Amnesty International condemned the verdict as a “chilling” attack on peaceful dissent and called for Kozyreva’s immediate release.
