In Europe, Poland is strengthening its border with Belarus: construction of a new barbed wire fence is already underway at five points, according to RMF24. This is a 4-meter-high metal fence with additional security features, and a 2-meter fence for animals will also be installed in wooded areas. In total, 186 km of the border is planned to be strengthened. The work is expected to be completed by the end of spring. The goal is to slow illegal crossings and give border guards more time to intervene.
The Baltic states have denied any involvement in Ukrainian drone attacks against Russia. The foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have stated that they have never authorized Ukraine to use their airspace for drone strikes against targets located in the Russian Federation. A joint statement by the foreign ministers of the three countries was published on the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
Kyrylo Budanov expressed optimism about the peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine: “There is progress in the negotiations, the war in Ukraine could end soon,” he told Bloomberg. “Everyone understands that the war must end. Unlike us, they are spending their own money—enormous sums, already amounting to trillions. That’s why they are negotiating. I don’t think it will drag on for long,” said the head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office. According to Budanov, the parties are currently making “maximalist” demands but are gradually moving towards a compromise.
At the same time, Bloomberg sources in the Kremlin say there has been little real progress: the negotiations have stalled, and the parties have simply agreed on positions that remain unacceptable to both.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that without security guarantees for Russia, the conflict with Ukraine cannot be resolved. He added that the prospect of a political and diplomatic solution “is looming on the horizon.”
According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, “Territorial disputes between Russia and Ukraine are a matter of kilometers.”
Ukraine has received a new batch of Patriot missiles, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. He said that additional missiles had recently arrived in the country. Deliveries from partners continue, despite concerns about a possible shift of US attention to the Middle East.
Zelenskyy signed Law 13347, introducing the “Fundamentals of National Resistance” course in Ukrainian universities and colleges, replacing military training.
The situation with the sheikhs has become somewhat tense. The sheikhs asked the Ukrainian air defense specialists sent by Zelensky to the Middle East to leave because all five installations the Ukrainians were defending had been destroyed by Iran. Furthermore, according to L’AntiDiplomatico, Ukrainian air defense missiles hit two skyscrapers. in the United Arab Emirates while repelling the attack.
According to Ukrainian Commander Oleksandr Syrsky, “the Russian Armed Forces are strengthening their forces and continue to try to turn the tide of hostilities in their favor.” He made this statement at the end of a working visit to the Southern Operational Zone, where he met with commanders to discuss the Defense Forces’ future actions.
The Easter truce announced by Putin ended on April 12. And in Russia, preparations are underway for the 2026 Immortal Regiment march, which will be held in a mixed format: some events will be held in person and others online, announced Sergei Novikov, head of the Presidential Directorate for Public Projects. “Speaking of historical memory and the upcoming Victory Day on May 9, I want to emphasize that we certainly share a common goal: to celebrate it at a high level. And the Immortal Regiment march.” “Where the situation allows, at the discretion of the regions, it will be held in person, while where security considerations require it, it will be held online,” Novikov stated during the latest meeting of the board of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs.
The Russian Ministry of Justice has added Stanford University to the list of foreign organizations whose activities are considered undesirable in Russia. Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev has become the editor-in-chief of the new social science textbooks for grades 9-11, Deputy Minister of Education Olga Koludarova announced. “Last year, we approached Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev about serving as editor-in-chief of a series of textbooks… He accepted our request. Comments, suggestions, revisions, and much more, page by page, were reflected not only in the final version of the textbook, but also in the new federal standards and work programs for social sciences,” the Deputy Minister said during the presentation of the state textbooks.
The port of Novorossiysk has partially resumed transshipment of oil and petroleum products after a disruption due to a drone attack, Reuters reports, citing industry sources. Loading of oil onto tankers began late in the evening and is currently being carried out from a quay. A batch of approximately 80,000 tons is expected to be loaded on Friday. The port has also begun transshipment of fuel oil and diesel fuel. GazpromNeft’s net profit for 2025, according to IFRS, amounted to 246 billion rubles. This represents a 49% decrease from 2024, when the figure was 479 billion rubles. Revenue decreased by 12% to 3.6 trillion rubles, according to the company’s financial statements.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin suspended Deputy Minister of Digital Development Andrei Zarenin, who was deployed to the Special Military Operations Zone (SVO). The decision to deploy Zarenin to the SVO was announced on April 2. At that time, Minister of Digital Development Maksut Shadayev announced the decision. Kursk Region Governor Alexander Khinshtein later announced that Zarenin would serve in the BARS-Kursk unit.
President Vladimir Putin, speaking on the subject of Artificial Intelligence, said, “The sovereignty and very existence of the Russian state depend on the ability to keep pace with the pace of global change. Artificial intelligence, along with digital platforms and drones, is shaping a radically new face of life in Russia, including in the defense sector,” said Vladimir Putin. “It must be borne in mind that AI technologies are developing rapidly and becoming increasingly complex; the creation and application of artificial intelligence are crucial to Russia’s future,” said Vladimir. According to Putin, artificial intelligence agents “are already reaching a new level of autonomy, learning to interact with people and capable of imitating human behavior. At the same time, Russian artificial intelligence technologies must be globally competitive and possess the necessary level of sovereignty,” the president emphasized. He also noted that Russia is taking note of how foreign defense agencies are investing in the development of artificial intelligence and are achieving significant results.”
Putin tasked the Russian government, together with the regions, with developing a national plan for the implementation of artificial intelligence. He also emphasized that the Russian legal framework for artificial intelligence should not hinder, but rather stimulate, the development of advanced technologies.
Russia has surpassed the United States in the production of advanced drones, the New York Times reports, citing sources. Russia has begun using UAVs with advanced technology, including those using artificial intelligence. This alarms Washington, which previously considered China its main military competitor.
On April 11, before the Easter truce, a prisoner exchange took place on the Russian-Ukrainian frontline. Russia returned 175 servicemen held in Ukraine and, in exchange, transferred 175 Ukrainian prisoners of war, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
And now a look at the frontline, updated at 3:30 PM on April 13. The Easter truce passed without any changes on the front. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, and subsequent denials by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Armed Forces violated the agreements more than 1,971 times. By nightfall, anti-drone operations were underway in several regions of Russia, and Ukrainian sources reported nighttime attacks with Geranium missiles in the Kirovohrad, Sumy, Chernihiv, and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
In the Sumy direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces completed the transfer of reserves from the Ground Forces Command in the Sumy region: soldiers from the 92nd and 209th independent anti-tank battalions.
In the Belgorod region, one civilian was injured in a drone attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the Yasnye Zori-Oktiabrsky road.
In the Kharkiv direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to transfer reserves and reinforce units in the Volchansk sector.
In the Kupyansk direction, general positional clashes are reported in Kupyansk, with Russian troops using armored vehicles and UMPKs against Ukrainian positions. The situation is slightly more dynamic to the south, near Kurylivka, where Russian Armed Forces units are gradually advancing westward.
On the Zaporizhia front, positional clashes continue in Prymors’ke and Stepnohirs’k. In the Orichiv area, Russian troops are using drones to strike Ukrainian Armed Forces positions. The situation remains unchanged.
In the Kherson area, it is as if the ceasefire never happened. Attacks recorded in Velyki Kopani, Radensk, Lyubimovka and Nova Kakhovka.
Graziella Giangiulio
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