Russia-backed separatists have been fighting Ukraine in the eastern Donbass region since 2014, and parts of the industrial area are under Russian control. Ukraine is believed to have tens of thousands of troops in the east – most of its military force – before one of the decisive battles of the war. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly speech on Sunday that next week would be “tense”, with Russia “even more afraid of losing; it is afraid that the truth will have to be admitted”. “Russian troops will move to even larger operations in the east of our state,” he warned. “They can use even more missiles against us, even more aerial bombs. But we are preparing for their actions. We will respond.” Key developments: Russian forces bombed Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, on Sunday, and explosions were heard overnight. to meet with Vladimir Putin in Moscow today – the Russian president’s first summit with an EU leader since the start of the war • More evidence of alleged Russian war crimes has emerged in the Kiev region, including allegations of sexual violence and The World Bank estimates that Ukraine’s economic output will shrink by 45.1% this year due to the war, with Russia’s GDP projected to fall by 11 per cent in 2022, according to Britain’s MoD. , 2% due to sanctions imposed by other countries Ukraine says Russians stole Chernobyl deadly material – follow live updates Picture: The situation in Ukraine on April 9 Russia urges ex-soldiers to return as it admits “losses are increasing” It emerged on Sunday that the Russian military was calling on ex-servicemen who had been fired since 2012 to return to attack Ukraine. According to the British Ministry of Defense, this is “in response to the growing losses.” He added: “Efforts to create more fighting force also include recruiting from the unrecognized Transnistrian region of Moldova.” Subscribe to Ukraine War Calendars on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker The region seceded after a brief civil war in the early 1990s and Russia has an estimated 1,500 troops there. There are concerns that if Russia secured the takeover of Ukraine, it could then use the disputed Transnistria to launch an attack on Moldova. A few days after Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peshkov told Sky News that Russia had suffered “significant losses” of troops since the invasion began on February 24, adding: “It is a huge tragedy for us.” Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 4:47 “The Russians will try to cut off Crimea and Odessa” Russia must “accept the truth,” says Zelensky Zelensky also said late Sunday that Russia was trying to avoid responsibility for war crimes. He said: “When people do not have the courage to admit their mistakes, to apologize, to adapt to reality and to learn, they turn into monsters. And when people ignore it, the monsters decide that the world needs to adapt to them. “Ukraine will stop all this.” “The day will come when they will have to admit everything – accept the truth,” he added. Evidence of alleged war crimes has been found in some towns and villages in northern Ukraine following Russia’s withdrawal from that part of the country. Read more: Ukrainian police go from house to house in a van that smells of death Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:17 Ukraine hits “Russian ammunition depot” Mr Zelenskyy has previously said he expects more evidence to be found in the southern city of Mariupol, as it is no longer under siege. Mariupol has been under constant Russian attack for about six weeks, leaving the rest of the population without food, water and electricity. It was almost impossible to transport emergency aid to the city and it was almost impossible to free the citizens. For Russia, the occupation of Mariupol would mean a land bridge on the Crimean peninsula, which they took from Ukraine eight years ago.
