Ukraine-Russia War: 2026-04-06

Russian forces occupied 160 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory in March, a 27% increase compared to February. Most offensive action is concentrated on the Pokrovsk direction (29% of all assaults), with additional heavy fighting on the Kostiantynivka and Huliapill sectors. At current rates, analysts estimate Russia could occupy all of Donetsk by late 2029.

President Zelensky alleged that Russia supplied Iran with satellite reconnaissance data covering approximately 50 to 53 Israeli energy infrastructure targets, enabling Iranian strikes on civilian facilities. Speaking to the Associated Press, Zelensky said the full scope of Russian operational experience gained in the war against Ukraine is being transferred to Iran to assist in its strikes against Israel.

President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Damascus on Monday for a meeting with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, accompanied by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The trilateral talks marked the first visit by a Ukrainian president to Syria in 24 years. The three parties discussed bilateral relations and regional developments, according to Ukrainian sources.

Ukrainian General Staff states Russian forces have carried out more than 13,000 documented cases of dangerous chemical substance use since the full-scale invasion, employing CS and CN gas grenades delivered primarily by drones. March 2026 alone recorded approximately 400 such incidents, with the highest intensity registered in April 2025 at 894 cases.

Ukrainian forces, in coordination with Defense Intelligence, carried out a precision strike on the Kirovske airfield in Russian-occupied Crimea overnight on April 2, destroying a base and pre-flight preparation point for Orion heavy drones, an An-72P military transport aircraft, and a Soviet-era P-37 mobile radar system. Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces said at least four Orion drones — worth several million dollars each — were destroyed in the attack, which was described by USF commander Robert 'Magyar' Brovdi as a 'courtesy visit.' The strike was carried out using Ukrainian-made FP-2 weapons with 60-100 kilogram warheads.

Ukrainian drones struck the Sheskharis oil terminal in Novorossiysk overnight on April 6, setting fire to the first and second piers and disabling computer control systems critical to the terminal's operations. The attack, reported by independent Russian outlet Astra and confirmed by open-source analysis of eyewitness footage, also brought down drone debris on an apartment building in the city's Yuzhny district, injuring eight people. The Sheskharis terminal serves as the endpoint for pipelines operated by state-owned Transneft, the world's largest oil pipeline company, and will be unable to continue shipments following the damage to its infrastructure.