Scenarios of Russian actions
The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Defence Ministry, Kyrylo Budanov, said that an analysis of the security environment near the state border of Ukraine shows a growing threat of violence on the part of the Russian Federation. In an interview with Interfax-Ukraine, he said that Russia's goal is to keep Ukraine in its geopolitical orbit, force it to give up its Euro-Atlantic aspirations and settle the issue of the occupied territories on Moscow's terms. He listed three possible scenarios of developments: 1) Russia may demonstrate its power near the state border of Ukraine and in occupied Crimea by holding military events; 2) the Russian army may carry out an armed operation to settle the problem of water shortage in Crimea by seizing part of Ukraine's southern regions; 3) Russia may provoke the Ukrainian Joint Forces into military actions in temporarily occupied Donbas and later accuse Ukraine of breaching the agreements.
He noted that Russia is expected to bring the number of its troops near the Ukrainian border up to 110,000 by 20 April.
Precaution measures
On 10 April, around 2,000 representatives of organisations forming the Movement of Veterans of Ukraine and their affiliates held boot camps for their members. In a statement, they said they were prepared to defend Ukraine from Russian aggression.
Sabotage
Long before the occupation of the Crimean peninsula, Russian special services were undermining the capabilities of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), their efforts becoming especially active after 2008, Minister of Veterans Affairs Yuliya Laputina, who has served in the Alfa antiterrorist centre since 1994, said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine. According to her, "one of the unspoken conditions of the so-called Kharkiv agreements was the reduction of Ukrainian counterintelligence units, which prevented Russian sabotage and reconnaissance in Ukraine, as well as the dismissal of their heads, transfer of personnel to positions where they would not have the opportunity to make certain decisions".
Foreign diplomats
Ukraine has terminated the authority of two foreign diplomats who, based on the Security Service of Ukraine's counterintelligence reports, violated the Vienna Convention on Consular Regions.
Exercise
Artillery and tank reserves of the Ukrainian army held a military exercise close to the administrative border with Crimea. They practised repelling a tank unit which attempted to storm our line of defence with the support of infantry.
Coronavirus
The Kyiv authorities have decided to extend the lockdown for two weeks until 30 April.
Health Minister Maksym Stepanov has said that the Covid-19 epidemic in Ukraine is receding and the situation is stabilizing in many regions.
Reshuffle
The head of the Kirovohrad regional state administration, Andriy Nazarenko, is leaving his post. He has headed the region since August 2020.
The number of new Covid-19 cases has increased by 14,553 in 24 hours.