Weekly Russia-Ukraine war summary: AFU “defeated” in Kursk, evacuations in the Dnipropetrovsk Region, North Korea confirms troop deployment

Vladimir Putin declared a new ceasefire — for 72 hours from May 8-10 — timed to coincide with Russia’s Victory Day celebrations. In response, Volodymyr Zelensky called for a ceasefire not just for the sake of a parade, but for at least 30 days. In a previous summary, we reported on the outcome of the earlier “Easter truce,” which led to a significant reduction in combat intensity and an absence of missile and drone strikes — though it did not bring about a full halt to hostilities.

On the evening of April 30, it was confirmed that the United States and Ukraine had signed a long-awaited natural resources deal. A central component of the agreement is a joint investment fund for Ukraine’s reconstruction, which will be partially funded by future natural resource revenues.

Shelling and sabotage

Over the past week, Ukraine’s Air Force reported (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) shooting down 388 drones — including Shaheds and other unidentified types — out of 957 launched toward Ukraine. Another 371 drones were “radar-lost” due to electronic warfare. Eight Russian missile launches were also reported, though no interception data was provided.

A failed assassination attempt was made on Ukrainian activist and volunteer Serhii Sternenko, known for organizing crowdfunding campaigns for FPV drones. He sustained a gunshot wound. The shooter was quickly detained; according to a report by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), she had been recruited by Russian intelligence late last year.