War of attrition in Ukraine
The conflict in Ukraine remains a war of attrition, with both sides accusing each other of short-term ceasefire violations and Russian drone attacks reported overnight that wounded civilians. ( ) Kyiv is also tightening its wartime economy: Ukrainians paid UAH 43.5bn in military tax in Q1 — up UAH 9.4bn year-on-year — and industrial power rationing was in force across all regions. (ukrinform.net) The EU says it will continue supporting Ukraine’s economy, armed forces and humanitarian needs. (consilium.europa.eu)
Ukraine’s war is still grinding forward by inches, with both sides accusing each other of breaking a short Easter ceasefire and Russian drone strikes wounding civilians. (understandingwar.org) The Institute for the Study of War said on April 12 that Ukrainian and Russian sources each reported limited violations of the Kremlin’s unilateral ceasefire over April 11 and April 12. Ukrinform reported 107 combat clashes along the front line over the previous day on April 13. (understandingwar.org) (ukrinform.net) Russian attacks kept hitting towns away from the front. Ukrinform reported on April 13 that a drone strike injured four people in Kherson and a separate strike on Velykyi Burluk in Kharkiv region killed one person and injured three others. (ukrinform.net 1) (ukrinform.net 2) A war of attrition is a fight built on wearing down troops, weapons, power systems and budgets over time rather than making one fast breakthrough. That is visible in Ukraine this week in the mix of trench fighting, drone attacks, damaged energy infrastructure and new tax revenue for the military. (understandingwar.org) (ukrinform.net 1) (ukrinform.net 2) Kyiv is tightening the home front as the fighting drags on. Ukraine’s State Tax Service said military tax receipts reached 43.5 billion hryvnias in January through March 2026, up 9.4 billion hryvnias from the same period a year earlier. (ukrinform.net) Ukraine is also still managing electricity shortages caused by earlier Russian strikes on the grid. Ukrenergo said power rationing for industrial consumers would apply across all regions on April 13 from 4:00 p.m. to midnight. (ukrinform.net) The European Union says it will keep financing Ukraine’s state, military and relief effort as the war enters another year. The Council of the European Union says the European Union and its 27 member states have provided 194.9 billion euros in total support since Russia’s full-scale invasion began. (consilium.europa.eu) That support now spans budget aid, weapons, humanitarian assistance, energy help and refugee protection. The European Council’s policy pages say the bloc is Ukraine’s biggest provider of financial, economic, military and humanitarian support, and a separate European Parliament briefing says leaders agreed in December 2025 to an additional 90 billion euro support loan for 2026 and 2027. (consilium.europa.eu) (europarl.europa.eu) Russia says it is conducting military operations and has repeatedly accused Ukraine of violating ceasefires and striking Russian territory, while Ukraine says Moscow uses truce announcements for messaging while continuing attacks. The Institute for the Study of War said both sides traded those accusations during the Easter pause, underscoring how little the battlefield tempo changed. (understandingwar.org) The immediate picture is a war measured in drone sorties, power cuts, tax receipts and daily casualty reports. The front is still moving slowly, but the pressure on civilians, industry and state finances is not. (ukrinform.net 1) (ukrinform.net 2) (ukrinform.net 3)
