Kyiv, Ukraine – Ukraine's president has renewed his offer to Russia of a mutual ceasefire on strikes against energy infrastructure. "If Russia is ready to stop strikes on our energy infrastructure, we will respond in kind," he said. "This proposal has been conveyed to the Russian side through the Americans."
Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered last week to observe a ceasefire for Easter, which Orthodox adherents mark on Sunday (13 April) in Russia and Ukraine.
In his remarks on Monday, after an overnight attack on the Black Sea port of Odesa killed three people and injured at least 16, Zelenskyy said Russia appeared unwilling to agree to the ceasefire. "We have repeatedly proposed to Russia a ceasefire at least for Easter," he said. "But for them, all times are the same. Nothing is sacred."
Key developments:
- Zelenskyy renews Easter truce offer; Russia appears unwilling to agree after deadly Odesa strike
- Ukrainian drones attack CPC oil shipping terminal in southern Russia; four oil tanks on fire
- Australian army reservist charged for working as drone operator for Ukraine – faces 20 years in jail
- Former Kursk governor sentenced to 14 years for kickbacks on fortification contracts
- Ukraine steps up attacks on Russian oil infrastructure over past two weeks, ISW reports
- Zelenskyy warns prolonged Iran war could reduce US support for Ukraine
- Ukraine and Syria pledge greater security cooperation in Damascus meeting
Deadly Odesa Strike
A Russian strike on Odesa city killed three people including a child, a Ukrainian military official said on Monday. Two people were hospitalised with serious injuries, he added.
Ukrainian drones attacked the Caspian Pipeline Consortium's oil shipping terminal in southern Russia early on Monday, damaging a mooring point and setting four oil tanks on fire, the Russian defence ministry claimed. The CPC pipeline handles about 1% of the world's oil supplies, as well as about 80% of Kazakhstan's oil exports.
Australian Reservist Charged
A reservist in the Australian army has been charged after allegedly working as a drone operator for Ukraine. The 25-year-old man from Felixstow, in the South Australian city of Adelaide, was charged by the Australian Federal Police with working for a foreign military without authorisation, the AAP news agency reported.
It is the first time someone has been charged with the offence, with the man facing up to two decades in jail if found guilty. The man allegedly travelled to Ukraine in May 2025 and returned to Australia in January 2026.
Russian Official Sentenced
Russia jailed on Monday a former governor of the Kursk border region, where Ukraine's army broke through in 2024, for 14 years over alleged kickbacks for government contracts related to the construction of fortifications.
Alexei Smirnov, the former Kursk governor, was "sentenced to 14 years in prison and a fine of 400 million rubles (£3.8m/US$5m)", a court statement said. Another former Kursk governor, Roman Starovoyt, who led the region until just before the Ukrainian breakthrough, died last year by alleged suicide.
Ukraine Intensifies Oil Infrastructure Attacks
The Institute for the Study of War assessed that Ukraine has stepped up its attacks on Russia's oil infrastructure over the past two weeks, "focusing on the Russian Baltic Sea port and oil infrastructure in Leningrad oblast critical to Russian oil exports".
Russian military bloggers noted the damage the strikes have inflicted on Russia's oil export capacity will be "costly and time-consuming to repair", while damaged or lost Russian ships would be difficult to replace, the ISW continued.
Zelenskyy Warns of Shifting US Priorities
Zelenskyy expressed concern that a prolonged US-Israeli war on Iran could further erode America's support for Ukraine as Washington's global priorities shift and Kyiv faces reduced deliveries of critically needed Patriot air defence missiles.
"We have to recognise that we are not the priority for today," Zelenskyy said, speaking to the Associated Press in an exclusive interview in Istanbul. "That's why I am afraid a long [Iran] war will give us less support."
Zelenskyy said Russia draws economic benefits from the Iran war, citing the limited easing of American sanctions on Russian oil. "Russia gets additional money because of this, so yes, they have benefits," he said.
Ukraine Seeks Middle East Allies
Ukraine and Syria pledged greater security cooperation in talks on Sunday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. The Ukrainian president was continuing his tour of Middle East countries and met with his Syrian counterpart, Ahmed al-Sharaa, in Damascus.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine was ready to share with Gulf Arab countries targeted by Iran its experience and technology, including interceptor drones and sea drones. In return, these countries could help Ukraine "with anti-ballistic missiles".
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