62% of Ukrainians say they are prepared to fight for country- Poll

A recent survey conducted by the Sociological Group Rating, in collaboration with Gallup International, indicates that Ukrainians are among the most willing to fight for their country, with 62% of the population expressing readiness to defend Ukraine if needed. The survey was conducted in 2023 and published on April 23.

The survey's results come at a critical time as Ukraine seeks to replenish its military ranks. On April 16, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed new legislation regarding mobilization to support Ukraine's ongoing defense efforts.

According to the survey, 62% of Ukrainians stated they were ready to fight for their country, while 33% said they were not, and 4% remained undecided. This high level of willingness to fight contrasts sharply with figures from other European countries, such as Italy, Germany, Austria, Spain, and Bulgaria, which displayed much lower levels of readiness to fight for their respective countries.

Outside of Europe, the willingness to defend one's country varied significantly. Armenia and Saudi Arabia reported the highest rates of readiness, with 96% and 94% of respondents willing to fight, respectively. In contrast, Japan had the lowest level of willingness.

The survey included a worldwide sample of 40,428 participants, with approximately 1,000 individuals surveyed in Ukraine by the Rating Group between October and December 2023. Another survey referenced by the French newspaper La Parisien revealed that half of young French citizens would consider fighting in Ukraine to defend France.

Russian attack on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast injured 8

Russian forces launched a missile attack on the Dnipro district, resulting in injuries to eight people, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Serhii Lysak reported on April 23.

Russia has increased its missile and drone attacks on Dnipro, Ukraine's fourth-largest city, and the surrounding region. On April 19, a Russian strike in downtown Dnipro claimed three lives and injured 24 others.

Over an hour after reports of multiple explosions in Dnipro, Lysak announced that the city's suburbs had been hit. Among those wounded in the attack were six men aged between 34 and 70 and an elderly woman. A 23-year-old woman reportedly sustained a severe head injury. Six people were hospitalized.

The attack triggered two fires, with more information about the missile strike's consequences still forthcoming.

On the same day, Russian forces struck the Saltivskyi district in Kharkiv, damaging a house and a car, according to Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov. No casualties were reported in Kharkiv at the time of publication.

Ukraine faces energy deficits, to restrict power supply for business, industry

Due to sustained Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, Kyiv imposed temporary power restrictions on businesses and industrial facilities on April 23, as reported by the state-owned energy operator Ukrenergo.

Moscow's attacks have intensified in recent weeks, targeting critical infrastructure and leading to significant damage across several thermal power plants, including the Trypillia plant, a key electricity provider for Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Cherkasy oblasts.

Earlier in March, reports indicated that 80% of the thermal generating capacity of DTEK, Ukraine's largest private energy company, was damaged or completely destroyed by these attacks.

As a result, Ukraine's energy grid cannot generate enough electricity to meet all consumer demands, with nearly 400 settlements across the country cut off from power due to ongoing hostilities and technical issues.

To address this, Ukrenergo announced that power supply to businesses and industrial facilities would be restricted from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. local time. However, these measures would not affect critical infrastructure or defense-related enterprises.

For the second day in a row, Ukrenergo sought emergency aid from the energy systems of neighboring countries such as Romania, Slovakia, Moldova, Poland, and Hungary.

Given the energy shortages, Ukrenergo urged Ukrainians to conserve electricity and utilize alternative power sources whenever possible.

Russia attempting to create panic in Kharkiv, force civilians for mass leave

Russian forces and Kremlin propagandists are working together to undermine Kharkiv, aiming to trigger a mass exodus of civilians from the city, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) on April 22. Moscow has recently increased its attacks on Kharkiv using missiles, glide bombs, and drones to devastate infrastructure and cause civilian casualties.

These physical assaults are part of a broader information campaign designed to generate widespread panic and rumors about an impending Russian ground offensive to capture Kharkiv. The ISW indicates that the Kremlin aims to force Ukrainians to flee, creating significant internal displacement ahead of any potential Russian ground offensive.

Kharkiv is at heightened risk due to its proximity to Russia, being less than 30 kilometers from the border. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has stated that Kharkiv is crucial for President Vladimir Putin's plan to establish a demilitarized "sanitary zone" in Ukraine to protect Russian border areas from potential Ukrainian strikes and incursions. However, the ISW assesses that the probability of a successful Russian ground offensive against Kharkiv is "very low," especially if Ukraine receives renewed US military aid swiftly.

The latest Russian attack on Kharkiv involved a missile strike against the city's television broadcasting tower on April 22, causing the top half of the mast to collapse and disrupting digital TV signals. Local authorities are working to restore broadcasting operations.

The ISW believes the attack on Kharkiv's television tower might have been intended to invoke memories of a similar strike on a TV tower in Kyiv in March 2022, aiming to "create panic among Ukrainians during another challenging moment of the war." Russian military bloggers amplified the attack, framing it as a warning for residents to leave the city "while they still can."

In late March, Russian forces destroyed all the electrical substations in Kharkiv, disrupting the stable power supply to Ukraine's second-largest city. As Russian attacks continue, Kharkiv remains a focal point in Moscow's broader strategy to destabilize Ukraine and its civilian population.