Zelensky interviewed "60 minutes" on CBS News in Kryvyy Rih

In an interview with CBS News’ “60 Minutes” on April 13, 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking with Scott Pelley in his hometown of Kryvyi Rih, addressed the ongoing war with Russia and strained U.S. relations. Reflecting on a recent Russian missile strike that killed 19 people, including nine children, at a playground, Zelenskyy emphasized the untrustworthiness of Russian negotiations, citing daily attacks—1,700 on schools, 780 on medical facilities, and 13,000 civilian deaths. He expressed frustration with the Trump administration’s shift toward neutrality, particularly after a tense February 2025 Oval Office meeting where President Trump suggested Ukraine was gambling with World War III, a stance Zelenskyy rejected as aligning with Russian narratives.

Zelenskyy invited Trump to visit Ukraine to witness the war’s devastation firsthand—destroyed hospitals, churches, and civilian lives—before pursuing ceasefire talks, stressing that understanding the aggressor’s actions is crucial. He voiced concern over diminishing U.S. support, noting a pause in his response when asked if America has Ukraine’s back, reflecting doubts about its reliability as a strategic partner. Despite this, Zelenskyy remained defiant, asserting Ukraine’s resolve to reclaim its territory and warning that Putin’s ambitions threaten global security if unchecked. The interview underscored Zelenskyy’s push for continued Western backing amid fears of wavering commitment.

Russians hit Dnipropetrovsk Oblast with artillery

Russian forces launched coordinated attacks on the Nikopol and Synelnykove districts in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, injuring at least one person and causing widespread damage, according to Serhii Lysak, Head of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration.

Lysak reported via Telegram that the Nikopol district was targeted with Grad multiple-launch rocket systems, heavy artillery, and kamikaze drones. The strikes affected the city of Nikopol itself as well as the nearby territories.

A 53-year-old man was injured in the attack and is set to receive outpatient treatment. A fire also broke out in the Nikopol district as a result of the shelling but was successfully extinguished by emergency services.

The shelling caused damage to eight private houses, three outbuildings, a garage, one car, and several power lines. The full extent of the damage is still being assessed.

Ceasefire agreement must include reliable monitoring mechanisms - ISW

Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) have highlighted the critical need for credible and enforceable monitoring mechanisms in the event of a ceasefire or peace deal in Ukraine, raising concerns over what specific measures the West might be able to offer and whether Russia would accept them.

The analysis comes amid ongoing U.S.-Russian talks, which Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov recently described as unlikely to produce “lightning-fast results” — despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s goal of establishing a general ceasefire and reaching a lasting peace agreement in Ukraine in the near future.

Echoing this sentiment, Russian Foreign Ministry official Alexei Polishchuk stated that Russia is ready to engage in negotiations, but only if they "take into account the current realities of the war" and address what Russia considers the root causes of the conflict — a framing long rejected by Ukraine and its allies.

According to the ISW, these comments reflect Moscow’s continuing dismissal of Trump’s proposed two-step approach of first securing a ceasefire and then negotiating a comprehensive peace. Analysts stress that Russia remains committed to war aims fundamentally incompatible with any notion of lasting peace.

The ISW also emphasized that any future ceasefire or peace framework would need to include reliable monitoring mechanisms, especially as Russia continues to claim — without presenting evidence — that Ukraine has violated the temporary ceasefire on attacks against energy infrastructure.

“It remains unclear what monitoring mechanisms the West could leverage to enforce and monitor a future general ceasefire or if the Kremlin would accept any such mechanisms,” the ISW said in its assessment.

Both Peskov and Polishchuk repeated Russia’s unverified accusations on 13 April, claiming Ukraine had breached the moratorium on long-range strikes, particularly against energy sites. ISW analysts warned that Russian officials appear to be “weaponising the vague conditions of the ceasefire” and exploiting the lack of independent monitoring to “flood the information space with unsubstantiated claims” aimed at shifting blame and undermining diplomatic progress.

Russian drone hit a hospital in Odesa

Just after midnight on 14 April, Odesa Mayor Hennadii Trukhanov shared photos and details of the destruction caused by a Russian drone attack on the city the previous evening.

According to Trukhanov, one of the city's medical facilities was hit in the strike. The blast caused significant damage to the hospital, destroying an operating theatre, shattering glazing, and damaging the ceiling. Fortunately, no patients were injured.

The attack also damaged several residential buildings and civilian infrastructure, including a major road, a car service station, and multiple vehicles. Five people were reported injured in the strike; all of them are currently receiving the necessary medical treatment.