Russian forces threaten Ukrainians with eviction if they refuse to get Russian passports, restrict their movement in occupied territories– General Staff

The Ukrainian Armed Forces' General Staff reported this on Facebook. 

Over the last day, the Russian army launched 2 missile strikes, 14 airstrikes, and over 10 MLRS attacks

On April 7, Russia launched 2 missile strikes, 14 airstrikes, as well as over 10 attacks with multiple launch rocket systems at the Ukrainian troops' positions and civilian infrastructure.

“The probability of missile and air strikes remains high across Ukraine,” the General Staff emphasized.

Ukrainian defenders repelled over 40 Russian attacks and destroyed a Russian Su-25 attack aircraft

Occupying Russian troops are focusing their main efforts on conducting offensive operations in the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Marinka directions – over 40 enemy attacks were repelled over the last day.

Ukrainian aviation launched 9 strikes on the invading Russian forces' military positions in the past day. Moreover, Ukrainian defenders destroyed a Russian Su-25 attack aircraft near Marinka.

Missile and artillery units, in their turn, destroyed an enemy munitions depot.

Russian repressions in the temporarily occupied territories

Russians continue to forcibly issue passports to Ukrainian citizens in the temporarily occupied territories of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions:

“At the checkpoints, the enemy restricts the movement of Ukrainian citizens who have not received passports of the Russian Federation. The occupying Russian forces purposely and deliberately search vehicles, record all personal data of citizens who do not have Russian documents, and threaten to ban them from entering the town.

The enemy also forces postmen to distribute forms to the local population, in which they have to indicate information about the presence of a Russian passport. Citizens who do not have a Russian passport are subjected to constant searches, intimidation and coercion to obtain this document. The occupying forces are actively threatening them with forced eviction from their houses and confiscation of private property if they refuse to obtain a Russian passport. 

Meanwhile, for the same reason, the Russians threaten parents of school graduates with denial of certificates of basic secondary education to their children.

The invaders are also forcing them to change their marriage certificates and certificates of vehicle registration from Ukrainian to Russian models,” the Ukrainian military noted.

Near the state Ukrainian border with Russia and Belarus, the situation hasn't changed significantly, and no enemy offensive groups have been detected. In the border areas of the Kursk region, the enemy continues to build up engineering structures in the area.

At the same time, the Russian Federation continued shelling the entire border line with mortars and artillery: 2 settlements in the Chernihiv region, 2 more in the Sumy region, as well as 6 villages in the Kharkiv region were attacked. 

Russian shelling of other Ukrainian regions:

In the Kupiansk direction, 8 settlements came under Russian shelling. 

In the Lyman direction, the Russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensives in the area of 2 settlements. 7 localities in the Donetsk region came under artillery fire. 

In the Bakhmut direction, the enemy continues its offensive actions, trying to take full control of the city of Bakhmut. During the day, the Russian troops conducted unsuccessful offensives in the areas of 2 settlements. 

The Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled about 14 enemy attacks. However, 10 localities in the Donetsk region were subjected to shelling. 

In the Avdiivka and Marinka directions, the Russian army conducted unsuccessful offensives in the areas of 5 settlements. The fiercest fighting in this sector is taking place near Marinka, where over 10 enemy attacks were repelled. At the same time, 8 settlements in the Donetsk region came under enemy fire.

In the Shakhtarsk direction, the enemy did not conduct any offensive actions over the last day. However, 6 settlements in the Donetsk region were shelled. 

In the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson directions, the enemy continues to build up its defensive lines and positions in terms of fortifications. 13 towns and villages came under Russian shelling. 

• Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the head of the President's Office, said that Russian troops would be the first to know when Ukraine launches a counteroffensive, and it would be very soon.