• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Ukraine will lose the war against Russia if the U.S. Congress does not provide more military aid. He stated that “if Ukraine loses this war, other countries will be attacked” and that “millions” could die if the aid package is not approved. [cnn.com, nypost.com, businessinsider.com, kenyan-post.com, aol.com, thedefensepost.com, kyivindependent.com, moscowtimes.ru, glavnoe.in.ua, apostrophe.ua]
  • Despite Ukraine’s initial success in repelling the Russian invasion, its counteroffensive in the summer of 2023 failed to significantly pierce Russia’s defenses, and the war has entered a “stalemate.” [cnn.com]
  • Russian forces are intensifying their pressure on the frontline city of Chasiv Yar, which is less than 30 kilometers from the important rail and logistics hub of Kramatorsk, and Ukraine’s military acknowledges the fighting is “difficult” and “tense,” but its forces are resisting. [thedefensepost.com]
  • House Republicans have stalled on a bill containing $60 billion in aid for Ukraine, stipulating that it should also include increased funding for security at the U.S. southern border. [businessinsider.com]
  • Since the start of this year, Russia, with a significant advantage in manpower and technology, has attempted to regain the initiative by bombarding Ukrainian cities with missiles and forcing Ukraine to withdraw from Avdiivka. [glavnoe.in.ua, aol.com]
  • The U.S. Senate has passed a $95.3 billion foreign aid bill with assistance for Ukraine and Israel, but House Speaker Mike Johnson has so far refused to hold a vote on passing the package for Ukraine, and the vote has been delayed until at least mid-April. [aol.com, thedefensepost.com, moscowtimes.ru, glavnoe.in.ua, apostrophe.ua]
  • Zelenskyy warned that “in the coming weeks, Russia will become increasingly insistent on the topic of nuclear weapons, threaten, and play with this issue.” [glavnoe.in.ua]
  • Experts said that slow-walking the deal in the House would potentially cost Ukraine the war. [businessinsider.com]
  • The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has urged restraint after a Ukrainian drone reportedly hit a dome on one of the six reactors at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, warning that the incident has the potential to undermine the integrity of the reactor’s containment system. [thedefensepost.com]

Sources:

  • CNN [English]
  • New York Post [English]
  • Business Insider [English]
  • AOL [English]
  • The Defense Post [English]
  • Kyiv Independent [English]
  • Moscow Times [Russian]
  • Glavnoe [Ukrainian]
  • Apostrophe [Ukrainian]

Links:

What happened:

  • An Israeli airstrike in Damascus killed seven Iranian commanders, which was an unusually harsh blow, and Iran vowed to avenge the killings. [NYT]
  • Iran’s Armed Forces Chief of Staff, Mohammad Bagheri, said Tehran will choose the best time to inflict the most damage to Israel in retaliation for the strike, and that the US should be held responsible as it was involved in the Jewish state’s actions. [TASS]
  • Iranian military leaders have threatened to “punish the Zionist regime” and warned that no act of the enemy against Iran’s “holy system” will go unanswered. [Japan Times, Der Spiegel, Deutsche Welle]
  • Iran has advised Washington to “step aside” as Tehran readies to give a befitting response to suspected Israeli strikes on its consulate in Syria. [Republic World]
  • The US and Israel are on high alert and actively preparing for a significant attack by Iran targeting Israeli or American assets in the region, which could come within the next week. [CNN, NYT]

What is Arab media saying:

  • Iran has placed all its armed forces “in a state of maximum readiness [Al Rai, New Arab]
  • The U.S. has gathered intelligence indicating that Iran is planning an attack involving a barrage of explosive drones and cruise missiles, and U.S. officials say they do not know the timing or target of the expected Iranian retaliation, but it is expected to come before the end of Ramadan, within the next week. [Al Rai]

What is Israeli media saying:

  • American officials believe the possible Iranian response will occur before the end of Ramadan, in the coming days. [Ma’ariv]
  • Iran can also activate its proxies in the Middle East, such as in Syria, Iraq, or even Yemen, from where the Houthis have launched many UAVs and missiles during the war. [Ynet]
  • In response to these threats, Israel has increased its readiness and vigilance including in Israeli offices around the world [Ynet]

Media Sources:

  • Al Jazeera
  • Al Rai Media
  • New Arab
  • De Welt
  • Japan Times
  • Der Spiegel
  • Deutsche Welle
  • CNN
  • NYT
  • Fox News
  • Republic World
  • Times of India
  • TASS
  • Ma’ariv
  • Ynet
  • Jerusalem Post