Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy reiterates truce offer ahead of Orthodox Easter

Ahead of Orthodox Easter, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy reiterated his offer to Russia for a mutual ceasefire on strikes against energy infrastructure, conveyed through the Americans, but indicated Russia seemed unwilling. Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones reportedly attacked oil terminals in Russia, including one potentially impacting global oil supplies. In other developments, an Australian army reservist was charged with unauthorized work for the Ukrainian military, facing a potential 20-year prison sentence. A Russian ship carrying wheat, believed to have sunk after a drone attack in the Sea of Azov, was found and towed ashore, with the death toll rising to three. Finally, a former Russian governor of the Kursk region was jailed for 14 years for alleged corruption related to fortification construction.

Alexei Smirnov, the former governor of Russia's Kursk region, was sentenced to 14 years in a penal colony on Monday for corruption related to the failure of border fortifications. The court found Smirnov guilty of accepting bribes from construction firms contracted to build defenses along the Ukrainian border. This failure contributed to Ukrainian troops capturing territory in August 2024. The Kremlin subsequently launched a crackdown targeting officials after the incursion, which occurred two and a half years into Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In addition to the prison sentence, Smirnov received a large fine and a work ban, and over 20 million roubles were confiscated from his assets.