Russia Downs 11 HIMARS Rockets, Explosions At Temporary Russian Base, Kyiv Kills 480 Russian Troops

The Ukrainian military has said that the "most intense battles" are raging for Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Mariinka in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine said that Russian forces suffered 480 casualties over the past day. Moscow said its forces struck a Ukrainian brigade’s command post in the Donetsk region on April 6. UK’s Defence Ministry said that Russia has taken the west bank of the Bakhmutka River. The UK ministry said Russia has made further gains and has likely advanced into the centre of Bakhmut. Ukraine’s Air Force has said that the type of fighter jets donated by Poland do not fully meet Ukraine's battlefield needs. Kyiv said it was in dire need of F-16s, which were "four or five times" more effective. Putin’s adviser Dmitry Suslov has said there is "zero" chance of talks happening in 2023. Chinese President Xi Jinping has said that Beijing's "top priority" is to push for a ceasefire and end the war in Ukraine. Xi emphasised his view that the war in Ukraine is not a conflict between China and Europe.