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Submarines, bodies and an Easter ceasefire
Summary
A retrospective on 9 April 2026, when London reported Russian submarine activity near undersea cables, Kyiv received 1,000 bodies and Moscow announced an Easter truce.
What did 9 April 2026 show about the many fronts of the Russo-Ukrainian war? Three separate developments, from the North Sea to the battlefield, pointed in different directions.
Submarines near undersea cables
British defence secretary John Healey said that three Russian Navy submarines had carried out covert operations against the United Kingdom in the North Sea, near its undersea cables. He said counter-measures were underway.
The announcement fell under the heading of Russian sabotage operations in Europe. Western governments and intelligence agencies have alleged that Russian military or intelligence services organised acts of sabotage across Europe as part of a hybrid war aimed at destabilising countries that support Ukraine. Targets have included gas pipelines and communication cables, according to European officials. Russian authorities have denied responsibility. In 2025, NATO described the level of sabotage threats as record high.
Repatriation of the fallen
On the same date, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said Russia had returned 1,000 bodies of fallen individuals to Ukraine as part of repatriation efforts. The headquarters is a temporary auxiliary body of Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers, set up to coordinate the work of various authorities, law enforcement agencies and public associations.
A weekend truce
Russian president Vladimir Putin declared a ceasefire in Ukraine for the weekend, to mark Orthodox Easter.
Taken together, the day's reports covered a reported undersea-cable threat to Britain, the return of the dead to Ukraine and a short announced pause in the fighting.
