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Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: April 18th, 2023
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.[Korrespondent] 23:16 Ukrainian air defense today destroyed seven enemy kamikaze drones of the Shahed-136 type: six in the Zaporozhye region and one in the vicinity of the Dnieper, OK Skhid reported.  23:14 There will be no holiday season in Odessa this summer due to mine danger, Natalya Gumenyuk, speaker of OK Pivden, said. 22:43 The French president wants to bring Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table in the summer with the help of China. Media interlocutors said that he had already instructed his foreign policy adviser to work with the head of China's foreign affairs commission to create a structure that could be used as a basis for future negotiations. For more details, see Macron's Plan . 22:39 Zelensky said that during his visit to the Poltava region, after a trip to Avdiivka, he held a meeting on the situation in the region. 22:26 Five Shahed kamikaze drones were shot down in the Zaporozhye region, the President's Office reported. 22:24 Part of the M2 Bradley armored vehicles, the provision of which the United States announced in January, has already arrived in Ukraine and is participating in hostilities, Pentagon spokesman Charlie Dietz said. 22:15 Some of the leaked secret Pentagon documents are not true, Stoltenberg said in an interview with CNN: "We have all seen that some of these leaks are not true and are the object of manipulation. I do not think that they will affect what the allies NATO is being done in connection with Ukraine." 22:03 According to secret Pentagon documents, the United States was listening to UN Secretary General António Guterres. As it turned out, Guterres was dissatisfied with the organization of the visit to Ukraine on March 8, as he was attracted without warning to the ceremony of presenting awards to Ukrainian women soldiers, writes The Washington Post. The Secretary General did not like that he was involved in congratulating the military of one of the warring parties. The document also recounts a conversation in which Guterres allegedly told his representative that he went to Ukraine to help, "but the Ukrainians are doing everything to eliminate us [the UN]." After that, the UN officially expressed its concern to the United States in connection with reports of listening to Guterres. The organization reported to the United States that monitoring the communications of the Secretary General does not comply with the UN Convention on Privileges and Immunities. 21:51 Another child was evacuated from Avdiivka - two children now remain in the city, said Pavel Kirilenko, head of the Donetsk OVA. 21:48 NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman reported that Russia has not yet transferred nuclear weapons to Belarus, CNN reports. The secretary general noted that the threat to transfer Minsk nuclear weapons "is part of a pattern that we have been seeing for many years - especially after the invasion of Ukraine - of dangerous and irresponsible nuclear rhetoric." 21:37 Former people's deputy Oleg Barna died at the front, said Alexei Dmitrashkovsky, spokesman for the Tauride Defense Forces. 20:59 Great Britain handed over 14 Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine, the press service of the British armed forces reported. UK instructors trained Ukrainian troops to operate these tanks and use them on the battlefield, the report said. 20:53 Zelensky said that he had a telephone conversation with Speaker of the House of Representatives of the US Congress Kevin McCarthy: "Thanked for the bipartisan support of Ukraine from Congress. He assured that Ukraine is ready to report on every dollar of American assistance. We discussed the need to increase sanctions pressure on Russia, reduce price cap on Russian oil and gas. Invited Kevin McCarthy to visit Ukraine." 20:44 Germany handed over to Ukraine the Patriot air defense system with missiles to it , according to the website of the federal government. Berlin also donated 16 Zetros trucks and two border patrol vehicles. 20:40 Iraq hopes to become an intermediary in negotiations between Moscow and Kiev, and Egypt has decided to produce artillery shells for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Read more in the material New "allies" of Ukraine . 19:49 "The head" of the occupied part of the Kherson region Vladimir Saldo ordered to seize civilian boats in the region to transfer them to the military. At the same time, he stressed that the owners of the requisitioned boats, for which they were the means of production, would supposedly be able to receive compensation "after a certain time." 19:34 In the occupied territory of the Zaporozhye region, in the villages between Tokmak and Vasylivka, Russians drive with loudspeakers and call on local residents to evacuate, Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov said. 18:58 The US Department of Energy sent a letter to Rosatom in March, warning that the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant has "nuclear technical data, the export of which is controlled by the United States government," and their use undermines US national security interests, CNN reports. Handling US technology by any Russian citizen or organization would be illegal, the US agency said. 18:11 BBC journalists found out that Putin, during a trip to Russian-controlled territories, was in Genichesk and, in particular, on the territory of the former recreation center Brigantin on the Arabat Spit, a few kilometers south of Genichesk. The BBC has verified the geolocation of the Putin footage by matching the photographs and identifying the buildings and the water tower on them. OSINT analysts also previously reported that Putin came to the village of Schatlivtsevo on the Arabat Spit, which is located at least 130 km from the nearest positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. 17:45 Japan has become the first country to make a contribution of $23 million to cover military risks when investing in Ukraine, Shmyhal said. According to the prime minister, this will make it much easier for Ukraine to return private foreign investments. Shmyhal also said that the World Bank will become one of the key partners in the restoration of Ukraine. An agreement was reached with him on the activation of joint thematic programs for the restoration of Ukraine now:
In addition, as part of the Special Program for Response to Challenges and Reconstruction of Ukraine, an additional $6 billion will be attracted from the IBRD. These funds will be used to restore critical, social and transport infrastructure. 17:22 Poland proposes a number of steps to strengthen sanctions against Russia, writes Reuters. In particular, this is the termination of the import of Russian oil through the northern part of the Druzhba pipeline to Germany, the import of Russian diamonds and natural gas, including LNG, as well as the restriction of cooperation in nuclear energy. 17:11 The Russians today hit the village of Rechki in the Rechkovo community of the Sumy region from cannon artillery and MLRS - one person was killed, one was wounded, the OVA reported. 16:39 In Ukraine, more than 7,000 military men are currently considered missing, Oleg Kotenko, Commissioner for Missing Persons under Special Circumstances, said. According to him, according to statistics, usually about 60-65% of the missing are in captivity, and "the rest, unfortunately, are dead." 16:20 Russian agents under the guise of diplomats are spying on Europeans - they use antennas placed on embassy buildings, the Dossier Center writes. The publication notes that placing antennas on embassies is a normal practice, so diplomats can keep in touch through closed channels with their ministries. But in the embassies of Russia there are much more such antennas than it is necessary for the work of a diplomatic institution. In particular, 182 antennas were counted on the buildings of 39 Russian representative offices in Europe. Moreover, there can be much more antennas, because they can be located on the territory of diplomatic missions. With the help of antennas, you can establish satellite communications, as well as a microwave relay line, which allows you to intercept signals - from radio communications to ordinary telephone conversations. Since February 2022, over 400 Russian diplomats have been expelled from European countries.
15:48 The decision to raise electricity tariffs for the population has not yet been made, but it is necessary to restore energy after shelling and prepare generation for the next autumn-winter season, said relevant minister German Galushchenko. 15:39 Russians today hit Orekhov, Zaporozhye region three times: they hit the private sector with incendiary shells prohibited by international law. People were not injured, said the head of the OVA, Yuri Malashko. 15:10 During his visit to Kuwait, Kuleba met with the head of the Kuwait Arab Economic Development Fund, Walid Al-Bahar, and talked about projects to restore Ukraine, the Foreign Ministry said. The minister invited Kuwait to take part in the restoration of Ukraine, the parties paid special attention to social and humanitarian projects, such as the construction of schools and hospitals. Walid Al-Bahar said that his foundation is ready to participate in the International Conference on the Reconstruction of Ukraine, which will be held in London at the end of June. He added that interaction with Ukraine will become one of the priorities of the fund. 15:02 During a working trip to the Donetsk region, Zelensky visited the advanced positions of Ukrainian defenders in Avdiivka , the presidential press service reported. He listened to the report of the commander of the Donetsk operational-tactical group, talked to the servicemen, and presented awards. The military presented the head of state with a military coin, a chevron and a board with the symbols of the 110th separate mechanized brigade. 14:49 Peskov said that Russia is ready to consider only those ideas for ending the war in Ukraine that take into account its interests: "Any ideas that take into account Russia's interests, Russia's concerns, of course, deserve attention. And, of course, to they should and should be heeded, and Russia is ready to do this. For us, the main thing is to ensure our own interests." 14:41 The State Duma of the Russian Federation adopted amendments on life imprisonment for high treason (now the punishment is up to 20 years in prison). 14:19 The Russians fired at Ukrainsk, Donetsk region, at least eight people were injured, said the head of the OVA, Pavel Kirilenko. Three high-rise buildings and pavilions of the central market were damaged. 13:57 The State Duma of the Russian Federation adopted amendments on the deprivation of acquired Russian citizenship for "calls to extremism" and for "discrediting" the Russian Armed Forces. 13:34 Canada has already transferred eight Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported. 13:16 Attorney General Andrey Kostin met with representatives of the US Department of Justice, discussed possible models for the future Special Tribunal on Russian Crimes in Ukraine. "In order to overcome the individual immunity of the so-called troika (heads of state, heads of government, foreign ministers), the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression must be truly international. We are working together with our partners to make this a reality," Kostin said. 13:08 The number of those injured as a result of the shelling of Kherson has increased to nine, the IVA reported. One person died. 12:36 As a result of today's shelling of the center of Kherson, one person was killed, seven were injured, said the head of the OVA Alexander Prokudin. 12:23 Ukraine is "observing with interest" the Brazilian President's efforts to find a solution to end the war, Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said. At the same time, according to him, the approach, according to which the victim and the aggressor are placed on the same scales, and the countries that help Ukraine defend itself against aggression, are not consistent with the real state of affairs, are accused of encouraging war. "Ukraine does not need to be convinced of anything. A war of conquest is being waged on Ukrainian soil and is causing untold suffering and destruction. More than anyone else in the world, we are striving to end Russian aggression on the basis of the peace formula proposed by President Zelensky. We reiterate the invitation to Luis Inacio Lula yes Silva to visit Ukraine to understand the true causes and essence of Russian aggression and its implications for global security," Nikolenko said. 12:14 There will be no traditional march "Immortal Regiment" on May 9 in Russia this year, the organizers of the movement said. 12:10 Poland began construction of a barrier on the border with the Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the country, it will be "unprecedented until now in its modernity" with night vision cameras and motion sensors. 11:49 Lukashenka is meeting in Minsk with the leader of the "DPR" Denis Pushilin, and declared his readiness to help restore the Donbass, the press service of the Belarusian president reported. 11:42 Macron is preparing to propose to China a plan that should bring Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table, Bloomberg writes, citing sources. The plan allegedly provides for the start of negotiations in the summer, it stipulates long-term security guarantees for Kyiv. 11:36 In March, after negotiations with US officials, Egypt suspended a plan to secretly supply 40,000 missiles to Russia and instead decided to produce artillery ammunition for Ukraine, writes The Washington Post, citing classified documents. For this, Egypt expected to receive advanced American military products. 11:20 SBU detained the daughter of the ex-Gauleiter of Chernobaevka, Yury Turulev, who previously headed the "education department" in the occupied village and was engaged in the implementation of "educational standards" of the Russian Federation. After the de-occupation of the region, she moved to the Vinnitsa region, where she hid under the guise of a displaced person. The woman faces 10 to 12 years in prison. 10:49 Yermak said that he had a telephone conversation with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan: they discussed the situation at the front and the nature of the actions of the Russian Federation, and agreed on further coordination on the issue of providing assistance to Ukraine. 10:46 Russians fired artillery at the Central Market area in Kherson, six people were injured, the President's Office reported. 10:43 The Russians are preparing for another "goodwill gesture" by building defensive lines and mining the entire coast on the left bank of the Kherson region, said OK Pivden' speaker Natalia Gumenyuk. According to her, the occupiers have even stocked up on civilian clothes and packed property that had been looted in the south. "This clearly indicates that they are preparing," Gumenyuk added. 10:29 Russians attacked Slovyansk, Donetsk region, at night for two hours with S-300 missiles and Shahed kamikaze drones, city mayor Vadim Lyakh said. There were two hits - on Uchitelskaya Street and on Pushkin Boulevard. Five high-rise buildings, seven private houses, a security company, a medical facility, an entertainment center, a business center, and cars were damaged. People were not hurt. 10:06 British intelligence suggests that Russia has reduced the number of troops and is reducing offensive operations in the Donetsk region in order to redirect resources to the Bakhmut direction. According to intelligence, in Bakhmut, the forces of the Russian Ministry of Defense and the Wagner group continue to slowly move forward. The front line in the city center mostly runs along the main railway line. Ukraine keeps a sweep of Russia from the south along Korsunsky Street, the old main road west of the city. For both sides, the reduction of their units around Bakhmut has become a critical issue, as Ukraine wants to free up offensive forces, while Russia seeks to restore the operational reserve, analysts say. 09:58 British and US Defense Ministers Ben Wallace and Lloyd Austin met at the Pentagon to discuss, in particular, assistance to Ukraine, the British Defense Ministry reported. 09:34 In most areas where the Russians are trying to attack, their actions are unsuccessful. The battles for Bakhmut continue, the situation is currently under control, said Alexander Syrsky, commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. "The Bakhmut direction remains the epicenter of hostilities. The enemy is concentrating his greatest efforts there and does not leave the goal of taking control of the city at any cost. At present, the enemy is increasing the activity of heavy artillery and the number of air strikes, turning the city into a ruin. At the same time, our fighters are inflicting significant losses to the enemy and significantly slow down his offensive actions," Syrsky said. 09:23 By the beginning of 2023, 17,000 prisoners were missing from colonies in 35 regions of Russia, Mediazona reports, citing statistics from the Federal Penitentiary Service. Since January, the Federal Penitentiary Service itself has ceased to update information that would allow assessing the scale of recruitment of prisoners for the war in Ukraine, but the data was found on some sites of regional departments. Most of the prisoners "disappeared" in the Samara region: at the beginning of 2022, 10.2 thousand people were kept in colonies in this region, and at the beginning of 2023 - only 7.5 thousand. Journalists note that such a decline cannot be explained by a historical trend, because over the previous 2021, the number of prisoners in the region, on the contrary, increased by more than 300 people. More than a thousand people also "disappeared" in the Chelyabinsk (1574) and Kirov (1153) regions, as well as in Tatarstan (1040). 09:04 US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had a conversation with Alexei Reznikov, discussed priorities on the eve of the meeting of the contact group, which will be held this week at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, the Pentagon press service reported. 08:57 In the Lugansk region, the Russians attacked the village of Novoegorovka, Svatovsky district, from planes. One shell hit a private house, killing three people, and another wounded, said Artem Lysogor, head of the OVA. 08:51 At night, Russians attacked an industrial infrastructure facility in the Snigirevsky community of the Nikolaev region with shock drones. Previously, no casualties or injuries were reported, the OVA said. 08:33 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of April 18.
08:17 The Russian army continues to focus its main efforts on conducting offensive operations in the Kupyansky, Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdeevsky and Maryinsky directions. Actively uses operational-tactical and army aviation. During the day, more than 70 enemy attacks were repelled in these sectors of the front. Bakhmut and Marinka remain at the epicenter of hostilities, the General Staff said in a morning report . 07:58 The Kremlin said that Putin allegedly visited the headquarters of the Dnepr occupation forces grouping in the Kherson direction, heard reports from the commander of the Airborne Forces Mikhail Teplinsky, the commander of the Dnepr grouping of troops Oleg Makarevich and other military leaders about the situation in the Kherson and Zaporozhye directions. In addition, the President of the Russian Federation allegedly visited the headquarters of the Vostok National Guard in the "LPR", where "he received reports from Colonel General (Alexander) Lapin and other senior officers on the situation in this direction." 06:34 G7 countries, following a three-day meeting in Japan, confirmed their intention to continue tough anti-Russian sanctions and support for Ukraine, the foreign ministers said in a statement. The G7 also promises to continue freezing Russian assets until the end of the war in Ukraine and to work to prevent Russia from circumventing sanctions. In addition, the foreign ministers of the G7 countries said they consider the grain deal critically important and urge Russia not to limit its duration. 05:49 The United States sends its prosecutor to the International Center for the Investigation of Crimes of Russian Aggression against Ukraine, which is based in The Hague. US Attorney General Merrick Garland recalled that the international investigation team included seven countries. In addition, the US plans to send a permanent legal adviser to Kyiv, who will work with Ukrainian partners on a number of complex issues in the field of justice. 05:20 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes that during the meeting with Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu, Putin failed to expand the scope of cooperation between the two countries. The official minutes of both sides do not contain any mention of Russia's war in Ukraine. In addition, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin confirmed Beijing's intention to promote peace talks in Ukraine. ISW also noted that during the visit of the Chinese Minister of Defense, Putin continued to try to present Russia as an equal defense partner of China and the Pacific naval state. 02:51 The White House accused the President of Brazil, Lulu da Silva, of repeating Russian and Chinese propaganda, ignoring the facts. This is how John Kirby commented on the call of the Brazilian president to stop helping Ukraine and give Crimea to Russia. “Obviously we want the war to end. It could happen right now, today, if Putin stops attacking Ukraine and withdraws his troops… Brazil’s latest comments that Ukraine should consider officially handing over Crimea as a peace concession, are simply misguided, especially for a country like Brazil that voted to support the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity at the UN," Kirby said. 01:49 Secret Pentagon documents leaked online could have been faked and are simply incomplete images that do not reflect the latest US intelligence, said John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the White House National Security Council. At the same time, he added that Biden is serious about protecting US secrets, but the details of the investigation have not yet been disclosed. Posted by: badanov 2023-04-19 |
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