[Korrespondent] 20:02 German President Steinmeier admitted that economic cooperation with Russia was a big mistake
"I did not believe that Vladimir Putin would accept the complete economic, political and moral collapse of his country for the sake of his imperial madness," he said.
In particular, they talked about the Nord Stream 2 project, which Steinmeier had previously actively supported.
20:00 US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that 140 UN members have already voted to condemn Russia for the war with Ukraine.
19:56 CNN, citing a senior US Department of Defense official, reports that about two-thirds of the Russian troops that were concentrated around Kiev have left the area.
The United States believes that these troops will be "used in the eastern part of the country, in the Donbas region." BUT emphasize that this is "only an estimate".
19:50 The Supreme Court of Russia upheld the amendments on the introduction of criminal liability for the implementation of sanctions on the territory of the country
Responsibility may arise for refusing to work with Russian banks that have fallen under sanctions, as well as for avoiding business cooperation with sanctioned companies.
19:41 In the basement of a children's camp in Bucha, in the presence of international journalists, the bodies of five people were found. All with bandaged hands and traces of torture. Who has been shot in the legs, who has five bullets in the heart or in the head.
19:37 The meeting of the UN Security Council on the tragic events in Bucha will be held tomorrow, April 5. Barbara Woodward, Permanent Representative of Great Britain to the UN, stated this.
19:33 British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on Monday called for Russia to be excluded from the UN Human Rights Council.
19:25 Zelensky visited the bridge leading from Irpen to Kiev. According to him, it will take ten days to build a temporary crossing here, and a full repair of the bridge will last two to three months.
19:17 Germany declares 40 Russian diplomats persona non grata, said German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock.
19:13 Elections were held in Hungary and Serbia, which brought victory to Russia's closest political allies in Europe. It is Hungary and Serbia that continue to maintain ties with Russia even after the war unleashed by the Kremlin against Ukraine. What to expect after the strengthening of the existing regimes in the countries?
19:07 "Due to hostilities, Ukraine is losing from 35 percent to 50 percent of GDP. This is a blow to the economy. Budget losses of about UAH 2 billion a day. Infrastructure losses of $ 4.25 billion daily. We have enough reserves. But we must stop the aggressor as quickly as possible. We demand the next package of sanctions!" Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.
19:01 "This guy is cruel, and what is happening in Bucha is outrageous, and everyone has seen it. I am considering imposing more sanctions. I will let you know about this later," Biden said.
At the same time, the Associated Press writes that the American leader in the commentary refused to call what happened in Bucha "genocide" - he considers it a "war crime".
18:58 The Israeli Foreign Ministry used the term "war crime" for the first time in relation to Russia.
18:53 President of the European Parliament Roberta Mezola declares the need to develop a strategy, the implementation of which will hit the Russian economy in proportion to the unprecedented brutality of the war waged by Russia against Ukraine.
18:47 In the territories of the Kherson region temporarily occupied by the invaders, hostilities continue, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports.
18:41 The creators of the video game Fortnite have completed a charity event. In two weeks, Epic Games managed to raise $144 million to help Ukraine.
18:35 Russians are surprised that a wardrobe in a hospital is the norm.
18:29 The seventh package of sanctions involves a blow even to those who cooperate with Russia, Arestovich said.
18:22 Diagram of EU countries that exported weapons to Russia during 2015-2020.
18:18 Prosecutor General of Ukraine Irina Venediktova said that despite the shocking footage and the situation in Bucha, the situation with human losses is the worst in Borodyanka.
18:13 Operational investigation teams have already arrived in Irpin, Bucha and Gostomel. International observers, investigators and the tribunal are arriving, said Arestovich.
18:10 In Nikolaev people at a stop and passengers of minibuses got under attack: there are victims.
18:06 In the Zhytomyr region, the invaders were driven back. As of April 4, there are no Russian occupation troops in the region, said the head of the Zhytomyr Regional Military Administration Vitaliy Bunechko
18:03 The work of the Russian media: first comes the operator, followed by sappers who are looking for mines.
18:00 Lithuanian Ambassador to Ukraine returns to Kiev.
17:55 The Central Bank of the Russian Federation found losses of almost 8 trillion rubles in Russian banks. In one year the bankers will lose 5 years of profit.
17:50 The German Gazprom Germania GmbH was transferred under the trusteeship of the Federal Network Agency - the German Ministry of Economy.
17:45 Beaten and starved. Ukrainian prisoners of war were kept in a tent camp at a time when it was 20 degrees below zero outside, Ombudsman Lyudmila Denisova accused Russia of violating the Geneva Convention.
17:40 Biden called Putin a war criminal, Reuters reports. The US President also spoke on the situation in Bucha - he called for "trial on war crimes." He added that the United States will continue to impose additional sanctions against the Russian Federation.
17:35 The Anonymous hacker group leaked 900,000 emails to the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company.
17:30 The UN office coordinating humanitarian missions has recognized Ukraine as one of the most mined countries in the world. "Even before the start of the military offensive, more than 1.8 million people lived for 8 years surrounded by mines," the OCHA said.
17:27 This week, the European Commission plans to submit a questionnaire to Ukraine, which is a necessary step for obtaining the status of a candidate for EU membership, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olga Stefanishyna said.
17:25 The Prime Minister [of Hungary] should be grateful to the President of Ukraine that the reality of the war did not reach the borders of Hungary thanks to the heroism of the Ukrainian people in containing the aggressive actions of President Putin, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
17:17 Historian and political scientist, professor at Johns Hopkins University and author of books on the genocide Yevgeny Finkel commented on footage from Bucha, which was occupied by Russian troops for a month. He declared that it was "genocide for what it is".
“As a genocide researcher, I am an empiricist, I usually reject empty rhetoric. I also treat claims of genocide not with a particle, but with a whole truckload of skepticism, because activists now use it almost everywhere. But not now. There are actions, there are intentions. This genocide as it is. Unprecedented, simple and put on public display," the scholar wrote.
17:11 Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Lyudmila Denisova said that the Yunarmiya detachments got into the mobilization of reserves in the Russian Federation, some of them are located on the territory of the temporarily annexed Crimea.
17:06 The mayor of Nikolaev Alexander Senkevich reports that the invaders are again conducting a chaotic shelling of the city with cluster shells.
17:03 Slovakia will act in unison with the EU on the issue of Russian gas payment requirements, Reuters quotes the words of Prime Minister Eduard Heger.
17:00 Pictures from Bucha deny the idea of a compromise, Ukraine needs weapons, said Polish President Andrzej Duda. He also stressed that criminals should be called criminals, and "Ukraine needs only three things: weapons, weapons and more weapons."
16:55 Georgia and China not only did not support the sanctions against Russia, but they can also secretly help the aggressor country bypass them. Thus, according to Bloomberg, China is preparing for secret purchases of Russian gas.
16:51 The developer of World of Tanks and other multiplayer online games Wargaming has decided to stop doing business in Russia and Belarus. The company wrote about this on its LinkedIn page.
16:46 The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced her intention to send investigators to Bucha, who will work in cooperation with the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine, Europol and Eurojust.
16:40 Zelensky published a photo from a trip to Bucha, Irpen and Stoyanka. "We will do everything to bring them back to life as quickly as possible," he added.
16:37 The enemy is preparing a new offensive. Russian occupation troops are preparing to encircle the Ukrainian forces of the Joint Forces Operation and capture Kharkiv, Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said.
16:35 There are about 130,000 people in the blocked Mariupol, said the mayor of the city Vadim Boychenko.
16:24 The reaction of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel to the proposal to come to Bucha is a signal that "Western elites still remain in dangerous illusions," said Mikhail Podolyak, a member of the negotiating group, adviser to the head of the President's Office.
16:19 The Latvian Foreign Ministry said that their country "lowers the level of diplomatic relations with Russia."
16:16 Zelensky called the situation with Mariupol one of the most difficult. In response to a question about "realistic scenarios for saving Mariupol," he said: "In the coming days, or maybe in the next few hours, we will have an answer to your very difficult question."
16:13 The office of the president published a video of Zelensky's conversation with the press in Bucha.
16:00 The United States will appeal to the UN General Assembly with a call to expel the Russian Federation from the UN Human Rights Council, said US Ambassador to the organization Linda Thomas-Greenfield. Or maybe from the UN Security Council?
15:57 Ukraine will reduce the area under crops by 25-30 percent due to the military aggression of the Russian Federation, but in general the campaign is provided with fuel and funds, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.
15:54 Imports of Russian gas in transit through Ukraine this morning rose to a level close to the maximum. This was announced on Twitter by Bloomberg energy and commodities columnist Javier Blass and provided a corresponding chart.
15:51 Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said that his country is recalling its ambassador from Russia, writes Bloomberg.
15:42 Belgrade will try to maintain friendly and partnership relations with Russia, Aleksandar Vucic said after winning the presidential election in Serbia.
"I can promise you that we will not kick Dostoevsky out of schools and Tchaikovsky out of the opera. Serbia will try to maintain partner and friendly relations with Russia," he said.
15:36 Journalists-researchers of the Conflict Intelligence Team received confirmation that Russia is transferring troops from the Kiev region and reserves to the east of Ukraine.
On April 2, a train with BMD-2 landing equipment was filmed on video in Belarus. According to CIT, there may be vehicles on the echelon from the airborne units or formations that took part in the battles on the territory of the Kiev region - the 76th airborne assault division, the 98th airborne division, or the 31st airborne assault brigade.
According to the Russian Railways database, the train goes to the Novy Oskol station in the Belgorod region - this is not far from the border with the occupied part of the Kharkov region.
Also, a train with T-72B3, which departed from Yelnya, where the 59th Tank Regiment of the 144th Motorized Rifle Division is stationed, is also heading to the nearby Valuyki station. According to CIT, in the last weeks before the invasion, the equipment of the 41st Combined Arms Army of the Central Military District was located there.
Research journalists suggest that these tanks may not have taken part in the invasion due to malfunctions, and have now been repaired.
It is reported that the arrived equipment will most likely proceed south through Kupyansk and Izyum, recently captured by Russian troops, towards Slavyansk in the Donetsk region.
"The transfer of both withdrawn and, possibly, previously unused vehicles means that the Russian command is serious, and that in the coming days the battle for Donbass will only flare up," summed up CIT.
15:17 The Mariupol city council has published photos of the drama theater, which was destroyed as a result of the bombardment by Russian invaders. The exact number of dead has not yet been established, because in Mariupol, which Russia has been trying to take control of for the second month, hostilities continue.
15:14 Zelensky visited Bucha, where there is evidence of massacres of civilians by Russians. He inspected the road with the destroyed equipment of the Russian Federation and talked with local residents. The President said that Russia had committed war crimes and genocide in Ukraine.
Asked by a BBC News reporter if he still thinks it is possible to negotiate peace with Russia, he said: "Yes, because Ukraine must have peace. We are in 21st century Europe. We will continue our diplomatic and military efforts."
15:12 The UN Security Council will not hold a meeting on April 4 at the request of Russia, which demanded to discuss "the flagrant provocation of Ukrainian radicals in Bucha."
15:08 Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki criticized French President Macron for frequent calls to Russian President Putin:
"Resident Macron, how many times have you negotiated with Putin, what have you achieved? Did you stop any action that took place? No one negotiated with Hitler. Would you have negotiated with Hitler, with Stalin, with Paul Pot?"
15:07 "All the tanks and machine guns in Putin's arsenal will never break the spirit of the Ukrainian people and conquer their Motherland," British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.
15:05 Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said that the country would support sanctions against Russian gas. Especially after the tragic events in Bucha. According to the Ansa agency, he expressed this opinion during a visit to Croatia: "Italy will not veto Russian gas sanctions."
15:02 The EU may impose an embargo on Russian gas and oil as early as April 6, the authoritative British newspaper Financial Times writes, citing sources.
14:35 The Kremlin-controlled edition of RIA Novosti published an article that contains direct calls for the "de-Ukrainization" of Ukraine and the need to re-educate the population through "ideological repression." The article is called What Russia Should Do with Ukraine.
In the publication, Rospropagandists substantiate the need for ethnic cleansing and ethnocide in Ukraine.
Now the article is actively discussed in social networks:
14:04 The state budget of Ukraine loses about two billion hryvnia every day.
13:59 In Trostyanets, Sumy region, liberated from Russian invaders, they are already starting to restore the destroyed facilities. Now the city is being surveyed by a group of architects and urbanists who will work on the restoration of the city.
13:48 Journalists were shown a mass grave in the village of Motyzhin, Kiev region, which was discovered after the withdrawal of Russian troops.
13:45 Greece will help rebuild Odessa after the war. This was stated by Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias during a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Olga Stefanishyna.
Dendias arrived in Odessa yesterday. Earlier, he stated that he would like to lead a humanitarian mission to Mariupol.
13:41 Russia's losses in Ukraine are comparable to the armies of other countries:
13:25 After the massacres in Bucha, the likelihood of European countries imposing an embargo on the import of Russian energy carriers is growing, writes the American newspaper New York Times. The EU has previously rejected calls from Biden in particular to impose such sanctions.
Now, world leaders are expressing horror at images "which appear to show dead civilians, some with their hands tied behind their backs, strewn about the streets of Bucha," according to a New York Times story.
13:24 The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine published the personal data of servicemen of the 64th separate motorized rifle brigade of the Russian Federation, who were directly involved in the atrocities and massacres of civilians in the city of Bucha. The full list of war criminals is here .
13:22 Rescuers showed how the dog Patron helps in demining the Chernihiv region.
13:18 Peskov said that Russia rejects allegations of involvement in the killings of civilians in Bucha. According to him, in the video and photo from the city "there are forgeries and fakes", and "the factology, the calendar sequence of events also does not speak in favor of the reliability of these statements."
Peskov also refused to comment on how the topic of Bucha could affect the negotiations between the delegations of Ukraine and Russia.
13:11 Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel insists that she considers her decision not to admit Ukraine to NATO in 2008 correct. This was stated on Monday by Merkel's press secretary at the request of the DPA agency.
At the same time, the ex-chancellor supported international efforts to end the Russian war of conquest in Ukraine, but did not respond to an invitation to come to Bucha.
13:06 The network publishes footage of the Zhytomyr and Warsaw highways near Kiev. The road is paved with destroyed Russian equipment and cars of peaceful Ukrainians shot or burned by the invaders.
13:04 The Russians are establishing a channel for smuggling sanctioned goods through the territory of Georgia, according to Ukrainian intelligence. Representatives of the Georgian special services were instructed by the political leadership not to interfere with the activities of the smugglers.
12:54 American television channel CNN learned that Macron wants to completely block Russian coal and oil exports to the EU this week after discovering what he called war crimes in Bucha.
"We cannot ignore this. We must have sanctions that discourage what is happening there [in Bucha], what is happening in Mariupol," he said.
12:45 American billionaire Elon Musk is convinced that Russia's attack on Ukraine is a message to other states. "Probably the war will come to them. We can't let Putin take over Ukraine. This is crazy," he said in an interview with Insider.
12:43 CNN journalists spoke about a mass grave in Bucha, in which at least 150 people are buried. The mass grave is located on the territory of the Church of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called and All Saints, the channel said.
It is noted that the CNN team saw at least a dozen corpses in bags dumped in the grave, some were partially covered with earth. Journalists of the TV channel stressed that the burial could be larger.
12:41 State enterprise Antonov told which planes the invader destroyed and damaged in Gostomel: An-225 Mriya, turboprop An-26 and An-74 were destroyed. An-132, which was developed for Saudi Arabia in 2016-2017, was damaged, one of the Ruslans - An-124-100-150; An-12, recently restored An-22 Antey and light twin-engine An-28.
In addition, the airport administration building and the control tower were destroyed.
12:32 Today, photos of a girl killed by Russian invaders with a swastika on her body appeared on the network. As Arestovich said, the Ukrainian woman was tortured to death in Gostomel.
12:21 The Board of Governors of the EBRD voted for the immediate suspension of Russia and Belarus' access to the bank's finances and expertise. Earlier, the EBRD announced that it was closing its offices in Moscow and Minsk.
12:16 Borrell: "Convincing images of a large number of deaths and casualties among the civilian population, as well as the destruction of civilian infrastructure, show the true face of the brutal war of conquest that Russia is waging against Ukraine and its people. The massacres in the city of Bucha and other cities of Ukraine will be included in a list of atrocities committed on European soil. The Russian authorities are responsible for these crimes."
12:14 Mobile crematoriums brought by Russian troops to Ukraine were intended for the disposal of the bodies of civilians killed by them to cover up the crime, the Center for Counteracting Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council said.
12:12 Germany is the main obstacle to the introduction of tougher sanctions against Russia, said Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
The head of the Polish government also called for the creation of an international commission to investigate the events in Bucha and other areas of the Kiev region, which he called genocide.
12:08 The state border in the Sumy region is again under the control of Ukraine.
11:51 By this time, about 350 people had been buried in Bucha, according to funeral services.
11:49 Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia in the next few days will begin the process of complete transport isolation from Russia.
This was announced by Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Mustafa Nayem.
"Last week, we officially asked our colleagues to stop any road communication from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus. Thanks to all the ministers of transport of these countries. The response is instant. We are waiting for the final result," he wrote.
According to Nayem, if a positive decision is made, the borders of the countries with the Russian Federation and Belarus will be completely closed, which means that auto connections and all transport will become impossible.
11:36 As a result of attacks by the Russian troops of the cities of Ochakov and Nikolaev on April 3, eight civilians were killed.
11:34 The National Gallery of London has renamed the painting Russian Dancers by the French impressionist Edgar Degas. From now on, the picture is called Ukrainian dancers.
11:06 Russian occupying troops shelled residential buildings in the Sloboda district of the city of Kharkov. Seven people were killed and 34 others were injured.
11:03 Russian troops are planning a huge breakthrough in the Lugansk region, troops and equipment are being pulled together, said the head of the Lugansk regional military administration, Sergei Gaidai.
10:49 The Russian army intends to continue to seize Ukraine, and the current withdrawal of Russian troops is only an intention to concentrate them in other areas, said Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar.
"... the risk of escalation, the likelihood of missile strikes remains. Among them, there remains the possibility of missile strikes on large cities ... Now there is a fierce war, a fierce struggle for every centimeter of our land and for every settlement," Malyar stressed.
According to her, despite the liberation of the Kiev, Chernihiv and Sumy regions, this does not mean the surrender of the enemy, he concentrates his forces in other regions, withdraws part of the troops to Belarus and strengthens and regroups them there.
Malyar noted that today the danger in the East remains high, in addition, the enemy's target is Kharkov, Mariupol, Odessa.
10:34 On April 6, the ambassadors of the EU countries will discuss a new package of sanctions against Russia because of the situation in Ukraine. It may include an embargo on the supply of energy resources, reports the Financial Times, citing its own sources in the diplomatic environment.
10:31 Zelensky performed at the 64th Grammy Music Awards.
10:26 The massacres carried out by the Russian military in Ukrainian cities were part of Putin's plans for an invasion of Ukraine. This was stated by the head of British foreign intelligence MI6 Richard Moore.
"We knew that Putin's invasion plans included extrajudicial executions by his military and intelligence officials," Moore wrote.
9:48 According to British intelligence, Russian forces continue to consolidate and reorganize as they refocus their offensive on the Donbass.
Russian troops are being moved into the area, including mercenaries from the private military company Wagner.
8:59 Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale military aggression in Ukraine, 161 children have died. A total of 425 children were affected. The data is preliminary.
8:55 Russian troops launched several missile attacks on Nikolaev.
7:58 In the Russian Federation, which continues armed aggression against Ukraine, a covert mobilization of reservists has begun. They want to attract up to 60,000 people.
7:17 Russian troops began to actively withdraw from the territory of the Sumy region, said the head of the regional military administration Dmitry Zhivitsky
6:06 The first signs of a mass grave of the inhabitants of Bucha, who were killed by the Russian invaders, are visible on satellite images from March 10, Reuters reports citing Maxar Technologies, which collects and publishes satellite images of Ukraine.
5:44 Canada intends to do everything possible so that Russia is held accountable for the massive bloody crimes against Ukrainians committed in Ukraine, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.
3:55 Another man of Putin wins in Europe. The current President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, is leading by a wide margin in the presidential elections.
3:27 Mariupol is certainly a key target for the Russian invasion, because the land corridor from Russia to the occupied territory of Crimea, British intelligence said.
The city continues to be subjected to intense indiscriminate strikes, but Ukrainian forces are putting up staunch resistance, maintaining control in central areas.
3:00 Russian occupiers can launch an offensive in eastern Ukraine, in the direction of Severodonetsk in the next day, according to the operational information of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The General Staff noted that in the Donetsk and Tauride directions, the enemy continued to focus its main efforts on capturing settlements:
- Rubezhnoye
- popasnaya
- Trinity
- Avdiivka
- Maryinka
- Krasnogorovka
In addition, the Russian occupiers are preparing for an offensive, which may start in the next day in the direction of Severodonetsk and Bolshaya Novoselka.
"With the support of aviation and artillery, the enemy continues the assault on Mariupol," the statement said.
In the Polesye direction, the enemy is completing the regrouping and preparation for the redeployment of individual units from Belarus to the Russian Federation.
According to available information, separate units of the airborne troops of the invaders are being transferred by military transport aircraft to the city of Belgorod.
To slow down the advance of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the occupiers carried out mass chaotic mining not only of previously occupied positions and areas of the terrain, but also of the ways of advance.
In the Slobozhansky direction, the enemy continues to blockade Kharkov, inflicts artillery strikes on residential areas of the city and tries to regroup troops.
In the Izyum direction, the invaders tried to resume the offensive, but were unsuccessful.
2:33 Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki called on the EU to immediately change its policy towards Russia after the massacre in the Kiev region. He noted that the EU is obliged to introduce really working sanctions.
"It is necessary to confiscate all Russian assets and sever trade relations with the Russian Federation," he urged.
The Prime Minister said that the leadership of the European Union should organize a meeting of the European Council as soon as possible. There, Poland will initiate consideration of the war crimes of the Russian Federation and the introduction of effective sanctions.
"Ukraine must receive weapons with which it will be able to protect the women and children of Mariupol, Bucha and many other cities. This is our political and moral obligation. Enough of fake gestures and avoidance tactics. Enough! Sanctions do not work. Turn off the oxygen to the Russian genocide," he said. Morawiecki.
1:09 In Hungary, the election is won by the party of Orban, Putin's main friend in Europe, which prohibits the supply of weapons to Ukraine through its territory, refuses to impose sanctions against Russia and blocks Ukraine's entry into the EU.