Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22:32 Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis denied media reports that his country could transfer F-16s to Ukraine. According to him, Greece itself needs to strengthen its defense capabilities.
22:27 US National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby also said that NATO countries will not shoot down Russian missiles over Ukraine, like Iranian missiles over Israel. According to him, these are “different conflicts, different airspace, different threat landscapes.” Kirby recalled that Biden made it clear from the very beginning of the war in Ukraine that the United States did not intend to get involved in it “in a combat role.”
22:03 Zelensky admitted in an evening video message that some energy facilities were not sufficiently protected, and “there will be appropriate conclusions.”
21:59 The Czech Republic has already contracted 180 thousand shells for Ukraine and is now working on contracting another 300 thousand, said Prime Minister Petr Fiala. According to him, about 20 countries have joined the initiative.
21:46 The Global Survivors Fund will pay reparations in the amount of 3,000 euros to 500 Ukrainians who suffered from sexual violence by Russians, Ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets said. According to him, the Foundation plans to first collect data from victims, then identify whether their testimony is truthful and whether they meet certain criteria. Lubinets emphasized that Russia uses sexual violence as a psychological weapon, a way to intimidate civilians in occupied territories, a tool to humiliate and suppress the Ukrainian people and to torture prisoners of war.
21:28 Western countries also took a direct part in successfully repelling the massive Iranian attack on Israel. The US and UK militaries shot down missiles and drones. After which, naturally, the question arose: why doesn’t this happen over Ukraine? Read more in the material What Ukraine needs from the West .
21:07 In the US House of Representatives, 91 congressmen signed a letter calling on Speaker Mike Johnson to immediately introduce a Senate-approved bill that contains aid to Ukraine and Israel. We are talking about a package worth $95 billion, of which Kyiv is allocated $61 billion. The corresponding letter was published by Congressman Josh Gottheimer.
20:56 The European Commission recommended that the EU Council approve Ukraine’s reform plan within the framework of the Ukraine Facility program for 50 billion euros. According to the EC's assessment, the Ukrainian reform plan "is consistent with the objectives of the Ukraine Facility, identifying key reforms and investments that can contribute to sustainable economic growth and attract investment to strengthen the country's growth potential in the medium and long term." The plan is also the basis for the recovery of Ukraine and contains adequate mechanisms to protect the financial interests of the European Union, the EC added.
20:14 Zelensky said that he held a meeting in Kiev with Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide. According to him, the teams of the two countries have already completed the preparation of a bilateral security agreement. The parties also discussed further defense cooperation and strengthening of Ukrainian air defense.
19:38 Macron proposes a ceasefire for the duration of the Olympic Games, including in Ukraine. The Olympic Truce is a modern revival of the ancient Greek tradition of keeping peace during the Olympics. The truce should theoretically last almost two months, starting seven days before the start of each Olympic Games and ending seven days after the end of the Paralympics. However, in modern history there are not many examples of warring states stopping fighting during competitions. Moreover, in recent years, Russia has been the main violator of the Olympic truce. Read more in the article Will Russia Stop the War ?
19:02 Zelensky said that he held a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Headquarters on two important topics: the front and energy. The President emphasized that physical protection cannot completely protect some objects from enemy attacks - only sufficiently effective air defense can do this.
"The intensity of Russian attacks requires greater unity. By defending Israel, the free world demonstrated that such unity is not only possible, but also one hundred percent effective. The decisive actions of the allies prevented the success of terror and the loss of infrastructure and forced the aggressor to cool down. The same is possible and in protecting Ukraine from terror, which, like Israel, is not a member of NATO. And this does not require the activation of Article 5, only political will is enough,” Zelensky noted.
18:51 Kuleba commented on the information about the US requests not to strike Russian refineries: “We must think in our own interests. If our partners say: we will give you seven Patriot batteries tomorrow, but we ask you not to do this and this, then there is a subject for conversation. And if you don’t have these batteries, you don’t have a care package, and at the same time you are asked not to do something, then what is there to talk about? Then everyone survives as best they can.”
18:46 Russia was able to quickly repair some of its key oil refineries after the Ukrainian attacks, writes Reuters. Thus, the amount of capacity idle due to attacks decreased from almost 14% to about 10% at the end of March. At the same time, the total primary oil refining capacity in the Russian Federation is expected to reach 4.4 million tons in April compared to 4.1 million tons in March. The agency also noted that after the April 2 attacks on the Taneco plant in Tatarstan, there were no reports of successful attacks on large Russian refineries.
17:27 The Netherlands has allocated an additional 4.4 billion euros for military and humanitarian support to Ukraine in the period 2024-2026, the country’s government reported.
17:22 As a result of the Russian strike on the village. Residents of the Lukyansk community of the Kharkov region killed two people and four were injured, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA.
17:18 Budanov predicts that the Russian Federation will launch an offensive in late May - early June: “Russian troops will launch an offensive in late May - early June. I think we will be well prepared for this moment. And we will see how it goes further. Without the help of Western allies It will be catastrophically difficult for us, and only on the condition that, firstly, it comes in sufficient quantities, and secondly, it continues to move forward.”
16:49 In Crimea, as a result of a missile attack by the Defense Forces, a command post in which high-ranking Russian officers were located was hit, Suspilne reports, citing sources in the special services. Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced two massive attacks with long-range Storm Shadow missiles on Crimea this afternoon; all air targets were allegedly shot down on approach to the peninsula.
16:24 Zelensky was shown a new attack drone , which resembles the Russian Lancet and is capable of attacking enemy targets at an operational-tactical depth of more than 100 km. The drone is already being used on the front line and has scored its first victories, successfully hitting an anti-aircraft missile system.
14:21 The Washington Post writes that Ukraine’s attacks on Russian refineries are increasing tensions in relations with the United States. Washington is dissuading Ukraine from attacks on Russian oil refineries, fearing rising world prices and escalating war. According to the newspaper, in February, US Vice President Camila Harris asked Zelensky to refrain from attacks on the oil refinery. WP sources say Zelensky and his aides were angered by this, and the president brushed aside the recommendation, unsure if it reflected the Biden administration's consensus position.
In the following weeks, Washington reinforced this warning in numerous conversations with Kiev, and Ukraine began to hit Russian refineries even harder and more often. Defenders of Ukraine's strategy accuse the White House of putting domestic politics ahead of Kyiv's military goals. US officials acknowledge that supporting global energy markets is a priority for the Biden administration.
16:17 British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said that Western planes cannot shoot down drones over Ukraine, as they do with Israel, because they want to avoid escalation: “The difficulty is that if you want to avoid escalation in terms of the wider European war, I think that direct interaction between NATO troops and Russian troops should be avoided. This could lead to an escalation of the situation." The minister added that using aircraft "is not necessarily the best way to shoot down missiles and drones; air defense systems are more effective."
16:05 The Russian command has created a new group of troops near the borders of Ukraine. Everything that is known about him is in the material New Group in the Russian Army .
15:46 Russian troops hit the village with a controlled aerial bomb. Lukyansk community of Lipetsk, Kharkov region - two people died, the number of wounded is being established. The hit was in an educational institution, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OBA.
15:18 NATO will transfer five mine-resistant ships to Ukraine, said Navy spokesman Dmitry Pletenchuk. According to him, the crews of minesweepers in Chernihiv and Cherkassy have been trained and are already in service. Three more ships for Ukraine are being prepared for transfer from the Netherlands and Belgium.
14:47 At an extraordinary meeting of the Drone Coalition, Ukraine informed its partners about the situation on the battlefield and the urgent needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense reported. As a result of the meeting, the countries confirmed their contributions and made new ones:
- Canada will begin transferring 450 SkyRanger multi-role unmanned aerial systems this summer;
- Lithuania will allocate 3 million euros for the production of FPV drones for Ukraine;
- The Netherlands confirmed its intention to contract a batch of Heidrun RQ-35 drones for 200 million euros in cooperation with Denmark and Germany;
- Germany will donate VECTOR 211 reconnaissance drones.
14:36 Norway will help Ukraine look for Patriot air defense systems in other countries, Kuleba said: “The main topic of the negotiations was air defense systems. Norwegian NASAMS have proven themselves extremely positively in Ukraine, and we are grateful that the Norwegian government is making efforts to ensure that Ukraine has "There are more such systems. But the Norwegian government also has the tools and capabilities to help us obtain Patriot systems from other countries. We also discussed this topic in detail today."
14:14 Among the F-16 fighters that Norway will transfer to Ukraine, there will be examples with the latest weapons, Foreign Minister Espen Bart Eide said: “There will also be updated aircraft, in better combat shape, and some fuselages that can be used for repairs... Collectively, as a system, this will be a fairly significant contribution. Therefore, the aircraft that will be able to fly will be with the latest weapons."
13:27 Ukraine launched two strikes on Russian military bases on the territory of YugHidroMash in Berdyansk, said Advisor to the Mayor of Mariupol Pyotr Andryushchenko. Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the destruction of two Storm Shadow missiles over Berdyansk. They also write in public pages about attacks on the military logistics of the Russian Federation.
12:52 Radio Liberty showed a satellite image showing the consequences of a Ukrainian airstrike on Lugansk Machine-Building Plant 100 on Sunday, April 14. In particular, significant damage to at least one building is clearly visible.
12:19 The Russian military in Ukraine is using “amoeba tactics” tactics, said the Chief of the General Staff of the Estonian Defense Forces Eno Mitz: “The Russians are using what can be called “amoeba tactics”. They do not have the capabilities for a deep breakthrough, but they are pushing through everywhere, despite on the lives of their soldiers, their equipment, and hope that somewhere an opportunity will suddenly appear. This is their model of action, which is characteristic not only of their actions on the battlefield, but also, one might say, on a global scale.”
11:23 On the evening of April 14, the Russians fired rocket artillery at Seversk, Donetsk region - four people were killed, said the head of the OVA Vadim Filashkin.
11:01 Xi Jinping will arrive in Paris in a few weeks, Macron said. The French president intends to discuss with his Chinese counterpart a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza, as well as in Ukraine, for the duration of the Olympics.
10:52 In the Kharkov region, hourly power outage schedules have been applied, about 240 thousand consumers are de-energized, Ukrenergo reported. In other regions, consumption restrictions for household consumers were not applied, but Ukrainians are asked to limit the use of powerful energy-intensive appliances during the hours of daily maximum consumption from 19:00 to 21:00. In the Krivoy Rog region, consumption limits for industrial consumers continue to apply.
10:28 Brigadier General Vladimir Shvedyuk has been appointed commander of the troops of the operational command West. According to Shvedyuk, he strives to ensure that the OK West command “becomes a model of military excellence and tactical mastery.”
10:16 In the morning, the Russians launched a missile attack on Slavyansk, Donetsk region, said the mayor of the city, Vadim Lyakh. A hit was recorded in the central part, along the street. Postal. High-rise buildings were damaged, but no people were injured.
In Ocheretino, Pokrovsky district, as a result of Russian shelling, one person was killed, two were wounded, and two high-rise buildings were damaged, said the head of the Donetsk Regional Army Vadim Filashkin.
09:37 On the afternoon of April 14, the Russians fired at KAB village. Slatino, Kharkov district - a private enterprise and residential buildings were damaged, one person was injured, said the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov. In addition, one person died as a result of a drone dropping ammunition in the village. Malaya Volcha, Chuguevsky district.
08:48 The Russians shelled the Vasilyevsky district of the Zaporozhye region - one person was killed, said the head of the OVA Ivan Fedorov. Another person was wounded during the shelling of Gulyai-Polye.
08:35 Biden and representatives of the US Congress “reached a consensus” on the issue of providing assistance to Ukraine and Israel, said Senate Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. According to him, the US President met with representatives of both houses of Congress the day before. Schumer said he hoped something could be done this week to help both countries.
08:19 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of April 15:
- personnel - about 454,420 (+770) people,
- tanks - 7180 (+6),
- armored combat vehicles - 13,796 (+31),
- artillery systems - 11,593 (+41),
- MLRS - 1046 (+0),
- air defense systems - 758 (+0),
- aircraft - 347 (+0),
- helicopters - 325 (+0),
- UAV of operational-tactical level - 9266 (+31),
- cruise missiles - 2092 (+3),
- ships/boats - 26 (+0),
- submarines - 1 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tank trucks - 15,510 (+51),
- special equipment - 1908 (+3).
07:56 Over the past 24 hours, 54 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report . In particular, the enemy tried 16 times to break through the defenses of Ukrainian troops in the Novopavlovsk direction - in the Krasnohorivka and Novomikhailovka areas of the Donetsk region. Ten more attacks were repulsed in the Bakhmut direction - in the areas of the settlements of Belogorivka in the Luhansk region, as well as Verkhnekamenskoye, Novy, Chasov Yar, New York, Kleshcheevka in the Donetsk region.
The enemy did not conduct offensive actions in the Kupyansky and Limansky directions. In the Avdeevsky direction, the Defense Forces repelled eight attacks in the Novobakhmutovka, Umansky, Novokalinovo, Pervomaisky and Netaylovo districts of the Donetsk region; on Orekhovsky - nine attacks in the districts of Staromayorsky, Donetsk region and Rabotino, Zaporozhye region; on Kherson - four attacks on the left bank of the Dnieper.
07:38 At night, the Russians hit an infrastructure facility in the Dnieper region - the consequences are being clarified, no people were injured, said the head of the OVA Sergei Lysak. Meanwhile, the number of people injured as a result of falling debris from a downed rocket the day before increased to 13, including one child.