[Korrespondent] 23:59 Adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, Petr Andryushchenko, said that "up to 2,000 people, mostly women and children, are in shelter on the territory of Azovstal, almost two months without sun, without normal drinking water, food and fresh air."
23:55 Arestovich is convinced that "by the balance of forces, by the knee-high equipment and by the advancement, it is clear that the Russian operation in the Donbas will not be successful."
23:53 British intelligence said that Russia's failure to quell the resistance in Mariupol and their indiscriminate attacks, which harmed the local civilian population, indicate that they still cannot achieve their goals as quickly as they would like.
23:51 Biden on Kiev visit: "I don't know. I've been to Ukraine many times, but haven't been there lately."
23:48 The Pentagon said it is monitoring the nuclear threat from Russia and so far sees no reason to change the readiness status of US nuclear forces.
23:46 The EU plans to strengthen the sanctions regime against Russia in the coming days, Clement Bon, Secretary of State at the French Foreign Ministry, said following video talks between NATO leaders. He clarified that the new sanctions will affect energy resources.
23:44 Arestovich said that the group of troops that "slipped through" Kremennaya and announced that the city had been taken had been liquidated.
23:42 British intelligence reports that Russian shelling in Donbas continues to intensify. At the same time, weather conditions and logistical problems prevent the RF Armed Forces from achieving significant progress.
23:39 The Pentagon confirmed that Ukraine received the opportunity from other countries to increase its air fleet. This was announced by the speaker of the US Department of Defense John Kirby. He emphasized that Ukraine did not receive this assistance from the United States: “I would simply say, without going into what other countries provide, that they received additional platforms and parts in order to be able to increase the size of their fleet, the size of their aircraft fleet. I think I would stop there."
23:36 Apple has removed TikTok from the App Store for Russian users.
23:32 France is ready to provide security guarantees to Ukraine only after the war, a senior representative of the French president told Bloomberg. According to him, the guarantees will include the supply of military equipment, which "should be powerful enough to prevent a new war."
Macron's spokesman also suggested that the guarantees would allow each country to decide individually how to help Ukraine if necessary, unlike NATO's automatic response system.
23:15 In the Donetsk and Lugansk directions, the Armed Forces of Ukraine successfully repelled ten attacks of the enemy. 12 tanks, one artillery system, 28 armored units and two vehicles were destroyed.
Air defense units in the skies of the Ukrainian Donbas shot down one Su-34 enemy aircraft, one Ka-52 helicopter, four unmanned aerial vehicles and one cruise missile.
23:13 Zelensky said that the situation in Mariupol remains unchanged - "as tough as possible."
“Unfortunately, we do not hear a response from Russia to an exchange offer that could allow the rescue of civilians and the defenders of Mariupol. And this silence should be paid attention to by everyone who has been or may be associated with Russia. When your fate is decided, in Moscow They will remain silent. This is indicative. And this is the best argument not to get involved with the Russian Federation," the President said.
Also, according to him, in the south of Ukraine, the invaders are trying to "demonstrate at least something that can be presented in Russia as the readiness of Ukrainians to cooperate with Russian structures." "It looks pitiful. After 55 days of war, the occupiers managed to drag over to their side only some marginals," the head of state added.
22:40 As a result of the shelling of Kharkiv by the Russians on April 19, four people were killed, 14 more civilians were injured, the regional prosecutor's office reported. The shelling from multiple launch rocket systems occurred at approximately 13:20. The metropolitan area of ​​the city suffered, more than ten residential buildings, garages and a supermarket were damaged.
22:31 Zelensky: “The way our Armed Forces are holding strong, how boldly our entire people are defending themselves, demonstrates that, nevertheless, in global ratings, the Ukrainian army deserves to be higher than the Russian one for a long time. If we had access to all the weapons in which we need, which our partners have and which is comparable to the weapons used by Russia, we would have already ended this war. We would have returned peace and liberated our territory. Because the advantage of the Ukrainian military in tactics and wisdom is quite obvious."
22:27 The United States, Canada and the United Kingdom have announced that they will send more artillery weapons to Ukraine.
22:15 Over the past two weeks, the dynamics of relations between European countries and the United States to the forms and methods of supplying military equipment has changed dramatically. More about this - in the material the West is actively arming Ukraine .
22:13 Western leaders agreed on the need to increase sanctions pressure on Russia, the Italian government said following a video call between EU and US leaders.
22:08 The war in Ukraine may become less intense, but it will drag on for a long period, says UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. According to him, it is precisely such wars that are "the most difficult in terms of humanitarian consequences."
"Very often the public and the media forget about them, which makes it difficult to mobilize resources for mitigation," Grandi explained.
22:04 Poland is ready to accept 10,000 wounded Ukrainian soldiers, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said during his visit to Lviv. He said that now several dozen Ukrainian soldiers are being treated in Polish hospitals.
22:02 The Czech Republic agreed to repair Ukrainian tanks and armored personnel carriers damaged during the hostilities, the country's Ministry of Defense said.
22:00 The United States will send more artillery to Ukraine, Biden said following talks with allied leaders.
21:57 Putin treats the population of the occupied Ukrainian cities in the same way as with the Chechens during the war of conquest - he mocks civilians in filtration camps, the US Embassy in Ukraine said.
21:42 Prime Minister Shmygal, the heads of the Ministry of Finance and the NBU are flying to the United States on Thursday, April 21. They will meet with the heads of the World Bank and the IMF to discuss financial assistance to Ukraine, CNN reports.
21:31 The occupied Rozovka of the Zaporizhia region allegedly held a "people's gathering", which decided to join the "DPR". The Zaporizhia OVA reminded that Rozivka has been under occupation since March 2. Local residents were deceived into a culture building and voiced the so-called "memorandum" for holding an "election" of a new "mayor", and then for applying to the "DPR" for accession until Zaporozhye was captured. Frightened people at gunpoint were forced to vote.
21:27 Johnson, following the talks between NATO leaders, said that a diplomatic settlement of the situation in Ukraine is unlikely, and the long-term goal of the alliance should be to strengthen and strengthen Ukraine to such a level that Russia will never dare to invade again.
21:09 The Russian authorities continue to remain silent about the number of crew and the victims of the cruiser Moskva that sank in the Black Sea . The Ministry of Defense of the aggressor country previously said that the crew "was evacuated in full force", but in the Russian media there is more and more information about the dead and missing sailors of Moscow . About what is known at the moment - in the article What happened to the crew of Moscow .
20:51 Russia has deployed up to 20,000 mercenaries from Syria, Libya and other countries to the Donbass, writes The Guardian, citing an unnamed European official. According to him, between 10,000 and 20,000 mercenaries are fighting in eastern Ukraine, but it is difficult to understand how many of them come from which countries.
| Any from Ethiopia yet? |
| Cannon fodder. |
20:45 Reuters writes that seven more American aircraft with military assistance for Ukraine will depart for Europe in the next 24 hours. Over the past three days, the first five planes have arrived.
20:26 Scholz, after negotiations with the leaders of NATO countries, said that the embargo on Russian gas supplies for many countries is insurmountable, and for Germany this would be a serious challenge.
He also said that Germany and Ukraine are studying the list of weapons that can be supplied to Kiev, and after the approval of the delivery, they will be immediately paid by Berlin. However, the possibilities of the Bundeswehr in the supply of weapons to Ukraine are practically exhausted, further deliveries will be provided by the German military-industrial complex.
20:03 The Pentagon believes that a full-scale Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine has not yet begun. The "limited offensive operations" undertaken by Russia southwest of Donetsk and south of Izyum are "a prelude to larger offensive operations," according to CNN, citing a US Department of Defense official.
According to the Pentagon, over the past 24 hours, Russia has introduced two more battalion tactical groups into Ukraine, bringing the total number of BTGs to 78 (about 55,000 troops).
| Professionals or conscripts? |
19:54 The governor of the Donetsk region Pavel Kirilenko announced the strike on Kramatorsk: infrastructure facilities were destroyed, there are dead and three wounded.
19:50 "The head of the government of the LPR" Sergey Kozlov said that the commander of the 11th battalion of the "LPR Army" Lieutenant Colonel Mikhail Kishchik, better known as "Misha Chechen", was killed in the battle near Kremennaya.
The media reminds that "Misha Chechen" gained popularity in 2014, when he headed one of the Cossack battalions that fought on the side of the "LNR". His unit was repeatedly accused of looting and organizing smuggling.
19:31 Finland closed traffic through the temporary border checkpoint in Parikkala-Syvaoru and froze all plans for its development. This crossing served transport transportation from the Russian Federation, mainly timber, Yle reports.
19:20 The Azovstal plant has been bombed and destroyed almost completely, there are "a lot of people" under the rubble, said Svyatoslav Palamar, deputy commander of the Azov regiment. According to him, the Russians are dropping super-powerful bombs on the plant.
"We will fight, we will use every cartridge left with us, but we call on the Motherland to save the civilians, the wounded and take away the bodies," he added.
19:16 The Russian troops fired at Bashtanka of the Nikolaev area in the afternoon on April 19, victims are not present, the head of OVA Vitaly Kim reported.
19:11 Canada has imposed sanctions against 14 Russians, including Nabiullina, Aven, Fridman, Putin's daughters and Lavrov's wife.
19:08 Finnish President Sauli Niinostiio approved the decision to send additional military aid to Ukraine. The Ministry of Defense of the country does not disclose details about the content of assistance, methods of delivery and timing for security reasons.
18:59 The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports that the leadership of the RF Armed Forces proposes to sign short-term contracts for a period of three months and has simplified the procedure for selecting candidates. However, those wishing to fight did not increase too much.
Thus, since the beginning of the year, only 130 military servicemen under the contract have been selected to serve in 42 units of the Southern Military District, of which 22 have refused to participate in the so-called "special operation" in Ukraine.
Units directly involved in hostilities on the territory of Ukraine experience a special need for manning. In the 200th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 14th army corps of the coastal troops of the northern fleet, the personnel of two battalion tactical groups were destroyed. In addition, three companies of the 51st Airborne Regiment and a company of the 137th Airborne Regiment, which are part of the 106th Airborne Division, were destroyed.
18:50 The Armed Forces of Ukraine regained control over Maryinka, Donetsk region , as a result of the counteroffensive of the Ukrainian troops, the enemy suffered losses and retreated, the General Staff said.
18:46 The Russian invaders are preparing "referenda" not only in the Kherson region, but also in the Mykolaiv region, according to Ukrainian intelligence. So, at the printing house in Novaya Kakhovka, Russians print ballots, letterheads, brochures, posters and booklets to vote for the creation of KhNR. Local residents are convinced that there will be no real voting - except for demonstration sites for the "picture".
In the city of Snigirevka, Mykolaiv region, a "referendum" is being prepared to elect a mayor and administratively join the occupied Crimea. The event is being organized by pro-Russian head of the local council Tatyana Mezina and former head Alexander Larchenko.
In the occupied Snegurovka, Zaporozhye region, a census of the population of people of retirement age has begun. The Russians intend to appoint their administration by September 1, open branches of the Russian Post, introduce rubles and start issuing Russian passports, including foreign ones.
18:33 Journalist Roman Tsymbalyuk reports that the command of the 144th motorized rifle division from Smolensk is secretly taking their families out of the Bryansk region (borders on the Chernihiv and Sumy regions of Ukraine) deep into the Russian Federation. According to him, in order to prevent panic among the local population, information about the need to evacuate families is carefully hidden.
18:18 The UN Secretary General proposes to declare a four-day humanitarian ceasefire in Ukraine on the occasion of Easter from April 21. Guterres said the UN is ready to send humanitarian convoys to Mariupol, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk if the ceasefire is respected.
18:16 The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense warned that the Russians were mining the area in all the territories they had occupied. So, on the night of April 18, along the Kherson-Snegirevka highway (the section between Pridneprovsky and Aleksandrovka), they heavily mined the fields, planting and dirt roads. In the Kharkiv region, on the territory of the Veliko Burluksky district, passage is possible only on the territory of Russia. All secondary roads (including unpaved ones) are completely mined.
18:10 Kadyrov announced the dispatch of another batch of "volunteers" from Grozny to Donbass.
18:07 In Irpin, a KAMAZ truck was blown up by a mine, the driver died, said the mayor of Irpin, Alexander Markushin.
18:03 Analysts of the American Institute for the Study of War are convinced that the offensive operation of the Russian Federation in the Donbas will not lead to a serious strategic victory for Russia. In particular, a sudden and intensified Russian offensive is unlikely, and tactical losses and defeats of Ukrainian forces will not mean the end of the war.
Experts note that the occupiers have already begun the planned battle for Donbass, in particular during the offensive on Popasnaya, Rubizhne and Marinka. Also, the Russian army can take the tactic of depleting the forces of Ukrainians due to its quantitative superiority and accumulated firepower. But Russia's shortage of combat-ready units in full force, unresolved logistics problems and low morale of soldiers will prevent successful operations on the battlefield.
17:45 Romania will send a batch of lethal weapons to the Ukrainian Armed Forces from the reserves of the country's Ministry of Defense. According to the publication Romania Libera, for this it was necessary to amend the legislation, and now Bucharest can supply weapons not only to NATO members, but also to "potential allies of the alliance."
17:34 Adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, Petr Andryushchenko, denied Taruta's information that the Russians dropped a powerful bomb on a hospital in the Azovstal area, where people were hiding: "Yes, Mariupol, in particular the Azovstal zone, is under heavy bombardment of super-heavy bombs. But in the zone around Azovstal no one has been hiding for a long time, especially in the previously destroyed hospital building."
17:28 In Ukraine, on Easter, law enforcement officers will strengthen the protection of churches. Before the start of the service, the church will be checked by explosives, said First Deputy Interior Minister Yevgeny Yenin.
17:07 The invaders are trying to cordon off the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the area of ​​Izyum and Volnovakha, Arestovich said. According to him, the enemy is now probing for weaknesses in the Ukrainian defense, and then will concentrate efforts there. They already tried to do it at night, but they did not succeed.
The adviser to the head of the Presidential Office also believes that Moscow wants to "sell" access to the administrative borders of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions to its people as a victory, but they will fail.
17:04 The International Monetary Fund stops making forecasts for Ukraine , except for real GDP.
16:51 Taruta said that the Russians dropped a powerful bomb on a hospital in the Azovstal area: "According to my information, there are about 300 people under the rubble, including children. In the surviving part of the hospital there were wounded defenders and Mariupol residents with children were hiding."
16:48 Internally displaced persons can now apply for the appropriate status in Dії and in the same place, under the єPіdtrimka program, they can apply for assistance - monthly you can get 2,000 hryvnias for yourself and 3,000 hryvnias for each child. Money can be spent on anything or withdraw cash.
16:42 The Russians realized that they had already lost the battle for Kharkov. It will be extremely difficult for them to attack the positions held by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleg Sinegubov, head of the Kharkiv OVA, is convinced.
"The enemy has only one direction left - through Kupyansk, through Izyum, in order to redirect their troops to the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, to increase their military presence in that direction," Sinegubov noted and added that the Ukrainian defenders also hold their positions there and the enemy is losing daily a large number of manpower, aircraft and armored vehicles.
16:38 In the Zaporozhye region, battles near Pology have intensified - there is a mass offensive of Russian troops, said the head of the OVA Alexander Starukh. He added that "the Armed Forces of Ukraine hold the line of contact, but the offensive is massive."
16:36 According to IMF forecasts, the fall of the Ukrainian economy in 2022 will be 35%, Russia - 8.5%.
16:32 Russia is preparing mass provocations in the Kherson region and plans to blame the Armed Forces of Ukraine for them, said Natalya Gumenyuk, head of the joint coordination press center of the security and defense forces of southern Ukraine.
According to her, mass provocations will be timed to coincide with the pseudo-referendum that the invaders want to hold in the Kherson region. "They are rolling out their equipment in order to arrange it for inflicting fire, in which they will later blame the Armed Forces of Ukraine," she stressed.
16:29 Kuleba told France24 TV channel that the end of the war with Russia will be decided on the battlefield: "The end of this war will be decided on the battlefield, not at the negotiating table."
16:17 The Netherlands intends to supply armored personnel carriers to Ukraine, Minister of Defense Kaisa Ollongren said: "The war in Ukraine is entering a new phase. We will continue to support Ukraine. That is why the Netherlands, in cooperation with other countries, will supply heavier military equipment there, starting with armored personnel carriers" .
15:54 In Kharkov, as a result of shelling on April 19, three people were killed, 16 more were injured, Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA, said. According to him, the Russians are shelling Kharkov from MLRS, which are located at a distance of 35-40 km from the city. The intensity of shelling increased.
15:47 The UK Revenue Service revokes the status of the Moscow Exchange as a recognized stock exchange.
15:33 Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will visit Kiev in the coming days to meet with Zelensky. The specific date of the visit and other details are not disclosed for security reasons, writes CNN.
15:28 Minister of Culture Oleksandr Tkachenko urged Ukrainians to stay at home on Easter and join worship services online. The services will also be broadcast on the national telethon.
15:26 Starlink started work on opening a representative office in Ukraine. According to Mikhail Fedorov, head of the Ministry of Digital Development, he has already instructed the relevant authorities to speed up the necessary procedures for certification, measurements and provision of frequencies.
15:22 The head of the Luhansk regional military administration, Sergei Gaidai, said that 350 thousand people lived in the territory of the region controlled by Ukraine, of which about 70 thousand remain today. People left either on their own or with the help of volunteers and charities. The authorities were able to organize the evacuation of about 40,000 people.
He also said that it was impossible to calculate the number of civilian dead, but the losses were "very high." Due to the massive shelling of cities, rescue services cannot even pick up bodies from the streets.
15:17 Vereshchuk announced the fifth exchange of prisoners - 60 servicemen, of which ten officers, are returning home. 16 civilians were also released.
14:56 In Ukraine, 17 shopping centers have already suffered because of the war, the total area of ​​​​destroyed retail space is 846 thousand square meters. m. According to the Ukrainian Council of Shopping Centers, almost 250 million dollars will be needed to restore them.
14:39 A presidential bill on extending martial law in Ukraine has been submitted to the Rada. The current martial law will expire on April 25.
14:30 Podolyak said that Russia is seriously betting on the second phase of the war, so it is difficult to say when the next negotiations will be possible. According to him, the outcome of the battle for Donbass will directly affect Moscow's position in the negotiations. After another defeat, they will have to sign a peace treaty on Kyiv's terms.
14:23 Ukraine deserves to be granted the status of an EU candidate without delay, said Latvian President Egils Levits.
14:21 Lithuania has banned the public demonstration of the St. George ribbon and signs Z and V - the relevant amendments to the laws were adopted by the parliament. Now, for the demonstration of prohibited symbols, a fine of 300 to 700 euros will be imposed, and in case of repeated violation - from 500 to 900 euros.
14:15 Shoigu showed up after a long silence: according to the Russian media, today he said that the RF Armed Forces "consistently implement the plan for the liberation of the LPR and DPR." He also believes that the United States intends to fight "to the last Ukrainian" and is doing everything to delay the "special operation of the RF Armed Forces."
The head of the Russian Defense Ministry also promised that the Russian Armed Forces "will introduce new methods of conducting combat operations in order to better adapt to modern conditions of military confrontation."
14:06 New "directors" are being appointed in Energodar, occupied by Russians, the Zaporizhzhya OVA reported. Thus, the occupying "authorities" headed by collaborator Andrei Shevchik introduced the staff of the Energodar Gymnasium No. 2 to the new "director" Vadim Karetnikov, who had previously worked as an electrician at a nuclear power plant and had nothing to do with education.
14:03 Russian ships in the Black Sea continue remote maneuvering. They maintain the threat of missile strikes and are planning a landing operation in the future, OK Pivden reported.
14:01 In Ukraine, 919 settlements have already been occupied, said the deputy head of the President's Office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko. According to him, there are more than 11,000 settlements in Sumy, Chernihiv, Kiev, Nikolaev, Kharkiv, Zhytomyr and Zaporozhye regions, of which 3,000 have been occupied.
13:57 Minister of Education and Science Sergei Shkarlet generally supports the initiative to cancel the study of the Russian language in schools from September 1, but added that "this should be at the choice of the school, the teachers' council."
13:53 One of the largest coal mining companies in Indonesia, Adaro Energy, has shipped 300 thousand tons of coal to counterparties in Europe who are looking for a replacement for Russian raw materials.
13:47 In the Kiev region, as a result of Russian aggression, more than 1,000 civilians were killed , the vast majority of people were shot dead, the bodies continue to be found, said Andriy Nebitov, head of the Kiev region police. According to him, more than 420 bodies of the dead have already been found in Bucha alone.
13:35 Prime Minister of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki opened a container town in Lviv for 300-350 people for Ukrainian immigrants. He said that "our envoys are going to the cities around Kyiv and will build the same towns."
13:22 The World Health Organization has confirmed 147 attacks by the Russian military on healthcare facilities in Ukraine, including 73 people killed and 53 injured.
13:14 The EU intends to cover most of the costs of the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine. The European Commission has already notified diplomats about the work on a tool that will focus on the long-term needs of Ukraine. A solidarity trust fund will be created - modeled on the European COVID fund - that will finance investments and reforms in agreement with the Ukrainian government, writes Bloomberg.
13:00 Hungary will not support sanctions against Russian oil and gas, said Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó.
12:55 It will take about a billion dollars to restore Irpen, Mayor Alexander Markushin said. According to him, 850 million of this amount will go to restore the destroyed or damaged housing stock of the city, another 150 million - to restore infrastructure.
12:48 In the center of Kiev, on Hospitalnaya Street, among the stacked dry branches, they found a banner and an object similar to a grenade, the National Police reported.
12:45 France intends to convince EU partners to impose an embargo on Russian oil supplies, Finance Minister Bruno Le Mer said: "We are trying to convince European partners to stop Russian oil supplies. Because the cessation of oil supplies will hit the financing of the war in Ukraine." He added that this is the task of the coming weeks.
12:43 Kadyrov said that the militants "already today" will completely take Azovstal.
12:40 Arestovich is convinced that Russia will continue to launch missile strikes on Ukraine until the last day of the war - at least another month: "There are still a lot of missiles, they mainly hit air-launched missiles, which, in particular, Ukraine transferred according to the results of the Budapest memorandum. This is a big irony, they still have hundreds of such missiles, and given that there are usually 5-10 missiles in a missile salvo, you can count how many missile salvos they have left."
At the same time, the adviser to the head of the Presidential Office added that Russia would leave part of the missiles for "a terrible war with NATO."
12:31 Denmark plans to temporarily increase gas production at its fields in the North Sea in order to refuse supplies from Russia. According to Prime Minister Matte Frederiksen, it is planned to increase production by 25%.
12:25 The Russian army was planning a military invasion of Belarus, according to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry. Documents obtained by Ukrainian intelligence indicate that the Russian 1st Tank Army is preparing to invade and seize the territory of Belarus.
The plan to invade and suppress popular protests was developed after the fraud of the presidential elections in Belarus. The occupation of Belarus was planned under the pretext of preventing Russia from being drawn "in the European continental region into a regional or large-scale war with NATO member countries in the West."
One of the proofs of the preparation of the Russian Federation for military aggression against Belarus is "The legend of the plan to regroup formations and military units of the 1st Tank Army in the area of ​​the mission."
12:17 Lavrov announced the start of the "next phase of the special operation" in Ukraine.
12:14 The battle for Donbass began on April 17, but it is proceeding very carefully , Arestovich said. He is convinced that "this unfortunate offensive" will fail by 99%, because the forces that the Russians have accumulated are not enough.
12:03 The State Bureau of Investigation has documented the crimes of the Russian military in Irpen, now a group of investigators will continue to work in the Sumy region. In the Kiev region, among other things, law enforcement officers discovered 13 burial places of citizens.
12:00 Ukrainian paratroopers destroyed an elite motorized rifle unit of the Russian armed forces from Tomsk, the command of the air assault troops reported. It was the units of this military unit that regularly participated in international exercises, where they won prizes.
11:57 The Russians are digging trenches near the resort of Kirillovka, where they entered a few weeks ago, and Grads were installed at the recreation centers, the Zaporozhye OVA reported. Also, local residents report that the occupying troops are located in the villages of Lyubimovka and Zelenaya Roshcha, Vasilyevsky district.
11:54 Lavrov, commenting on the possibility of using nuclear weapons in Ukraine, said that "at this stage we are considering the option of conventional weapons."
He also noted that Moscow is not going to change the regime in Ukraine - "the people should have freedom of choice."
11:43 In connection with the beginning of the offensive in the East, there is a tendency to rotate the Russian military to mercenaries from the "DPR". As Andryushchenko said, this is probably due to an attempt to strengthen positions in terms of the offensive. According to him, in connection with this, a new wave of looting by the Russian military emerged in Mariupol. They massively open the surviving apartments and take out property - mainly household appliances.
11:40 Advisor to the Mayor of Mariupol, Petr Andryushchenko, said that all publics (chat groups, telegram channels, FB groups) in Mariupol about searching for relatives, establishing damage, etc. are under the administration of "DPR volunteers", in fact - under the control of Russian agents of the FSB.
Such services do not work either for search or for help. Their goal is the same - the collection and analysis of personal data for subsequent filtering within the city, attempts to attract cooperation and organization of effective information and psychological operations.
11:34 Kiva said he was asking for political asylum in Russia.
11:31 In the center of Mukachevo, a Soviet monument was dismantled - an obelisk of glory in honor of the soldiers who died in World War II.
11:24 The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation announced that the SBU is preparing a "monstrous provocation" in the Odessa region: employees dressed in Russian uniforms will allegedly arrange a "demonstrative execution" of local residents.
11:22 The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation again "offered" the Ukrainian defenders from Azovstal to lay down their arms today at noon and promised to open a corridor to leave the plant without weapons and ammunition.
11:19 Training of the Ukrainian military to use American howitzers will not take much time and will begin in the coming days, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said. According to him, there are already instructors in Europe who will train Ukrainians.
11:17 White House Speaker Jen Psaki commented on the Kremlin's threats regarding the supply of weapons to Ukraine: "I am not going to speculate on empty threats or threats from President Putin or the Russian leadership. What we have done is exactly what the president promised with from the very beginning, namely, if they invade, we will provide significant security assistance, economic assistance and support to the Ukrainian people. And we are going to continue to do just that."
11:15 New Zealand imposes sanctions against 18 Russian financial institutions, including the Central Bank of the Russian Federation and the National Welfare Fund, as well as a number of other major financial institutions in the country, which own approximately 80% of the country's total banking assets, said Foreign Minister Nanaya Mahuta.
11:03 The most affected and vulnerable Ukrainians, in addition to payments from the state, will be able to receive assistance from international humanitarian organizations of the UN and UNICEF. Prime Minister Shmyhal said that the Cabinet of Ministers had already adopted a relevant resolution, and soon assistance could be issued through the Diya portal.
10:59 British Ambassador to Ukraine Melinda Simmons announced the beginning of the battle for Donbass: "The battle for Donbass has begun. Ukraine is not fighting to take territory from Russia. Ukraine is fighting for the right to live peacefully on its own territory. Ukraine is fighting for the right to live" .
10:56 On April 18, the invaders hit Ochakov with prohibited cluster shells, Anna Zamazeeva, head of the Nikolaev Regional Council for Humanitarian Affairs, said. She also added that from yesterday evening and at night most of the districts of Nikolaev were chaotically shelled. There is destruction of civilian facilities, residential buildings, civil infrastructure of the city.
10:54 State Special Communications Service assured that all Ukrainians will be able to use the Starlink Internet from Elon Musk, but first certain work needs to be done.
The department explained that the massive use of Starlink satellite Internet may partly affect the operation of the radio relay equipment of the Ukrainian military. This problem is temporary and is associated with the novelty of technology from SpaceX, in order to remove the restrictions, it is necessary to carry out calculations and a number of studies. After confirming the safety of using Starlink terminals, they can be allowed for mass use.
10:48 In the Donetsk region, the police documented 21 enemy attacks on 17 settlements per day. As a result of the strikes, five civilians were killed and six more were injured, including one child.
10:43 The occupiers used chemical weapons in the Izyum direction, said Yury Korsunov, a fighter of the Kharkiv Troops. The same information was confirmed by the local deputy Nikita Karakay. There was no official statement from the authorities.
According to preliminary data, charges with the substance were fired from the Grad MLRS. Some fighters had characteristic symptoms of poisoning: redness of the eyes, nausea, vomiting, respiratory failure, loss of consciousness. Blood samples were taken from the victims, clothes were sent for examination.
10:37 Russians fired at Nikolaev at night from artillery, the fire in a house and a storage room of shop on Kherson highway started. A residential building in the village of Chernomorka and an outbuilding in the village of Lukashevka also burned, the State Emergency Service reported.
10:32 Almost the entire Lugansk region (at least 215 settlements) was left without electricity - the Russians damaged the high-voltage line, Gaidai said.
10:25 Since April 1, more than 400 people have contacted a special telephone line for psychological assistance, most of the calls are from residents of Bucha, Irpen, Gostomel, Kiev region. As Ombudsman Lyudmila Denisova said, people seek help mainly in connection with rape, torture and abuse both against themselves and against relatives, including children.
10:23 The Armed Forces of Ukraine twice stopped the invaders' attempts to go on the offensive near Avdiivka. At the same time, the invaders continue constant shelling in the Maryinskaya and Toretskaya communities, said the head of the Donetsk OVA Pavel Kirilenko.
10:16 The activity of the Russian forces in the Donbas indicates an attempt to create conditions for more aggressive, more open and large-scale ground maneuvers, the Pentagon said. At the same time, Washington does not see the Russian offensive in the Donbass, however, hostilities are underway and the transfer of additional forces, auxiliary means and means of command and control to the region continues.
Russia is stepping up shelling and airstrikes in the Donbass and in the south, the battles for Mariupol continue, but "the city has not fallen to the Russians," the US Department of Defense added.
The Pentagon also said that after the latest Russian strikes on Lvov and Kiev, "there is now no reason to believe that Western military aid was attacked or destroyed," as previously reported by Moscow.
10:07 Monobank announced that it would not close accounts for clients who left for Crimea and ORDLO before February 24 - this decision caused criticism among the bank's clients, so the management decided to cancel it. However, for users from Russia and Belarus, accounts will be closed.
10:05 The representative of the "People's Militia of the DPR" Eduard Basurin called the information about the presence of civilians at Azovstal fake and said that "special groups" had begun to storm the territory of the plant.
09:47 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the enemy on the morning of April 19:
- personnel - about 20,800 people liquidated,
- tanks - 802,
- armored combat vehicles - 2063,
- artillery systems - 386,
- MLRS - 132,
- air defense systems - 67,
- aircraft - 169,
- helicopters - 150,
- automotive technology - 1495,
- ships/boats - 8,
- tanks with fuel and lubricants - 76,
- UAV operational-tactical level - 158,
- special equipment - 27,
- launchers OTRK / TRK - 4.
09:44 Vereshchuk said that today there will be no official humanitarian corridors for evacuation again.
09:42 Gaidai said that at night the Armed Forces of Ukraine repelled the offensive in Rubizhne and Popasna: "The enemy has dozens of losses, our soldiers shot down an Orlan-10 drone and heavy equipment."
09:38 The head of the Luhansk OVA, Serhiy Gaidai, again urged residents of the region to evacuate while there was such an opportunity: “Thousands of residents of Kremennaya did not have time and are now held hostage by the Russians ... Therefore, save your lives so as not to become cheap labor or mobilized into the occupation troops. Those who disagree, the Russians kill on the spot."
Gaidai said that on April 19, the Russians refused the regime of silence, but the local authorities would still organize the evacuation. As every day, attempts will be organized to save people from Rubizhne, Severodonetsk, Lisichansk, Popasnaya and Gornaya communities.
09:32 The State Border Service has extended the possibility of crossing the state border with internal passports. This applies to all citizens, regardless of the areas from which they leave, the State Border Guard Service reported.
09:11 Arestovich believes that Russia does not see Kharkov as the goal of its offensive, and the enemy is shelling the city and its environs to prevent the offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: “They are working very hard in Kharkov, in the vicinity of Kharkov. No, they do not see him as a goal. They are afraid that we are advancing. They are working on the supposed places of our reserves, our troops, because there is movement from Kharkov and Nikolaev. Therefore, they are trying to prevent this."
09:07 Trump called on Ukraine and Russia to negotiate: "It makes no sense that Russia and Ukraine do not sit down and work out some kind of agreement. If they do not do this soon, there will be nothing left but death, destruction and slaughter" .
08:58 In Mariupol, the invaders strike not only with super-powerful bombs at Azovstal, but from artillery and tanks continue to chaotically hit the residential sector of the Left Bank district along the line from Meotida Boulevard, adviser to the mayor of the city Petr Andryushchenko reports.
At the same time, yesterday, the occupiers opened access to civilians in this zone so that they could take things from their homes. Given the mandatory white ribbons that Russians identify themselves with, the occupiers continue to use civilians as "bait" for Ukrainian snipers, the adviser added.
08:44 Analysts from the Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT) have calculated that there is not a single brigade of Russian marines left that would not suffer losses in Ukraine: “Their losses are noticeable in the light of rumors about a possible further attack on Moldova. lost in many ways, there is nothing to attack Moldova, Poland or the Baltic countries."
Experts also focus on the fact that the marines are one of the most combat-ready and trained units of the Russian army.
08:42 Almost one and a half million internally displaced persons have officially registered in Ukraine, Marina Lazebna, head of the Ministry of Social Affairs, said. Payments for them began on April 8, and 250,000 Ukrainians have already received the money.
08:36 At night, the Russians massively fired at the settlements of the Krivoy Rog region from multiple rocket launchers and cannon artillery: Zelenodolsk, Maryanskoe, Velikaya Kostromka, etc. There is destruction of private houses and the multi-apartment sector, there are no casualties, said the head of the military administration of Krivoy Rog Alexander Vilkul.
08:33 The occupiers fired at the Dnipropetrovsk region from Gradov, the Zelenodolsk community fell under the gun, said the head of the OVA Valentin Reznichenko. According to him, there is destruction of houses, people were not injured.
08:30 The plane, which was taken to Moscow by the expelled Russian diplomats from Spain, and then from Greece, was forced to fly around 15 thousand kilometers due to a ban on flights over the EU countries, writes UP.
08:28 Russian warships in the Black Sea operational zone moved almost 200 kilometers from the Ukrainian coast, OK Pivden reported.
08:26 Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said that during the Russian invasion in Ukraine, 30% of the infrastructure worth $100 billion was destroyed or damaged.
08:11 The Russian occupiers are not going to stop their attack on Ukraine, and a ceasefire should not be expected in the coming weeks, Martin Griffiths, UN Deputy Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, believes.
08:00 The United States has extended by six weeks the deadline for applying for participation in the program, according to which Ukrainians without visas and documents can temporarily stay in the country. Ukrainians who have been in the country since April 11 can apply for temporary protected status (TPS). About 60,000 Ukrainians will be able to apply starting April 19.
07:37 According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the losses of the 126th coastal defense brigade of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation are up to 75%. The 810th Separate Marine Brigade of the Black Sea Fleet lost 158 ​​servicemen killed, about 500 wounded, and 70 people are missing. A significant part of the servicemen of these brigades wrote reports refusing to participate in the so-called "special operation."
07:35 Russian troops are trying to continue offensive operations in the Eastern Operational Zone in order to establish full control over the territory of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, as well as to hold the land corridor with Crimea, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said.
The main efforts of the enemy are focused on breaking through the defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Lugansk and Donetsk regions, as well as establishing full control over Mariupol.
In the Yuzhnobuzh direction, the main efforts of the Russian troops are concentrated on reaching the administrative limits of the Kherson region. The enemy is trying to conduct offensive operations in the area of ​​​​the settlement of Aleksandrovka, does not stop shelling civilian objects in Nikolaev.
07:30 The governor of the Belgorod region of the Russian Federation, Gladkov, again stated that allegedly there was shelling from Ukraine, the village of Golovchino, Graivoronsky district, was injured, and a woman was injured.
07:18 The Ministry of Defense of Japan will provide Ukraine with nuclear, biological and chemical protection kits (NBC), as well as drones.
07:01 Japan's new package of sanctions against Russia came into force. The restrictions include a ban on the import of 38 types of goods, including beer and vodka, engine parts for ships, aircraft, cars and motorcycles, veneer, pine wood and wood chips. Their total value when imported into Japan was 15 billion yen ($118 million).
Also, the country's Finance Minister Shun'ichi Suzuki said that Tokyo would put pressure on the G20 countries that did not support sanctions against Russia in order to eliminate loopholes for bypassing them.
06:28 Anonymous hackers said they hacked into the database of the Russian bank PSKB (Petersburg Social Commercial Bank) and intend to "leak" 800 GB of confidential data. The media note that the clients of this bank are Russian oligarchs.
06:24 In the Kiev region, traffic on the main bridges is planned to be restored by the end of April, said the head of the region, Alexander Pavlyuk.
04:16 Macron said he intends to discuss with Biden and the leaders of several other Western countries on April 19 a new package of sanctions against Russia, including an embargo on gas and oil.
03:42 The US State Department is considering declaring Russia a state sponsor of terrorism, spokesman Ned Price said. The process could take several weeks, he said.
Washington recognizes countries that have repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism as state sponsors of terrorism. Today there are officially four such states: Cuba, Iran, Syria and North Korea.
03:13 Macron told the France 5 channel that France does not depend on the supply of Russian fuel and fully supports the initiative of the embargo on gas and oil. He also denied the information that it was on his initiative that the issues of the embargo were postponed. Macron assures that in Europe this topic is blocked by a completely different country.
01:54 As of Monday evening, April 18, 16 countries have returned their embassies to Kiev, the Foreign Ministry said.
00:51 In Ukraine, over 30% of agricultural fields will not be used for sowing grain because of the war, the UN reported.
00:40 Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Alexei Danilov said that the exchange of Medvedchuk is possible only through the mediation of a third party. According to him, Ukraine is aware that it is dealing with Russia, which does not comply with any agreements. To prepare and carry out such an exchange, there must be intermediaries, because there is no trust in the invaders.