[Korrespondent] 21:22 Danilov is convinced that it was not Putin who traveled to the occupied territories of the Kherson and Lugansk regions, but one of his doubles: "There was no Putin there. This is an absolutely well-known thing. In order to communicate with the real Putin, you must 14 days to spend in quarantine. There was no Putin there. There was an ordinary double, of which he has more than one - this is already a well-known thing."
According to Danilov, Putin is "a frightened person" and it is simply impossible to think that he can come in this way. The NSDC secretary recalled how foreign guests are seated at a table at a great distance from the Russian president, and before Putin's trips, the preparatory process starts 2-3 weeks in advance, and "there have been no impromptu for a long time."
21:16 The Russians have learned to block the Elon Musk system, but the Ukrainian military has figured out how to deal with it. Read more in the material Secret weapon .
20:50 Before the start of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia called its army the second in the world. Now this expression has become a meme. Western officials are convinced that the Russian military has "significantly degraded" during the war against Ukraine. Read more in the material Rollback for 50 years .
20:41 The Pentagon announced the provision of a new package of military assistance to Ukraine for 325 million dollars. It will include, in particular, additional ammunition for HIMARS; artillery shells of 155 mm and 105 mm caliber; heavy anti-tank guided missiles (TOW); complexes of anti-tank weapons AT-4; anti-tank mines; more than 9 million cartridges for small arms; precision-guided aviation munitions; spare parts and other field equipment.
19:56 Reznikov confirmed that Ukraine received a second IRIS-T installation from Germany.
19:45 NATO countries will be able to think about accepting Ukraine into the alliance, but only after the end of the war, Czech President Petr Pavel said after talks in Brussels with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
19:36 The United States will announce a new package of military assistance to Ukraine today, said White House Speaker Karine Jean-Pierre.
19:18 Ukraine called on Shell's management to transfer to it more than $1 billion from a possible sale of its assets in Russia, Politico writes, citing a letter from Zelensky's adviser Oleg Ustenko to CEO Vael Savan. Ustenko urged Shell to share with Ukraine any profits from a potential Russian buyout of a British firm's stake in a Siberian fossil fuel operation: "If this sale is completed, it would mean transferring more than $1 billion in cash in Russia to Shell's accounts. That would be blood money in its purest form."
19:03 Russia is going to allegedly send more than 26,000 children from the occupied territories of Ukraine to rest, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Tatyana Golikova said: “We are talking about 631 camps based on educational organizations with daytime stay for children. This will be able to attract 20,000 children to rest. And another 6,000 children from new regions will have a rest in other subjects of the Russian Federation, including the Black Sea."
18:34 The US Treasury announced the imposition of sanctions against an international network of companies and individuals who helped Iran obtain electronics and equipment for the production of combat drones.
18:26 In Skadovsk, Kherson region, the Russians are forcing all collaborators and those who cooperate with them to sign an obligation not to leave the area. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in this way the invaders use the civilian population to cover themselves with a "human shield".
17:44 The Irish low-cost airline Ryanair is ready to resume work in Ukraine two weeks after the end of the war, as soon as flights to the country become safe, CEO Michael O'Leary said. He also said that the airline plans to create 30 routes and set up several bases in Ukraine within 12 months of its return.
17:03 Russia is concentrating the largest number of its forces in Bakhmut and is striving to completely take the city under its control, however, the Defense Forces are holding back enemy pressure in dynamic battles, inflicting significant losses on him, said Alexander Syrsky, commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
16:46 The project of the National War Memorial Cemetery involves the placement of 50,000 graves, excluding columbarium, said Maxim Kushnir, director of the Department of Civil Identity and Veteran Development of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs. According to him, the ministry reviewed about ten possible sites for cemeteries and settled on the Bykivnyansky graves. The main reference point for the project will be the cemetery in Stockholm, since "it is there that about 40,000 burials fall on the pine forest zone," he added.
16:17 In the village of Tetkino, Kursk region of the Russian Federation, a sugar factory was attacked by drones at night, according to the Russian telegram channel Mash. According to him, the drones, which allegedly flew from the territory of Ukraine, dropped at least ten shells on the territory of the enterprise, nine of them exploded.
15:53 ​​British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace is confident in the success of the UAF counter-offensive, but warns that the war will not end quickly: "I am optimistic that between this and next years, I think that Ukraine will maintain momentum and a position of strength. I also believe that we have to be realistic. There won't be one magical moment when Russia falls apart."
15:20 Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems from the United States, the Netherlands and Germany arrived in Ukraine, First Deputy Defense Minister Oleksandr Pavlyuk said.
14:58 Zelensky is on a working visit to Volyn, visited border guards on the border of Ukraine with Belarus and Poland.
14:45 Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar said that the counteroffensive should not be reduced to some kind of active offensive actions and specific dates. According to her, this is a set of measures, and counter-offensive actions are already underway in the east. "To speak narrowly about the counter-offensive is incorrect. This is a huge range of actions and activities carried out by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This is, first of all, preparing people for a set of actions - both defensive and offensive. But all together, if we are talking about our strategic goal, it can be called counter-offensive measures," she explained.
Malyar stressed that decisions are made in a very short time, and not in a month or two. The plan is finally chosen so that the enemy cannot react. "You must understand that today the Armed Forces of Ukraine are not preparing one thing in any particular direction, but every day they are preparing for the complete liberation of our territories," she added.
The Deputy Minister of Defense noted that active assault operations in Bakhmut, Marinka on the Avdeevsky and Limansky directions of the front can also be considered an element of the counteroffensive: "The Armed Forces of Ukraine and various actions of a defensive and offensive nature are constantly being prepared. Counteroffensive actions are also ongoing in the east."
14:28 Six Leopard 2 tanks, which Spain promised to transfer to Ukraine, arrived at the port of Santander in the north of the country. The tanks, along with other promised armored vehicles, are expected to arrive in Ukraine by the end of the month, according to CNN.
14:09 The Russian night drone attack on Odessa was aimed at searching for and destroying air defense systems, said Natalia Gumenyuk, speaker of the OK Pivden: “They covered themselves with a feature of the region, a feature of the landscape in order to be as invisible as possible. her. That is why, we suspect, there was such a group attack with several passes to provoke the air defenses." Gumenyuk added that the attack was carried out from the Sea of ​​Azov.
13:48 Peskov said that Moscow regrets the "unfriendly position" of Seoul in Ukraine, the supply of weapons to Kiev will mean involvement in the conflict. And Medvedev, in turn, threatened that in the event of the supply of Korean weapons to Ukraine, Russia would transfer to the DPRK "the latest samples of Russian weapons."
13:40 Reznikov confirmed that the Patriot air defense system is already in Ukraine: "Today, our beautiful Ukrainian sky is becoming safer, because Patriot air defense systems have arrived in Ukraine. Our defenders mastered them as quickly as possible."
13:14 The second Iris-T SLM complex is already in Ukraine, Spiegel reports. The transfer of one Iris-T complex and 16 missiles took place a few days ago.
12:53 The Patriot air defense system transferred by Germany will be able to shoot down Russian targets at a distance of up to 150 km, Air Force speaker Yuri Ignat said. If it is one of the latest variants of the SAM, namely the Patriot PAC-3, it will also be able to shoot down ballistic missiles such as the Iskander-M at a distance of up to 40 km, he said.
12:29 The Russian military is intensifying shelling of southern Ukraine, Natalya Gumenyuk, speaker of OK Pivden, told Radio Liberty: "To some extent, this is justified by panicky expectations of a counteroffensive. We have already seen this when such activity began to liberate the right bank." According to her, another reason for the shelling is the terror of the civilian population.
12:16 Pushilin's "administration" assured that the "DNR" would not send conscripts to the troops during the spring conscription. Those who received the summons and passed the medical examination after being registered with the military will supposedly stay at home.
12:08 Ukraine and Turkey have reached an agreement on resuming the registration and inspection of ships arriving to be loaded with Ukrainian grain, Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said following a meeting with Turkish Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar. The main issue of the meeting is the unblocking and ensuring the effective functioning of the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
Kubrakov recalled that from April 10, Russia stopped registering a new incoming fleet to participate in the Initiative and refused to work according to the plans of Ukrainian ports. This made it impossible to draw up inspection plans and effectively stopped the entry of new ships under the grain initiative.
In turn, the Russian media reported, citing the press service of the UN coordinator, that inspections of ships under the grain deal were resumed after two days of negotiations.
11:49 Russia is preparing sabotage at energy facilities in Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden, according to a joint investigation by DK, NRK, SVT and Yle television and radio companies. Journalists examined data on radio traffic and the location of Russian ships around their states and found out that Russia is mapping wind farms, gas pipelines, power and Internet cables in the waters around Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden.
The Russians want to find out how the infrastructure of these countries is connected and prepare for possible sabotage at the facilities. Also, Russian "ghost ships" are sailing in northern waters with their location transmitters turned off. The investigation notes that over the past ten years, about 50 Russian ships have traveled along very suspicious routes.
11:25 "LPR" and "DPR" issued "decrees" on conscription of citizens born in 1996-2005 for military service in 2023. The spring "call" will last until August 1, and the autumn one - until January 15 next year. In Luhansk and Donetsk, a "conscription commission" and local "commissions" are being created.
Also, the "decree" is supposed to "weekly sum up the work on the search for citizens who are not fulfilling military duty, and the implementation of measures related to conscription for military service."
10:54 On the evening of April 18, the Russians launched an air strike on the city of Volchansk, Kharkiv region: two residential buildings, outbuildings and a market were damaged, where a large-scale fire broke out. Today, during search and rescue operations, the bodies of two dead were found, and the rubble is being cleared, Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA, said.
10:38 The Chinese Foreign Ministry, commenting on Macron's plan for Ukraine, said that Beijing supports the European side in an effort to promote peace negotiations.
10:17 Ukraine at the Ramstein meeting on Friday, April 21, will ask the allies for anti-aircraft missiles, as air defense stocks are running out, writes the Financial Times. Kyiv fears that an acute shortage of such munitions could allow Russia to launch a massive bombardment, while in the West they worry that without good air defense, the counteroffensive could fail.
09:56 The FSB announced the prevention of sabotage in Kerch: a citizen of Russia and Ukraine was detained, who allegedly prepared an explosion at an energy system facility. The man has been arrested and faces a life sentence.
09:20 In the Donetsk region over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling, one person was killed (in Bakhmut), 13 more people were injured. Four people were injured in the Kharkiv region. In the Kherson region, one person died and ten were injured, according to the IVA.
09:04 The "authorities" of the occupied Nova Kakhovka announced a heavy artillery shelling that began early in the morning, one person was killed, two were injured.
09:02 Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the difficulties with registering new ships and conducting inspections under the grain deal occur "solely because of the actions of representatives of Ukraine and the UN."
08:49 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of April 19.
- personnel - about 183,750 (+620) people liquidated,
- tanks - 3665 (+4),
- armored combat vehicles - 7110 (+12),
- artillery systems - 2819 (+9),
- MLRS - 538 (+0),
- air defense systems - 285 (+0),
- aircraft - 308 (+0),
- helicopters - 293 (+0),
- UAV operational-tactical level - 2376 (+23),
- cruise missiles - 911 (+0),
- ships/boats - 18 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tankers - 5692 (+16),
- special equipment - 330 (+0).
08:33 The Russian army is focusing its main efforts on conducting offensive operations in the Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdeevsky and Maryinsky directions. Over the past day, units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled more than 60 enemy attacks. The most fierce battles are being fought for Bakhmut and Marinka, the General Staff reported in the morning report .
In the occupied territory of the Kherson region, the Russians are mining the area, in particular the waters of the Konka and Dnieper rivers. There are cases of explosions of local residents on enemy mines when trying to enter the water.
08:12 In the Odessa region, as a result of a night attack by drones, there was a hit in a public infrastructure facility. There are no previous casualties. According to OK Pivden, the drones hit a recreational infrastructure facility, the fire has already been extinguished.
07:57 South Korean President Yoon Sok-yeol said for the first time that Seoul could expand support for Ukraine, going beyond humanitarian and economic assistance, if it suffers a "large-scale" attack: "If a situation arises that the international community cannot tolerate, for example , a large-scale attack on civilians, a massacre, or a serious violation of the laws of war, it may be difficult for us to insist on humanitarian or financial support alone."
07:24 In the sky over the Odessa region at night, air defense forces shot down 10 of 12 enemy Shahed-136/131 kamikaze drones, the command of the Air Force reported.
06:28 Russia is using secret weapons in an attempt to disrupt Starlink data transmission in Ukraine, writes The Washington Post, citing a secret US intelligence report. In particular, the Russian Federation has been experimenting with its Tobol electronic warfare systems for months , trying to deprive the Armed Forces of Ukraine of communications.
02:20 The White House believes that Brazil's position regarding the war in Ukraine, as well as the role of the United States and Europe in countering Russian aggression, does not correspond to the tone of a neutral state. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre criticized Brazilian Foreign Minister Mowery Vieira's statement: "We were struck by the tone of yesterday's press conference of the Foreign Minister, which did not correspond to the tone of neutrality and hinted that the United States and Europe are not interested in peace, or that we share responsibility for the war, and we believe that this is clearly the wrong position."
She stressed that the United States supports Zelensky's call for a just and strong peace based on the UN Charter and insists on respect for the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.
01:14 In Russian Yekaterinburg, Rostov-on-Don and Ulyanovsk, quotes from the stories of the mobilized and their relatives about what is happening in the war in Ukraine appeared on the screens of several electronic billboards, writes Mediazona. In particular, information appeared on billboards that the mobilized were sent to the front line without minimal training, using them as "meat". Also, on some shields, stories of the military about heavy losses in the ranks of the Russian army were posted. Yekaterinburg authorities said it was a hack and the police are already looking for hackers.
00:57 The governor of the Bryansk region, Alexander Bogomaz, announced the attack of an allegedly Ukrainian drone on the building of the military enlistment office in the city of Novozybkov. As a result of the attack, no one was injured, the glass in the building was partially broken.
00:39 NATO does not yet have evidence that China is transferring weapons to Russia, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said: "We are monitoring the situation very closely and have not yet seen any evidence that China is providing lethal military assistance to Russia." He also said that it would "be a big mistake" for China to support Putin's illegal war.