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 Zelensky said in an evening video message that the United States will provide Ukraine with long-range ATACMS missiles in a new package of military assistance.
22:28 Kuleba said that Ukraine is discussing with its allies the provision of four Patriot batteries: “Currently, four specific batteries are in development, if we are talking about Patriot. Negotiations are underway between us and the relevant countries and the United States.”
22:19 Most analysts agree that problems await Ukraine in the near future. The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Kirill Budanov, says that the coming period will be difficult, but “difficult and catastrophic are two different things.” Read about what awaits us in the article War in the summer of 2024.
21:34 Zelensky said that he met with a bipartisan delegation of the US Congress. We discussed macro-financial support, military assistance, in particular the need for artillery shells, long-range missiles, electronic warfare and UAVs, combat aircraft, and support for the development of the Ukrainian defense industry. There was also talk about the confiscation of frozen Russian assets.
21:25 The Russian army in the Donetsk region has broken through the Ukrainian front near Avdeevka, says German BILD journalist and open data analysis expert Julian Repke. According to him, the invaders advanced in a northwestern direction from the city, and the enemy allegedly entered the village of Ocheretino. But there is no official confirmation from the Defense Forces yet. For more information about what is known, see the material Breakthrough of the Front at Avdeevka.
20:47 Radio Liberty showed the consequences of the attack on a television tower in Kharkov:
20:26 The Russians struck near the village. Yurchenkovo, Chuguevsky district, Kharkov region - as a result of a direct hit on an excavator, its driver died, the prosecutor's office reported. Also, one person was injured during aerial shelling of the village. Prikolotnoe Olkhovat community. In the village In Glushkovka of the Kurilov community, the buildings of an agricultural enterprise were damaged as a result of shelling.
19:59 Zelensky said that he had a telephone conversation with Biden following the voting results in the House of Representatives. The American president assured that he would immediately sign the law after approval by the Senate, and that the first defense aid package “will be fast and powerful and will strengthen our air defense, long-range and artillery capabilities,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky also told Biden about the attack on the Kharkov TV tower. According to him, “this is Russia’s clear intention to make the city uninhabitable.”
19:32 According to preliminary data, the Russians attacked a television infrastructure facility in Kharkov with an X-59 missile, the prosecutor’s office reported.
18:51 It has become popular among Russian school principals to invite Russian military personnel who have come from the front to visit their students. However, they invite not just military personnel, but the main “heroes” of the so-called “SVO” - Wagnerites, who usually turn out to be murderers, pedophiles or serial maniacs. However, such meetings with criminals are now proudly called in Russia “education of patriotism.” Read more in the material Lesson from the “hero”.
18:26 The first deliveries of ammunition to Ukraine within the framework of the Czech initiative will begin in late May - early June, Borrell said. He also noted that a number of EU countries have expressed their readiness to supply air defense systems and ammunition to Ukraine in the near future.
18:14 Peskov said that Putin “stated the fact of Russia’s readiness for a peaceful solution to the Ukrainian issue, but “this is not a peaceful initiative.” He added that Kyiv de jure rejects the possibility of negotiations with Moscow, and there is no progress on this issue.
17:35 The Russians carried out strikes on Kharkov and three settlements in the region within an hour, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA. In the regional center, the enemy struck a television infrastructure facility - no people were injured, but there were interruptions in the digital television signal. In Volchansk, a guided aerial bomb hit the territory of an inactive meat processing plant, in the village. Slobozhanskoe, Kharkov district, hit an open area, in Dergachi also hit an open area.
16:54 The next meeting of the Ramstein Contact Group will take place on April 26 in a video conference format, said Dutch Defense Minister Kaisa Ollongren.
16:49 Sweden does not rule out transferring the Patriot air defense system to Ukraine, Defense Minister Paul Johnson said: “We are at the stage of creating our own air defense system. Many countries use Patriot, and the United States has significant resources in this area. It is quite possible that we can do contribution, but we have to look at how best to do it."
16:43 The supply of weapons from Western partners will level out the situation at the front, Zelensky said following a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Headquarters. According to him, the Russian army has been given “the task of demonstrating at least some victories before May 9, without regard to its own losses. Now they are also being urged on by the positive decisions of Ukraine’s friends.”
The President also instructed that by the next meeting of the Headquarters, to collect everything that intelligence knows about the Russians’ intentions to destroy civilian infrastructure, and to prepare a comprehensive plan for further actions: strengthening physical protection, redistributing air defense systems and decentralization.
15:57 Zelensky said that he does not believe in the possibility of the Olympic truce initiated by Macron: “I don’t believe in this with Russia. I don’t believe in this format of the truce as a whole, I don’t believe in any format of the truce with the Russian Federation. Emmanuel is he knows, he himself is a witness of this, we were together in the Normandy format. We went through this entire Minsk process together, France, Germany, Ukraine - we are all living witnesses that there is no frozen conflict with Russia. This is a question for Russia to regroup and leave to them. more additional forces to destroy us later.”
15:18 The German manufacturer of building materials Knauf announced that it is completely curtailing its activities in Russia after more than 30 years of work in the Russian market. This decision was preceded by a scandal with construction in occupied Mariupol. The media found out that German companies, in particular Knauf and WKB Systems, are helping Russians carry out construction in Mariupol.
14:33 Bild writes that Germany has disrupted the supply of MRAP armored vehicles to Ukraine. This year, Berlin promised to supply the Ukrainian Armed Forces with up to 400 heavy MRAP wheeled armored vehicles with enhanced mine protection. A contract was signed for 315 million euros, which was to be financed by Germany. However, deliveries never began. The plan was reduced first to 200 and then to 100 vehicles, and the start of deliveries was postponed to May-June.
The reason is that the supplier company receives spare parts for MRAP from the USA and only assembles them in Germany. According to the newspaper, the company had “limitations on its license to export from the United States to Germany,” as well as problems with mine protection certification.
14:01 Norway will join the initiative to provide Ukraine with additional air defense systems financially, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said: “We have very little time, so Norway will be involved in financing. There are several other countries that contribute to this, because they have air defense systems defenses that can get into Ukraine quite quickly, and they have been working intensively on this in the last few days and weeks."
13:55 Latvia is ready to transfer a short-range air defense system to Ukraine, Defense Minister Andris Spruds said.
13:26 As a result of an attack on the rescue ship Communa in Sevastopol, at least two employees of the auxiliary fleet of the Russian Navy were injured, reports the opposition Russian publication Astra. According to sources, on the morning of April 21, an anti-ship missile Neptune was shot down over one of the berths of Holland Bay in Sevastopol, and fragments fell on the Kommuna ship, which caught fire.
12:59 The Russian army again shelled the Dnieper district of Kherson - two people were wounded, the OVA reported.
12:35 A Russian plane dropped another aerial bomb on the Belgorod region, the opposition Russian publication Astra reported. FAB-500 was found in the area of the Stadnikov village of the Shebekinsky city district on April 21. Earlier, journalists counted at least 21 aerial bombs that fell from Russian planes onto the territory of the Russian Federation or the occupied territories of Ukraine in March and April.
12:27 A bipartisan delegation of the US Congress arrived in Kiev. It included members of the House of Representatives Thomas Kane, Bill Keating, Madeleine Dean and Nathaniel Moran, the US Embassy in Ukraine reported.
11:54 Dmitry Pletenchuk has been appointed head of the Center for Strategic Communications of the Southern Defense Forces - he told Ukrinform about this. He was appointed to replace Natalya Gumenyuk, who was recently fired after numerous complaints from journalists. Previously, Pletenchuk was the speaker of the Ukrainian Navy.
11:39 Russian troops fired at a bus stop in the Dnieper district of Kherson, one person was wounded, the OVA reported.
11:03 EU and NATO member countries are putting pressure on Greece and Spain to transfer additional air defense systems to Ukraine, writes the Financial Times. Following Kyiv's call for at least seven additional systems, only Germany announced deliveries of Patriot, while other EU leaders used last week's Brussels summit to personally urge the prime ministers of Spain and Greece to donate some of their systems to Ukraine. In particular, the partners argued such a request by the fact that their armed forces have more than ten Patriot and other systems, and their needs are not as great as the needs of Ukraine.
“We all know who has them, we all know where they are, and we all know who really needs them,” one of the interlocutors told the publication. However, Poland and Romania, which also have Patriot, are under less pressure given their more vulnerable location on the border with Ukraine.
10:32 At the end of 2023, Ukraine ranked first in the world in terms of growth in military spending relative to GDP - they increased by 11%, to 37% of GDP, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Russia is in second place - its military spending increased by 1.2%, to 5.9%. Overall, Ukraine’s military spending increased by 51% and amounted to $64.8 billion in 2023. Thus, Ukraine moved from 11th place in military spending in 2022 to 8th place in 2023.
Global military spending has increased for the ninth year in a row. In 2023, they increased by another 6.8% to $2.4 trillion, which corresponds to 2.3% of global GDP. This is the highest global level of military spending since SIPRI research. Analysts attribute this trend to wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as tensions in Asia.
09:48 Budanov said in an interview with the BBC that Ukraine will face a difficult situation from May, but not a catastrophic one: “In our assessment, a rather difficult situation awaits us in the near future. But it is not catastrophic, this also needs to be understood. Armageddon will not happen, as many are now starting to say. But there will be problems from mid-May.” The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate clarified that these will be problems not only at the front, but also in the context of the internal political situation, since “the Russians will use an integrated approach.” “This will be a difficult period. Mid-May, early June,” the scout added.
Budanov also predicts that the conflict with Russia will be permanent. In his opinion, the current war will end after the Ukrainian Armed Forces reach the borders of 1991, but then “this conflict will permanently appear, subside, reappear, and so on.” “Look at our history. We, the Russian Federation, the Russian Empire, the Moscow Kingdom, have been making peace and fighting all our lives. We will not be able to change the course of history in the future,” Budanov explained.
At the same time, he believes that there is now no threat of an attack on Kyiv, and such a scenario was and remains “groundless.” According to Budanov, as of now, “there is absolutely no threat.”
09:07 In the Kherson region over the past 24 hours, the Russians fired at Novovorontsovka, Antonovka, Kherson, Kazatskoye, Berislav and Novoberislav. Three people were wounded, one of them a child, said the head of the OVA, Alexander Prokudin. Hits were recorded in a medical facility, educational institution, kindergarten, and gas pipeline.
08:36 During the night attack, kamikaze drones, which failed to be shot down, hit the territory of a farm in the Odessa region. Warehouse buildings and farm equipment were damaged, but no people were injured, the Southern Defense Force said.
08:18 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of April 22:
personnel - about 460,260 (+730) people,
tanks - 7236 (+7),
armored combat vehicles - 13,904 (+8),
artillery systems - 11,736 (+17),
MLRS - 1046 (+0),
air defense systems - 768 (+1),
aircraft - 348 (+0),
helicopters - 325 (+0),
UAV of operational-tactical level - 9384 (+5),
cruise missiles - 2117 (+2),
ships/boats - 26 (+0),
submarines - 1 (+0),
automotive equipment and tank trucks - 15,812 (+27),
special equipment - 1934 (+8).
07:39 Air defense at night destroyed five of the seven attack UAVs of the Shahed-131/136 type, which Russia attacked from the Crimean Cape Chauda, the Air Force command reported. All drones were destroyed in the Odessa region. Air defense forces also shot down an Orlan-10 operational-tactical UAV. In addition, Russia attacked with three S-300/S-400 anti-aircraft guided missiles from the occupied territory of the Donetsk region.
07:27 Over the past 24 hours, 85 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report. In particular, the enemy tried 23 times to break through the defenses of Ukrainian troops in the Novopavlovsk direction - in the Georgievka, Novomikhailovka, Vodyanoye and Urozhainy areas of the Donetsk region. Another 17 attacks were repelled in Limanskoye (in the areas of Serebryansky forestry in the Lugansk region and Ternov in the Donetsk region) and 16 attacks in Avdeevskoye (in the areas of the settlements of Ocheretino, Berdychi, Umanskoye, Yasnobrodovka, Netaylovo and Pervomaiskoye in the Donetsk region). In the Bakhmut direction, 14 attacks were repelled in the areas of Belogorivka, Luhansk region, as well as Verkhnekamensky, Vyemka, Bogdanovka, Donetsk region.
The enemy did not conduct offensive actions in the Kupyansk direction. In the Orekhovsky direction, the Defense Forces repelled four attacks in the Staromayorsky districts of the Donetsk region and Rabotino, Zaporozhye region; on Kherson - four attacks on the left bank of the Dnieper.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] It will be difficult for the Ukrainian military to contain the Russians in the summer.
The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine predicts a difficult situation at the front starting in May 2024.
Forecasting the further course of hostilities is a thankless task.
However, most analysts agree that problems await Ukraine in the near future. The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Kirill Budanov, says that the coming period will be difficult, but “difficult and catastrophic are two different things.”
NEGATIVE OUTLOOK
President Vladimir Zelensky suggests that Russia intends to capture Chasov Yar before May 9, after which it will launch another offensive in June 2024. The Ukrainian military does not yet have enough equipment and artillery shells to repel Russian attacks at Chasovoy Yar. According to Zelensky, if the United States transfers weapons in time, Ukraine will be able to defeat the occupiers’ plans for a summer offensive.
“Armageddon will not happen, as many are now starting to say. But there will be problems from mid-May,” says Budanov.
IMPACT DIRECTION
Chasov Yar and its heights are the gateway to Konstantinovka and further to the Slavyansko-Kramatorsk agglomeration. It’s not for nothing that Chasov Yar is sometimes called the Gate of Donbass.
The attack on Kupyansk is a struggle for logistics.
The section of the Kremennaya-Svatovo front is an important artery, the foreground of the railway line to Starobelsk. The Russians are spending enormous resources in attacks on villages and plantings in this area and up to Kupyansk. They are trying to move the high-precision weapons of the Ukrainian Armed Forces away from the railway line.
In addition, the Russian army has tried to advance near Ugledar several times since last year, regularly leaving dozens of pieces of equipment there, including T-72B3 tanks manufactured in 2022, and old T-55s.
AVIATION FACTOR
According to military analysts, Russian aviation has returned to the battlefield as a serious factor. It may not be possible to quickly and reliably prevent the threat from Russian aviation even if the Ukrainian Armed Forces receive the first F-16s.
Russian pilots have more flying experience, more experienced ground crews than the quickly retrained Ukrainian ones, and more runways in the European part of Russia.
And then there are the AWACS (early airborne warning) planes - although Ukraine shot down two of them and likely damaged several more during overhauls on the ground. But these aircraft will rise into the air when the struggle for initiative in the sky begins.
WESTERN HELP
In addition to the recently approved assistance from the United States, Ukraine will continue to receive other weapons. In Germany, the production of smart mines is being resumed, and the plant of 35x228 mm shells for Cheetahs will reach planned capacity in mid-2024.
Work is also underway to localize the production of Bayraktarov in Ukraine.
What remains is the drone coalition, in which France, Germany, Great Britain and other countries are sending Ukraine hundreds of kamikaze drones and reconnaissance vehicles.
Europe is expanding production of Patriot launchers. Poland, Germany, Romania, Spain and the Netherlands are planning to purchase up to a thousand PAC-2 GEM-T missiles.
There are prospects of receiving 1.5 million 155mm ammunition from EU countries, including through the Czech initiative.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[KavkazUzel] Two police officers were killed and another was injured in Karachay-Cherkessia as a result of an attack by unknown persons, Sledkom reported today. According to sources, the attackers stole the service weapons of the security forces.
According to the press service of the investigative department of the Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee for Karachay-Cherkessia, two policemen were killed and another was injured as a result of an attack by unknown persons on a patrol service (PPS).
According to investigators, on April 22, an unknown person attacked the police squad of the Karachaevsky Ministry of Internal Affairs. The security officer, who was wounded, was taken to the hospital, TASS reported today from the press service.
The attack on the police took place around midnight in Karachaevsk; unknown persons opened fire on them and then stole their service weapons. The Siren plan has been announced in Karachay-Cherkessia. Security forces were fired upon on Bazarnaya Street while they were patrolling the area. The attackers stole Kalashnikov assault rifles and cartridges, Mash.ru reported today.
Two people are suspected of the attack, who could have escaped in a silver Lada Granta or a white Lada Priora. However, their involvement in the attack has not yet been confirmed, the Baza telegram channel noted.
Adds kavkaz-uzel.eu:
The investigative department of the Investigative Committee for Karachay-Cherkessia published a video from the scene of the attack on security forces in Karachaevsk on its telegram channel today.
The footage of the video shows rows of garages, the action takes place in the dark. In the footage, one of the areas is fenced off with police tape, a UAZ police officer is standing at the area, several police officers are standing next to him, as well as one Sledkom employee. They all do an inspection.
Next, an employee of the Sledkom is shown talking with a man in camouflage clothing. Their speech is not heard. Then the door of one of the garages is shown open, the lights are on. Police and Investigative Committee officers are working in and around the garage. Inside the garage you can see a Lada car, and you can also see shelves on which various household items lie. This ends the 23 second video.
Let us remind you that, according to sources, the attack on the police was carried out around midnight; unknown persons opened fire on them and then stole their service weapons. Security forces were fired upon on Bazarnaya Street while they were patrolling the area.
The armed incident in Karachay-Cherkessia was the first in two and a half years.
Article Linked To Is Available Only Via VPN
[EngMilRu] The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.
The Yug Group of Forces units have fully liberated Novomikhailovka (Donetsk People's Republic) as a result of the successful actions, and improved their tactical position along the front line.
Strikes were delivered at manpower and hardware of the 10th Mountain Assault, 79th, 92nd Air Assault, 46th, 81st Airmobile, 22nd, 23rd, 28th, 41st, 93rd Mechanised brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) close to Belogorovka (Lugansk People's Republic), Spornoye, Minkovka, Kleshcheyevka, Chasov Yar, Andreyevka, and Ostroye (Donetsk People's Republic).
Three counter-attacks launched by the AFU 33rd Mechanised, 80th Air Assault brigades were repelled close to Bogdanovka and Pobeda (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 410 Ukrainian troops, nine motor vehicles, and one 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system. One Anklav electronic warfare station and one ammunition depot were also eliminated.
The Zapad Group of Forces' units captured more advantageous lines and inflicted losses on the 21st Mechanised and 95th Air Assault brigades of the AFU near Terny (Donetsk People's Republic).
Four counter-attacks launched by the 12th Special Forces Brigade (Azov) have been repelled near Grigorovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses included up to 25 Ukrainian troops, two pickup trucks, and one 122mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system.
The Tsentr Group of Forces' units improved the tactical situation and repelled nine counter-attacks launched by the assault groups of the 25th Air Assault, 68th, 71st Jaeger, 59th Motorised Infantry, 24th, 47th, 100th, and 115th Mechanised brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Pervomayskoye, Semyonovka, Netaylovo, and Berdychi (Donetsk People's Republic).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 365 Ukrainian troops, one German-made Marder infantry fighting vehicle, 12 motor vehicles, one 122mm D-30 howitzer, as well as three electronic warfare stations: Nota and Bukovel-AD.
The Vostok Group of Forces' units captured more advantageous lines and inflicted losses on the units of the 58th Motorised Infantry, 72nd Mechanised brigades of the AFU, 102nd and 128th Territorial Defence brigades near Staromayorskoye, Ugledar, Urozhaynoye (Donetsk People's Republic) and Chervonoye (Zaporozhye region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 95 Ukrainian troops, two motor vehicles, and one UK-made 155mm FH-70 howitzer.
The units of the Dnepr Group of Forces have inflicted fire damage on manpower and hardware of the AFU 141st Infantry, 65th Mechanised, and 128th Mountain Assault brigades near Rabotino, Novoandreyevka, and Stepovoye (Zaporozhye region).
The AFU losses amounted to up to 45 Ukrainian troops and two pickup trucks.
Operational-Tactical Aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have engaged one air defence positioning area, one storage point for uncrewed surface vehicles, manpower and hardware of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 142 areas.
Air defence systems shot down 240 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles during the day.
In total, 592 airplanes, 270 helicopters, 22,529 unmanned aerial vehicles, 508 air-to-air missile systems, 15,817 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,269 MLRS combat vehicles, 9,040 field artillery guns and mortars, and 21,232 special military vehicles have been neutralised since the beginning of the special military operation.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 22:46 An air raid alert was announced in Kyiv and a number of regions of Ukraine. An air threat warning regime was announced in Kyiv and a number of regions of Ukraine. This is evidenced by data from the online map of the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation. 21:35 Avdeevskoe direction.
Another batch of positive things arrives in the evening. Our attack aircraft came inin the village Novobakhmutovka, south of Ocheretino. The enemy withdraws his units from Solovyov.
It seems that the Russian army found a weakness in the enemy’s defense, which was slowly crumbling.
20:53 They report about the advancement of our units in the Ocheretino square. Shots from the center. The enemy retreated to the northern outskirts of the village.
The assault and mopup continues.
19:30 Crews of 152mm howitzers D-20 of the “South” group of troops inflicted attacks on strongholds of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Donetsk direction.
Adjustment of gun fire is carried out in real time using unmanned aircraft, which allows you to destroy enemy positions as quickly as possible and with minimal consumption of ammunition.
18:48 The Ukrainian resource Deep State confirmed the capture of a significant part of Ocheretino by the Russian army.
According to the project, the powerful breakthrough occurred because the Russians “caught the Defense Forces during a change of units.”
Deep State claims that the Russian Armed Forces have established a foothold in the southern part of the village and in the high-rise buildings - in their opinion, this is a “serious tactical success for Russia.”
17:35 Paratroopers from Buryatia occupied stronghold on the outskirts of Chasov Yar and captured four prisoners of the Ukrainian Armed Forces
Paratroopers on BMD-2 and T-80 tanks destroyed exposed firing points and AGS crews, and suppressed enemy mortar sections.
After the work of the armored group, assault groups of Trans-Baikal paratroopers advanced to capture the strong point, who, using small arms fire and grenade launchers, were able to break the resistance of the remaining Ukrainian Armed Forces militants, occupy and clear the held strong point.
During the clearing of the stronghold, four militants of the Kyiv regime surrendered; those who refused to lay down their arms were eliminated.
16:54 Powerful explosions in the Dnepropetrovsk region.
16:15 The Russian Aerospace Forces launched an airstrike on Dergachi, a suburb of Kharkov.
16:10 The Russian Armed Forces entered the territory of the village of Razdolovka in the Seversk region.
15:50 Powerful explosions are reported in Khar'kov.
15:35 Parallel to the events west of Avdievka, in Chasov Yar and Novomikhailovka went activity in the South Donetsk direction.
The 305th Artillery Brigade of the Vostok group is actively practicing targets in the direction of Velyka Novosyolka, from where the Ukrainian army launched part of its counteroffensive last year.
Judging by what is happening, preparatory work to improve positions in this area is being carried out around the clock, and with one goal - to weaken the positions of the Ukrainian army as much as possible before larger events.
14:50 Stormtroopers of the Russian army advanced in Krasnogorovka.
14:36 Ukrainian channels confirm the significant advance of the Russian Armed Forces in Ocheretino.
13:40 The main thing from the new briefing of the Russian Ministry of Defense:
Russian troops hit a Ukrainian air defense position area and a storage point for unmanned boats;
Groupings “South” and “Center” improved their tactical position, “East” and “West” occupied more advantageous positions;
Russian air defense systems shot down 240 Ukrainian drones per day;
The Russian Armed Forces group “West” repulsed four counterattacks of the “Azov” battalion near Grigorovka in the DPR within 24 hours;
The Center group of troops repelled nine counterattacks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces; the enemy in its area of ??responsibility lost 365 military personnel and Marder infantry fighting vehicles;
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 95 military personnel and a 155mm FH-70 howitzer made in Great Britain from the actions of the Vostok group of troops;
The Dnepr group of troops inflicted fire damage on three brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces within 24 hours; enemy losses amounted to up to 45 military personnel.
13:29 Avdievka direction: fighting in the center of Ocheretino -situation as of 13:00 April 22, 2024
Russian troops are rapidly pushing through enemy defenses north of Avdievka.
Assault groups of the Russian Armed Forces took full control of the Ocheretino railway station, advancing along Zheleznodorozhnaya Street 1.2 kilometers to the northwest.
Russian troops are also establishing positions along the streets located south of the railway station.
At the moment, there is no information about control over the northern part of the village behind the railway. In the surrounding area there are several more solid buildings that you can rely on for defense: the territory of the Altkom brick factory, a school and a local water utility.
The situation is developing dynamically, and it is possible that the Ukrainian Armed Forces will not have enough strength to hold back the onslaught of Russian troops. If Ukrainian formations lose control over the populated area, then the fall of Novobakhmutovka and Novokalinovo will only be a matter of time.
13:20 The Russian Ministry of Defense announced the liberation of Novomikhailovka in the DPR.
13:08 The Russian army broke through the defenses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the village of Ocheretino near Donetsk and took control of the central part of the village.
12:35 Ongoing promotionin Ocheretino in the area of the railway and railway station, the enemy is gradually losing control over the southern part of Ocheretino. If current trends continue, it will be possible to say that the enemy’s second line of defense to the west of Avdievka has not held up.
12:00 Ukrainian troops in small groups are trying to leave Ocheretino in the DPR in the Avdeevsky direction along a road shelled by Russian artillery. This was announced by adviser to the head of the republic Igor Kimakovsky.
11:24 Enemy acknowledges further advance of our troops inside Ocheretino. The main battles are now taking place in the area of the railway station. The enemy's attempts to drive Russian attack aircraft out of the city were unsuccessful. The Russian Armed Forces have established a foothold in the city and continue to expand the zone of control in its southeastern part.
11:07 Situation at the front as of 04/22/2024:
In the area of the village of Vladimirovka Transbaikal residents are moving forward with the support of aviation and artillery. The Ukrainian Armed Forces began using even more FPV drones in the area. During the day, our soldiers shot down more than 35 units.
In the area of the village productive military personnel of the Vostok group twice thwarted enemy attempts to strengthen their positions. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are trying “by hook or by crook” to hold back the advance of our fighters. In the area of the village The enemy's reinforcement was thwarted in Staromayorskoe.
Bomber aircraft and artillery destroyed: an FH-70 howitzer, three mortars, two UAV control points, an electronic warfare station, a fuel depot, six ammunition supply points. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are suffering significant losses in manpower.
10:34 Explosions occurred in the Kyiv-controlled city of Kherson. This was reported by the publication “Public. News".
10:29 In the zone of a special military operation, Russian artillerymen successfully forced the batteries of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and suppressed enemy fire. They often gain the upper hand over the enemy even before the counterbattery fight begins, disrupting the ammunition supply of Ukrainian guns.
“The most important targets are ammunition depots. We successfully defeat them. I can’t say the number: during this time a lot of things have already been destroyed,” said the commander of a self-propelled artillery battery with the call sign “Tom.”
At the moment, Novomikhailovka has been taken. The guys have done a great job in this area.
The capture of Novomikhailovka makes it possible to reach Poraskievka and Konstantinovka, and will also allow control of the road to Ugledar, which will cut off the supply of the city from the north-eastern side.
The difficulty of working in this area is explained by the enemy’s good engineering preparation of his defensive positions. Strongholds in the forest belts near Novomikhailovka had concrete fortifications, as well as underground passages - communications. Novomikhailovka itself is located in a lowland, but the sawmills around the village are on hills and serve as some kind of walls.
On the northern side of the village, the Ukrainian Armed Forces had a height that gave them an advantage, which also complicated the assault on the village from the eastern side. From 2017 to 2024, serious engineering structures made of concrete were installed here.
09:21 Units of the Dnepr group of troops struck 25 UAV control points and 17 observation points of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The Russian army carried out successful offensive assault operations in the Rabotino area. The group's units destroyed manpower, equipment and temporary deployment points of the enemy on the right bank of the Dnieper.
During the day, enemy losses amounted to up to 50 military personnel. During the counterbattery fight, the Russian army destroyed six guns and mortars, four vehicles and an M107 self-propelled gun. Air defense fire and electronic warfare suppressed and shot down 54 UAVs, hitting 25 UAV control posts, 17 observation posts and four warehouses for material and technical equipment.
08:50 Crew of the T-90M tank of the “Center” group of troops destroyed strong point and armored vehicles of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Avdeevsky direction.
The military personnel, having received the target coordinates from the crew of the reconnaissance UAV, moved to a pre-prepared firing position. All targets of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were hit with well-aimed fire from 125mm high-explosive fragmentation rounds.
08:21 Russian “Breakthrough” in the Avdeevsky direction -personneldestruction of armored vehicles of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from the T-90M tank. The crew hit a strong point and armored vehicles from a closed firing position. The targets were identified by aerial reconnaissance; they were destroyed by 125mm high-explosive fragmentation rounds at a range of up to 10 kilometers.
08:17 Military report from military correspondent Lisitsyn:
Avdievka direction: The Russian Armed Forces disabled the Ocheretino railway station, thereby disrupting the logistics of supplying Ukrainian troops in the area. Ukrainian units in Berdychi found themselves cut off, and Russian troops blocked the road to Nobakhmutovka, increasing the threat of complete encirclement.
North-west of Avdievka, the Russian Armed Forces are advancing in the direction of Ocheretino and Novokalinovo, strengthening themselves on the southern borders of these settlements. At the same time, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are strengthening their defensive positions in the Keramika region.
Kherson direction: on this front the nature of the fighting has not changed. There is an exchange of artillery strikes and the use of drones. The RF Armed Forces are focusing on the destruction of water transport of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Chasov Yar: Fierce fighting continues on the eastern outskirts of the city, especially in the Kanal microdistrict. The Ukrainian Armed Forces regularly launch counterattacks, and the area is mined, which makes it difficult for our guys to advance.
South Donetsk direction: in this direction, Ukrainian troops were driven out of Novomikhailovka. The Russian Armed Forces are advancing on Krasnogorovka from the south, heavy fighting is underway.
08:07 Several mined caches with foreign weapons at oncefoundFSB officers in the DPR.
The caches were prepared by the Ukrainian military during the retreat in the Avdievka direction. During an inspection of abandoned buildings, Russian security forces found 68 grenades, 47 TG-50 rounds, fragmentation ammunition for grenade launchers and more than 10,000 small arms ammunition. Also seized were more than seven hundred 155mm NATO rounds, tank rounds and a knife with Nazi slogans on the blade. Other finds include syringes with an unknown substance, which is being sent for research.
08:00 Two Russian attack aircraft took the fortifications with eight Ukrainian Armed Forces militants.
Onvideo– the assault group captures fortified positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Volnovakha area in the South Donetsk direction. Two of our fighters were against eight enemy soldiers, and at the same time they were able to take several militants prisoner.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine sent a request to the heads of Ukrainian embassies abroad to suspend all consular actions in relation to Ukrainian citizens of military age, with an exception for those who issue identity cards to return to Ukraine. The local publication “Zerkalo Nedeli” wrote about this.
“The ban will remain in effect until clarification of the provisions of the law on strengthening mobilization is received,” clarifies the document for diplomatic institutions, signed by First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andriy Sibiga.
“I instruct, starting April 23, to temporarily suspend consular actions based on applications from male Ukrainian citizens aged 18 to 60 years,” the publication quoted.
As Regnum reported, the law on tightening mobilization in Ukraine, signed on April 16 by the head of the Kiev regime, Vladimir Zelensky, actually destroyed the rights of Ukrainians. Official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maria Zakharova announced this at a briefing on April 18.
According to Zakharova, the new law will only lead to increased corruption in Ukraine and a stronger division of society.
After the adoption of the law on mobilization, Ukrainians are actually storming the country’s embassies abroad in order to renew their passports before it comes into force on May 16 and not return to their homeland, the diplomat added.
On April 11, the Verkhovna Rada adopted by a majority vote in the second and final reading a law on tightening mobilization rules. 283 parliamentarians voted for it, 21 voted against it, and 15 more abstained.
The document introduces stricter procedures for mobilization, including tougher penalties for evading it. The law also clarified the categories of persons subject to mobilization, and the summons will be considered received even without being personally delivered to the person liable for military service. The document also provides for the obligation to wear a military ID for all those liable for military service between the ages of 18 and 60 and a fine or a forceful arrest in the TCC for violating this norm.
Former speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Dmitry Razumkov said on April 13 that after the adoption of the law on mobilization, the Ukrainian people will become a death sentence for Zelensky and the deputies. According to him, demobilization and rotation removed from the law will deprive Ukrainian Armed Forces fighters of the opportunity to see their relatives and friends and relax.
About ten men try to leave the territory of Ukraine every day using fake documents. This statement was made on April 21 by the speaker of the State Border Service of Ukraine Andrey Demchenko during a telethon.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The Tver Region Prosecutor's Office filed a claim with the regional court to recognize the crimes of the Nazis in the region during the Great Patriotic War as genocide, the press service of the Prosecutor General's Office reported on April 22.
The Nazi invaders and their accomplices destroyed the cities and villages of the Tver region, destroyed civilians and captured Red Army soldiers, the department recalled. The Tver (in this period - Kalinin) region was occupied by the Nazis for three years.
“During this time, about 40 thousand civilians and prisoners of war were killed and tortured, died from hunger and infectious diseases, and more than 23 thousand people were driven into German slavery. The total amount of damage caused by the occupation to the economy and infrastructure of the region is almost 16 trillion rubles,” the press service said in a statement.
As Regnum reported, supervisory agencies from a number of other regions of the country had previously filed similar statements with the courts. Some of the claims have already been decided.
In particular, in February 2024, the Supreme Court of the Lugansk People's Republic recognized the actions of the Nazis and their accomplices on the territory of the LPR in 1942–1943 as genocide. About 100 thousand residents of the region became victims of the occupation regime of the Nazi troops.
On January 27, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Nazi Germany fought the USSR not because of ideology, but because of the resources and wealth of the Soviet Union. The Nazis intended to destroy the majority of Soviet citizens, and the survivors were being prepared to play the role of slaves, deprived of their native culture, traditions and language, the head of state emphasized.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] At the headquarters of the Russian Geographical Society (RGS) in St. Petersburg, journalists were shown one of the largest Russian maps in history, made during the reign of Peter I. Its size is approximately the same as the wall of an apartment in a typical panel house.
The Russian Geographical Society said that this is a map of Siberia, which was created by engineer, geographer and icon painter Semyon Remezov between 1696 and 1698.
The exhibit demonstrates how the state developed, Siberia was developed, and what the worldview of the explorers was, the society noted.
“The map was created for the Siberian Prikaz, then it came into the possession of Peter the Great - it hung in his residence, nailed to the wall with furniture nails. Using it, he conducted exams for those who were not very knowledgeable in geography,” said the chairman of the restoration commission, Ilya Gurov.
He added that the map was exhibited in the Hermitage, but remained poorly researched, unlike other maps and atlases of Remezov.
“It resembles an icon, the images of Saints Zosima and Savvaty from the Solovetsky Monastery. When we carried out instrumental research, it turned out that the map was created using icon-painting technologies,” explained Gurov.
He clarified that those places that seem dark are actually covered with two layers of precious metals - silver and gold leaf. And those areas that look green were actually blue before.
“The colors are applied with natural mineral paints, and over more than 300 years they have changed their structure,” the expert noted.
The map of Siberia has other “features”. In particular, the north and south have changed places. In addition, the exhibit does not have the usual scale and coordinate grid. Distances on it are calculated by day's marches, and the landmarks are the places where “Alexander the Great buried his gun.”
The Russian Geographical Society reported that at the moment the map needs to be restored. On instructions from the president of the society, Sergei Shoigu, a team of specialists began work that will last throughout the current and next year.
Earlier, the Russian Geographical Society launched a new project - the All-Russian competition “Cool Geography”. It is dedicated to the school subject of the same name. The organizer offers students educational lessons in an unusual format.
The final of the Cool Geography competition will take place in November 2024 at the headquarters of the Russian Geographical Society in Moscow. The finalists will receive valuable gifts from the Russian Geographical Society, and the winning schools will receive cash prizes for equipping a geography class.
The Russian Geographical Society also took part in the presentation of the publication “Physical Geography” by Immanuel Kant in Russian as part of the Baltic Cultural Forum, which began on April 18 in Svetlogorsk.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The governor of the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, named the total number of dead and injured as a result of the attacks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
As a result of Ukrainian shelling in the region, 120 civilians were killed, including 11 children of different ages, 651 people were injured, 51 of them children, Gladkov said in a video message on the Telegram channel.
As Regnum reported, according to the Ministry of Defense, on April 22, Russian air defense forces on duty destroyed a Ukrainian Tochka-U missile over the Belgorod region.
Vyacheslav Gladkov also informed about the destruction of an air target on approach to Belgorod. According to preliminary data, there were no casualties or damage. A missile danger was declared in Belgorod and the Belgorod region on that day.
On April 20, Russian air defense forces destroyed three Ukrainian drones in the skies over the Belgorod region. Prior to this, on the night of April 19-20, according to the Ministry of Defense, in more than eight regions of Russia, the Russian military destroyed a total of 50 Ukrainian Armed Forces drones. The largest number - 26 drones - were shot down in the Belgorod region, eight and ten - in the Kursk and Bryansk regions, respectively, two - in the Tula region and one each in the Moscow, Kaluga, Smolensk and Ryazan regions.
On the evening of April 19, it was also reported that a Ukrainian drone was destroyed over the Belgorod region. The Kiev regime used an aircraft-type drone to attempt an attack on Russian territory.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Troops from European countries may be stationed in Ukraine to conduct combat operations. This development of events was allowed by US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Jahara Matisek in an article for Foreign Affairs magazine, which he wrote together with retired US Army Colonel Alex Crowther.
“European leaders should seriously consider stationing troops in Ukraine to provide logistics support and training, protect Ukraine’s borders, critical infrastructure, and even protect cities,” the article says.
The authors said that European military personnel can conduct both non-combat and combat operations, including patrolling the borders of Ukraine and protecting Black Sea ports.
“If Russian troops approach Odessa, European forces nearby will have the right to defend themselves and open fire on the approaching fighters,” the US military wrote.
At the same time, the article states that in many countries around the world there is a popular opinion that NATO is the aggressor in the conflict in Ukraine. Therefore, it is better to send troops there from European countries rather than from the North Atlantic Alliance, the authors concluded.
As Regnum reported at the end of February, French President Emmanuel Macron, after the Paris Conference on supporting Ukraine, said that the heads of the European Union countries discussed the possibility of sending their military to Ukraine.
The head of France stressed that Paris will do everything possible to prevent Russia from defeating Ukraine.
The official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, noted that Macron’s statements indicate that NATO has begun the process of dividing Ukrainian territory.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has indicated, regarding Emmanuel Macron's various bellicose statements recently, that the French leadership has some kind of grudge against Moscow. Perhaps this is due to Russia’s policy in Africa, the Russian leader suggested.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The prosecutor's office of the German city of Würzburg has begun a pre-investigation check against the construction company Knauf, official representative of the department Tobias Kostuch said on April 22.
The check is being carried out due to the appearance in the media of reports that Knauf materials were used by Russia during the restoration of Mariupol (DPR), Kostukh told RIA Novosti.
“It is important to note that there is currently no initial suspicion of committing a crime necessary to initiate a pre-investigation check. Rather, it serves to clarify whether such an initial suspicion exists at all,” said a representative of the prosecutor’s office.
Earlier, the news portal of the German television channel ARD reported that the products of two German companies (Knauf and WKB Systems) were used during the restoration of Mariupol. The German Economic Ministry called on prosecutors to investigate. Representatives of Knauf stated that they intend to transfer business in Russia to local management. The prosecutor's office did not specify whether an investigation would be carried out against WKB Systems.
As reported by IA Regnum, earlier Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin said that work on the restoration of the main facilities in the historical part of Mariupol will be completed in 2024. The master plan for the restoration of the entire city involves work until 2035.
At the end of December 2023, the Russian government approved a program for the restoration and socio-economic development of new regions of the country. The main goals of the program are the restoration of housing, public utilities and transport infrastructure, the development of the social sphere, the creation of a favorable investment climate and the achievement by new regions of average Russian indicators of quality of life by 2030.
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] … jamming GPS tech on flights and ships across eastern flank of NATO using advanced system at Kaliningrad military base
Thousands of planes appear to have fallen victim to GPS jamming and spoofing
The Defence Secretary's plane had its signal jammed as it flew near Kaliningrad
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
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