[NYP] A senior Russian military general was killed Friday in a fiery car explosion in Moscow.
Yaroslav Moskalik, deputy head of the main operations directorate of the Russian armed forces, died when the vehicle blew up in the town of Balashikha, Russian media reported.
The bomb had been planted in a parked car and was detonated remotely as the officer, who lived nearby, walked past, law enforcement sources said.
Footage captured a vehicle entirely engulfed in flames near an apartment building just moments after the explosion.
Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22:35 During the 11 years of war with Russia, Ukraine has lost many territories and it will be very difficult to get them back. In particular, this concerns Crimea. This was stated by US President Donald Trump.
"It has nothing to do with me, Crimea. It was 11 years ago for the Obamas. And they made a decision. There was no shot fired. There was no fighting. There was nothing. They just handed it over. Now they say, 'Can you get it back?' I think it will be very difficult to do. I think it was very difficult to do. It was done by Barack Obama when he was president, and Donald Trump," he said.
22.16 According to preliminary information available to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia's attack on Kiev on April 24, which killed at least 12 people, was carried out by a ballistic missile produced by the DPRK.
"Our special services are checking all the details. If the information about the production of this missile in North Korea is confirmed, this will be further evidence of the criminality of the alliance between Russia and Pyongyang. They kill people and mock life together - this is the only meaning of their cooperation. Russia constantly uses such weapons - missiles, artillery. At the same time, Pyongyang has received the opportunity in real war conditions to make its weapons more deadly," the head of state said.
21.12 The US has a specific deadline for achieving peace between Ukraine and Russia. This was stated by US President Donald Trump.
The American leader expressed his conviction that Kyiv and Moscow "both want peace, but they must sit down at the negotiating table."
"We've been waiting a very long time. They have to sit down at the negotiating table. And I think we'll get peace... We have a deadline. And after that, our attitude (towards a peaceful settlement - ed.) will be very different, but I think we have a very good chance of doing it (achieving peace - ed.)," Trump emphasized.
20:55 Ukraine views the United States as a strong strategic partner and would like to have a common understanding that Russia is an aggressor, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with American journalist Ben Shapiro.
"We know that the United States has a position of a mediator in this conflict. And this is the choice that the United States made. But we consider the United States as a strong strategic partner that has influence. And we would very much like these two forces to be used against Russia, so that the force would be directed at the Russian Federation, because it is the aggressor. And we would very much like to have a common understanding that Russia is the aggressor, and not us," the head of state said.
20.30 According to the results of the forensic examination, the cause of death of journalist Victoria Roshchina, who died in Russian captivity, could not be established due to the condition of the body. At the same time, numerous signs of torture were found on Victoria's body. This was reported by the head of the War Department of the Prosecutor General's Office, Yuri Belousov.
"The victim's body showed numerous signs of torture and cruel treatment, in particular abrasions and hemorrhages on various parts of the body, and a broken rib. And the experts also saw possible signs of the use of electric current. This information will also be clarified during an additional forensic examination," he said.
20.23 An underground school-shelter designed for 700 people was opened in the village of Molodezhnoye in the Odessa region. It was built from scratch on the basis of the Molodezhnoye Lyceum. This was reported by Ukrinform
The dual-use radiation shelter was built under a programme initiated and financed by the European Union. Co-financing was provided by the Irish Government. The total cost of the project is €2.4 million, of which €75,000 was allocated for the interior fittings.
19:50 The United States will demand that Russia recognize Ukraine's right to its own armed forces and defense industry as part of a broader peace agreement between Moscow and Kiev, Bloomberg reports, citing sources.
It is noted that US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff will raise issues of the Ukrainian army and defense industry at a meeting with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.
The publication notes that agreeing to a properly equipped and staffed army, as demanded by Ukraine and its European allies, would mean that Putin would have to abandon one of his declared goals of a full-scale invasion – the demilitarization of Ukraine.
18.55 US President Donald Trump's words "about Ukraine's loss of Crimea" are fully consistent with Russia's position on this issue. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said this in a comment to Russian media.
18:47 UN Resident Coordinator in Ukraine and Humanitarian Coordinator Matthias Schmale strongly condemned the Russian shelling of Kiev.
"The nighttime massive shelling of residential areas of Kyiv and surrounding settlements by the armed forces of the Russian Federation is another violation of international humanitarian law, which causes outrage... Civilians should never be targets. This unjustified use of force must be stopped," he stressed.
17:50 Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv reported that the Russian attack killed a brother and sister, children of a neurologist at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv’s University Clinic, Yaroslav Kozlov, Nikita and Sofia. They were 21 and 19 years old, respectively.
Nikita, born in 2003, was a student at the National Transport University. Sofia, born in 2005, graduated from the professional college of the Kyiv National University of Technology and Design.
17:45 Rescuers have freed two more bodies from under the rubble in the Svyatoshinsky district of Kiev. The death toll now stands at 12.
17.15 In Kiev, rescuers have freed the body of another person from under the rubble. The death toll from the Russian strike on the capital has risen to 10 people, with 90 injured. Emergency rescue operations are ongoing.
16.56 In the Kurgan region of the Russian Federation, the regional court sentenced a former law enforcement officer, a local resident, for allegedly passing information about Russian servicemen to Ukrainian military intelligence. This was reported by the FSB, as reported by Russian media. It is noted that the defendant was sentenced to 13 years of imprisonment in a maximum security penal colony, followed by a restriction of freedom for a period of 1 year. He was also fined 200 thousand rubles. The sentence has entered into legal force.
16.49 The number of people killed in Kiev as a result of Russian shelling has increased. Nine victims are already known. Rescuers have pulled the body of a 27-year-old girl from under the rubble of a house in the Svyatoshinsky district. It is also known that among the dead are two children born in 2003 and 2005 from the same family.
The number of victims has risen to 90. Of these, 44 people are in hospitals.
Search and recovery operations continue after the Russian strike on the residential building. There may still be people under the rubble.
15.47 US President Donald Trump is "not happy" with the large-scale Russian missile and drone strike on Kiev on Thursday night. He published a corresponding harsh statement on his social network Truth Social.
15.19 President Volodymyr Zelensky called Russia's night attack on Kiev one of the most difficult and linked it to Russia's desire to put pressure on the United States. He said this at a joint press conference with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa following talks in Pretoria.
15.14 Eight residents of Poltava sought medical help after the Russian attack on the night of April 24. Three of them are in hospitals. This was reported by the acting mayor of Poltava, Ekaterina Yamshchikova, on Telegram.
According to her, as of now, damage has been recorded to 128 objects, including 33 apartment buildings and 85 private houses. In total, 468 households with 580 residents were damaged, 810 windows were damaged.
14.57 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy handed over to South African leader Cyril Ramaphosa a list of 400 Ukrainian children abducted by Russia, calling on South Africa to facilitate their return. He announced this during a joint press conference on Thursday, April 24.
14.38 Special Operations Forces servicemen destroyed a platoon of North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation. The number of Koreans exceeded three times. The video of the battle was published by the Special Operations Forces Command.
The SOF operators engaged a 25-man enemy platoon - three times their number - in close combat and maintained the initiative until the battle was over.
14.19 EU High Representative Kaja Kallas stressed that it is Russia, which dealt a deadly blow to Kiev, that is an obstacle to peace. She reported this on Platform X.
13.49 The Cabinet of Ministers has agreed to simplify the procedure for the production and purchase of explosives and their components for the production of ammunition for manufacturers that do not have government contracts. This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Strategic Industries.
13.42 A Russian radar station was destroyed on the outskirts of the village of Razdolnoye in temporarily occupied Crimea on Monday, April 21. This was reported by the monitoring Telegram channel "Krymsky Veter".
12:44 Sixteen thousand people, including 1,600 children, were buried in the Kiev metro during the massive combined shelling of the capital by Russian invaders. The Lukyanovskaya station, namely the glass dome and the facade, was damaged by the attack of the invaders. This was reported by the press service of the Kyiv Metro Municipal Enterprise.
12.27 Russia seems to be ready for a "peace agreement", but it is more difficult to reach an agreement with Ukraine. This was stated by US President Donald Trump the day before during a conversation with journalists in the Oval Office.
12.24 Due to the latest Russian strikes on civilians in Ukraine, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe is convening a special permanent council, declaring the need to hold Russia accountable in order to achieve a just peace, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said.
12.13 The Security Service detained a Russian citizen and his accomplice who were spying on the positions of the Defense Forces in the Sumy region, preparing a route for the breakthrough of enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups from the Bryansk region. This was reported by the SBU press service.
In order to plan the route of the enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups to "bypass" the positions of the Defense Forces, the Russian had to discover the locations of Ukrainian troops on the border of the Shostka district.
12:05 Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets reported that on the eve of Easter, the Ukrainian and Russian sides began delivering letters from families and parcels from the International Committee of the Red Cross to prisoners of war.
11:42 Ukraine has managed to return the body of journalist Victoria Roshchina, who was killed in Russian captivity. This was reported by Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Leonid Timchenko.
11:16 Since the start of the full-scale war, Russia has killed 13,000 Ukrainian civilians, including 618 children, and carried out 1,700 attacks on schools, more than 780 attacks on hospitals, more than 30 massive and hundreds of smaller attacks on energy. For this, the aggressor country must pay a double price , Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal wrote on Telegram.
10.57 President Volodymyr Zelensky has decided to shorten his visit to the Republic of South Africa (RSA) and immediately return to Ukraine due to Russia's massive missile and drone attack. He reported this on Telegram.
10.28 The Central Wedding Palace in Kiev was damaged by a Russian missile attack. Windows were knocked out and the interior was damaged. This was reported by the Ministry of Justice on its Telegram channel.
10.23 On Thursday night, Russian aggressors launched 70 missiles and 145 drones of various types at Ukraine. Most of them were intercepted by air defense or were affected by electronic warfare. The Ukrainian Air Force reported details of the attack repulsion.
9.59 Rescuers have pulled a living man out from under the rubble of a house destroyed by Russian war criminals. We are talking about one of the houses in the Svyatoshinsky district of Kiev. This was reported by the spokesman for the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Kiev, Pavel Petrov.
9.53 In Zhytomyr Oblast, as a result of combined Russian air attacks, a rescuer was injured and the State Emergency Service equipment was damaged. This was reported by the head of the Zhytomyr OVO, Vitaliy Bunechko. Private garages were also damaged and a fire broke out. The blast wave blew out windows in several apartment buildings.
9.46 Russian occupiers launched a combined attack on Kiev at night. The invaders launched various types of missiles and drones. This was reported by the head of the Kiev City Military Administration Timur Tkachenko on Telegram.
9.22 In the Khmelnytsky region, as a result of a Russian missile attack, two people were injured and a gas distribution point was damaged. This was reported on April 24 by the head of the Khmelnytsky regional state administration, Serhiy Tyurin.
8.43 The Donald Trump administration has presented Kiev with a plan for an agreement with favorable conditions for Moscow. However, the idea of America recognizing Russia's sovereignty over Crimea and Ukraine's refusal to join NATO is unacceptable to the EU, the Financial Times reports.
8.27 The rescue operation in the Svyatoshinsky district of Kiev continues: phone calls are heard from under the rubble of the house destroyed by the Russians, two children are being searched for. This was reported by the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Igor Klimenko on his Telegram channel.
7.56 The Russian army has lost 1,060 soldiers at the front over the past 24 hours. This is stated in the morning report of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
7.25 The occupiers have brought 11 ships, including missile carriers, into the Black Sea. This was reported by the Ukrainian Naval Forces (Ukrainian Navy) on Facebook.
05.15 US President Donald Trump has announced his readiness to meet with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and has announced the approximate dates for the talks. The head of the White House suggested that he would meet with Putin shortly after his trip to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in May.
04.55 The Norwegian government has announced an increase in support for Ukraine, allocating NOK 2.4 billion (around $157 million – ed.) to the Relief, Recovery, Reconstruction and Reform Fund (URTF) established by the World Bank. The total amount of Norwegian assistance through the URTF has already exceeded NOK 9 billion (US$592 million – ed.), which is more than a third of the fund’s total funding. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre stressed that support for Ukraine remains a strategic priority.
04.13 On Wednesday, April 23, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine received a new batch of engineering equipment from South Korea, which included dump trucks and bulldozers. In particular, rescuers received dump trucks and bulldozers. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine noted that this equipment will significantly enhance the capabilities in eliminating the consequences of emergency situations and conducting emergency rescue operations.
03.24 Russian occupiers hit Kharkov with rockets twice at night. There were more than 20 explosions in total. As a result of the last "arrival", civilians were injured. The strike hit a densely populated area. Windows were knocked out in several multi-story buildings. That's where the injured were.
01.11 On the night of April 24, Russians launched ballistic missiles, Kalibr cruise missiles, and attack UAVs at Ukrainian territory. The invaders struck Kiev. According to preliminary data, more than 50 people were injured in the strike, and there were fatalities. In the capital, according to Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko, a fire broke out in a residential building in the Svyatoshinsky district. There is destruction, and there may be people under the rubble.
00.45 Ukraine needs $17.3 billion for priority recovery in 2025. However, only $7.4 billion of this amount has been raised. This was reported by Deputy Finance Minister of Ukraine Olha Zykova. The official explained that these $7.4 billion were raised thanks to the state budget and donor support. So now another $10 billion is missing. According to Zykova, the priority areas for financing rapid recovery are housing, energy, social and critical infrastructure (transport, heat and water supply), as well as social protection.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] The ZSU has been holding back the Russian offensive in 10 directions since the beginning of the day.
The Russian army has organized dozens of assaults in the Pokrovsky direction. There are currently 16 battles underway.
Since the beginning of the current day, 98 combat clashes have occurred on the front. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in an operational report as of 16:00 on Thursday, April 24.
Thus, in the Kupyansk direction, the enemy attacked our troops' positions three times in the areas of Novaya Kruglyakovka, Zagryzovo and in the direction of Boguslavka. Two combat clashes are still ongoing.
In the Liman direction, the invading army attacked four times - in the direction of Olgovka, Ridkodub and near Torskoye.
In the Seversky direction, an enemy attack near Verkhnekamenskoye was successfully stopped. One combat clash in the Belogorovka area is still ongoing.
In the Kramatorsk direction, the enemy attacked 11 times in the areas of Chasovy Yar, Andreyevka and in the direction of Predtechino. Four combat clashes are still ongoing.
In the Toretsk direction, the enemy attacked eight times in total - in the areas of Toretsk, Leonidovka and near Dilievka. Currently, four more clashes are ongoing.
In the Pokrovsk direction, the occupiers carried out 39 assaults in the areas of the settlements of Berezovka, Malinovka, Elizavetovka, Lisovka, Kotlino, Udachnoye, Novosergeevka, Uspenovka, Novoalexandrovka, Nadievka, Kotlyarovka, Andreevka, as well as in the direction of the settlements of Razliv, Pokrovsk, Novopavlovka, Chunyshino, Alekseyevka, Staraya Nikolaevka, Romanovka. The defense forces repelled 23 attacks, 16 clashes are still ongoing.
In the Novopavlovsk direction, the enemy attacked six times near the settlements of Konstantinopol and Privolnoye.
In the Orekhov direction, the enemy attempted to advance seven times near the settlements of Novodanilovka, Malye Shcherbaki, Stepovoye, Shcherbaki and towards Malaya Tokmachka. The settlement of Primorskoye was subjected to an air strike.
In the Dnieper direction, three enemy attempts to advance forward were successfully stopped.
In the operational zone in Kursk region, units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine repelled 13 attacks by Russian troops.
Let us recall that in the course of 24 hours on April 23, Russia lost more than 1,000 soldiers killed and wounded at the front. The total losses of the Russian army are approaching 1 million people.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] Russia's overnight strike on Kyiv was the largest ballistic missile attack of the war.
On the night of Thursday, April 24, the Russian army carried out the largest-scale attack on Kyiv during the entire full-scale war using ballistic missiles. The strike was combined: North Korean KN-23s, cruise missiles and "shaheeds" were launched almost simultaneously.
The official report of the Ukrainian Air Force states that the Russians used 11 ballistic missiles, which were launched from sites in the Bryansk, Voronezh and Kursk regions of Russia. Seven missiles were shot down by air defense systems.
As for other threats, 31 of 37 Kh-101 cruise missiles launched by Tu-95MS bombers were neutralized, all four Kh-59/Kh-69 missiles. Six of 12 sea-based Kalibr cruise missiles were shot down, but none of the six Iskander-K cruise missiles. In addition, the Russians used 145 "shaheeds", 13 of which were not destroyed.
The missile that killed eight people in Kiev's Svyatoshinsky district was North Korean, Defense Express reports , citing sources who have already examined the debris. A video of the KN-23 falling into a residential area of Kiev has spread on social media, showing another cloud from the explosion.
Journalists note that even if a ballistic missile is hit, it still falls and if the warhead is not destroyed, it detonates on the ground.
Earlier, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's intelligence service stated that Russia had modified the KN-23 to achieve greater accuracy and reliability. Apparently, as the media believes, the adjustments made by Russian specialists allow the enemy to more actively use the KN-23 to strike targets such as "residential areas." The goal of such attacks is to sow panic and kill the civilian population of Ukraine.
"HOLES" IN THE AIR DEFENSE
Today's attack on Kyiv was the largest in terms of the use of ballistics, said the CEO of the company producing electronic warfare equipment, aviation expert Anatoly Khrapchinsky. He recalled how last year during one attack the enemy used about 10 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles, but that strike was dispersed across almost the entire territory of Ukraine.
"We must not forget the recent ballistic shelling of Kiev, when we intercepted a small number of missiles, and this was due to a change in the missile's flight trajectory at the last stage. That is, additional maneuvers that did not allow us to intercept. Now we see that most of the ballistic missiles were intercepted. We say that our air defense is adapting to the enemy's modern requirements," Khrapchinsky said on the air of the Public .
At the same time, the expert adds that the enemy sees "holes" in the Ukrainian air defense system and is trying to work on them, including by loading it with cruise missiles. In his opinion, the enemy's extremely complex actions require systems for detecting any air targets.
"IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE"
The consequences of today's shelling of the capital could have been worse if all the ballistic missiles had hit, says the representative of the Ukrainian Air Force Command Yuriy Ignat. In general, he called the work of the air defense at night "a pretty good result."
"Of course, there are terrible consequences of the Russian attack... Hitting cities with millions of people with ballistic missiles is not just a crime, it is terrorism. It is hard to imagine what would have happened if all those ballistic missiles that were launched today, first of all, at the capital of Ukraine, had reached their targets," he noted.
The Air Force representative also noted the work of Ukrainian tactical aviation: "These are F-16, Mirage pilots, they gave good results today. Several dozen air targets were shot down by our Ukrainian pilots. We want to once again note in the Air Force that the effectiveness of Western aircraft is quite high today."
At the same time, according to him, the F-16 and Mirage, as well as the old fleet of Soviet aircraft, can only shoot down targets that fly along an aerodynamic trajectory, that is, cruise missiles and drones, and, unfortunately, only the Patriot systems work on ballistics.
[VANGUARDNGR] Donald Trump ...Never got invited to a P.Diddy party... on Thursday called on Vladimir Putin ...President-for-Life of Russia. He gets along well with other presidents for life. He is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substance. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to him. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substances... to halt attacks on Ukraine, in a rare rebuke of the Russian leader after Moscow fired a barrage of missiles and drones at Kyiv, killing at least 12 in the deadliest attack on the capital in months.
The direct appeal to Putin came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged his allies to put Russia under more pressure to halt its invasion.
The Ukrainian leader cut short a trip to South Africa to deal with the aftermath of the deadly strikes, the latest in a wave of large-scale Russian aerial attacks that have killed dozens of civilians.
''I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV,'' Trump said on social media.
''Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP!'' he said. ''Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!''
Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff is due in Russia this week where he is expected to hold talks with Putin on a possible deal, his fourth since Trump returned to the White House in January.
Ukraine has been battered with aerial attacks throughout Russia's three-year invasion but deadly strikes on Kyiv, better protected by air defences than other cities, are less common.
The attacks threw more doubt on already fraught US efforts to push Russia and Ukraine to agree to a ceasefire, with Trump having lashed out at Zelensky this week for not being willing to accept Russian occupation of Crimea, annexed by Moscow in 2014.
''We do everything that our partners have proposed, only what contradicts our legislation and the Constitution we cannot do,'' Zelensky told news hounds in South Africa in response to a question about Crimea.
Zelensky also questioned whether Kyiv's allies were themselves doing enough to force Putin to agree to a full and unconditional ceasefire.
''I don't see any strong pressure on Russia or any new sanctions packages against Russia's aggression,'' Zelensky said, highlighting that Trump had previously warned of repercussions if Moscow did not agree to pause the fighting.
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[EngMilRu] The Russian Armed Forces delivered a massive strike by long-range air-, ground-, and sea-based precision weapons, unmanned aerial vehicles at the Ukrainian aviation, missile space, engineering, and armoured industry enterprises, as well as at facilities producing rocket fuel and gunpowder. The goals of the strike were achieved. All the targets were engaged.
In Belgorod direction, units of the Sever Group of Forces inflicted damage on formations of three AFU mechanised brigades and one assault regiment close to Osovoyevka, Ugroyedy, Miropolskoye, Veliky Prikol and Petrushevka (Sumy region).
The AFU lost more than 45 troops, one armoured fighting vehicle, four motor vehicles, and three field artillery guns.
Elements of the Zapad Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and positions and hit manpower and hardware of four mechanised brigades of the AFU, two territorial defence brigades, and one National Guard brigade near Kupyansk, Andreyevka, Druzhelyubovka, Petropavlovka, Kamenka (Kharkov region), Novoye, Kirovsk, and Yampol (Donetsk People's Republic).
The enemy lost up to 255 troops, one tank, two armoured fighting vehicles, including one Turkish-made Kirpi armoured vehicle, five pickup trucks, three artillery guns, as well as five electronic warfare stations (Oktava-S, Bukovel-AD, Ankalav). Three enemy ammunition depots were destroyed.
The Yug Group of Forces units improved the situation along the front line. They hit three mechanised brigades and one motorised infantry brigade of the AFU, three territorial defence brigades, and one National Guard brigade close to Shcherbinovka, Petrovka, Kramatorsk, Slavyansk, Zakotnoye, Chasov Yar, Ivanopolye, Konstantinovka, and Seversk (Donetsk People's Republic).
Ukrainian armed formations lose up to 405 troops, an armoured fighting vehicle, 12 motor vehicles, and three field artillery guns. One electronic warfare station and three ammunition depots have been neutralised.
As a result of the intensive actions of the Tsentr Group's units, Bogdanovka (Donetsk People's Republic) has been liberated.
The Group also hit manpower and hardware clusters of one heavy mechanised brigade, two mechanised brigades, one assault brigade, one airmobile brigade, one UAV brigade of the AFU, and one National Guard brigade near Novaya Poltavka, Lysovka, Vodyanskoye, Udachnoye, Krivirozhye (Donetsk People's Republic), and one Mezhevaya and Novopodgorodnoye (Dnepropetrovsk region).
The enemy sustained losses of up to 410 troops, one armoured fighting vehicle, six motor vehicles, and two artillery guns.
The Vostok Group of Forces continued to advance to the depths of the enemy's defence; the Group inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of one mechanised brigade, one air assault brigade, one airmobile brigade of the AFU, one naval infantry brigade, and one territorial defence brigade close to Bogatyr, Novoukrainka, Volnoye Pole, and Zelenoye Pole (Donetsk People's Republic).
The enemy suffered losses of up to 155 troops, six motor vehicles, two field artillery guns, and two electronic warfare stations.
Elements of the Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted losses on units of one mechanised brigade and three coastal defence brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Pavlovka, Novodanilovka (Zaporozhye region), Ponyatovka, and Tokarevka (Kherson region).
More than 70 troops, 12 motor vehicles, two artillery guns, two electronic warfare stations, and one ammunition depot have been neutralised.
Operational-Tactical Aviation, attack drones, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have inflicted damage on infrastructure of military airfields, as well as temporary deployment areas of the AFU armed formations and foreign mercenaries in 148 areas.
Air defence systems destroyed four U.S.-made JDAM aerial bombs, as well as 230 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.
Since the beginning of the special military operation, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have neutralised 661 aircraft, 283 helicopters, 53,430 unmanned aerial vehicles, 604 anti-aircraft missile systems, 23,006 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,546 MLRS combat vehicles, 24,045 field artillery guns and mortars, 34,490 units of special military vehicles.
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the operation to neutralise AFU formations on the territory of Kursk region.
The Sever Group of Forces hit units of three air assault brigades and a territorial defence brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Gornal and Oleshnya.
Operational-tactical and army aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and artillery fire hit enemy manpower and hardware close to Belovody, Varachino, Vodolagi, Glubokoye, Zapselye, Loknya, Malaya Rybitsa, Miropolye, Mogritsa, Sadki, Yunakovka, and Yablonovka in Sumy region.
During the day, the AFU losses amounted to more than 150 troops, one armoured fighting vehicle, one artillery gun, two mortars, one MLRS launcher, 10 motor vehicles, 11 UAV command posts, and two ammunition depots.
Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk direction, the AFU losses amounted to more than 75,860 troops, 412 tanks, 337 infantry fighting vehicles, 311 armoured personnel carriers, 2,285 armoured fighting vehicles; 2,775 motor vehicles, 643 self-propelled artillery systems and field artillery guns, 63 MLRS launchers, including 15 of HIMARS and seven of MLRS made by the USA, 29 anti-aircraft missile launchers, one self-propelled anti-aircraft system, ten transport-loading vehicles, 130 EW stations,18 counter-fire radars,12 air defence radars, 58 units of engineering and other materiel, including 23 counterobstacle vehicles, one UR-77 mine clearing vehicle, five bridge launchers, one engineering reconnaissance vehicle as well as 16 armoured recovery vehicles, and one command post vehicle.
The operation to neutralise the AFU units is in progress.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The Kiev regime is concentrating troops and equipment in the Kharkiv region near the border with Russia. Deputy head of the Russian administration of the Kharkiv region Yevgeny Lisnyak said thisduring a briefing.
Referring to data from operational sources and testimonies of local residents, he noted that in the village of Velykyi Burluk, located near the border with the Belgorod region, the number of personnel of Ukrainian formations has grown significantly. At the same time, the share of foreign mercenaries in them exceeds the share of Ukrainians, the deputy specified.
“In parallel with the increase in the number of personnel, there is an active movement of various military equipment into the populated area, including armored vehicles, ATVs and light buggies,” Lisnyak added.
According to him, the Ukrainian Armed Forces hide equipment on the territory of private homes, in garages and outbuildings, and camouflage it with dense vegetation. He also said that local residents who are trying to return to their homes from the regional center find soldiers there.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, on April 11, the commander of the West group of forces, Colonel General Sergei Kuzovlev, reported to the Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov that more than 330 square kilometers of territory and 18 settlements in the Izyum direction had come under Russian control since the beginning of the year. The West group operates in the DPR, LPR and the Kharkov region, where Izyum is the third largest city.
In October 2024, Russian troops liberated the first settlement in the Izyum district — the village of Vishnevoe. At the end of March, the village of Krasnoye Pervoye in the Kupyansk district of the Kharkiv region was liberated. According to Ganchev, control over the village means the possibility of leveling the front line in this direction. The Russian army continues to expand its control zone on the right bank of the Oskol River, he noted.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Two foreigners, acting on orders from Kiev, were preparing a terrorist attack at a petrochemical plant in the Nizhny Novgorod region. They were neutralized during an attempt to detain them, the FSB Public Relations Center (PRC) reported
The security agency noted that Ukrainian special services recruited two Central Asians who shared the ideology of an international terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation to commit a sabotage and terrorist act. It was assumed that they would use FPV drones with improvised explosive devices seized from a cache for the attack.
“During their arrest, they offered armed resistance and were neutralized by return fire,” the statement said.
At the scene of the incident, the FSB added, two drones with foreign-made explosives and firearms were seized. The foreigners' phones contained correspondence with the Ukrainian curator, including information about a cache of weapons.
A criminal case has been opened on the fact of preparation for sabotage, and the necessary operational-search measures and investigative actions are being carried out.
The FSB regularly reports on prevented terrorist attacks. Thus, on April 2, a 49-year-old serviceman was detained who was planning to set off an explosion on the territory of one of the military units in the Moscow region. The man acted on the instructions of the Ukrainian special services. He was detained after receiving an explosive device.
At the end of March, it became known that a terrorist attack had been prevented in one of Moscow's administrative buildings. According to the investigation, a man born in 1972 was planning to detonate a homemade explosive device in a crowded place and then go to Ukraine to take part in military operations against Russia.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] In May, Ukraine may default on a payment of about $600 million, since the republic failed to agree on debt restructuring. This is reported by the British newspaper The Financial Times (FT), citing the Ukrainian Ministry of Finance.
"Ukraine said on Thursday it had failed to reach an agreement with holders of $2.6 billion in debt, denting its hopes of a restructuring before the repayment deadline next month," the publication said.
It is specified that in May Kyiv will be obliged to pay about $600 million on securities that are tied to the republic’s GDP.
"Kiev will have to decide whether to default on a payment due at the end of May if it fails to reach a restructuring agreement in time," the article also noted.
At the same time, the Ukrainian Ministry of Finance stated that they will consider all available options.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, in January 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Kiev is happily “chewing on investors’ money” and is in no hurry to lift the ban on negotiations with Moscow, although its sponsors are calling for this.
In February, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also emphasized that the IMF and the World Bank were setting records in supporting the Kiev regime, allocating loans and credits that were many times greater than the funds provided to African and other developing countries. Ukraine has become a blatant example of disproportionate growth in military spending while absorbing hundreds of billions of dollars in aid, the minister noted.
[KhaamaPress] Russia and China have developed a secret banking system to bypass Western sanctions, facilitating trade between the two nations.
Russian banks have launched a new payment system called “China Route” to conceal trade exchanges between Moscow and Beijing from Western regulators. According to Reuters, this system, designed to reduce the risk of sanctions and high costs, facilitates transactions through a network of intermediary countries that Moscow considers “friendly.”
The China Route system operates independently of SWIFT and Western banks. Payments are processed and settled through a central bank, where debts and receivables are netted. This system ensures that transactions are completed securely without relying on international banking infrastructures typically scrutinized by Western authorities.
To guarantee payments, banks involved in the China Route have created specific financial tools. As of now, there have been no reports of transaction reversals or blocked payments, suggesting that the system is functioning smoothly and efficiently.
The trade volume between Russia and China reached a record high of $245 billion last year. However, due to Chinese banks’ cautious approach in avoiding U.S. sanctions, the cost of transactions increased by up to 12%. Despite this, the China Route offers a more cost-effective alternative with reduced fees for both imports and exports.
Currently, the China Route charges about one percent for imports and half a percent for exports, with funds transferred within two days. These developments come as Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to visit Moscow in May to attend Russia’s Victory Day celebrations, further strengthening bilateral ties.
The introduction of the China Route payment system marks a significant shift in the economic relationship between Russia and China. It provides a more secure and efficient method for financial transactions, circumventing Western sanctions. With growing trade volumes between the two nations, this system is likely to play a crucial role in facilitating future exchanges.
Moreover, the system’s success may encourage other countries to explore similar alternatives to avoid the impact of Western financial restrictions.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[NYP] A senior Russian military general was killed Friday in a fiery car explosion in Moscow.
...Never got invited to a P.Diddy party...
