Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22:43 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit China next week to try to convince Beijing to stop supporting Russia in the war against Ukraine, AFP writes.
21:54 Shmygal announced which areas will receive assistance from the United States totaling almost $61 billion:
- $49.9 billion - defense spending;
- $7.8 billion - potential budget support;
- $1.57 billion - economic assistance;
- $400 million - funds for border protection and humanitarian demining.
21:35 The Russians destroyed five out of 31 Abrams tanks in Ukraine in two months, writes The New York Times. According to the Oryx portal, a total of 796 Ukrainian battle tanks have been destroyed or captured since the start of the full-scale war, and Russia has lost more than 2,900 tanks.
21:02 The US House of Representatives passed a bill to help Ukraine in the amount of more than $60 billion. Next, the document must be supported by the Senate. In addition, the House of Representatives adopted a bill on the confiscation of frozen assets of the Russian Federation in favor of Ukraine - we are talking about $8 billion.
20:16 The Russians launched a missile attack on Odessa - eight people were wounded, including two children born in 2021 and 2020. At least 20 private homes were damaged, prosecutors said.
19:28 Lithuania handed over a new package of military assistance to Ukraine, which included a combat aircraft - the L-39ZA Albatross light attack aircraft in a disassembled state, the country's Ministry of Defense reported. This aircraft was used by the Lithuanian Army to train fighter control officers, who ensure the combat readiness of pilots.
14:07 The number of deaths as a result of today's shelling of Volchansk, Kharkov region, has increased to two, two more people were injured, said the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov. According to him, the enemy used UMPB D-30 ammunition.
11:53 The newly appointed commander of the Danish defense, General Michael Wiggers Gildgaard, visited Kiev, Syrsky reported. During the meeting, the parties discussed the urgent needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in various areas and ways and opportunities for further support from the Danish government.
11:49 Today’s night drone attack on electrical substations and an oil depot in Russia was a joint operation of the SBU, Main Intelligence Directorate and Special Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, reports RBC-Ukraine, citing sources in the special services. The target was the energy infrastructure that powers the Russian military-industrial complex. After the attacks, some areas experienced problems with electricity and water supply. In particular, an oil refinery in the Smolensk region and at least two electrical substations in Kaluga and Bryansk were attacked.
11:28 Zelensky put into effect the decision of the National Security and Defense Council to restrict gambling on the Internet. In particular, the National Security and Defense Council decided to limit advertising of online casinos, set weekly gaming limits and spending limits, and also introduce restrictions for the military. Earlier it was reported about a problem at the front: many military personnel lose all their money in online casinos.
11:03 In the morning, the Russians fired at Volchansk, Kharkov region - they hit a nine-story building and a private house, one person was killed, one was injured, said the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov.
09:21 At night, the Russians attacked the industrial infrastructure of Zaporozhye with ballistics. There were no reports of casualties, details are being determined, the Southern Defense Forces said. In addition, in the morning the enemy launched a ballistic attack on Odessa - an infrastructure facility was hit.
08:59 Rescue operations have been completed in Dnieper after the Russian missile attack on April 19, the State Emergency Service reported. At night, rescuers unblocked the body of another victim from under the rubble of a high-rise building. As a result of the attack in the city, three people were killed and 24 were injured. In total, due to Russian attacks on April 19 in the Dnepropetrovsk region, eight people were killed, including two children, and 34 were injured, including one child. Today is a day of mourning in the region.
08:41 On the night of April 20, Russia attacked Ukraine with three Iskander-M ballistic missiles, two S-300/S-400 anti-aircraft guided missiles from the Belgorod region, as well as two Kh-59/Kh-69 guided aircraft missiles from the Black Sea, the Air Force command reported. Air defense forces destroyed two Kh-59/Kh-69 missiles. In addition, three reconnaissance UAVs were destroyed in the southern direction - two Orlan-10 and one SuperKam.
08:26 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of April 20:
- personnel - about 458,580 (+750) people,
- tanks - 7213 (+8),
- armored combat vehicles - 13,873 (+21),
- artillery systems - 11,678 (+20),
- MLRS - 1046 (+0),
- air defense systems - 763 (+1),
- aircraft - 348 (+1),
- helicopters - 325 (+0),
- UAV of operational-tactical level - 9341 (+30),
- cruise missiles - 2109 (+13),
- ships/boats - 26 (+0),
- submarines - 1 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tank trucks - 15,717 (+46),
- special equipment - 1918 (+3).
08:13 Over the past 24 hours, 102 military clashes took place at the front, the General Staff reported in its morning report. In particular, 31 attacks were repelled in the Avdeevsky direction (in the areas of the settlements of Novokalinovo, Ocheretino, Berdychi, Umanskoye, Novobakhmutovka, Pervomaiskoye, Nevelskoye, Donetsk region) and 23 attacks in the Bakhmutskoye direction (in the areas of the settlements of Belogorovka, Luhansk region, as well as Verkhnekamennoe, Spornoye, Chasov Yar, Ivanovskoe, Kleshcheevka, Donetsk region). In addition, the enemy tried 23 times to break through the defenses of Ukrainian troops in the Novopavlovsk direction - in the Novomikhailovka, Pobeda, Urozhayny districts of the Donetsk region.
The enemy did not conduct offensive actions in the Kupyansk direction. In the Liman direction, the Defense Forces repelled 13 enemy attacks in the areas of the settlements of Tverdokhlebovo, Kremennaya in the Lugansk region and Yampolevka, Terny, Torskoye in the Donetsk region; on Orekhovsky - five attacks in the Staromayorskoye area of the Donetsk region and north-west of Verbovoy, Zaporozhye region; on Kherson - seven attacks on the left bank of the Dnieper.
07:28 The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that during the night 50 drones were allegedly shot down over the territory of the country: 26 - over the territory of the Belgorod region; ten - over the territory of the Bryansk region; eight - over the territory of the Kursk region; two - over the Tula region and one each - over the territories of the Smolensk, Ryazan, Kaluga and Moscow regions.
At the same time, Russian media report that a fire occurred at a number of energy facilities, allegedly as a result of “falling debris.” Thus, in the Bryansk region there was a fire at an electrical substation, in the Kaluga region the energy infrastructure was damaged, and in the Smolensk region there was a fire at a fuel and energy complex facility.
04:24 More than half of the military fund for assistance to Ukraine, which is managed by the British Ministry of Defense, was not used due to bureaucratic delays in contracts, The Guardian writes, citing statements by British Labor. Thus, of the £900 million provided by donor governments over the past two years (500 million of which came from the UK), only £404 million has been allocated or spent. The ministers admitted that some of the equipment provided for in the signed contracts will not arrive in Ukraine until the spring of next year.