[Korrespondent] 22:35 Residents of Moscow and the Moscow region are beginning to sound the alarm because of the unprecedented invasion of drones. Russian media reports that six drones have fallen in the area in the last 24 hours alone. More details - in the material "Rain" from the UAV .
21:43 In the east of Ukraine, a deputy of the Supreme Council of Khakassia from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Dmitry Ivanov was liquidated, said the head of Khakassia, Valentin Konovalov. In February, Ivanov went to the front as a volunteer, served in the PMC Wagner.
21:20 The organizers of the Wimbledon tennis tournament said they would offer additional support to Ukrainian players and fans after they were forced to lift the ban on the participation of Russian and Belarusian tennis players. In particular, from each ticket sold, 1 pound sterling will be donated to help Ukrainians. It is expected that the total amount will be more than 500 thousand pounds (about 625 thousand dollars). The organizers will also finance one day of visiting the tournament for thousands of Ukrainian refugees.
Each Ukrainian Wimbledon participant will receive two hotel rooms free of charge, as well as training facilities during the summer season on grass courts. Russian and Belarusian players will be able to play in the men's and women's Wimbledon tournaments as neutral players.
20:49 The Russians fired heavy artillery at the Nikopol district of the Dnipropetrovsk region in the evening. In Marganets, two people were injured, two administrative buildings and eight private houses were damaged, as well as five- and two-story houses. In Nikopol, a private enterprise, an apartment building, and a shop were damaged, said Serhiy Lysak, head of the OVA.
20:32 Lavrov said that the situation around the grain deal is now at an impasse, and the West, including the United States, "is not serious about its implementation."
20:26 In the Kherson region, the exit and stay of ships and other watercraft on water bodies was banned, the OVA reported. This decision was made in order to ensure the safety of navigation and citizens in water bodies, minimizing the risks of sabotage and terrorist threats in inland waters.
The ban applies to all types of watercraft - sports boats, fishing boats, recreational boats, etc. An exception is the vessels of the Defense Forces of Ukraine and specialists protecting aquatic biological resources. The restriction will remain in effect until martial law or a separate order is lifted.
19:07 The UK has handed over to Ukraine thousands of shells for Challenger 2 tanks, including armor-piercing shells with depleted uranium, Deputy Defense Minister James Hippie said in response to a request from MP Kenny Macaskill. However, he added that London does not monitor their use.
18:54 The Russians in eastern Ukraine have changed the tactics of using their aviation and kamikaze drones in order to identify air defense systems, said Alexei Dmitrashkovsky, spokesman for the Tauride Defense Forces. In particular, the enemy began to use more planes at the same time: if earlier one plane flew up, a maximum of two separately, then yesterday it was already team work, when two planes took off, lured out air defense forces, and the third one inflicted defeat.
Also, the Russians started combining drones: “Yesterday afternoon, for the first time, “Shaheds” were used, which were successfully shot down, but after them “lancets” appeared. This is also a strategy to detect air defense points, and then deliver the appropriate strike with “lancets”.
In addition, according to Dmitrashkovsky, the enemy has significantly increased the number of artillery shelling and is shelling Ukrainian positions in much the same way as it was in February.
18:45 The authorities of Riga decided to demolish the monument to Pushkin in order to prevent meetings with him on May 9.
18:09 Head of the Ministry of Digital Transformation Mikhail Fedorov showed the work of the 77th separate airmobile brigade and tactical aviation: drones acquired through donations through UNITED24 helped track and destroy the ammunition depot and the location of the Russians.
18:03 A court in Moscow has arrested in absentia a citizen of Ukraine, Bogdan Tsyganenko, who is allegedly involved in the murder of Daria Dugina, Russian media reported.
17:55 South Africa has decided to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, said President Cyril Ramaphosa. Earlier, the South African authorities announced that they would hold consultations with Russia, given the situation with Putin's possible visit to the BRICS summit, which will be held in the republic in August.
17:28 Syrsky said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine that holding Bakhmut is important for Ukrainian defense for several reasons:
- the city is an important defense center, the retention of which ensures the stability of the defense of the grouping of troops as a whole;
- Bakhmut is a well-located natural fortress, which is surrounded by rivers and located on hills, which contributes to the conduct of defense;
- the protection of the city is also facilitated by the presence of high-rise buildings and developed infrastructure on the left bank of the Bakhmutka River, where Ukrainian troops are defending;
- the battle for the capture of the city is a specific type of military operations that requires special skills and creates difficulties for troops conducting an offensive in the conditions of the forest-steppe;
- the city is part of the Konstantinovsko-Kramatorsk agglomeration, the retention of which excludes the enemy from reaching the flank and rear of the Ukrainian troops in the Lysychansk and Donetsk directions.
16:46 The statement of the Russian Defense Ministry about Ukraine's alleged violation of the humanitarian corridor and the attack on the civilian infrastructure of Crimea is "a false manipulation on the part of the aggressor state," Andrey Yusov, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate, told Suspilny: "The recent events in Crimea concerned exclusively military facilities and have nothing to do with grain agreement providing for Ukrainian ports and civilian ports when it comes to Ukrainian-controlled territory.
If we talk about "the latest events in Crimea," then we are talking about the occupied territory and military facilities of the occupiers, he explained. "Ukraine complies with international obligations, including fulfilling all obligations related to the grain corridor," Yusov stressed.
16:24 South Korea announced a large-scale expansion of the list of goods prohibited for export to Russia and Belarus. The list was increased from 57 to 798 positions and included, in particular, goods for the steel and chemical industries; automotive industry; industrial and construction equipment; conductors and quantum computers, details for them; sapphires and rubies. Now, when exporting these goods to Russia and Belarus, it will be necessary to obtain special permission from the government.
16:17 Czech President Petr Pavel is convinced that China cannot be trusted as a mediator in establishing peace between Russia and Ukraine, since it is beneficial for Beijing to continue the war. He explained that the war in Ukraine could push Russia to a number of concessions - in particular, Beijing could get cheap oil, gas and other resources from Moscow in exchange for a partnership with the Kremlin. "It's also good for China that the West is perhaps getting a little weaker by supporting Ukraine," he added.
In addition, Pavel believes, China is daily learning lessons from the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, closely following what the Russian Federation is doing and how the West is reacting.
16:06 The UN confirmed the death of 8,574 civilians as a result of the war in Ukraine and the wounding of 14,411. However, the real figures can be much higher, the organization clarifies.
16:03 Sweden has declared five Russian diplomats persona non grata, Foreign Minister Tobias Bilström said.
15:51 The government has identified six settlements where, within the framework of the pilot project, restoration will take place in a comprehensive manner and according to new principles, Shmyhal said. These are Borodyanka and Moshchun in the Kyiv region, Trostyanets in the Sumy region, Posad-Pokrovskoe in the Kherson region, Tsirkuny in the Kharkiv region and Yagodnoye in the Chernihiv region. They will begin the restoration on the principle of "better than it was."
15:46 The Cabinet of Ministers has increased the salaries of employees of state bodies working in areas where active or possible hostilities are taking place, the Ministry of Reintegration reported. In particular, for employees of state bodies in the territories of active hostilities, official salaries are determined taking into account the coefficient of 2, and in the territories of possible hostilities - taking into account the coefficient of 1.5. The same coefficients are recommended to be established by local governments.
15:27 In the Zaporozhye region, while digging trenches, Russians accidentally dug up a cattle burial ground and became infected with anthrax, Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov said. Now, according to him, the whole unit is in quarantine, and two soldiers were first brought to the Melitopol hospital, but after the diagnosis was confirmed, they were taken to an unknown destination.
15:05 Rumors about Russia's repeated attack on Kiev from the territory of Belarus were disinformation of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces, which they called "successful", Radio Liberty reports, citing secret Pentagon documents. Thus, in February 2023, the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces reported on “successful efforts for operational camouflage,” the purpose of which was to convince Ukrainian intelligence of the possibility of a new offensive from Balarus. The "operation" took place from 3 to 10 February 2023. Within its framework, the Russians transferred various weapons to Belarus, conducted exercises, and spread misinformation.
14:48 The commanders of the Russian assault groups in Bakhmut use smartphones with special Alpine Quest GPS software, which contains the coordinates of the positions of Ukrainian fire weapons, attack targets, advance routes to them, as well as the tasks of neighboring units, said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine the commander of the Eastern grouping of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Alexander Syrsky.
14:23 NATO must make a political decision that will either determine the timetable for Ukraine's entry already at the upcoming Alliance summit in July, or oblige it to be submitted before the end of 2023, Kuleba wrote in an article for Foreign Affairs: "At the upcoming Alliance summit in Vilnius, member states NATO must send a clear written signal to Russia that the game is up: Ukraine is part of the West, it is on the threshold of the Alliance and will soon walk through its door To avoid misunderstandings, this is not about immediate membership, but about NATO allies making historic a step towards accepting Ukraine into the Alliance."
14:21 The Russians are attacking the Kizomys of the Belozersky community of the Kherson region for the third day. In the morning, enemy aircraft dropped two guided bombs on the village - 11 residential buildings, a church, and two shops were damaged. Previously, no casualties. Light went out in the village, the gas pipeline was damaged and mobile communications were unstable, said Alexander Prokudin, head of the OVA.
14:16 In Kupyansk, during the analysis of the rubble of the museum building, which was hit by a Russian S-300 missile in the morning, rescuers found the body of another person. Thus, as a result of an enemy strike, two people were killed, ten were injured, Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA, said.
14:12 Zelensky announced that he had held a meeting of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander. The participants of the meeting, among other things, summed up the results of the next Ramstein meeting. "Ukraine and its defense forces are continuously becoming stronger. But we must accelerate the pace of arms delivery, because every day of delay is the life of our fighters," the president stressed.
14:00 The cleanup of the strip of the left bank of the Kherson region from Russian troops continues, but informational silence is needed, said Natalya Gumenyuk, speaker of OK Pivden. According to her, over the past three days, Ukrainian troops have achieved some success and destroyed from 13 to 22 units of military equipment. So far, they are working in counter-battery mode.
13:46 The Russians most of the strikes on the positions of the Ukrainian forces are inflicted on the Kupyansk direction, said the speaker of the Eastern Group of Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Serhiy Cherevaty: “Now the enemy is not conducting attacking actions here, but this direction is the record holder for the use of just means of destruction. Over these days, 432 times The enemy struck with various types of artillery, multiple launch rocket systems, and carried out 13 air raids and missile strikes. For comparison, in the Bakhmut area, the Russians launched 280 artillery strikes over the past day and carried out four air raids.
13:29 The United States sent 43 specialists to Ukraine to help combat Russian cyber attacks, Reuters reports citing US Army Major General William Hartman.
13:25 The European Commission will publish a preliminary assessment of Ukraine's progress in the reforms necessary to start negotiations on EU membership, most likely in June, Radio Liberty correspondent Rikard Jozwiak said. Previously, it was expected that a preliminary assessment will be submitted before the end of spring.
13:14 Peskov said that "the circumstances are not yet in favor of the grain deal" - allegedly it has not yet been implemented and has not acquired a package character.
12:57 The McFaul-Yermak international working group on sanctions against Russia has presented a new action plan to further increase sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation - Action Plan 2.0, Yermak said. He noted that the group's achievements form the basis of more than 70% of the sanctions implemented by the US, EU, UK and other countries.
The new plan provides, in particular, for the inclusion of Russian propagandists and athletes in the next sanctions packages, as well as the imposition of sanctions against the energy complex of the Russian Federation and the defense industry, limiting the use of financial instruments, confiscation of assets of the Central Bank of Russia and their subsequent transfer to Ukraine.
12:19 In Moscow, Red Square will be closed to the public from April 27 to May 10, the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation reported.
12:11 Brazil is in contact with Moscow and Kiev on the issue of a peaceful settlement and intends to continue the discussion, said Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira. "We are ready to invite or act together with other countries that can talk freely with both sides," he stressed.
12:08 In Russian Novosibirsk, at the Gusinobrodsky cemetery, a mass grave of Wagner PMC mercenaries was discovered, Sibir.Realii reports. Judging by the tombstones, all the buried died between November and January. Almost all graves have wreaths depicting a yellow star and a black cross - one of the symbols of Wagner. Journalists managed to identify about 200 graves.
11:50 The EU has transferred another 1.5 billion euros to Ukraine as part of a macro-financial program , Ursula von der Leyen said. "We will continue to help Ukraine resist Russian aggression, support the work of its institutions and infrastructure, and carry out important reforms," the head of the European Commission stressed.
11:39 The American political world and the media were shocked by the statement - Donald Trump's Fox News channel fired host Tucker Carlson. The journalist had the highest rating on the channel, promoted the views of the most conservative part of American society that supports Trump, and was considered an ardent admirer of Putin. The media, citing sources, reported that the decision to dismiss the presenter was made "urgently". More details - in the material "American Solovyov" .
11:18 Medvedev called nuclear weapons "the very bond that assembles the state." The deputy head of the Security Council of the Russian Federation said that Russia could be the first to use nuclear weapons "if aggression is shown against it that threatens the existence of the state." According to him, climate change issues are "nothing compared to the prospect of being in the epicenter of a nuclear explosion," and such a prospect "is growing every day for known reasons."
11:10 The Russian Federation is attracting two groups to cover the state border, deployed in the southern part of Belarus and in the territories of the Bryansk and Kursk regions, with a total number of about 17,000 people, to the actions in the northern direction, Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Sergei Naev told Ukrinform in an interview. In addition, according to him, the presence of the Russian contingent of the regional group of troops with a total number of about 2,800 people remains at the training grounds of Belarus. Airplanes and helicopters of the Aerospace Forces of the RF Armed Forces continue to be at the Belarusian military airfields.
10:37 In the area of Noginsk near Moscow, they found the third drone that fell in two days, Russian media report, citing emergency services.
10:08 As a result of a Russian strike with a S-300 missile in the center of Kupyansk, one person was killed and ten were injured, Oleg Sinegubov, head of the Kharkiv OVA, said.
09:41 British intelligence reports that in April the losses of Russian forces decreased by about 30% - after they were especially high in January-March. Intelligence made such conclusions by analyzing the data of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Analysts emphasize that they cannot verify the specific methodology that Ukraine uses, but the general trend is most likely accurate.
Russian casualties have eased after their winter offensive failed to reach their targets, and Russian forces are now focused on preparing for Ukraine's expected counter-offensive, intelligence said.
09:26 The Russians fired from the S-300 at the center of Kupyansk, Kharkov region, hit the museum. There are people under the rubble, it is already known about more than five wounded, the President's Office reported.
08:53 In the Donetsk region over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling, two people were killed (in Shakhtyorsky), 13 more people were injured. In the Kharkiv region, one person died as a result of shelling of the village of Dvurechnaya, Kupyansky district. There are four wounded in the Kherson region, according to the IVA.
08:27 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of April 25.
- personnel - about 187,770 (+690) people liquidated,
- tanks - 3688 (+5),
- armored combat vehicles - 7151 (+12),
- artillery systems - 2863 (+14),
- MLRS - 539 (+0),
- air defense systems - 291 (+2),
- aircraft - 308 (+0),
- helicopters - 294 (+0),
- UAV operational-tactical level - 2437 (+24),
- cruise missiles - 911 (+0),
- ships/boats - 18 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tankers - 5784 (+31),
- special equipment - 345 (+6).
08:20 The Russian army continues to focus its main efforts on conducting offensive operations in the Bakhmut, Avdeevsky and Maryinsky directions. Over the past day, units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces repulsed 43 enemy attacks on the indicated sectors of the front. The most fierce battles are going on for Bakhmut and Marinka, the General Staff reported in the morning report .
03:11 Assistance to Kiev is in the national interests of Washington, and the United States does not intend to refuse it, Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan said. He also called baseless claims by some Republicans that the White House was focusing on Ukraine rather than domestic US issues. According to Sullivan, the White House is able to care for the American people and at the same time uphold democratic values around the world, including "the values of freedom and the freedom of the people of Ukraine."
"In more than a year of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the US has not only mobilized an international coalition to protect the Ukrainian people, but has also made historic investments in US clean energy, infrastructure and technology," Sullivan said.
01:45 Representatives of the EU countries and Japan opposed the US proposal to completely ban the export of the G7 countries to Russia, writes the Financial Times, citing sources. They argue that such a move may not be feasible.
01:12 The American Abrams tanks transferred to Germany are intended only for training the Ukrainian military and will not be used in combat, said Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder.
00:49 Borrell advised those who propose so-called peace plans to first see with their own eyes the consequences of Russian aggression in Ukraine: “Recently, proposals for a“ peace plan ”from China and Brazil were announced. But for honest peace efforts, you need to talk with Kiev. You need to go there, see the consequences of the aggression with your own eyes and the eyes of those who were bombed."
The diplomat stressed that the situation in Ukraine must be spoken very clearly: there is an aggressor who violated the UN charter and invaded the territory of another country, and there is a victim of this aggression. "We cannot approve of an approach where the aggressor and the victim are treated equally. Therefore, we support Ukraine with tanks, air defense systems and even fighter jets. We all want peace, but it should be a just peace. Until then, we will continue to support Ukraine in its defense ', Borrell concluded.