Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[RIA] The Easter truce announced by President Vladimir Putin has come into effect.
It will be in effect from 18:00 Moscow time on April 19 until 00:00 Moscow time on April 21.
Moscow assumes that the Ukrainian side will follow its example and stop hostilities;
Russian troops must be prepared to repel possible violations of the ceasefire, provocations and aggressive actions by the enemy;
The course of the ceasefire will show how sincerely the Kiev regime wishes and is ready to comply with the agreements, as well as to participate in the negotiation process aimed at eliminating the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis.
As specified by the Ministry of Defense, the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces - First Deputy Minister of Defense General Valery Gerasimov gave instructions to all commanders of groups in the special operation zone to cease fire and conduct combat operations.
It is emphasized that the ceasefire is being introduced for humanitarian purposes and will be observed by the Russian Joint Group of Forces, provided that it is mutually observed by the Kyiv regime.
Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 20.38 In Kharkov, the number of children injured as a result of Russian shelling has risen to nine; a 12-year-old boy has been hospitalized.
20.10 Russia and Ukraine will hold a new prisoner exchange on Saturday, April 19, with the mediation of the United Arab Emirates, Sky News reports.
"A source told Reuters that the latest exchange would involve nearly 500 Russian and Ukrainian prisoners and 46 wounded soldiers. The swap would involve 246 prisoners on each side, the source said," the report said.
19:50 The military personnel fighting against Russia from 2022 will be withdrawn from the front. This was stated by the First Deputy Minister of Defense, Lieutenant General Ivan Gavrilyuk.
"The development of a mechanism in the event of the necessary arrival of human resources for the preparation and replacement of troops currently performing tasks in combat zones is being completed. As for the gradual replacement, starting with those military personnel who have already been performing tasks since 2022," he said.
19.19 The Ukrainian people deserve protection from Russian missile strikes just like anyone else, President Volodymyr Zelensky said , justifying his request for American Patriot air defense systems.
"When we turn to our partners, first of all to the United States, for the Patriot system and missiles for them, which can protect against this Russian evil - against cruise missiles, against ballistics - we turn to them for protection that every nation deserves. And it should not be that some nation deserves more help, and some less. And it is Christian to help. Especially when there is such an opportunity to help," the head of state said.
19.05 Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko and Japanese Ambassador to Ukraine Masashi Nakagome signed an agreement providing for the provision of a loan to our country in the amount of up to 471.9 billion Japanese yen (about $3 billion). The loan will be serviced and repaid at the expense of future income received from the immobilized sovereign assets of the Russian Federation.
18:42 The Ukrainian side considers March 25 to be the beginning of the energy truce. It was on this day that Ukraine and the United States published the corresponding statements. This was stated by the presidential adviser on communications Dmitry Litvin, commenting on the statement by the Kremlin speaker about the alleged end of the month-long energy truce.
18.18 The US delegation presented its proposals to its allies in Europe for concluding a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine. This was reported by Bloomberg , citing its own sources.
18:10 In each region of Ukraine, centers for training citizens for national resistance will operate. The territorial defense forces will approve training programs and curricula. War veterans will be primarily appointed as heads and instructors of the centers.
15:30 75-80 thousand students from higher education institutions will undergo basic military training.
"The theoretical part, which we are preparing for... 170 educational programs have already been developed and submitted for approval to the General Staff within the framework of current legislation. We are currently forecasting 75-80 thousand students - these are all second-year male students. Girls, according to current legislation, join at their own discretion," he said.
14:56 Lieutenant Colonel Bohdan Grishenkov, call sign Pugach, has been appointed the new commander of the 12th Special Forces Brigade of the Azov National Guard. This was stated in a message from the Azov Brigade on Instagram. It is noted that Bohdan Grishenkov is a professional soldier with almost ten years of experience serving in Azov. He went from being a private soldier to a company commander, chief of staff, and battalion commander.
13.38 A former deputy of the Simferopol City Council of the VI convocation, former Minister of Information and Mass Communications of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea was sentenced to 13 years of imprisonment for treason. This was reported on April 18 by the Prosecutor's Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.
13:05 In Ukraine, 8% of civil servants have been mobilized. This was reported by the Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers Oleg Nemchinov.
"About mobilization. The National Agency for Civil Service keeps such statistics. We currently have about 8% of men mobilized... Currently, several thousand civil servants are serving in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," he said.
According to the minister, there are losses among the mobilized civil servants. "We have lost more than 120 of our colleagues," Nemchinov noted.
12:20 Police officers will work in an enhanced mode during the Easter holidays. Crews will be brought closer to places of worship, we are ready for enhanced measures to ensure law and order - on the streets, near churches, on the roads.
The National Police noted that law enforcement officers can conduct a superficial inspection of citizens' belongings.
12:18 Information that is being spread online that allegedly on April 15 two employees of the State Emergency Service were hospitalized in serious condition with chemical poisoning after inspecting the crash site of a UAV in the Poltava region is not true. This was reported by the State Emergency Service on April 18.
10:55 In the village of Nikolskoye, near the temporarily occupied Mariupol, a Russian military base was hit at about 2 a.m. This was reported on April 18 by the Mariupol City Council, citing the Center for the Study of the Occupation.
"We are clarifying the results, but preliminarily at least 10 injured occupiers and three units of damaged vehicles. It is unknown whether this was a deliberate attack or a consequence of the work of Russian air defense," the report says.
10:42 In the Donetsk region, a female agent of Russian military intelligence (better known as the GRU) has been detained. The defendant previously worked as a secretary of the city court in Myrnohrad, and recently began collaborating with the enemy and helped Russians break through to Pokrovsk and waited for the region to be occupied. The SBU reported this on April 18.
9:58 The number of people injured in the attack by Russian occupiers in Kharkiv has grown to 67. The Russians fired three Iskander ballistic missiles at the Osnovyansky district of Kharkiv.
9:40 On the morning of April 18, the Russians shelled Dnieper. As a result of the missile attack, a hotel, an office, and a fitness center were damaged, private houses were damaged in the Dnieprovsky district, and fires raged.
9:25 On April 18, Russian drones hit a confectionery plant in Sumy, damaging the production of Easter cakes. This was reported by the head of the Sumy District State Administration, Mykhailo Melnyk.
8:52 Over the past 24 hours, 143 combat clashes took place on the front. Most often, the Russians attacked the Liman, Pokrovsk, Toretsk and Kursk directions. This was reported on April 18 by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
8:20 As a result of a missile attack on Kharkov, one person was killed, 54 are known to have been injured. This was reported on April 18 by the mayor of the city, Igor Terekhov. The head of the Kharkov OVA Oleg Sinegubov clarified that 13 people were hospitalized in city hospitals, including two children. According to him, four people are in serious condition.
7:50 Over the past 24 hours, the Armed Forces of Ukraine eliminated another 1,530 Russian occupiers, and also destroyed 8 tanks and 88 artillery systems of the enemy. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
7:23 On the morning of April 18, Russian troops attacked an industrial facility in Sumy, one person was killed. This was reported by the acting Mayor of Sumy Artem Kobzar. According to him, there were three UAV hits on an industrial facility in Sumy. All three drones hit the same building. The building was damaged, the roof was destroyed.
04:14 Republican Member of the US House of Representatives and Co-Chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus Brian Fitzpatrick arrived in Ukraine on an unannounced visit. Zelensky said that he discussed with Fitzpatrick "efforts to establish a dignified and lasting peace, the American proposal for a full and unconditional ceasefire, and security guarantees for Ukraine."
02:12 The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine is creating a register of qualified specialists to provide psychological assistance to military personnel. The register will contain verified information about a specialist or organization, qualifications, capabilities and services that they can provide in the field of psychological assistance to Ukrainian military personnel.
01:38 The Verkhovna Rada registered a bill proposing to extend the simplified mechanism for returning to service under the Special Purpose of Military Service until August 30. The mechanism, which was in effect until March 1, allowed military personnel who voluntarily left military units or places of service or deserted from November 29, 2024, to return to the army without consequences. Within 72 hours of returning to service, the military resumed payments and provision of food and clothing.
00:30 On Russian territory opposite the Sumy region, the occupiers have amassed about 60,000 troops. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced this at a briefing. According to the president, Ukraine does not allow the Russians to concentrate enough troops opposite Chernigov, Kharkov and Zaporizhia for a full-fledged offensive. Therefore, the occupiers act in "waves."
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] The enemy is forced to attack Ukrainian positions on two wheels, our military say. This situation is observed on all sections of the front.
Russian troops are actively storming Ukrainian defenses not only in the Orekhov direction in the Zaporizhia region, but are also trying to break through near Pokrovsk in Donetsk region.
The enemy has begun to use not only dozens of units of combat equipment for attacks, but also buggies and even motorcycles. Our defenders say that motorized assaults are becoming a trend among Russians. Is there a danger to the front from this - further in the story.
EVERY ASSAULT WITH MOTORCYCLES
Over the past week, the number of motorized assaults in all directions has increased sharply; now almost every attack occurs primarily with the use of motorcycles, reports a lieutenant of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with the call sign Alex, author of the Telegram channel Officer ✙ .
According to him, the tactics of using motorcycles are not chaotic, but more or less organized.
"Therefore, it is most likely that the entire summer of 2025 will be spent mainly in motorized assaults against the enemy; they are already actively accumulating transport from their volunteers, the national economy, and China," Alex believes.
At the same time, the enemy will accumulate armored vehicles so that once every one or two weeks they can make attacks of 10-20 units in narrow areas of three to five kilometers, the military man says.
“I am not creating panic, because with a competent defense, the effectiveness of such enemy actions is minimal or equal to zero,” he adds.
"ARMOR" IS OVER?
It should be noted that in the Pokrovsky direction, the Defense Forces successfully stopped one of the largest assaults of the enemy, which took place using motorcycles. The battle lasted more than seven hours.
"Yesterday, one of the largest assaults by Russians on motorcycles was repelled. This is definitely an event that will go down in history," the National Guard of Ukraine noted.
In addition, fighters of the 77th Airmobile Naddnipryanskaya Brigade of the Ukrainian Airborne Assault Troops repelled an attack by an entire platoon of "suicide bombers" on motorcycles. A video of the brigade's impeccable work was published on April 18.
"It is important for the Russian occupiers to continue to put pressure on our positions at any cost. However, after previous unsuccessful assaults, during which our paratroopers destroyed a significant number of enemy armored vehicles, the occupiers are forced to use everything they have at hand, including motorcycles," the brigade commented on the attack.
The military notes that over the past month, the enemy has lost 18 armored vehicles in the 77th Brigade's defense zone, and while there is no new supply of equipment, the Russians may even storm on scooters.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] Ukrainian Armed Forces Contain Russian Attacks in Eastern and Southern Ukraine.
The enemy is most active in the Pokrovsk direction. There, the Ukrainian Armed Forces repelled 22 attacks in the areas of 10 settlements.
Since the beginning of the current day, 65 combat clashes have occurred on the front. The majority of battles are being fought in three directions, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported in an operational report on Friday, April 18.
Thus, in the Kharkov direction, the Russians attacked once in the area of Volchansk.
In the Kupyansk direction, the occupiers carried out one attack near Zagrizove.
In the Liman direction, the invaders carried out 10 attacks in the areas of the settlements of Grekovka, Nadezhda, Yampolivka, Torskoye. Currently, one combat clash is ongoing.
In the Kramatorsk direction, the enemy twice attempted to advance forward in the area of Chasovy Yar and west of Andreyevka.
In the Toretsk direction, the enemy is trying to penetrate the Ukrainian Armed Forces' defense in the areas of Toretsk, Ozaryanovka, Dachnoye, Krymskoye and Druzhby. Four attacks are ongoing, nine assaults have already been stopped.
In the Pokrovsky direction, the Russians organized 24 assaults in the areas of the settlements of Tarasovka, Novotoretskoye, Elizavetovka, Lisovka, Uspenovka, Novoaleksandrovka, Bogdanovka, Andreyevka and in the directions of Alexandropol, Mirolyubovka. The defense forces repelled 22 attacks, two more clashes are ongoing.
In the Novopavlovsk direction, our defenders repelled five assaults. The enemy tried to advance in the areas of Constantinople, Volnoye Pole and in the direction of Otradnoye. One combat clash continues.
In the Orekhov direction, an attack in the Shcherbaki area was repelled.
In Kursk Oblast, Ukrainian Armed Forces units stopped six attacks. Another clash continues.
Let us recall that in recent weeks the Ukrainian Armed Forces have liberated 16 square kilometers of territory in the Pokrovsk area. We are talking about territories near the settlements of Udachnoye, Kotlinoe, Shevchenko.
[EngMilRu] From 12 to 18 April 2025, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation delivered nine group strikes by precision weaponry and attack unmanned aerial vehicles, as a result of which Ukrainian defence industry enterprises, infrastructure of military airfields, weaponry, ammunition, missile, attack unmanned aerial vehicles, and uncrewed surface vehicle depots, UAV operators training centres as well as temporary deployment areas of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries were engaged.
In the morning, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation delivered a group strike by long-range precision weaponry and unmanned aerial vehicles at key unmanned aerial vehicle production facilities and infrastructure objects of Ukrainian military airfields. The goals of the strike have been achieved. All the assigned objects have been engaged.
Over the past week, units of the Sever Group of Forces continued to eliminate AFU formations on the territory of Kursk region. Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and artillery inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of one tank brigade, four mechanised brigades, three air assault brigades, one assault regiment of the AFU, one naval infantry brigade, and five territorial defence brigades. In Belgorod and Kharkov directions, losses were inflicted on units of five mechanised brigades, one motorised infantry brigade, one air assault brigade, one coastal defence brigade, one assault regiment of the AFU, and four territorial defence brigades.
During the week, more than 1,900 enemy troops were neutralised in the area of responsibility of the Sever Group of Forces and 64 Ukrainian servicemen surrendered. The AFU losses amounted to up to six tanks, 39 armoured fighting vehicles, 99 motor vehicles, six MLRS launchers, including two U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS launchers, 46 field artillery guns, two anti-aircraft missile systems, eight electronic warfare stations and counter-battery radars, ten ammunition and materiel depots.
Units of the Zapad Group of Forces took more advantageous lines and positions. Losses were inflicted on manpower and hardware of five mechanised brigades, one jaeger brigade, two assault brigades, one artillery brigade of the AFU, three territorial defence brigades, and one national guard brigade.
The AFU losses amounted to more than 1,730 troops, two tanks, and 13 armoured fighting vehicles, including three U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carriers. In addition, 45 motor vehicles, 30 field artillery guns, including seven NATO-made 155mm self-propelled artillery systems and howitzers, 12 electronic warfare stations and counter-battery radars, and 21 ammunition depots were neutralised.
As a result of active operations, units of the Yug Group of Forces liberated Kalinovo and Valentinovka (Donetsk People's Republic).
Losses were inflicted on formations of seven mechanised brigades, one airmobile brigade, three assault brigades, one artillery brigade, one regiment of unmanned aerial systems of the AFU, three territorial defence brigades, three national guard brigades, and the Azov Special Operations Brigade.
Over the past week, the AFU losses amounted to more than 2,170 troops, two tanks, 27 armoured fighting vehicles, including four U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carriers and one Stryker armoured personnel carrier. Seventy-four motor vehicles, 35 field artillery guns, including four Western-made 155mm field artillery guns, six electronic warfare stations, 27 ammunition, fuel, and materiel depots were neutralised.
As a result of decisive actions, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces liberated Yelizavetovka and Preobrazhenka (Donetsk People's Republic).
Losses were inflicted on manpower and hardware of six mechanised brigades, two assault brigades, one airborne brigade, three jaeger brigades, one UAV brigade, one assault regiment of the AFU, one naval infantry brigade, and four national guard brigades.
The AFU losses amounted to more than 2,680 troops, two tanks, 20 armoured fighting vehicles, including seven U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carriers. Thirty-five motor vehicles, 34 field artillery guns, including six U.S.-made 155mm Paladin, one French-made CAESAR, and one Polish-made Krab self-propelled artillery guns were neutralised.
Units of the Vostok Group of Forces continued advancing into the depth of enemy defences. Losses were inflicted on formations of two mechanised brigades, one jaeger brigade, one airmobile brigade, one air assault brigade, one mountain assault brigade of the AFU, one naval infantry brigade, three territorial defence brigades, and one national guard brigade.
The AFU losses amounted to more than 1,020 troops, one tank, eight armoured fighting vehicles, 20 motor vehicles, 18 field artillery guns, including three NATO-made field artillery guns as well as four electronic warfare stations.
The Dnepr Group of Forces' units took more advantageous lines and positions. Losses were inflicted on manpower and hardware of three mechanised brigades, one mountain assault brigade, three coastal defence brigades of the AFU, and three territorial defence brigades.
The AFU losses amounted to more than 540 troops, four armoured fighting vehicles, 56 motor vehicles. One U.S.-made HIMARS MLRS launcher, 12 field artillery guns, nine electronic warfare stations and counter-battery radars, and 16 ammunition depots were neutralised.
Over the past week, air defence units shot down one F-16 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force, 45 U.S.-made JDAM guided aerial bombs and 29 HIMARS MLRS projectiles as well as 1,618 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, the AFU losses amounted to 661 aircraft,283 helicopters, 52,592 unmanned aerial vehicles,603 anti-aircraft missile systems, 22,920 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,541 MLRS combat vehicles, 23,820 field artillery guns and mortars, 34,317 units of support military vehicles.
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the operation to neutralise AFU formations on the territory of Kursk region.
In the course of offensive actions, units of the Sever Group of Forces inflicted losses on formations of one tank brigade, one mechanised brigade, one air assault brigade, one territorial defence brigade, and one assault brigade of the AFU near Gornal and Oleshnya.
Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and artillery inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the enemy near Belovody, Vodolagi, Krovnoye, Mogritsa, Sadki, Yunakovka, and Yablonovka in Sumy region.
Over the past 24 hours, the AFU losses amounted to more than 225 troops, two armoured personnel carriers, one armoured fighting vehicle, six motor vehicles, one artillery gun, and four mortars.
Since the beginning of hostilities in Kursk direction, the AFU losses amounted to over 75,005 troops, 410 tanks, 334 infantry fighting vehicles, 307 armoured personnel carriers, 2,278 armoured fighting vehicles, 2,740 motor vehicles, 619 artillery guns, 57 MLRS launchers including 15 of HIMARS and seven of MLRS made by the USA, 28 anti-aircraft missile launchers, one self-propelled anti-aircraft system, ten transport-loading vehicles, 125 EW stations,18 counter-fire radars, 12 air defence radars, 57 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 15 armoured recovery vehicles, and one command post vehicle.
The operation to neutralise the AFU units is in progress.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 21:27 Russian Armed Forces UAV operators with new footage of the destruction of Ukrainian Armed Forces vehicles in the Artemovsk direction —video. 20:54 Ivanovo paratroopers work on Ukrainian Armed Forces equipment at the western entrance to Chasov Yar —video.
20:26 Our Buryat soldier from the 5th Tank Brigade shot down the Baba Yaga hexocopter with small arms fire —video.
19:51 Soldiers of the 16th Special Forces Brigade destroyed enemy robotic platform in the area of the settlement of Nadiya, Khar'kov region
19:07 Calculation of the Tor-M air defense missile system of the Zapad group of forces destroyed enemy reconnaissance drone "Valkyrie" in the Khar'kov region.
18:35 In the period from 16:35 to 17:10 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty destroyed two Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the airplane type:
One UAV over the territory of the Belgorod region and
One UAV over the territory of the Kursk region.
18:10 Investigators of the Russian Investigative Committee will investigate the criminal actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which resulted in the injury of a civilian in the Belgorod region
According to the executive authorities, in the village of Oktyabrsky in the Belgorod district, a drone of the Armed Forces of Ukraine attacked a moving car. As a result of the incident, a civilian was injured.
17:49 Servicemen of an unidentified motorized rifle regiment of the "Vostok" group deployed electronic warfare systems, creating a safe corridor, and evacuated civilians from the town of Constantinople in the DPR, which continues to be shelled by Ukrainian Armed Forces units.
16:57 Artillery units of the North group of forces destroyed sabotage and reconnaissance group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Sumy region.
16:30 From 14:00 to 14:40 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty destroyed two Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the airplane type over the territory of the Kursk region.
16:16 On the border of the Belgorod region took place an exchange of bodies of the dead between Russia and Ukraine 909 for 41
The remains of 909 Ukrainian soldiers, most of whom died in the Kursk direction, were handed over to Kyiv. Russia was returned only 41 bodies.
15:32 Investigators of the Russian Investigative Committee will investigate the circumstances of civilian injuries as a result of criminal actions by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Belgorod and Bryansk regions, as well as the DPR
According to reports from executive authorities, a man was injured as a result of an attack by a Ukrainian Armed Forces drone in Novaya Tavolzhanka, Belgorod Region.
As a result of Ukrainian armed aggression, a civilian resident of the city of Dzerzhinsk in the Gorlovka urban district was wounded.
In the Bryansk region, as a result of mortar shelling and an attack by kamikaze drones, a resident of the village of Lomakovka in the Starodubsky municipal district was wounded.
15:25 The Kyiv regime continued its unilateral attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.
Over the past 24 hours four attacks were recorded by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Russian energy facilities.
In the Belgorod region:
On April 17 at 01:37, as a result of deliberate shelling by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a 10 kV high-voltage line of the branch of PJSC Rosseti Centre - Belgorodenergo was disconnected due to a wire break in the span of the supports. Some household consumers in the Rakityansky district (1,586 supply points) were left without power supply.
In Kursk region:
on April 17 at 02:22, as a result of an attack by a Ukrainian UAV, the 110 kV high-voltage line “Seymskaya – Klyukva No. 2” was disconnected due to a broken wire.
In the Bryansk region:
on April 17 at 12:10 as a result of an attack by a Ukrainian UAV, a complete transformer substation of the branch of PJSC Rosseti Centre - Bryanskenergo was disabled due to damage. Some household consumers in the settlement of Troebortnoye in the Sevsky district were left without power supply.
In the Voronezh region:
on April 18 at 07:10 as a result of an attack by a Ukrainian UAV in the Rossoshansky district, in the village of Podgornoye on Sadovaya Street, the above-ground steel gas distribution pipeline of Gazprom Gas Distribution Voronezh OJSC was damaged.
15:00 Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue to defeat the Ukrainian Armed Forces formations in the Kursk region.
During offensive operations, units of the North group of forces inflicted losses on formations of a tank, mechanized, airborne assault brigade, territorial defense brigade, and assault regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Gornal and Oleshnya.
Strikes by operational-tactical, army aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles and artillery fire damaged enemy manpower and equipment in the areas of the settlements of Belovody, Vodolaghi, Krovnoye, Mogritsa, Sadki, Yunakovka and Yablonovka in the Sumy region.
Over the course of 24 hours, the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost over 225 servicemen, two armored personnel carriers, an armored combat vehicle, six vehicles, an artillery piece, and four mortars were destroyed.
14:21 UAV calculation of the 10th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 20th division of the 8th Guards Combined Arms Army discovered PU UAV of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kalinovo area.
14:09 Crew of the 152mm 2A36 Giatsint-B artillery unit of the Novorossiysk Airborne Forces destroyed strongholds with Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel in the Orekhov direction
13:40 Ministry of Defense summary on the progress of the special military operation from April 12 to 18, 2025
From April 12 to 18, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federationinflictednine group strikes with high-precision weapons and attack unmanned aerial vehicles, which resulted in the destruction of enterprises of the military-industrial complex of Ukraine, the infrastructure of military airfields, warehouses of weapons, ammunition, missiles, attack unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned boats, training centers for drone operators, as well as temporary deployment points of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries.
The active actions of the "South" and "Center" units and the group of troops liberated the settlements of Kalinovo, Valentinovka, Elizavetovka and Preobrazhenka of the Donetsk People's Republic.
Over the past week, air defense systems have shot down an F-16 aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force, 45 JDAM guided aerial bombs and 29 rockets of the US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system, as well as 1,618 aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles.
The losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from April 12 to 18 amounted to 10,040 servicemen, 329 vehicles, 10 tanks, 176 field artillery guns, 111 armored combat vehicles, 74 ammunition and supply depots, and 32 electronic and counter-battery warfare stations.
In addition, on the morning of April 18, a group strike was carried out with long-range precision weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles on key production sites for the production of unmanned aerial vehicles and infrastructure facilities of Ukrainian military airfields. The strike targets were achieved. All designated objects were hit.
13:20 Active actions by units of the "Southern" group of troops released the settlement of Valentinovka in the Donetsk People's Republic.
13:15 This morning a group strike was inflicted with long-range precision weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles on key production sites for the production of unmanned aerial vehicles and infrastructure facilities of Ukrainian military airfields. The strike's objectives were achieved. All designated objects were hit.
13:11 Calculation of the Supercam UAV of the 51st Guards Combined Arms Army of the Center Forces Group provided artillery guidance and control of the destruction of manpower and armored vehicles of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Krasnoarmeysk direction.
12:20 RF Armed Forces advanced near Constantinopol to the northwest and near Rozliv to the west. Assault groups work, clearing not districts, but streets and houses inclusively.
The enemy, in connection with the retreat from the Kursk direction, sent part of its reserves to this area.
12:11 UAV operators of an unidentified mountain motorized rifle brigade are being destroyedenemy heavy copters
In the direction of the settlement of Demidovka, the enemy attempted to use the Ukrainian Armed Forces' Baba Yaga UAV as a repeater for FPV, as well as for remote mining of the area.
11:55 Ukrainian militants surrounded in Kursk region, suffered significant losses, surrendered to units of the Northern group of forces.
10:50 Crews of T-72 tanks of the "East" group of forces continue to destroy positions and firing points of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the South Donetsk direction.
10:40 A verdict was handed down to four Ukrainian servicemen who used weapons against civilians in the Kursk region.
10:04 Around 09.20 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle of the airplane type over the territory of the Belgorod region.
9:32 The Berkut group of the strike and reconnaissance division of the 238th Artillery Brigade of the 8th Guards Combined Arms Army carried out a tactical operation in the area of the settlement of Pleshcheyevka, –video.
8:57 Over the past night, Russian air defense forces in Zaporozhye destroyed more than 40 drones approaching populated areas of the region.
8:17 In Novaya Tavolzhanka a drone attacked a man who was riding a bicycle
The victim was taken to the ambulance substation in Shebekino by a passing vehicle. Doctors diagnosed him with barotrauma and a shrapnel wound to the back.
8:05 Area settlement Malenovka. They are working the Russian Aerospace Forces used FAB aerial bombs with UPMK. The mission was accomplished. The enemy was destroyed.
7:02 During the past night, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed and 56 Ukrainian aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles:
– 27 UAVs – over the territory of the Voronezh region,
– 12 UAVs – over the territory of the Belgorod region,
– 12 UAVs – over the waters of the Sea of Azov,
– Three – over the territory of the Republic of Crimea,
– One each – over the territories of the Rostov region and Krasnodar region.
6:54 During the Ukrainian UAV attack on the Volokonovsky district of the Belgorod region died two self-defense fighters.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Sergey Adamov
[REGNUM] The American press, citing a Ukrainian Armed Forces soldier, essentially refuted the claims of Kiev propaganda that Russia allegedly deliberately launched a missile strike on civilians in the center of Sumy.
A Ukrainian military officer confirmed that a meeting of soldiers from the 117th Territorial Defense Brigade was taking place in the place where the Iskanders landed.
"Unnecessary and irresponsible", but it turned the Sumy University Congress Center into a legitimate military target. Judging by the logic of the statement, the event was leaked in a controlled manner, after which the military was placed in the basement, and women and children were targeted - for the sake of a picture for the media.
Kiev continues to use “its” population, including residents of large cities, as a human shield, placing equipment and personnel under the cover of homes, schools and universities.
Ukrainian security forces have also repeatedly carried out unprovoked attacks on defenseless people.
As noted by the Regnum news agency, terrorist tactics were already evident at the beginning of the so-called “anti-terrorist operation”, after in April 2014, acting president Oleksandr Turchynov announced the beginning of the “forceful phase” of the fight against “separatism”.
Over the years of military action, Ukrainian troops have committed thousands of crimes. But at the first stage of the confrontation, on one side there were only unarmed people, against whom the Ukrainian authorities threw armored vehicles, artillery and military aviation.
AIRSTRIKES AND MORTAR ATTACKS
On the morning of June 2, 2014, negotiations began on the surrender of the base of the State Border Forces of Ukraine (GBFSU), located in the Luhansk microdistrict of Mirny, but the command of the GBFSU refused to transfer the facility to the control of the new Donbass militia authorities.
In the area of the Luhansk border detachment base, military actions began. The Ukrainian side used Mi-24 attack helicopters and Su-25 attack aircraft. At the same time, in the city center, near the regional administration building, an indefinite rally in support of Donbas self-determination continued.
At approximately 15:00 local time, a Su-25 attack aircraft struck the building: the Regional State Administration and a nearby park were hit by unguided air-to-air munitions. At the time of the strike, there were no armed people or resistance leaders in the building. One of the victims worked in the neighboring building of the local Pension Fund, many of the victims were simply walking in the nearby park.
The Ukrainian authorities denied the fact of a strike on the city center. At the same time, an "unofficial" version was launched at the instigation of bloggers and the media: the cause of the explosion was the "detonation of an air conditioner" located in the building. Allegedly, the missile fired at the plane reacted to the thermal signature of the air conditioner.
Subsequently, the “Luhansk air conditioner” became a cynical explanation for any civilian casualties during the conflict, which was only gaining momentum.
On July 15, 2014, the Ukrainian Air Force fired at least ten missiles at the center of the city of Snizhne, where there were no military facilities. One of the "hits" hit a five-story residential building. Several entrances collapsed like a house of cards, killing 12 people.
As the fighting spread to ever larger areas of Donbas, Kyiv deployed more and more weapons in the conflict. Army aviation and artillery were used almost everywhere
Losing in combat, the Ukrainian Armed Forces fought back with area strikes. They used, among other things, MLRS (multiple launch rocket systems), designed to launch a large number of rockets simultaneously, which eliminates the possibility of precise aiming. The defeat is inflicted "over an area" where, in theory, the enemy may be located.
One of such "squares" on July 27, 2014 were the districts of Donetsk's northern satellite city of Gorlovka. A 122-mm MLRS "Grad" was fired at the city. The attack killed 22 people.
Similar attacks on civilians occurred throughout almost all of 2014 and 2015.
At midday on August 12, 2014, Ukrainian aircraft struck a beach near the small village of Zuhres, resulting in the deaths of 12 civilians and the injury of another 40 people.
The situation had not changed by 2015. In late January, the Ukrainian Armed Forces shelled the outskirts of Donetsk during rush hour. A public transport stop was hit. As a result of the attack, 8 people were killed and 13 more were injured.
Then, on January 30, 2015, five people were killed as a result of mortar shelling. Its target was a line for humanitarian aid that was being distributed in the Donetsk Kuibyshev Community Center in the Kuibyshevsky district (west of Donetsk). At the time the shelling began, there were about 400 people in the line, including pensioners and disabled people.
ROCKET ATTACKS
The same period, the "force phase of the anti-terrorist operation" of 2014-15, saw the first cases of the Ukrainian Armed Forces using the Tochka-U tactical missile systems against civilian targets. At the first stage of the SVO, the Tochka-Us were regularly used by Ukrainian troops to shell civilian settlements. Their stocks were exhausted - but the Tochka-Us were replaced by missile systems supplied by the US and European countries.
Ukrainian troops also regularly used anti-personnel mines against civilians. The Ukrainian Armed Forces "sown" the streets of Donetsk and other cities in Donbass with PFM-1 "Lepestok" mines. The Uragan MLRS shells were filled with mines that scattered over dense residential areas. It is very difficult to notice such a mine, and it is capable of tearing off a person's foot, leg or arm entirely.
On October 22, 2014, Ukrainian forces launched their first missile attack on Donetsk. The attack hit a chemical reagents plant. Although there were no casualties, the explosion resulted in a massive release of toxic fumes into the atmosphere. In early February 2015, another missile attack hit the building of the Donetsk State Chemical Products Plant (DKZHI).
In total, during the period 2014–2015, the Ukrainian Armed Forces carried out about 40 missile strikes on military and civilian targets in the area of Donetsk, Ilovaisk, Snezhnoye, Avdiivka, Makeyevka, Khartsyzsk, Rovenki and a number of other populated areas.
On February 12, 2015, the leaders of the Normandy Four — Germany, France, Ukraine and Russia — signed the Minsk-2 agreements. The number of artillery attacks decreased between 2016 and 2022. However, this did not mean that the Ukrainian Armed Forces stopped committing war crimes.
In November 2015, the North Crimean Canal was first filled in, and then the power lines supplying the peninsula with electricity were blown up.
Subsequently, the Ukrainian Armed Forces repeatedly carried out targeted attacks on sensitive civilian infrastructure facilities, especially water infrastructure.
In March 2016, Ukrainian troops destroyed the Donetsk filtration station in a series of shelling attacks. As a result, the city was temporarily left without water. Kiev used a similar strategy in Crimea.
At the same time, Ukrainian troops deliberately pursued the teams of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and water repair workers. Since 2014, 29 rescue workers have been killed as a result of shelling, and at least 253 more have been injured. Since 2014, 17 employees of the State Unitary Enterprise of the DPR "Voda Donbassa" have died while on duty.
Donetsk residents had to learn to live in conditions of water shortages, and in some areas, without a central water supply.
In March 2022, against the backdrop of the start of a special military operation by the Russian Armed Forces, the Seversky Donets-Donbass channel was blocked by the Ukrainian side.
As a result of shelling by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the water arteries that supplied water to Yasinovataya, Makeyevka, Gorlovka, and also to Donetsk itself were cut off.
In general, changes can be noted in the Ukrainian tactics of terror against the civilian population, developed back in 2014-15. Defeats at the front led to an increase in the number of shellings of residential areas and peaceful districts. The shellings themselves became more frequent and unsystematic. In addition, Kyiv lifted its obligations to use non-conventional ammunition, including prohibited cluster munitions.
On March 14, 2022, the Ukrainian Armed Forces fired a Tochka-U ballistic missile at the center of Donetsk. Immediately before the attack, there were false reports of humanitarian aid being distributed. And a group of people who had gathered were hit by a missile fired from the Pokrovsk area. 21 people were killed and 36 were injured.
On August 4, 2022, the targets of the shelling were the area of the Donbass Opera Theater, where the farewell ceremony for the Hero of the DPR and Russia, Colonel Olga Kachura (call sign "Korsa"), who was killed the day before near Gorlovka, was taking place. In all likelihood, the Ukrainian Armed Forces intended to kill the republic's leadership, which was supposed to take part in the farewell ceremony.
According to witnesses, the "arrival" of five shells fell on a section of approximately 200-300 meters between the Donbass Palace Hotel and the Donbass Opera. Five people died, including the famous ballerina, teacher of the School of Choreography Galina Volodina and her 12-year-old student Katya Kutubaeva.
On September 2, 2022, Ukrainian Armed Forces missiles attacked the Voroshilovsky district of Donetsk, killing two people in houses on Artema Street and Pushkin Boulevard. One of the targets of the Ukrainian military was the DPR Coal Ministry, near which a woman was killed.
On September 18, 2023, the center of Donetsk was subjected to massive shelling from American Himars MLRS. They hit the city center, including the building where the administration of the acting head of the DPR Denis Pushilin is located. After the strike, a fire broke out, Pushkin Boulevard was covered in thick smoke, the streets were empty.
On the night of January 1, 2024, the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched a massive missile attack on Donetsk. The bulk of the strikes hit the northwestern and western quarters of the city, in the Kievsky and Kuibyshevsky districts. One of the shells hit the Donbass Palace Hotel, located closer to the city center, where festive events were taking place at that time. As a result of the shelling, four people were killed and 13 were wounded.
Lesser-intensity attacks on major DPR cities close to the contact line have continued since the start of the SVO. The last major shelling of Donetsk occurred on January 21, 2024, killing more than 20 civilians.
"HUMAN SHIELDS" AND KILLINGS IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORY
Another ongoing crime of the Ukrainian troops was the use of civilians as human shields during the defense of populated areas. And during the retreat - the killing of people who had turned into "spent material".
This "tactic" was best demonstrated by the militants of the infamous Azov unit (the organization's activities are banned in the Russian Federation) in the battle for Mariupol in the spring of 2022. They tried to turn every single house and block into a fortified area, holding civilians as a shield. Those who tried to leave the city were shot by the militants.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces acted in the same way not only in defensive but also in offensive operations. During the invasion of the Kursk region, Ukrainian troops fired at civilian transport attempting to leave the combat zone.
Those who remained in the occupied territory also faced crimes committed by Ukrainians. According to the Investigative Committee of Russia, since 2022, 167 civilians in the Kursk region have been killed by the occupiers, and 500 people have been injured.
Based on the data obtained by the investigation, 46 Ukrainian servicemen have already been sentenced to long terms of imprisonment, and criminal cases against another 92 are pending before the court.
And the only way to protect the civilian population is to defeat the Ukrainian troops and move them as far away as possible from densely populated areas.
However, even if the conflict in Ukraine ends tomorrow, a full list of the crimes of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has yet to be compiled. As well as a list of specific military personnel who have committed war crimes against civilians since 2014.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] The 30-day moratorium on strikes on energy infrastructure facilities between Russia and Ukraine has expired, but Russian President Vladimir Putin has not yet given any instructions on this matter.
“The month has indeed passed, but at the present time there have been no other instructions from the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President Putin,” he responded to a corresponding question from journalists during a briefing.
Peskov stressed that Russia had adhered to the moratorium throughout its entire term, unlike Ukraine. At the same time, he called the introduction of restrictions on strikes on energy facilities some progress in resolving the conflict.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, on March 18, Putin supported the proposal of US President Donald Trump to introduce a 30-day moratorium on strikes on energy facilities between Russia and Ukraine. The Russian military promptly carried out the order, including disarming seven of their drones that were sent to attack energy facilities in the Nikolaev region.
However, despite the statement by the head of the Kiev regime, Volodymyr Zelensky, about joining the agreement, already on the night of March 19, Ukrainian forces attacked an oil depot in the Krasnodar region. After that, they continued to systematically strike Russian energy infrastructure.
As of April 15, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have violated the moratorium about 100 times. Attacks on Russian energy facilities are carried out almost daily.
Over the past 24 hours, Ukrainian forces have carried out four strikes on energy facilities in the Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk and Voronezh regions. They attacked high-voltage power lines, a complete transformer substation and an overhead gas distribution pipeline.
On April 17, the UN Security Council consultations closed, where they discussed the results of the moratorium on suspending strikes on energy facilities. Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya reported after them that the Russian side asked Ukraine's Western supporters whether they were ready to put pressure on Zelensky to comply with the agreements, but there was no answer.
Text taken from a variety of sources including Hinshtein
Commentary from Russian military journalist is in italics.
[ColonelCassad] The new governor of the Kursk region, Khinshtein, commented on the arrests of his "predecessors", calling them "internal enemies".
He also spoke about the fraudulent schemes that operated under the arrested ex-governor.
The day before, following the former governor of the Kursk region Alexey Smirnov, the court also placed his long-time associate, the former chairman of the regional government Alexey Dedov (on the left in the photo) under arrest. Let me remind you that both of them are accused of fraud in the construction of defensive structures, which was carried out by the infamous Kursk Region Development Corporation (KRKO).
It is important to explain that initially this structure (a joint-stock company with 100% participation of the region) was created exclusively as a project office to support investors, but through the efforts of officials it turned into a real super-monopoly. Along with defensive structures (₽19.4 billion), KRKO built FAPs and aviation infrastructure in the region, received land for KRT (we have already stopped one such construction in Zheleznogorsk), bought up alcoholic beverage brands and even almost became the sole supplier of medicines for the needs of the region (the corresponding resolution of the regional government was prepared just before my appointment, but I, of course, blocked it). In total, tens of billions of budget rubles passed through KRKO. How much of it was stolen is an open question.
Suffice it to say that the court of first instance has already satisfied the claim of the Prosecutor General's Office to recover ₽4.1 billion to the budget. The funds were allocated for the construction of fortifications, but were appropriated by the management of KRKO and their contractors (we fully supported this claim in court).
Since the end of last year alone, more than ten (!) criminal cases related to KRKO have been opened in the Kursk region (some of them were subsequently combined). To date, along with the ex-governor and the ex-chairman of the government, the director of the Corporation Vladimir Lukin (pictured on the right), three (!) of his former deputies, as well as a number of heads of contractor companies have been arrested.
But there are also criminal cases being investigated in parallel in Ivanovo, where the same people - the heads and contractors of KRKO - were caught embezzling during major repairs of apartment buildings. (Previously, Lukin worked as an adviser on housing and communal services to the governor of the Ivanovo region, but when he moved to Kursk in 2021, he took many of his accomplices and subordinates with him, where they have already deployed in full force.
At least three defendants in the multi-billion anti-corruption lawsuit of the Prosecutor General's Office, not counting Lukin himself, have an "Ivanovo trace". Among them are the former heads of the Department of Housing and Communal Services and the Capital Repairs Fund of the Ivanovo Region).
The previous leaders of the Kursk region - Smirnov, Dedov and others - simply could not help but see who was being trusted with billions of budget money. On the contrary, they deliberately turned a project mini-office into the largest state contractor, which had neither the necessary competence, nor experience, nor even a basic staff of specialists.
The prosecutor's office and other law enforcement agencies repeatedly pointed this out to the region's leaders, but there was no proper response. Why - is clearly visible from the photo I published, where the chairman of the government and the director of KRKO are sitting hugging in frivolous poses.
Alas, the enemy is not only on the other side of the front line. Bribe-takers and corrupt officials undermine the country from within, especially when it comes to theft in the defense sector.
I have no doubt that all persons involved in these multi-billion dollar criminal schemes, unprecedented in cynicism and scale, will be exposed and will be punished as they deserve, regardless of their positions.
For its part, the Kursk region government intends to continue to actively cooperate with law enforcement agencies in restoring order, which I spoke about from the very first days of my work in the region. A number of criminal cases of the KRKO have already been initiated based on our requests.
I express my sincere gratitude to my colleagues from the prosecutor's office, the FSB, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and other law enforcement and supervisory bodies for their integrity and firmness in the matter of anti-corruption cleansing of the Kursk region.
I believe that our land will be liberated not only from external, but also from internal enemies.
The headline is in the style of the Pravda newspaper from 1937. But the message is correct - in a war situation, a thief is an internal enemy. Let's see how much the guilty parties will ultimately be given and how much of the stolen goods they will be able to recoup.
P.S. At the same time, it is worth remembering that it was not only the theft of budget money for field fortifications that was the cause of problems in defending the state border in the Kursk region.
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.
