Russia-Ukraine war, Timeline of events, April 13-15

The head of the Nikolaev region, Vitaly Kim, stated that five were killed and 15 werebwounded as a result of the shelling of residential areas of Nikolaev with cluster shells.

Head of Kharkiv OVA: as a result of the shelling of a residential area of ​​Kharkiv, 7 people were killed, including a seven-month-old child

Another 34 people were injured, including three children, Oleg Sinegubov, head of the Kharkiv military administration, said on his Telegram channel. The injured are being treated by doctors.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation claims that Kyiv is preparing a provocation “similar to that carried out in Kramatorsk”

According to the ministry, Ukrainian troops will strike with the Tochka-U complex from the direction of Staromikhailivka at the accumulation of refugees at the railway station in Lozova. Lozovaya is a city in the south of the Kharkiv region. Staromikhaylovka is an urban-type settlement near Donetsk (controlled by the forces of the self-proclaimed DPR).

Colonel-General Mikhail Mizintsev separately emphasized that “Tochka-U tactical missiles are used only by the Ukrainian armed forces”. However, the Conflict Intelligence Team drew attention to the fact that such missiles were also spotted in the arsenal of the Russian Armed Forces. Russia also continues to deny involvement in an earlier missile attack on Kramatorsk that killed more than 50 civilians, blaming it on Ukraine.

UN: 1,982 civilians have died in Ukraine since the beginning of the war

The US believes the sunken Russian cruiser Moskva was hit by two Ukrainian missiles, a senior US official told Reuters.

Earlier, the Ukrainian authorities and the media said that the ship was attacked by Ukrainian-made Neptune missiles. Official representatives of the Ukrainian armed forces have not yet confirmed that the cruiser was hit by missiles. A Reuters source also spoke about the alleged losses among the crew, but could not name the exact number of dead or injured.

The Russian Ministry of Defense reports that the “Moskva” crew was evacuated, without specifying whether there were dead or injured among the sailors. TASS, citing a source, reported that the crew of the cruiser had been transported to Sevastopol. The Maritime Guard of Ukraine said that the storm prevented a rescue operation and evacuation.

However, the BBC, using a weather check application, concluded that the wind speed in the Sevastopol region on the evening of April 14 did not exceed 5.8 m / s with gusts up to 7 m / s. The wave height was about 1 meter. In the entire water area of ​​the northern part of the Black Sea, west of the Crimean Peninsula, the wind speed, according to the application, did not exceed 9 meters per second. According to the 12-point Beaufort scale, the concept of “storm” begins only at a wind speed of 20.8 m/s.

AFP: As a result of the night shelling of Kyiv, a plant producing Neptune missiles was destroyed

It was with such a missile, according to the Kyiv authorities, that the Moskva cruiser was shot down.

A farewell ceremony for the cruiser Moskva was held in Sevastopol

In Sevastopol, annexed by Russia, a farewell ceremony was held for the Moskva missile cruiser, which sank in the Black Sea the day before. The ceremony was attended by Navy veterans and a priest. On one of the mourning wreaths, a ribbon with the inscription “to the ship and sailors” is visible.

Photo: farewell ceremony for the cruiser Moskva – BBC

In the world:

Finland is highly likely to join NATO

This was stated by the Finnish Minister for European Affairs Tyutti Tyuppurainen in an interview with Sky News. However, she noted that the final decision has not yet been made.

According to the minister, “the people of Finland have already made their choice,” and public opinion polls show significant support among the population for the idea of ​​the country’s membership in NATO.

German Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck refused to send tanks to Ukraine, Politico writes.

Habeck changed his mind amid disagreements within the ruling parties in Berlin over how actively to intervene in the Ukrainian-Russian war. Thus, his position turned out to be similar to that of German Chancellor Scholz, states Politico.

Google One subscription stopped working in Russia.

Now the Russians do not have access to advanced cloud storage of the search engine.

Photo: Mariupol today – UNIAN

Ukrainian police: after the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Kyiv region, the bodies of 900 civilians were found.

This was announced at a briefing by the head of the police of the Kyiv region Andrey Nebitov. According to him, all bodies were handed over to forensic experts.

The Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine stated that the Russian military fired at a convoy of buses with civilians. There are dead and wounded.

On April 14, according to a report from the Prosecutor General’s Office, a convoy of buses with evacuated civilians came under fire in the urban-type settlement of Borovo, Izyumsky district, Kharkiv region. According to preliminary data, seven people died. Another 27 people were injured.

Since the beginning of the war, nine cemeteries and a memorial to the victims of totalitarianism have been shelled in Kharkiv, the city council said.

The Prosecutor General’s Office of the self-proclaimed DPR launched a criminal case against several employees of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, TASS reports.

They are accused of handing over to the Ukrainian side information constituting a state secret.

The authorities of Nikolaev reported on the shelling of residential areas of the city by Russian troops

According to the chairman of the Mykolaiv Regional Council, Anna Zamazeeva, the fire was fired from multiple launch rocket systems in the part of the city where there are no military facilities. There are casualties as a result of the shelling.

The US to give Ukraine helicopters which were previously supposed to be used in  Afghanistan – Pentagon spokesman Kirby.

Ukraine will receive 11 units of Mi-17 helicopters

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, 198 children have died, the Office of the Prosecutor General said, and another 355 children were injured.

The data on the victims, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine stressed, are not final. Data collection in the combat zone and in the territories occupied by Russian troops is difficult.

The commander of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade defending Mariupol, Major Sergei Volyn, said that the situation in the city was “critical.”

The defenders of Mariupol, Volyn is sure, “can be saved either by an urgent military operation or by a political decision.” In an interview with Ukrayinska Pravda, Volyn said that Mariupol could still be released. The operation to break the blockade, according to him, “needs to be carried out as soon as possible, with the participation of experienced commanders and the necessary funds”.

Photo: 12-year-old Danilo with a cat in his ruined house near Chernihiv. After the shelling, his mother had to have her leg amputated – UNIAN

In the world:

A Washington Post source in the US government confirmed that the Russian cruiser Moskva was hit by a Ukrainian missile.

The interlocutor of the agency did not specify which weapon system the Ukrainian military used. Ukrainian media and politicians claim that the cruiser was attacked by Neptune anti-ship missiles.

The Russian Defense Ministry said that for an unknown reason, a fire broke out on the cruiser, which caused ammunition to explode. On the night of April 15, the agency reported that the ship sank during a storm while being towed.

Russia demanded that the United States stop arming Ukraine, threatening “unpredictable consequences” otherwise.

This is stated in an official diplomatic note from Moscow, a copy of which was reviewed by The Washington Post.

The White House, after Biden’s statement about his readiness to personally go to Kyiv, reported that his trip to Ukraine was not planned.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told European colleagues that the war in Ukraine could last until the end of 2022, multiple sources told CNN.

The ships of the first permanent NATO maritime group entered the Baltic Sea, where they will take part in exercises with allies.

The Baltic Fleet of the Russian Federation will keep NATO naval exercises “at gunpoint” in case of aggressive plans, Fleet Commander Admiral Vladimir Valuev told RIA Novosti.

Viktor Vekselberg’s Tango superyacht, recently confiscated in Spain on a US warrant, will cost the US budget $9.5 million a year, Bloomberg writes .

Also, a new team will be selected for it. In total, more than a dozen yachts worth $ 2.3 billion were confiscated from Russian oligarchs and businessmen, reports the BBC. The US Department of Justice assumed that Tango, with an estimated value of about $100 million, would be sold in favor of Ukraine.

Photo: doctors provide assistance to a resident of Nikolaev, who suffered from Russian shelling – telegram channel of the head of the regional council Anna Zamazeeva

In Russia:

The crew of the missile cruiser Moskva was transported to Sevastopol

This was reported to TASS on Friday by a source in marine circles. Other details have not yet been specified.

Putin does not plan to hold a meeting to discuss the causes of the fire on the cruiser “Moskva”, said the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov.

Putin also does not plan to visit Sevastopol, the base of the Black Sea Fleet, the flagship of which was Moskva, Peskov told reporters.

Photo: In the schools of the Russian city of Tyumen, “desks of heroes” appear with photographs of servicemen awarded the Hero of Russia medal. Only excellent students will sit behind them – TJ

Explosions in Kyiv. The capital and the Kyiv region were partially de-energized

On the night of April 15, explosions went off in Kyiv, Reuters and the Ukrainian Hromadske outlet report. According to Reuters, the explosions in Kyiv were among the strongest since the beginning of the war. What exactly exploded and whether there were victims remains unknown.

Ukrainian media also report explosions in Kharkiv, Kherson, and Ivano-Frankivsk, there is information about a fire at an oil depot.

85% of the bodies of people killed in Bucha were shot at, said the mayor Anatoly Fedoruk.

“That is, a deliberate, premeditated murder occurred”, the mayor stressed. Now the bodies are taken out from individual burials in gardens, parks, yards, as well as from mass graves.

870,000 refugees who left the country after the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation returned to Ukraine, the UN reports.

Video: rocket flight in Kyiv

In the world:

EU discusses ban on imports of Russian oil

The new package of sanctions, which is being prepared by the EU, may include a ban on the import of Russian oil, writes The New York Times. According to the publication, the member countries of the European Union are getting closer and closer to agreeing among themselves on the introduction of this restrictive measure. However, according to the NYT, the final decision will be made only after the second round of elections in France, which will be held on April 24.

Rising fuel prices driven by a ban on Russian oil imports could hurt incumbent French President Emmanuel Macron’s re-election chances and play into the hands of his rival Marine Le Pen, who is seen as Putin’s sympathizer and does not support tough sanctions on Russia, NYT reports.

France will give Ukraine 24 fire engines, ambulances, as well as equipment for rescuers with a total weight of 50 tons

Photo: Mariupol today – UNIAN

“Moskva” missle cruiser sank while being towed in a storm, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

“During the towing of the Moskva cruiser to the port of destination, due to damage to the hull received as a result of the fire which started after the detonation of ammunition, the ship lost stability. The ship sank in a stormy sea. As previously reported, the crew of the cruiser was evacuated to the ships of the Black Sea Fleet in the area”, the Defense Ministry said.

Yesterday, the Ukrainian authorities announced that the missile cruiser and flagship of the Black Sea Fleet was hit by a Neptune anti-ship missile. The Russian Defense Ministry reported a fire onboard and an explosion of ammunition. According to the agency, the fire on board was extinguished, the crew was removed from the ship, and the cruiser itself was taken in tow and went to Sevastopol for repairs. Previously, the missile cruiser took part in military conflicts in Georgia (2008) and Syria (2015). The ship is worth an estimated $750 million, according to Forbes, making it Russia’s most expensive loss in the war with Ukraine.

In Bucha, Kyiv region, the bodies of 73 dead were exhumed from a mass grave near the church of St. Andrew the First-Called.

This was announced by the mayor of the city Anatoly Fedoruk. Bodies continue to be removed from the grave. Initially, the Ukrainian prosecutor’s office assumed that 67 people could be buried in a mass grave. In total, the bodies of 403 dead were found in Bucha. According to the mayor, 167 people have been identified: “We found out what kind of people they were, where they lived, where they worked”.

Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted several laws in connection with the war:

• On the recognition of the Russian invasion of Ukraine as genocide.
  On the prohibition of the symbols Z and V, which are used by the Russian military.
  On allowing foreign citizens to work in Ukrainian intelligence and serve in the armed forces for three to five years.

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, according to the UN, 1,964 civilians have died

In an interview with BBC News, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed confidence that Russia’s immediate goal is to encircle 44,000 Ukrainian troops in a full-scale battle for Donbas and take it back.

Photo: Moskva missile cruiser on a newly introduced stamp in Ukraine

In the world:

Joe Biden said he was ready to personally go to Ukraine.

The President of the United States told reporters about this, standing at the gangway of the plane. Biden said that now his administration is addressing this issue.

The European Union plans to introduce a ban on the import of Russian oil in several stages.

This is done in order to give Germany and other EU countries time to find alternative suppliers, according to The New York Times, citing sources. According to the publication, the oil embargo will not be submitted for negotiations between the EU countries until the final round of the presidential elections, scheduled for April 24, is held in France. The European Union took a similar approach when it banned the export of Russian coal, providing for a four-month transition period.

The first Russian troops that left the north of Ukraine began to appear in the Donbas.

This was stated by a senior Pentagon official.

“They already have a significant amount of forces in the region. We estimate that there are a total of 65 battalion tactical groups within Ukraine itself. And they are indeed located in the east and south of Ukraine”, said a US Department of Defense official quoted by CNN. According to the US military, in the coming days, Russia will introduce additional tactical groups into the Donbas.

Ukraine is negotiating the purchase of MQ-9 Reaper attack drones, writes Forbes. With the support of the US government, the UAVs will be handed over to the Armed Forces of Ukraine in a matter of days.

Photo: Map of hostilities in Ukraine according to intelligence from the British Ministry of Defense

In Russia:

In the Bryansk region, where, according to local authorities, the village of Klimovo was attacked by mortars, about 100 houses were damaged.

This was announced on the air of the Russia-24 TV channel by the governor of the region Alexander Bogomaz. Russia today said that 8 civilians were injured due to shelling by the Ukrainian armed forces. Ukrainian authorities deny involvement in the shelling.

The publisher of the Altai newspaper Listok, Sergei Mikhailov, was arrested because of materials about the war. An investigation was launched against him for allegedly spreading ‘fakes’ about the Russian military.

Photo: in Ivanovo, local activist Dmitry Silin was charged with discrediting the Russian army for distributing Orwell’s “1984” book  for free

Ukrainian army hit the village in the Bryansk region of Russia.

According to preliminary data, 7 people were injured. Most of them are in critical condition. Among them is a pregnant woman and her two-year-old son.

The Investigative Committee launched a criminal case into the fact of the shelling:

“Using two combat helicopters equipped with heavy offensive weapons, servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine illegally entered the airspace of the Russian Federation. Moving at low altitude, acting deliberately, they carried out at least 6 air strikes on residential buildings in the village of Klimovo, Klimovsky district, Bryansk region”.

The FSB also stated that a border checkpoint in the Bryansk region was shelled today.

The Ukrainian authorities say that the explosions in the territory of the border regions of Russia are terrorist attacks carried out by the Russian special services to “inject anti-Ukrainian hysteria in the Russian Federation.

News from Ukraine:

Ukraine and Russia exchanged prisoners for the fourth time

Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Irina Vereshchuk said that 30 prisoners were handed over to the Ukrainian side: five officers, 17 privates, and eight civilians. She did not specify how many soldiers were handed over to Russia. The authorities of the Russian Federation have not yet confirmed the exchange.

The Ukrainian court arrested 154 objects of movable and immovable property of “Putin’s godfather” Viktor Medvedchuk and his wife.

Medvedchuk was detained two days ago. The Ukrainian politician is going to be tried for “high treason”. Among his arrested property are 26 cars, 30 land plots, 23 houses, 32 apartments, 17 parking spaces, and a motor yacht. Also under arrest were shares in authorized capital in 25 companies, the beneficial owner of which is Viktor Medvedchuk or Marchenko.

Mikhail Podolyak pointed out the main, in his opinion, miscalculation of Russia.

He said that Russia launched full-scale aggression to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO to “protect” Russian borders, but by the end of the year, Sweden and Finland could join the Alliance.

“The Kremlin will end up with NATO only half an hour away from St. Petersburg”, writes an adviser to the head of the office of the President of Ukraine.

In the world:

France predicts Russian offensive in Donbas in about 10 days

“Over the next few days, 10 days or so, Russia may launch a wide-ranging offensive in the east and south to capture the Donetsk and Luhansk regions … or even advance to the Dnieper (river) if their capabilities permit them”, they said. at the French Ministry of Defense.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer spoke about the meeting with Putin

Putin promised that Russia would continue to supply gas under the contracts. Payments can be made in euros.
Putin is aware that sanctions harm Russia and that war brings a lot of suffering to people. “But there is no alternative to his military logic”.
Putin is well aware that the war will have serious consequences, including for Russia.

UN: war in Ukraine poses a threat of hunger and poverty for a fifth of the world’s population

A Russian invasion of Ukraine could push up to 1.7 billion people – more than a fifth of humanity – into poverty and hunger, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned.

The Parliament of Moldova officially banned the St. George Ribbon in the country

Those displaying illegal symbols will now face a fine.

The cruiser “Moskva” is afloat and reached Sevastopol on its own.

Said the Pentagon spokesman John Kirby. The same information was provided by the Russian Ministry of Defense.

In Russia:

In Russia, a woman with a manicure in yellow and blue colors was detained.

46-year-old Olga Dyachenko was detained after a complaint from a local resident. The man went to the “Bureau of Translations”, where Olga works and saw a woman’s manicure. One of Olga’s nails was decorated with yellow and blue flowers, and on the woman’s ring finger, the citizen saw the red and black flag of the “Right Sector”. As a result, Olga was interrogated, her hands were photographed and a report on manicure was submitted to the local FSB.

Photo: Ukrainian media report that a bridge was blown up near Izyum while a Russian convoy was walking along with it – UNIAN

Victoria Nuland: The United States is likely to recognize what is happening in Ukraine as a genocide

Evidence is being collected in the United States to formally determine whether the events in Ukraine can be recognized as genocide, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland told CNN:

“I can predict that we will eventually probably find what President Biden was talking about when we collect all this evidence. Because what is happening is not an accident. This is a deliberate decision by Russia to destroy Ukraine and its civilian population”.

Earlier, Joe Biden called what is happening in Ukraine a “genocide”, but noted that the decision on whether it can be legally qualified as genocide should be made by legal experts.

News from Ukraine:

Zelensky commented on the news that Kyiv refused to receive German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

According to the Ukrainian leader, he has not received official requests from Germany regarding Steinmeier’s visit.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces fired at a convoy of cars with refugees from the LPR, two people were killed, three were injured, the prosecutor’s office of the self-proclaimed republic said — TASS

Aleksey Arestovich confirmed the information about the capture of Ukrainian marines in Mariupol

According to the adviser to the head of the presidential office, this happened during their attempt to break through to the positions of the Azov regiment. Arestovich claims that much fewer soldiers were captured, as opposed to a thousand claimed by the Russian Ministry of Defense.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation confirmed a fire on the missile cruiser “Moskva”

“As a result of a fire, ammunition detonated on the Moskva missile cruiser. The ship was seriously damaged”, the ministry said in a statement, quoted by RIA Novosti. The crew was completely evacuated, the Ministry of Defense reported. There are no data on casualties.

Earlier, the Ukrainian authorities said that the ship was on fire after being hit by Ukrainian-made Neptune anti-ship missiles, which caused “very serious damage.” “Moskva” is the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy and the ship with the most powerful weapons in the Black Sea Fleet.

Photo: a destroyed building in one of the Ukrainian cities – UNIAN

In the world:

Popular fonts are no longer available to Russians

The American company Monotype, which owns the rights to the Times New Roman, Arial, Verdana, Tahoma and Helvetica fonts, has closed access to its website library for Russian users.

Australia has imposed sanctions against another 14 Russian companies.

Under the restrictions, among others, are Gazprom, Transneft, Gazprom Neft, Kamaz, Alrosa, Rostelecom and RusHydro.

World traders will reduce purchases of Russian oil from May 15

According to Reuters sources, the largest trading houses will curtail purchases of oil and fuel from Russian state oil companies in order to avoid violating the EU sanctions on financial transactions.

Photo: Mariupol before and after the Russian attack – Meduza

Jersey authorities blocked Abramovich’s assets worth seven billion dollars – Bloomberg.

That’s half the fortune of a billionaire. Forbes estimates Abramovich’s fortune at $14.5 billion, Bloomberg at $13.9 billion. Jersey is an offshore island that is part of the British crown lands. In early March, the country imposed sanctions against the billionaire.

The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague Karim Khan visited Bucha.

This was announced by the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine Irina Venediktova, who accompanied Khan during the trip. Khan and Venediktova visited the place of storage of cars shot by the Russians, in which people tried to leave Bucha, and the place “where seven Ukrainians were tortured to death”.

OSCE: Russia committed war crimes by shelling the maternity hospital and drama theater in Mariupol

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has released a more than 100-page report on events in Ukraine between February 24 and April 1. OSCE experts concluded that the Russian military was responsible for the shelling of the maternity hospital and drama theater in Mariupol. In both cases, according to OSCE representatives, the people involved in the shelling committed a war crime.

Other news from Ukraine:

Ukrainian military intelligence announced the murder of 70 Russians in the occupied Melitopol

From March 20 to April 12, 70 Russian servicemen (including fighters from Chechnya) were killed in Melitopol during night patrols, the main intelligence department of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russiа announced the “liberation” of the port of Mariupol from the fighters of the Ukrainian regiment “Azov”

“The remnants of the units of the Ukrainian troops and the “Azov” Nazis located in the city are blocked and deprived of the opportunity to escape from the encirclement”, the agency said. On April 13, the Ministry of Defense announced that 1,026 servicemen of the 36th Marine Brigade of the Ukrainian Navy surrendered in Mariupol. Marines from this brigade, along with members of the Azov Regiment, previously complained that they were running out of food and ammunition. Yesterday, the Armed Forces of Ukraine also reported on the breakthrough of the Marines to connect with the Azov fighters.

Ukraine reports hitting Russian missile cruiser Moskva.

Aleksey Arestovich, adviser to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, announced a fire on board the Russian missile cruiser Moskva, which is now in the Black Sea. This information was confirmed by the head of the Odessa administration, saying that the cruiser was hit by two Neptune anti-ship missiles.

Photo: Consequences of fighting in the village of Chernihiv region – Ukraine 24

In the world:

The Pentagon clarified what weapons Ukraine will receive as part of a new package of US military assistance.

These are 11 helicopters, 200 armored personnel carriers, 18 howitzers, 300 Switchblade suicide drones and 500 Javelin anti-tank missiles. The Wall Street Journal writes that the Biden administration will share intelligence with Kyiv that will help the Ukrainian army attack targets in the Donbas and Crimea.

At the request of Kyiv, France will provide Ukraine with a new volume of military assistance, French Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly said on Wednesday.

“Following new Ukrainian requests, I have informed my Ukrainian colleague Oleksiy Reznikov that France will provide additional military capabilities in addition to the €100 million aid already sent”, Parly wrote. What will include additional military assistance, the minister did not specify.

The Czech Republic sent another echelon with artillery to Ukraine.

It is reported that 20 units of multiple launch rocket systems RM-70 (Czechoslovakian version of the Soviet MLRS BM-21 Grad) have been sent from the storage depots of the Czech army.

German chancellor condemned Kyiv’s refusal to accept the German president. And he said that now he sees no point in his trip to Ukraine

Olaf Scholz noted that he was in Kyiv a few days before the start of the war and often talks on the phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The German chancellor called “irritating” the fact that Kyiv refused to accept German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, citing his “close ties with Russia.”

Video: Czech self-propelled gun “Syuzanna” is fighting as part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Self-propelled artillery was recently supplied by the Czech Republic as part of assistance to Ukraine – Ressentiment

In Russia:

Russia blacklists 398 US congressmen and 87 Canadian senators

This is a response to the sanctions imposed by the United States and Canada after the start of the war in Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. The agency also declared a senior diplomat of the Czech Embassy in Moscow persona non grata and ordered him to leave the territory of the Russian Federation until April 17. This is a response to the announcement persona non grata of the Minister-Counsellor of the Russian Embassy in Prague.

Parcels of the Russian military from Ukraine have disappeared from the delivery service system.

Two-thirds of the parcels from the Russian military, sent by the SDEK delivery service from the Belarusian city of Mozyr on April 1 and 2, disappeared from the system or did not reach the addressees, writes Mediazona.ru. Belarus”. Previously, it was assumed that Russian soldiers could send items looted in Ukraine with the help of SDEK.

Russia’s external debt in the first quarter fell to $435.5 billion and became the lowest since 2009

Despite this, Russia is threatened with a technical default, since in early April the Ministry of Finance was unable to pay off Eurobonds in dollars and, for the first time since the start of the war and the introduction of new sanctions, transferred payments in rubles. Annual inflation in Russia accelerated to almost 17.5% as of April 8, the highest since February 2002

Putin is trying to raise a force in the Donbas that will outnumber Ukrainian troops in the east by five to one.

This is reported by The Times, citing sources. According to them, Russian troops are being transferred from all over the region for a decisive battle in the Donbas, but even this advantage does not guarantee Russia’s victory.

During the occupation of the Sumy region, more than 100 civilians were killed.

This was stated by the head of the regional administration Dmitry Zhivitsky. According to him, the death toll will increase, as new bodies are found every day – “with their hands tied, signs of torture, shots in the head.”

150,000 people were evacuated from Mariupol. Another 180,000 are waiting to be evacuated from the city and nearby villages, said the mayor of Mariupol, Vadim Boychenko.

In the Kharkiv region, seven people were killed as a result of shelling during the day.

This was reported by the head of the military administration of the region Oleg Sinegubov. Another 22 people were injured. A total of 53 attacks were recorded.

Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the world leaders

He asked them to urgently provide Ukraine with heavy artillery, ammunition, armored vehicles, air defense systems, and aviation.

Photo: cemetery of civilian vehicles destroyed during the fighting in Bucha – UNIAN

Today, the city began exhuming the second mass grave. According to the Ukrainian authorities, the number of civilians killed has reached 400.

In the world:

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said that Vienna, Berlin, and Budapest oppose the embargo on Russian gas supplies.

In his opinion, sanctions should first target Russia and not the EU. The day before, the Austrian Chancellor visited Russia and met with Vladimir Putin. This is the only visit of the leader of a European country to the Russian Federation in recent times.

Ukraine will receive financial assistance from the European Union for the purchase of weapons.

The third tranche from the EU will amount to 500 million euros. This was announced by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Josep Borrell.

The Canadian government has announced $500 million in military aid for Ukraine.

Zelensky, in a conversation with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, asked for armored vehicles and fighter jets. It is reported that the country can only provide Senator armored vehicles and Coyote and Bison armored personnel carriers.

Switzerland has adopted the fifth package of sanctions against Russia.

It includes a ban on imports from Russia of coal, timber, and other goods (including vodka), as well as an asset freeze and entry ban on more than 200 people and companies from Russia (among them the alleged daughters of Vladimir Putin, Maria Vorontsova, and Katerina Tikhonova).

The sanctions imposed by Switzerland against Russia completely repeat the sanctions of the European Union. He approved his fifth package of restrictions against Russia last week.

The UK has expanded its sanctions lists to include more than 200 people and companies.

Among those targeted by the new British sanctions are co-owner of Lukoil Vagit Alekperov, former head of Russian Railways Vladimir Yakunin, owner of RBC holding Grigory Berezkin, owner of AFK Sistema Vladimir Yevtushenkov. Also on the lists were the Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk, who was detained the day before, and the leaders of the self-proclaimed republics of Donbas. Among the organizations that fell under the sanctions are the banks Otkritie, Rossiya and Gazprombank. The ban also affected the import of iron and steel from Russia.

The world’s largest independent oil trader Vitol Group intends to completely stop trading in Russian oil and oil products by the end of this year – Bloomberg.

Prime Minister of Finland: The decision to join NATO will be made within a few weeks.

Sanna Marin made this statement in Stockholm after meeting with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson. “We don’t have a hard decision timeline, but I think this [decision] will happen pretty quickly. Within a few weeks, not months”, said the Prime Minister of Finland.

OSCE: Since April 1, Belarus has not been a party to the conflict in Ukraine.

This is indicated in the report of the organization, which was reviewed by Radio Liberty. Kyiv refers to Resolution 3314 of the UN General Assembly on the definition of aggression, which states that the fact of providing its territory to another state for an attack on a third state is in itself an act of aggression.

The head of the Russian Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin instructed: “to establish the circumstances of the possible use of poisonous substances by the Ukrainian military” with the help of drones.

This is stated on the website of the department.

According to reports, Russian servicemen found unmanned aerial vehicles with liquid containers and sprayers on the territory of a military unit abandoned by the armed forces of Ukraine. These UAVs could be used to spray poisonous substances against the civilian population, as well as Russian military personnel.

Emmanuel Macron on whether the events in Ukraine can be called “genocide”:

“Today I would be careful with such terms [as genocide] because these two peoples [Russians and Ukrainians] are brothers. I want to keep trying, as far as possible, to stop this war and restore peace. I’m not sure that the escalation of rhetoric serves this cause.”

At the same time, Macron said that the situation is “unacceptable”, “the Russian army committed war crimes and we need to find and punish those responsible”. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry expressed disappointment that Macron “did not call things by their real names”.

Airbus urged the West to ease some sanctions against Russia.

Boeing’s rival claims that some sanctions will hit the West harder than the occupier itself.

American unmanned aerial systems Switchblade already in Ukraine – Pentagon.

These drones can carry explosives and are equipped with cameras and sensors. No more than two days of training is required to work with them.

Photo: in Tallinn, women gathered in front of the Russian embassy to protest against the mass rape of Ukrainian women by Russian soldiers – UNIAN

In Russia

The court placed under arrest a Russian, whom the FSB suspects of intending to go to fight in Ukraine.

Maxim Dmitrienko is charged under the article on participation in an illegal armed formation, the Lefortovsky Court of Moscow confirmed. He faces up to 15 years in prison. According to a TASS source, according to the FSB, “Dmitrienko was going to leave Russian territory and join one of the formations of Ukraine”.

Budget spending on state media has tripled since the beginning of the year.

The relevant statistics of the Ministry of Finance caught the attention of The Moscow Times. From January to March, 17.4 billion rubles [about $218 million] were allocated from the federal budget for the media. For the same period last year, the amount amounted to 5.4 billion rubles, about [$67.5 million]. At the same time, expenditures on the army increased by only 11%, on national security – by 5.6%, on social programs – by 6.5%.

Russian contract soldier refused to fight in Ukraine.

Upon dismissal, the head of the personnel department of the 136th separate guards’ motorized rifle brigade, stationed in Dagestan, put a non-regulatory seal on the service record of a serviceman. It says: “Prone to betrayal, lies, and deceit. He refused to participate in a special military operation on the territory of the LPR, DPR, and Ukraine”.

Photo: destruction in Mariupol – UNIAN

General Alexander Dvornikov was appointed to the post of commander of Russian troops in Ukraine – BBC:

British intelligence believes that the appointment of Dvornikov is an attempt to centralize command and control. The inability to ensure effective cooperation, according to intelligence, greatly hampered the invasion.

Dvornikov commanded troops in Syria, and also headed the military district adjacent to the Donbas, where active hostilities are now unfolding.

News from Ukraine:

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the course of hostilities:

• In Mariupol, Russian units begin an offensive in the area of ​​the Azovstal metallurgical complex and the seaport.
• In some occupied territories, the RF Armed Forces are creating units of the so-called “people’s militia”
• Rocket and bomb strikes on civilian infrastructure in Kharkiv and Zaporozhye regions continue.

Vladimir Zelensky offered to exchange Medvedchuk for the Ukrainian military

“Well, if Medvedchuk himself chose a military uniform, he falls under the rules of wartime. I propose to the Russian Federation to exchange this guy of yours for our guys and girls in Russian captivity. Therefore, it is important that our law enforcement agencies and the military also consider this possibility”, wrote the President of Ukraine.

Viktor Medvedchuk is the head of the political council of the Opposition Platform for Life party. The Ukrainian media call him “Putin’s godfather.” In Ukraine, they wanted to try him for treason.

UN: 1,892 civilians have died in Ukraine since the beginning of the war

Among the dead were 153 children. Another 2558 people were injured.

New victims of the assault on Mariupol by Russian troops:

A Russian tank fired at the center of the Catholic charity organization Caritas Ukraine, killing two employees and five members of their families. It happened on March 15, but the Ukrainian media has only found out about it today

Bogdanovka village. Ukrainian media reports that Russian troops killed many civilians who were passing along the road here. Then, the bodies were burned to cover their tracks. The license plate of the car of the dead is installed over the grave in the hope that relatives will someday be able to find them — UNIAN

In the world:

Negotiations: Macron said he intends to talk with Putin and Zelensky. Previously, he had already held telephone conversations with them several times.

Macron also said that Putin decided to attack Ukraine because of resentment, which grew into paranoia.

“I have very little faith in our collective ability to bring him to the negotiating table in the short term,” the French president said.

US to supply arms to Ukraine worth another $750 million:

Reuters reports that the White House will announce this on April 13. Perhaps the assistance will include heavy artillery systems, including howitzers.

The United States is also considering the possibility of supplying Ukraine with medium-range weapons that would enable the Armed Forces of Ukraine to strike at airfields in Russia.

So far, since February 24, Washington has already supplied Kyiv with weapons worth a total of 1.7 billion.

Biden spoke of “genocide”:

“I called it genocide because it’s becoming increasingly clear that Putin is trying to wipe out the very idea of ​​being Ukrainian.”

The US President first used the term when referring to the massacres of civilians in cities in Ukraine during their occupation by Russian troops. US leaders rarely use the word “genocide” when talking about world tragic events. At the same time, the US President noted that the decision on whether it is possible to legally qualify what is happening as genocide should be made by lawyers.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the US President for such an assessment: “It is necessary to call a spade a spade in order to resist evil.”

The trade turnover between Russia and China in the first three months of the year and amid sanctions, increased by 28.7%:

From January to March, exports to Russia grew by 25.9% year-on-year to $16.44 billion, according to China’s General Administration of Customs. Deliveries from Russia to China increased by 31% to $21.73 billion.

Presidents of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia are going to Kyiv

Andrzej Duda, Gitanas Nauseda, Egils Levits and Alar Karis will meet with Zelensky to convey “words of political and military support” to him.

German authorities on the rejected visit of the President to Kyiv:

Berlin is surprised by Kyiv’s decision to reject Steinmeier’s visit. This was stated by a representative of the German government, writes DW.

“The federal president clearly and unequivocally takes a position on the side of Ukraine,” emphasized the representative of the German government.

He recalled that after his re-election, Steinmeier appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin with an appeal: “Remove the noose from the neck of Ukraine!”

A day earlier, Zelensky refused the message of the President of Germany about the visit. The reason the head of Ukraine called the “pro-Russian position” of Steinmeier

In Russia:

The Baza edition writes that on April 12, the FSB came with searches to the Aeroflot office in Moscow.

According to the Russian media, the reasons for the search were the statements of the former deputy general director of Aeroflot Andrei Panov. Earlier, he called on Russian businessmen to sabotage deals related to supporting the war in Ukraine.

Russia pulls up equipment in the Belgorod region to the east of Ukraine

This is evidenced by satellite images of Maxar Technologies taken on April 11