Ukraine – 4/21/2023 Sitrep
By: Bohdan Chomiak & Robert Homans
April 21, 2023
“A Village Cemetery Bears Witness to Russia’s Centuries-Long Effort to Subjugate Ukraine”/Wall Street Journal
This article puts Russia’s most recent invasion of Ukraine in its proper historical perspective, and explains why even if Western weapons deliveries to Ukraine are curtailed, as some in the West would like, Ukraine will keep fighting, and there will be nothing Ukraine’s Western backers can do to stop it. NATO would then have a very nasty guerilla war on its hands, on its eastern flank.
The subject of the article is 3 generations of a Ukrainian family buried in the same cemetery, a grandfather who fought the Soviets after the end of WW-II and spent 8 years in the Soviet Gulag, a father who was one of the “Heavenly 100” of the 2013/14 Euromaidan Revolution, who were murdered by snipers acting under orders from former President Yanukovich, and his son who was killed in the most recent Russian invasion of Ukraine. In case some recipients cannot open this article due to a paywall, here are some excerpts:
“Russia’s attempts to stamp its control on Ukraine have killed millions of Ukrainians over centuries. Dozens of them are buried in a cemetery clinging to a hillside in this western village.
Here, under a monument, lie the remains of some 80 partisans who died in battles with Soviet security forces. In the shade of a red-berry bush lies Bohdan Solchanyk, a university lecturer killed by police during protests in Kyiv against a Russian-backed president in 2014. Near the gate stands a more recent grave, that of Vasyl Pelysh, who suffered a fatal wound in September while driving supplies to the front lines in the east.
For many in the West, the war in Ukraine is a breaking conflict that started a year ago. For Ukrainians, it is the latest chapter in a historic struggle against a larger neighbor that has never accepted its existence and repeatedly sought to wipe it out.”
Another excerpt –
“It was the summer of 1991, and the Soviet Union was still whole, albeit fissuring. Mr. Solchanyk’s father, Zinoviy, was exhuming the remains of Ukrainian partisans who had fought the Soviets (until the early 1950s) from a mass grave to rebury them with dignity, when the head of the local KGB office approached.
“Are you sure there will be a Ukraine?” the KGB officer said. Gesturing to the mass grave, he asked, “Are you not afraid you will end up there, too?”
“Zinoviy Solchanyk didn’t answer, but kept digging.”
As his Father did after the end of WW-II, they will also keep fighting.
The idea that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-Ga), one of the more vocal Members of the U.S. Congress advocating suspending military aid to Ukraine, will cause Ukraine to end the war is beyond naïve. Therefore, from here on out I am referring to Marjorie Taylor Green and her fellow travelers as the “Naïve Wing of the Republican Party,” to distinguish them from a majority of Republicans, including Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), who support continued arms deliveries to Ukraine. There are also several Progressive Democrats, like Rep. Pramilla Jayapal (D-WA) who, when it comes to supporting Ukraine, would feel right at home in the Naïve Wing of the Republican Party.
“What Ukraine Means” by George Weigel
This is a long but important article that explains the stakes for the war, not just for Ukraine but for all of us. The article contains many of the same points we have been making in these emails for over a year. Weigel is Distinguished Senior Fellow of Washington, D.C.’s Ethics and Public Policy Center. I have no idea if Weigel gets our emails, but there’s a good chance that he does. For those who don’t have time to read the entire article, here are a few excerpts:
“Now, after a year marked by bestial cruelty on one side and astonishing courage on the other, the Russian war on Ukraine stands before us as a pivotal moment in contemporary history. Grasping what that moment means is essential in devising wise policy that promotes peace, security, and freedom for both the United States and Ukraine; failure to understand just what is at stake in Ukraine will lead to inept policymaking and raise the specter of a Hobbesian world in which all are at war with all.”
“What Ukraine means for world politics is that the seemingly stable post–Cold War settlement in Europe was in fact a truce. What Ukraine means for Russia is that its political culture is suffering from a false historical-cultural narrative that has metastasized into a form of paranoia, accelerating the country’s descent into kleptocratic autocracy and international pariah status. What Ukraine means for Ukraine is that an impressive process of nation-building, which has accelerated since 2013, must be continued and intensified amid a war for national survival. What Ukraine means for the United States is that there is no holiday from history and no escape from world politics for America and Americans.” (Not even for Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), 2 peas in a pod when it comes to supporting Ukraine).
“Mikhail Gorbachev’s Soviet regime spent great sums renovating Russian Orthodox churches in preparation for that year’s millennium celebrations, which wrote Ukrainians entirely out of the story of Eastern Slavic Christianity that began in 988 (on the territory of what is now Ukraine, at a time when Moscow didn’t exist). And whatever Vladimir Putin’s true convictions about these matters, the man who once called the collapse of the Soviet Union the greatest geopolitical disaster of the twentieth century has been quite happy to use this false history to legitimate his determination to extinguish Ukraine as an independent state and to restore a Russian empire.”
“Russia without Ukraine is also a Russia that must confront the historical fiction that has shaped, and warped, its national self-concept and self-image for centuries.”
“It is important to understand, however, that President Zelensky, whose poll ratings were cratering in the months before the war, has been following his people as much as leading them. For Ukraine is in the midst of an impressive project of national self-renewal that Putin’s war has, paradoxically, both threatened and intensified. The threat is obvious: the prospect of national extinction.” Anyone who thinks that Ukraine’s “national self-renewal” has nothing to do with the outcome of the war, which Ukraine will win is, in my opinion, as naïve as Marjorie Taylor Greene.”
“….the national fervor, grit, and resilience displayed these past twelve months can trace their immediate origins to what Ukrainians call the Maidan Revolution of Dignity. After a corrupt and Putin-friendly president, Viktor Yanukovych, buckled to Kremlin pressures and reneged on Ukraine’s “association agreement” with the European Union, a mass public movement took to Kyiv’s Independence Square, the “Maidan,” to demand a reversal of Yanukovych’s decision. From November 21, 2013, until February 24, 2014, the Maidan movement held out, even against armed force.” Recently, my partner and I hosted a Zoom call for recipients of these emails. Everyone on that call who were in Ukraine during the Revolution of Dignity (including both hosts) agreed with this premise.
“ “We came to the Maidan looking for Europe and we found Ukraine.” For in those often frozen winter months of demonstrations and prayer vigils in the heart of the nation’s capital, Ukrainians discovered each other—and their coherence as a nation across ethnic, religious, and linguistic lines. The “Ukraine” that has resisted, and in some cases beaten back, Putin’s aggression is the Ukraine that came to national self-awareness on the Maidan in 2013–2014.”
“Since the Maidan, Ukrainians have ceased to be passive subjects of a faraway, centralized, and unaccountable governing system and have developed a robust sense of citizenship.” Earlier in this paragraph the author attributed much of this transformation to Western assistance. I disagree. This transformation came from Ukrainian culture, to which the West provided important support.
“Maintaining and extending that commitment (by Zelenskyy) to fight corruption will be essential in maintaining Western support for Ukraine going forward.” Some argue that the reason for Pres. Zelenskyy’s low poll ratings before Feb. 24, 2022, was because of Zelenskyy’s alleged involvement in corruption. Accusations against senior members of Zelenskyy’s administration continue to this day.
“Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church rightly objected (to calls for banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Moscow Patriarchate), arguing that this would make a banned church into a martyr-church, and proposing instead that the focus be on individuals (however religiously affiliated) who are traitors. That this kind of wise counsel is available publicly in Ukraine, while the Russian Orthodox Patriarch of Moscow sets up straw men and issues apocalyptic threats, publicly stating that “any desire to destroy Russia will mean the end of the world,” suggests that Ukraine enjoys a vibrant civil society while Russia is burdened by a sick and corrupt one.”
“…..the people of Ukraine, maintaining a remarkable and inspiring morale under relentless assault, have given twenty-first-century expression to Pericles’s formula for happiness—but they have also added something of great value to it. For if the secret of happiness is liberty and the secret of liberty is courage, the secret of courage is faith: faith in a larger reality than ourselves; faith in a destiny beyond this life and its great but inevitably transient satisfactions; faith that we are creatures capable of nobility and self-giving, not merely self-assertion and willfulness; faith that solidarity is possible amid plurality; faith that courage can overcome evil, some day.”
“That is what Ukraine means. And that is why we owe a great debt of gratitude and solidarity to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.” Amen
“Mykolaiv’s Population Returns to Close to Pre-Invasion Levels”
As reported by the Governor of Mykolaiv Oblast. In addition to destroyed commercial and residential buildings, Mykolaiv’s water supply incurred substantial damage, and it will require extensive effort to restore.
Before Russia’s latest invasion, Mykolaiv was known to be a site for several new Ukrainian businesses that received some international attention. Perhaps the fact that Mykolaiv is a major port partly explains the open-ness of its people to new ideas.
Ilya Ponomarenko Interviews Michael Kaufman and Rob Lee/Kyiv “Independent”
Ponomarenko is probably the best war correspondent filing from Ukraine. He interviews 2 well-known defense experts, Rob Lee and Michael Kaufman. They are all guardedly optimistic about the success of Ukraine’s upcoming offensive.
News From the Battlefield
The Latest Denys discusses the possibility of a Ukrainian counterattack being launched from across the Dnieper River, perhaps in the area of Nova Kahovka where the terrain is more conducive. He said that Ukraine has already established a base, he refers to it as a “camp,” on the Left Bank of the Dnieper, across from Kherson City, where it is protected by marshlands making a Russian response more difficult and fact that it is under cover of Ukrainian artillery.
Another possibility is some kind of breakout by Ukrainian partisans that have been operating in and around Melitopol since the start of the war. If it wasn’t a knockout blow to Russian forces in southern Ukraine, it would be at least a TKO. The problem is getting them the proper support and, almost certainly, air cover. Ukraine is going to spring some “surprise;” this may be one of them.
“Reporting From Ukraine” reverts his attention back to Bakhmut, where he says that artillery is playing an increasingly important role with Ukraine having the advantage. With Ukrainian artillery systems enjoying longer range, Russian counter-battery becomes increasingly ineffective.
4/21/23 Sitrep my comment in bold face)
Russian Invasion of Ukraine 12:00 noon April 12 to 12:00 noon April 21, 2023
Abbreviations:
RMA = Regional Military Administration SBU = Security Service of Ukraine
RASHISTS = russian Facists/all russian invaders
INTERNATIONAL
Friday April 21
11:22 AM: A meeting of the Defense Contact Group in the Ramstein format has begun in Germany.
· US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said during a speech that since the beginning of the invasion, NATO has provided $ 55 billion in military assistance to Ukraine.
11:09 AM: NATO countries will discuss on Ramstein the possibility of providing Ukraine with various types of aircraft, says NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
10:52 AM: All NATO member states agree that Ukraine should become a member of the Alliance," Secretary General Stoltenberg said after yesterday's visit to Ukraine.
· He also added that President Zelensky had accepted the invitation and would come to the Vilnius NATO summit, which will be held on July 11-12.
10:33 AM: Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov and Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin met before the Ramstein meeting.
10:07 AM: Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the Mexican parliament :
· "I invite you to choose which point of the peace formula allows Mexico to show leadership. I sincerely wish you peace! I invite you to work together for the security of our peoples and the security of the world as a whole."
9:32 AM Washington Post: Ukraine planned attacks against Russia in Syria
· The targets of the attacks were to include Russian military facilities, Wagner Group forces, and "Russia-linked oil infrastructure."
· According to information, the planning of covert attacks was carried out by Ukrainian military intelligence, which counted on the help of the US-backed Kurdish formations of the "Syrian Democratic Forces" (SDF), whose participation was to remain classified.
8:29 AM: "There is no clear strategy to end the war:” far-right Republicans called on Biden to stop helping Ukraine.
· Republicans called aid to Ukraine "unlimited" and said it should be suspended because it "threatens to escalate" and "could lead to direct conflict between the United States and Russia."
· They also consider the transfer of HIMARS systems and Abrams tanks to Ukraine a "provocation" and say the transfer of intelligence complicates attempts to challenge Russian arguments for U.S. "complicity" in the war in Ukraine.
· What the naïve far-right Republicans who signed this letter don’t understand is that without a clear Ukrainian victory the war will continue indefinatelhy, because Ukraine will continue fighting, and there will be nothing that the Naïve Wing of the Republican Party, or the West generally, can do to stop it, even if weapons deliveries are suspended. Anyone who doubts this should read the article in today’s Wall Street Journal, entitled “A Village Cemetery Bears Witness to Russia’s Centuries-Long Effort to Subjugate Ukraine.” There is a link to this article earlier in this email. In other words, if the Naïve Wing of the Republican Party really wants to end this war quickly, then the Naïve Wing of the Republican Party should be the first to support giving Ukraine everything that it is asking for.
8:00 AM: During a visit to Washington, South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol will discuss support for Ukraine with Joe Biden, White House National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby said.
07:28 AM: Turkey has started supplying gas from the Black Sea.
· The country aims to meet about 30% of its annual natural gas needs from Black Sea reserves when it reaches full capacity. Erdogan noted that it took Turkey less than three years to offer consumers the gas found.
Thursday April 20
11:36 pm: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that he will run for President of the United States in 2024.
· During his speech, he stated that his son, Connor, had joined the International Legion and fought in Ukraine during the Kharkiv offensive as a machine gunner in a special forces group.
· God bless him.
11:24 PM: World media about Ukraine April 20:
· * The New York Times: American journalists from The New York Times wrote (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/19/world/europe/flash-over-kyiv.html) about an evening flash of light over Kyiv, which caused sirens and alarms, although it was not a missile.
· * The Washington Post: The Washington Post wrote (https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/04/20/russia-ukraine-war-news/) that NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is on a surprise visit to the Ukrainian capital today.
· * Politico: Politico wrote (https://www.politico.eu/article/frustrating-kyiv-dmytro-kuleba-eu-fail-deliver-ammunition-plan/) that Ukraine criticizes the EU for not fulfilling the ammunition plan.
· * The Guardian: The Guardian wrote (https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2023/apr/20/iron-people-ukraines-railway-network-in-a-time-of-war-photo-essay) a report about the "iron men" – Ukraine's railway network during the war.
· * BBC: The BBC wrote (https://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-65340265) that a photo of a wounded pregnant woman in Mariupol won on World Press Photo.
11:04 PM: Slovenia has become the 25th country to join the joint procurement of ammunition for Ukraine.
10:57 PM: The Bundestag has ruled out the supply of F-16 fighters to Ukraine and the participation of the European military contingent in the war against the Russian Federation.
· It is reported by Bild with reference to the statement of the chairman of the defense committee of the Bundestag Struck-Zimmermann.
· "There will be neither Tornado nor Eurofighter in Ukraine. Ukrainian pilots will not be able to quickly learn how to use Western fighters," she said.
10:23 PM: Biden discussed economic support for Ukraine with the President of the European Commission.
· President Biden and President von der Leyen reaffirmed the U.S. and EU commitment to provide Ukraine with much-needed economic and security assistance.
· "The leaders also decided to continue close cooperation to impose costs on the Kremlin for Russian aggression," the White House added.
10:21 PM Delfi: The Siem of Latvia, (Parliament – ed), adopted the law "On the prohibition of holding certain public events on 9 May" in two readings.
· 79 deputies voted for the law. According to the abstract, the purpose of the law is to protect the interests of the country and society, as well as to avoid unrest. On this day, any public events are prohibited in the country, except for those associated with Europe Day.
10:44 PM: Szijjártó, Hungary’s Foreign Minister, spoke against the background of a map with the territories of Ukraine as part of Greater Hungary.
· On the map behind Szijjártó, parts of Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Austria and Slovakia are part of the so-called Greater Hungary - within such borders the state existed until 1920.
9:51 PM Financial Times: EU prepares emergency restrictions on grain imports from Ukraine to five member states.
· According to the publication, the changes concern imports to Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Bulgaria.
· "These steps (restrictions - ed.) will immediately counteract the deteriorating situation for producers of wheat, corn, oilseeds and sunflower seeds," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
9:06 PM: Austria freezes Russia's financial assets for almost €2 billion.
· "Effective application of sanctions against Russia in the interests of Austria, Europe and the United States. We support Western sanctions against the aggressor and have frozen almost 2 billion euros of financial assets since the beginning of the war," Austrian Finance Minister Magnus Brunner said.
8:36 PM: 155mm shells and night vision devices: Estonia has announced a new aid package for Ukraine.
· "Estonia's initiative to send 1 million shells to Ukraine has been agreed in the European Union with unprecedented speed, and now Ukraine needs quick practical solutions from European allies," said Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur.
· He said that "tomorrow, within the framework of the meeting in the Ramstein format, I will also meet with Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksii Reznikov, with whom we will discuss how and how else Estonia can help Ukraine."
7:49 PM The Wall Street Journal: Ukraine asks Turkey to arrest a ship with barley that was illegally exported by Russians from the temporarily occupied Crimea.
· According to the publication, we are talking about the ship Bomustafa O, which under the flag of Panama arrived in the Turkish Black Sea port of Samsun.
7:41 PM: Israel has stopped accepting returnees from Russia and Belarus: the service is available for Ukrainians.
6:41 PM Walla: Israel has installed an alert system for attacks in Kyiv: it will conduct tests in May.
· According to Walla, in recent months, employees of the Israeli Rear Service and their Ukrainian counterparts met several times in Poland to discuss the details of the project.
· If the tests are successful, the system could be ready for use this summer.
4:54 pm: Elon Musk's SpaceX has made a test flight of the largest rocket in history — Starship.
· According to the plan, Starship was to move in a partial orbit of the Earth and land in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Hawaii.
· But after 3 minutes the rocket lost control and exploded, it reached an altitude of 38 km.
4:05 PM Bloomberg: The United States and allies are considering imposing a near-total ban on exports to Russia.
· According to the publication, the exception may be the export of food, medicine and agricultural products.
· It is noted that representatives of the G7 are discussing this idea on the eve of the summit of leaders in Japan, which will be held in May.
2:53 pm: Switzerland has imposed sanctions against PMC Wagner.
· This was announced by the Federal Department of Economics, Education and Research of Switzerland.
· The sanctions also hit the Russian news agency RIA FAN, which belongs to the owner of the Wagner group, Prigozhin.
1:33 PM Politico: France and Poland sparred over who should receive joint EU contracts to buy ammunition for Ukraine.
· The main point of the dispute is how much to limit money for EU producers and whether to include companies from countries such as the US and Britain in the contract.
· France wants to keep money within the bloc, which irritates some of its EU compatriots.
12:19 PM: Denmark together with the Netherlands will transfer 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.
· This was stated by Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and acting Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen after a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council, quotes the publication DR.
· The Leopard 2 is in addition to the 100 Leopard 1 tanks previously announced by the Danish government.
NATIONAL
Friday April 21
11:54 AM: Soft ground and spring mud across much of Ukraine is likely to slow down operations by both sides, according to a latest British intelligence summary.
· However, Russian media exaggerate the impact of weather conditions on the plans of the Ukrainian army as part of an information campaign aimed at raising the morale of Russians and demoralizing supporters of Ukraine in anticipation of the offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The most important factor limiting the maneuver of troops off-road continues to be the threat of mines.
8:51 AM Ukrainian Air Force: On April 21, the Russians used up to 12 Shahed-136/131 attack drones.
· Air defense forces and means destroyed 8 "shaheds",
· Russia attacked from the north (Bryansk region).
7:12 AM: Over the past day, Russia launched 23 air strikes. Tonight they used about 10 UAVs of the "Shahed-136" type (information to be confirmed), 8 of which were destroyed - the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
· The Russians also carried out 49 MLRS attacks on the positions of our troops and settlements. There are dead and wounded among the civilian population, private residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure destroyed and damaged.
· Russians, at the cost of heavy losses, focus their main efforts on conducting offensive operations in the Liman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Mariinsky directions.
· Over the past day, more than 60 attacks of the Russian Federation were repelled on them. The fiercest battles are fought for the city of Bakhmut.
· Aviation of the Defense Forces during the day inflicted 6 strikes on areas of detention of Russians, and units of missile troops and artillery during the day hit 5 control points of the Russian Federation - the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
6:59 AM MIA: demining of agricultural land in Ukraine will take more than 10 years.
· According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, about 30% of the territory of Ukraine has been mined. In view of this, the Ministry of Internal Affairs created the International Coordination Center for Humanitarian Demining.
· "We are almost finishing the training of another 400 of our sappers, who will begin work in June-July. And now we are recruiting an additional 500 people, who will also be ready to perform their duties after appropriate training," Klymenko said.
12:35 AM: The Ministry of Culture showed the security room in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra used by the UOC-MP.
· Doors from the XVIII century were used as a target for throwing knives.
Thursday April 20
11:21 PM: The SBU is investigating all the circumstances that led to the massive missile strike on Kanatovo airfield on July 23, 2022.
· As a result of the shelling, the commander of the military unit was killed and 17 Ukrainian defenders were wounded. Also, 2 combat fighters of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were completely destroyed, and the runway and other equipment and buildings were significantly damaged.
· According to the investigation, this shelling was provoked by unauthorized actions of individual servicemen, thanks to which the enemy received information about the deployment of personnel of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Ukrainian aircraft. These data allowed the Russian Armed Forces to shell the Kanatovo airfield in Kirovohrad region.
11:04 PM: Volodymyr Zelenskyy: We are preparing for the Ramstein meeting, and Mr. Stoltenberg's position is important. We are preparing for our active actions at the front: they are inevitable.
· We are preparing for the NATO summit in Vilnius, which is scheduled for this summer. But its content is already being worked out at such meetings, in contacts of various levels that we conduct with our partners.
· Neither a majority of Ukrainians, nor most Europeans, nor a majority of residents of the entire NATO space will understand the leaders of the Alliance unless a well-deserved political invitation for Ukraine to join the Alliance is heard at this summit in Vilnius.
9:06 PM: Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and President of the Committee of the Regions of the European Union Vasco Cordeiro.
· "During the meeting, the parties discussed the importance of the Committee's support for initiatives to mobilize EU regions around the restoration of Ukraine. He noted the significant scale of assistance provided to Ukraine by Paris and the EU Committee of the Regions from the very beginning of a full-scale war with the Russian Federation," the president said.
6:21 PM General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine:
· During the day, the enemy inflicted 17 air strikes and carried out 33 attacks from multiple launch rocket systems on the positions of our troops and settlements.
· In the Liman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Mariinsky and Shakhtarsk directions, more than 40 enemy attacks were repulsed. The fiercest battles are fought for the city of Bakhmut.
· In some settlements of the Kherson region, the Russian occupiers strengthened the counterintelligence regime due to fears of leakage of information about the deployment of their units,
· At the same time, during such inspections, Russians conduct surveys of citizens and offer them service in the armed forces of the Russian Federation.
· Aviation of the Defense Forces of Ukraine during the day inflicted 1 strike on areas of concentration of personnel, weapons and military equipment of the occupiers.
· Units of rocket troops and artillery hit 3 enemy control points during the day.
4:20 PM British Ministry of Defence: Ukrainian troops continue to repel Russian assaults on three frontlines, no enemy advance has been recorded.
· According to the British map of hostilities, fierce fighting is taking place in Donetsk and eastern Luhansk regions.
3:21 pm: Ukraine's future is in NATO, all allies agree.
· This was stated by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at a joint press conference in Kyiv.
· He also said that the Alliance had already provided Ukraine with assistance worth $ 150 billion.
3:06 pm: Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg held a joint press conference.
· According to the President of Ukraine, they discussed 4 main issues:
o Ramstein, which will take place tomorrow, and the decisions expected from partners;
o supply of long-range weapons, modern aviation, artillery, armored vehicles to Ukraine;
o NATO's Vilnius summit, which could become historic;
o security guarantees for Ukraine, for Ukrainians on the way to NATO.
2:34 pm: Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Kyiv.
· "This visit of Jens Stoltenberg - the first during a full-scale war - we interpret as a sign that the Alliance is ready to start a new chapter in relations with Ukraine - the head of ambitious decisions," the president wrote.
2:22 pm: SBU seizes assets of sanctioned pro-Russian oligarch Vadym Novynskyi for more than UAH 144 million.
· In order to avoid sanctions by the National Security and Defense Council, Novynskyi re-registered his own gas producers to several persons directly related to the Russian Federation.
· To implement the deal, he engaged controlled private notaries and state registrars, but SBU officers exposed the criminal scheme and blocked it.
Mordor - russia
Friday April 21
12:02 AM: The Russian Defense Ministry reported that the explosion in Belgorod occurred as a result of an "abnormal descent of aviation ammunition" during the flight of the Su-34 aircraft.
Thursday April 20
11:44 PM Social Networks: The moment of the explosion in Belgorod was caught on surveillance cameras.
10:41 PM: As a result of an explosion in Belgorod, part of an apartment building was damaged, fragments of a shell were found in one of the apartments, a house was evacuated, cars were damaged This was reported on local social networks.
10:24 PM Social Networks: In Belgorod, a huge crater appeared right on the street.
8:17 PM Intelligence Directorate Ukrainian Ministry of Defense: published an intercept of a conversation in which the girlfriend / wife of a Russian serviceman talks about a new law that prohibits commenting or discussing the events of the war in Ukraine and faces up to 12 years in prison.
03:37 pm: Russia has 11 ships in the Black Sea, including 3 rocket launch vehicles. The total volley can be up to 13 "Calibers".
12:48 PM: The SBU exposed an "official of the DPR Ministry of Internal Affairs" in Kyiv who planned to flee abroad. She faces up to 8 years in prison.
· In this "position" she followed the instructions of local Gauleiters, (Quizlings) in the occupied territory to suppress the resistance movement in the region.
· The offender also kept records of so-called "watchcards", which stored information about Ukrainian patriots wanted by the punitive bodies of the "DPR".
12:34 PM: The Russians have set up a new group of troops in southern Ukraine, according to British intelligence.
· "A new occupation group of troops is fighting in the war in Ukraine.
· Its existence was mentioned in Moscow for the first time when they published a press release about Putin's alleged visit to the occupied south of Ukraine," the statement reads.
DONETSK
Friday April 21
11:33 AM Donetsk RMA: In Vuhledar community, Novoukrainka was shelled with Grad rockets, Bogoyavlenka with artillery, Prechystivka with incendiary ammunition
· Sporadic shelling of the old part of Avdiivka was recorded. 1 person died in Chasovoyarsk community. In Bakhmut, 2 high-rise buildings and 8 private houses were destroyed. Another 2 houses were damaged in the Toretsk community. Kostiantynivka was hit by S-300 missiles - the unfinished building was damaged. 1 person wounded in Zarichne.
9:12 AM Donetsk RMA: On April 20, Russians killed 1 resident of Donetsk region - in the city of Chasiv Yar,
· Another 1 person in the region was injured.
12:20 AM Social Networks: Explosions heard in Sloviansk, Donetsk region.
Thursday April 20
03:50 PM State Emergency Service: On April 19, Russians fired rocket artillery at residential areas of Kupiansk.
· "As a result of hitting one of the private houses, a fire broke out. The fire was extinguished. According to preliminary data, there are no casualties", – stated in the message.
9:35 PM: Holding Bakhmut for the Ukrainian Armed Forces is becoming increasingly difficult as the city is being destroyed by the Russian side, says Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar.
· She also noted that Ukraine is forced to use maximum resources for defense, but is also conducting active assault actions.
9:20 PM: Last week, 70 children were evacuated from the frontline zones of Donetsk region, 56 children still remain there.
· This was announced by Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories Iryna Vereshchuk.
· Forced evacuation of children from 21 settlements of Donetsk region continues.
2:04 PM Ukrainian Military Civilian Administration: Sievierodonetsk has serious difficulties in obtaining medical care.
· "The occupation authorities are trying in every possible way to divert the attention of the population from the lack of work to restore the city.
· In general, the city provides minimum living conditions for the occupation authorities, Russian military and collaborators," Stryuk said.
ZAPORIZHIA
Thursday April 20
6:50 PM Zaporizhia RMA: A 54-year-old man and a 65-year-old woman were killed in shelling of the village of Mala Tokmachka, Pology district.
· A 62-year-old woman was wounded as a result of artillery shelling of the village of Kamianske, Vasylivskyi district.
DNIPRO
Friday April 21
8:33 AM Dnipro RMA: This night, Russians shelled the Nikopol district with heavy artillery.
· They hit Myrivska hromada. No people were injured. The territory where the arrivals occurred is examined by emergency responders. Specify the consequences of the strike.
KHERSON
Friday April 21
10:23 AM Kherson RMA: Russians shelled peaceful settlements of Kherson region 63 times.
· Kherson Russian troops attacked 4 times, firing 13 shells at the city. Last day, due to Russian aggression, two people were killed, three more were injured of varying degrees of severity.
Thursday April 20
5:41 PM Beryslav RMA: One person was wounded due to Russian shelling of Beryslav.
· Also, due to enemy shelling in the Beryslav district, there were problems with electricity supply. In particular, there is no electricity in Beryslav, Novoberyslav, Shlyakhovo and Tomaryne.
4:03 PM Social Networks: Explosions heard in Beryslav district of Kherson region.
MYKOLAIV
Wednesday April 19
4:11 PM: Almost all Mykolaiv residents who left the city after February 24, 2022, have returned home.
· After February 24, 2022, there were approximately 200 thousand people in the city, and now, according to mobile operators, more than 400 thousand, with the pre-war number of the city - 460 thousand.
· Answering a question about the situation on the Kinburn Spit, the Head of the Military Administration stressed that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are working to liberate it from the Russian occupiers.
12:05 PM Mykolaiv RMA: The Russians launched MLRS strikes on Ochakov tonight.
· The consequences of damage are being specified. According to preliminary information, no one was injured.
KYIV
Friday April 21
6:02 AM Kyiv City Military Administration: Russian drones attacked Kyiv region, Ukrainian air defense shot down about 8 UAVs
· "After 25 days of comfort, the capital of Ukraine was subjected to another air attack by the enemy. According to preliminary information, the Russian aggressor probably used a new batch of Iranian "shaheds".
05:57 AM: About 8 enemy targets were detected and shot down on approach to the capital.
· Previously, without casualties and destruction - CMVA about the consequences of the night Russian attack on the Kyiv region.
3:01 AM Social Networks: Explosions were heard in Kyiv.
01:50 AM Kyiv RMA: reported that the threat in the capital region still persists and confirmed the work of air defense forces.
1:46 AM: Explosions heard again in Kyiv region, followers report. Previously, the work of air defense.
1:05 AM: The work of air defense in the Kiev region was confirmed by the RMA
12:58 AM Social Networks: Explosions heard in Kyiv region.
Thursday April 20
7:36 PM: Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko met today in Kyiv with Paris Mayor An Hidalgo.
· "In June this year, in the center of Paris, near Petit Palay, Kyiv Square will appear. In particular, we agreed on this today during a meeting with the Mayor of Paris An Hidalgo. He thanked Ms. Hidalgo for supporting Ukraine and helping Kyiv. We agreed on further effective cooperation between our capitals," Klitschko said.
6:06 p.m.: The Kyiv City Council terminated the land lease agreement with the Russian embassy and appealed to the government to return the property of the Russian embassy to state ownership, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
5:56 pm: Four parishioners of the UOC-MP, who damaged shutters in the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, have already been detained by police, according to the National Police of Ukraine.
· According to the Kyiv City Prosecutor, they have already been informed of suspicion of hooliganism.
1:48 PM: The most likely cause of yesterday's outbreak in Kiev is the fall of a meteorite from the Lyrid stream.
· It is reported by the State Space Agency of Ukraine.
· "Lyrids do not leave long burning traces when they sweep through the atmosphere of the Earth, their sign is bright flashes, or so-called "fireballs", – noted in the agency.
1:19 pm: The Kyiv City Council has begun the procedure for creating a National War Memorial Cemetery in Bykivnia, the capital's mayor, Vitali Klitschko, has said.
· "8 hectares of land in this area are owned by the city. And today we took them away, in fact, starting the procedure for organizing a memorial.
· The total area of the National War Memorial Cemetery will reach almost 100 hectares," Klitschko wrote.
1:04 PM Kyiv City Administration (KCSA): The water level in the Dnipro River has fallen by 10 centimeters compared to yesterday.
· According to the Kyiv City State Administration, the peak of the flood is expected on April 22.
· However, the expected maximum level of flood on the Dnieper within the city of Kyiv does not pose a threat to industrial facilities and residential areas of the city.
SUMY
Friday April 21
10:39 AM Sumy RMA: Explosions heard in the village of Khoten, Sumy region,
VINNYTSIA
Friday April 21
09:58 AM State Emergency Service: The SES published the process of eliminating the consequences of the arrival of UAVs in Vinnytsia and Poltava regions.
· Previously, no casualties.
· In Vinnytsia region, the fire has already been extinguished. In the Poltava region, as of this morning, the liquidation of the consequences of the shelling continues.
9:50 AM Operational Command South: In Vinnytsia region, there was a hit on an infrastructure facility.
2:52 am Social Networks: Explosions heard in Vinnytsia region.
POLTAVA
Friday April 21
6:15 AM Poltava RMA: In the Poltava region, as a result of a night enemy attack, civilian infrastructure was hit.
· Rescuers are working to curb the fire. According to preliminary information, no one was injured.
CHERNIHIV
Thursday April 20
7:06 PM Prosecutor General's Office: Russian military shelled Novgorod-Siverskyi district of Chernihiv region with artillery.
· It is noted that as a result of the attack on a residential building in the village of Halahanivka, a local 25-year-old resident received bodily injuries, from which she died in hospital.
Comparing Soviet invasion of Afghanistan to Russian invasion of Ukraine using Wikipedia and Ukraine Ministry of Defense Daily Bulletins. Soviet and Russian military losses not including captured equipment.
SOURCES
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/
https://espreso.tv/
https://cutt.ly/Blyskavka
www.ubn.news