Brief facts:
Side note: news are marked in accordance with the Kyiv time zone: Eastern European Time (EET), GMT/UTC+2
Read more: "Armor" for the Armed Forces: the First Leopard 1 Tanks Ukraine Can Receive in Six Weeks - Handelsblatt
Latest news:
23:54 The Pentagon: US Department of Defense has detailed the security assistance to Ukraine. The new $800 mln package will include:
- 18 units of 155mm Howitzers and 40,000 artillery rounds
- 10 units AN/TPQ-36 counter-artillery radars
- 2 units AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel air surveillance radars
- 300 Switchblade Tactical unmanned aerial systems
- 500 Javelin missiles and thousands of other anti-armor systems
- 200 M113 Armored Personnel Carriers
- 100 Armored high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles
- 11 Mi-17 helicopters
- an unspecified number of Unmanned Coastal Defense Vessels
- Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear protective equipment
- medical equipment
- 30,000 sets of body armor and helmets
- over 2,000 optics and laser rangefinders
- C-4 explosives and demolition equipment for obstacle clearing
- M18A1 Claymore anti-personnel munitions configured to be consistent with the Ottawa Conventions on Anti-Personnel Landmines
23:24 Odesa region administration: Russian warship "Moscow" was shot.
Today, Ukrainian forces severely damaged it with "Neptune" missiles. The information was provided by the Head of the Odesa region military administration Maksym Marchenko and confirmed in the Presidential Office.
According to the Centre for strategic communications and information security, the "Moscow" missile cruiser was the one to actively shell Ukrainian territory since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion and participated in the shelling of Zmiinyi island.
22:40 Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has published a 100-page report on war crimes in Ukraine.
The "Report On Violations Of International Humanitarian And Human Rights Law, War Crimes And Crimes Against Humanity Committed In Ukraine Since 24 February 2022" was presented to the OSCE Permanent Council on 13 April 2022 and covered all data gathered by the mission since the start of full-scale Russian invasion until now.
The most significant are the conclusions of the OSCE mission that Russia is responsible for the attacks on the maternity hospital and drama theater in Mariupol. Moreover, those attacks were deliberate and are qualified as war crimes.
Also, OSCE experts recorded cases of use of cluster munitions but not specified which side used them, citing reports from both Ukranian and Russian sides. Notably, they concluded that the use of such munitions by the Russian side in densely populated areas "was in each case not excessive compared with the military advantage anticipated." Therefore, in a number of cases, the use of cluster munitions was considered a violation of IHL and a war crime.
The full report is available here.
21:40 The White House: US President Joe Biden approved another military aid package to Ukraine.
"I just spoke with President Zelenskyy and shared with him that my Administration is authorizing an additional $800 million in weapons, ammunition, and other security assistance to Ukraine. The Ukrainian military has used the weapons we are providing to devastating effect. As Russia prepares to intensify its attack in the Donbas region, the United States will continue to provide Ukraine with the capabilities to defend itself," goes the statement by Joe Biden.
The new batch includes artillery systems, artillery rounds, armored personnel carriers, and helicopters.
It should be noted, that the provision of Mi-17 helicopters was under consideration after the US announced Tuesday that a new military aid package is on the way. Initially, the aircraft was on the list, but then suddenly it was removed, according to CNN. In the end, the statement by Joe Biden removed the question. And even though the statement does not specify which exactly helicopters are to be delivered, overall it is the first time the United States send such weaponry to Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion.
21:19 French Defense Ministry: France will provide additional military aid to Ukraine
Minister of the Armed Forces of France Florence Parly announced it following her talks with Ukrainian counterpart Oleksii Reznikov. This new package will add to the €100 million in equipment donations already made. Florence Parly wrote about it on Twitter.
Although there are still no details on what this new package will include, we already have a hint about what Ukraine needs: earlier on April 12 Oleksii Reznikov published a list of equipment necessary for effective military action, which includes combat aircraft, tanks, APCs, AFVs, artillery and UAVs etc. A similar list was mentioned today as President Zelenskyy appealed to Ukraine's international partners. He called on them to give Ukraine armored vehicles, MLRS, artillery pieces and shells, and long-range air defense systems.
20:50 Ukraine Media Center: all Russian servicemen who attempted to seize the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone were subjected to radiation poisoning and will suffer its consequences.
The Russian military involved in the capturing of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant and the adjacent contaminated area, the so-called Exclusion Zone are affected by radiation. They will feel the effects: some in a month, and some in years, said Yevhen Kramarenko, Head of the State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone during a briefing at the Ukraine Media Center:
"The whole territory of the Exclusion Zone is contaminated in any case, it is a fence area, there is a special regime that must be observed. Despite this, the Russians trenched in many places, digging in large equipment, dug-out shelter, arranging underground kitchens and fortifications."
According to him, there were fortifications found near the temporary radioactive waste containment site of Red Forest (Rudyi Lis) with one of the highest background radiation levels. In total, some 1,000 Russian soldiers were stationed in the Exclusion Zone, also a command post had been set up there, said the official.
The nuclear plant and the Exclusion Zone were reclaimed by Ukraine on the first days of April. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are currently conducting the inspection and demining of the territory.
20:20 The Pentagon: the US "does not object" to the idea of the provision of MiG-29 aircraft to Ukraine
Senior Official at the US Defense Department said it at a briefing under the condition of anonymity. These words come through following Slovakia's prime minister suggesting that they might be willing to supply Ukraine with MiG-29 aircraft. Commenting on that issue, the Pentagon official said
"We did not object to the idea of the provision of fixed-wing aircraft to Ukraine, and that would be a decision in this case for Slovakia to make. <...> in this case, Slovakia to determine how much they wanted to do how many aircraft, when and how they would get into Ukraine."
The person explained that the previous attempt from Poland to hand those jets over to Ukraine was rejected by the United States because "the country in question expressed a desire to transfer them [the MiGs] to our custody for us to deliver to Ukraine." But in case any country would like to give Ukraine fighters, the US will not stand in the way.
19:34 Center for Countering Disinformation: Russia is preparing a launching a large-scale disinformation campaign against Ukraine. The aim of the operation is to mythologize the war in Ukraine.
In the foreign and Russian information field, the kremlin spreads the narrative that the Russian army is "more effective than NATO troops" and some "experts noted that the Russian army uses non-standard methods of combat operations in Ukraine". To reinforce the myth, Russia uses meaningless quotes from "US military man" Andreas Weber and US military analyst Trent Telenko.
(Defense Express looked through some Russian sources and doubts if Andreas Weber is actually being a US serviceman or rather "German veteran", as those sources describe. Fake identification of the speaker might be a part of a disinformation campaign though)
Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defence Council continues:
In fact, these experts in the information space support the Armed Forces of Ukraine and comment on the actions of the Russian army in a negative context. The enemy uses mythologizing to make the Russian population believe that their army has heroically fulfilled all its tasks. Propaganda captures non-existent victories at the front.
18:45 The Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense: In Melitopol for more than three weeks, Ukrainian partisans eliminated about 70 occupiers.
The Russian military was killed during night patrols from March 20 to April 12. Among them were the invaders, including the "kadyrivtsi".
The cause of death of night patrols during a curfew — knife and gunshot wounds. The occupation administration carefully conceals information on the exact number of people killed and the circumstances of their deaths.
"There is evidence that this is a consequence of the Ukrainian resistance movement in Melitopol," — said the intelligence.
The occupiers were unable to identify those involved in the attacks.
18:41 The European Space Agency (ESA) has stopped cooperating with Russia on lunar programs.
18:25 The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine:The Armed Forces of Ukraine liquidated a mobile command post along with the commanders of the 4th Battalion Tactical Group (operational subordination) of the 201st Military Base of Russia’s Central
"In one of the operational zones, a unit of the Ukrainian Army’s Assault Troops, together with their comrades-in-arms representing other components of the country’s defense forces, destroyed a column of the Russian occupiers’ military equipment. This includes a mobile control point along with the commanding staff of the 4th Battalion Tactical Group (operational subordination) of the 201st Military Base of the Central Military District of the Russian Federation,” the statement reads.
17:20 The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his addressing named the weapons that Ukraine need: "To continue heroically defending the world from Russian aggression, Ukraine needs a specific list of weapons. I appeal to citizens of the whole world to help convey to your governments, presidential administrations, and leaders of your countries the real needs of Ukraine, which will help stop the war" - said the President.
He emphasized: "We urgently need heavy artillery, heavy armored vehicles, air defense systems and aircraft:
- Artillery pieces (caliber 155 mm) and ammo;
- Artillery shells (152 mm caliber). As much as possible;
- Multiple Rocket Launch Systems: "Grad", "Uragan", or American M142 HIMARS;
- APCs (armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, etc.);
- Tanks (T-72, either American or German analogs);
- Air defense systems (S-300, BUK, or similar modern western air defense systems);
- Combat aircraft".
16:30 The presidents of Poland (Andrzej Duda), Lithuania (Gitanas Nauseda), Latvia (Egils Levits), and Estonia (Alar Karis) visited the ruined Borodianka.
16:01 Ukrainian Ombudsman Liudmyla Denisova: in Mariupol, people who agree to relocate to the Far East are promised RUB 170,000 "lifting" (UAH 56,000), RUB 8,500 (UAH 3,000) social benefits for lack of income, "housing certificate" for RUB 600,000 (a little over UAH 200,000), a mortgage of up to 2% per annum and one hectare of "Far Eastern land".
15:45 In Kharkiv Oblast, the Ukrainian military shot down two Russian planes, said the head of the oblast state administration Oleh Syniehubov.
15:00 The President of Poland Andrzej Duda, the President of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda, the President of Latvia Egils Levits, and the President of Estonia Alar Karis have already arrived in Ukraine.
14:15 Deputy Mayor of Dnipro Mykhailo Lysenko said in an interview with channel Nastoyaschee Vremya that there were more than 1,500 dead Russian soldiers in the Dnipro morgue, whom no one wants to take away. They are now lying in four refrigerators, no one is burning them, or hiding in mass graves because they hope that their mothers will come for them.
14:00 The Deputy Minister of Energy Farid Safarov made announced: Since the beginning of the war, the number of cyberattacks on critical infrastructure in the energy sector has increased significantly. During the 47 days of the war, there were more than 200,000 "cyber-attack events". For comparison, there were about 900 thousand for the whole last year. Since the beginning of the year, the number of DDoS attacks was more than 50, in 2021 there were two.
13:40 The statement of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his speech in the Parliament of Estonia: “As of today, over 500,000 Ukrainians have been forcibly deported. Just imagine how many it is! It is as if the occupiers decided to take the entire Tallinn away. The entire city. It is one-third of your population,” Zelenskyy told.
In his words, Russians are attempting to take the deported Ukrainians to Russia’s remote regions, taking away their documents and personal belongings, namely mobile phones.
According to the President of Ukraine, Russians separate Ukrainian children from their parents and are planning to allow Russian families to illegally adopt them.
13:20 Serhii Haidai, the head of Luhansk Regional Military Administration on Telegram: The entire residential quarter has burnt down in Rubizhne, Luhansk Region, due to Russia’s shelling.
“In Kreminna and Lysychansk, 10 fires were extinguished in houses situated in different districts. In Rubizhne, Russians shelled the entire residential quarter with heavy weapons, leaving nearly all houses burnt down. 10 people have been rescued from fire by the Ukrainian State Emergency Service,” Haidai noted.
12:59 Defense Intelligence of Ukraine: Russians use 13 mobile crematoriums to burn civilian bodies in Mariupol.
Russia’s leadership has ordered its troops to remove any evidence of crimes committed by the Russian army in Ukraine, and now they are using 13 mobile crematoriums to burn civilian bodies in the city of Mariupol.
The relevant statement was made by the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine on Telegram, - Ukrinform reports.
“After the genocide of the Ukrainian people in Bucha, Kyiv Region, was widely covered in the international mass media, Russian troops began to use mobile crematoriums in Ukraine. In particular, a total of 13 mobile crematoriums were detected in Mariupol to remove the bodies of civilians from the streets. Russia occupiers are attempting to identify those who have witnessed the atrocities via filtration camps and eliminate them,” the report states.
Defense Intelligence of Ukraine repeatedly reported on the use of enemy mobile crematoriums in Chernihiv Region. In addition, such crematoriums were detected in Novoaidar, Luhansk Region.
The Russian military are also using mobile crematoriums to burn the bodies of Russian soldiers to conceal the actual number of those who have been killed since the Russian invasion started and not to pay compensation to the families of the soldiers killed.
12:30 The UK’s Armed Forces Minister James Heappey: 'A few hundred' Ukrainian troops to train on armoured vehicles in UK.
The Minister for the Armed Forces at UK Ministry of Defense has said "a few hundred" Ukrainian troops will be trained in Britain on how to use the armoured vehicles being provided to the country by the UK.
James Heappey told Forces News this will include Ukrainian communication specialists working with the Royal Corps of Signals to integrate kit into the vehicles to ensure they're "mission ready" when they get to Ukraine.
He outlined the vehicles being sent to Ukraine, which include 40 Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked), 35 Spartan armoured personnel carriers, as well as Samaritan armoured ambulances and Samson recovery vehicles.
Mr Heappey also said the UK will provide Ukraine with "about 80 of the Afghanistan-era protected mobility vehicles" – naming Mastiff, Wolfhound and Husky vehicles as examples.
"They obviously have to extract these people from the fight and get them to the UK but we're ready for them whenever they come," Mr Heappey said.
The Armed Forces Minister also confirmed the UK will continue to send Ukraine lethal aid in the form of anti-tank, anti-aircraft and anti-ship weapon.
12:15 Ukraine’s National Police: Law enforcement officers find over 720 bodies of dead people in Kyiv region.
Law enforcement officers found and examined more than 720 bodies of dead people in Kyiv region, head of the region's police Andriy Nebytov said.
"The number of discovered and examined bodies of dead civilians in Kyiv region as a result of Russian aggression is already more than 720 people, more than 200 people are considered missing," - Nebytov said.
The police also informed that since the beginning of the war, more than 3,050 criminal proceedings on crimes committed by the military of the Russian Federation have been recorded in the capital region.
During martial law, the police registered 233 criminal proceedings on infringement of the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine, and 1,463 facts are being investigated for violation of the laws and customs of war.
Law enforcement officers have registered more than 150 facts of looting and have already reported suspicion to 35 people, registered more than 30 criminal proceedings on collaboration activities, collected materials to assist the aggressor and have already reported suspicion to five people.
In addition, the police continue to clean up the territories that were occupied by Russian troops, identify those who collaborated with the enemy, identify victims of Russian aggression, record the destruction and examine the bodies of the dead.
11:45 Russian ammunition warehouse found in Kyiv region.
Soldiers of the National Guard of Ukraine in the Kyiv region have found a Russian ammunition warehouse with almost 100 boxes of shells.
The National Guard of Ukraine reported this on Facebook, Ukrinform reports.
"Today, while on duty in the village of Korolivka, Kyiv region, servicemen of the National Guard of Ukraine discovered a place where Russian occupation forces had set up an ammunition depot. About 100 boxes of 125-caliber shells were found," the statement reads.
10:50 Invaders shell village in Zaporizhia region using phosphorus munitions.
Russian troops have fired phosphorous bombs at the village of Novodanylivka in the Polohy district, Zaporizhia region.
Ivan Arefiev, spokesperson for the regional military administration, said this on Facebook, - Ukrinform reports.
"As a result of artillery shelling with phosphorus munitions in the village of Novodanylivka, Polohy district, the roof of a residential building on Khrustalkova Street caught fire. Units of the State Emergency Service in the Zaporizhia region eliminated the consequences of the fire. No one was injured," - the statement said.
According to the statement, in the Polohy direction, the enemy is trying to hold the occupied territory, conducting air reconnaissance using unmanned aerial vehicles and firing at the Ukrainian military and local population from multiple rocket launchers.
The regional military administration added that today there is a high threat of the enemy using missile weapons against military and civilian infrastructure across the Zaporizhia region, as well as the possibility of Russian occupiers attempting to advance towards the city of Zaporizhia.
11:00 The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has posted the new summary of total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02 to 13.04. Find them in an infographic by Defense Express:
So far, the list of enemy's combat losses is the following:
Personnel - more 19 800,
Tanks ‒ 739 units,
APV ‒ 1964 units,
Artillery systems – 358 units,
MLRS – 115 units,
Anti-aircraft warfare systems – 64 units,
Aircraft – 158 units,
Helicopters – 143 units,
Vehicles – 1429 units,
Boats / cutters - 7 units,
Fuel tanks - 76,
UAV operational-tactical level - 132 units,
Special equipment – 25,
Mobile SRBM system - 4.
Data are being updated. The calculation is complicated by the intensity of hostilities.
09:50 Ukraine’s Prosecutor General's Office: 91 children killed in Ukraine since start of Russian invasion.
According to PGO's press service statement on Wednesday, April 13, russian troops have killed 191 children in Ukraine since February 24, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office has said, citing data from juvenile prosecutors.
"As of the morning of April 13, 2022, more than 540 children were affected in Ukraine as a result of Russia's armed aggression. In particular, 191 children were killed and more than 349 were injured.
The figures are not final, as work is underway in the areas of active hostilities, in the temporarily occupied and liberated territories.
The largest number of victims has been recorded in Donetsk region – 113, Kyiv region - 102, Kharkiv region - 79, Chernihiv region - 54, Mykolaiv region - 40, Kherson region – 38, Luhansk region – 36, Zaporizhia region – 23, Sumy region – 16, Zhytomyr region – 15, and the city of Kyiv – 16.
While recording crimes committed by Russian invaders in the settlements of Borodianka and Korolivka in the Kyiv region, the burnt bodies of a 16-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy were found.
On Monday, April 11, the Russian armed forces fired at Kharkiv's civilian infrastructure. A one-and-a-half-month-old child and a 12-year-old teenager were killed in the attack. Four children aged 1, 4, 5 and 9 were injured.
According to the PGO, 957 educational institutions were damaged by Russian bombardment and shelling, and 88 of them were completely destroyed.
09:20 Satellite imagery shows Russia massing troops in Belgorod region.
Satellite images collected and analyzed by private U.S. company Maxar Technologies show Russia massing troops in the Belgorod region for a major offensive in eastern Ukraine.
The company announced this on Twitter, - Ukrinform reports.
"Satellite imagery reveals Russian forces continue moving into eastern Ukraine. Military deployments were observed along the 14k-34 highway and the corridor that leads from Soloti and Valuyki in western Russia towards the border with Ukraine," - the tweet reads.
08:45 UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: 1,892 civilians were killed and 2,558 injured in Ukraine
From 4:00 on February 24, 2022 (local time), when the Russian Federation’s armed attack against Ukraine started, to 24:00 midnight on April 11, 2022, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights recorded 4,450 civilian casualties in Ukraine.
According to the OHCHR this includes 1,892 killed and 2,558 injured,.
Of those killed, 478 are men, 308 women, 30 girls, and 52 boys, as well as 71 children and 953 adults whose sex is yet unknown.
Of 2,558 injured, 291 are men, 219 women, 51 girls, and 51 boys, as well as 144 children and 1,802 adults whose sex is yet unknown.
In Donetsk and Luhansk regions: 1,957 casualties (675 killed and 1,282 injured).
On Government-controlled territory: 1,599 casualties (600 killed and 999 injured).
On territory controlled by the self-proclaimed “republics”: 358 casualties (75 killed and 283 injured).
In other regions of Ukraine (the city of Kyiv, and Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Sumy, Zaporizhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zhytomyr regions), which were under Government control when casualties occurred: 2,493 casualties (1,217 killed and 1,276 injured).
Most of the civilian casualties recorded were caused by the use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems, and missile and air strikes.
OHCHR believes that the actual figures are considerably higher, as the receipt of information from some locations where intense hostilities have been going on has been delayed and many reports are still pending corroboration. This concerns, for example, Mariupol (Donetsk region), Izium (Kharkiv region), Popasna (Luhansk region), and Borodianka (Kyiv region), where there are allegations of numerous civilian casualties.
These figures are being further corroborated and are not included in the above statistics.
OHCHR notes the report of the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine, according to which as of 8:00 April 12 (local time), 186 children had been killed and at least 344 injured.
08:25 Russia building up military air forces in Lipetsk Region – mass media.
The satellite images show that Russia is building up military air forces within the Lipetsk-2 airfield in Lipetsk Region.
The relevant statement was made by Radio Svoboda [Radio Liberty], - Ukrinform reports.
“Russia is building up military air forces within the Lipetsk-2 airfield in Lipetsk Region. The number of fighter and bomber aircrafts within the airfield increased twofold compared to late March, as evidenced by the satellite images available to Skhemy (Radio Svoboda),” the report states.
Currently, more than 30 military aircrafts are stationed there. The Lipetsk-2 airfield is controlled by Russia’s Defense Ministry and is actively used by the Russian army for military purposes.
According to the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Russian military are using the Lipetsk-2 airfield to attack settlements in eastern Ukraine.
On the satellite image of April 11, 2022, Russian military aircrafts were stationed within two parking areas. The military experts identified six Su-27 multirole supermaneuverable fighter aircrafts, fourteen Su-30 or Su-34 fighter-bomber aircrafts, ten Su-24 bomber aircrafts and four undefined aircrafts. The experts assume these aircrafts could have been deployed from Belarusian airfields.
The activity of the Russian military affects the operation of civil aircrafts within the region. Lipetsk Region has been included on the list of regions, where civil airports suspended operations, according to the website of Lipetsk Airport. The list mostly consists of the regions bordering or situated not far from the border with Ukraine. Such restrictions will be in effect at least until April 19, 2022.
07:45 General Staff: operational information as of on 06.00 on April 13, 2022 regarding the Russian invasion. Key points:
- Occupiers continues to launch missile and bomb strikes on civilian infrastructure in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. Partial blockade and artillery shelling of the city of Kharkiv continues in the Slobozhansky direction. In some temporarily occupied territories, the enemy resorted to forming units of the so-called "people's militia."
- In the Donetsk and Tavriya directions, the enemy continued to launch air strikes on Mariupol. It is launching an offensive near the Azovstal metallurgical complex and the Seaport.
- In the South Buh direction, the enemy is trying to seize some settlements, but without success.
- Until April 26, the russian federation introduced the so-called "yellow level of terrorist threat" in the areas bordering our country and in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea.
- The occupiers continue to send so-called "volunteers" to Ukraine. Thus, according to available information, a battalion of about 400 people was formed in the Leningrad region. It consists exclusively of servicemen with combat experience. They were sent to Ukraine to reinforce one of the units of the 42nd Motorized Rifle Division of the 8th All-Military Army.
- Over the past 24hrs, the defenders of Ukraine have repulsed six enemy attacks, destroyed two vehicles and three enemy artillery systems in the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.
- The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine shot down Su-25 enemy’s aircraft the day before. The enemy has significantly reduced the use of aircraft due to weather conditions.
07:25 Lithuanian president, Gitanas Nausėda, is on his way to Kyiv to show a “strong message of political support”.
“Heading to Kyiv with a strong message of political support and military assistance,” Nausėda posted to Twitter this morning. “Lithuania will continue backing Ukraine’s fight for its sovereignty and freedom.”
07:00 The Pentagon will host leaders from the top eight US weapons manufacturers on Wednesday, April 13 to discuss the industry’s capacity to meet Ukraine’s weapons needs if the war with Russia lasts years, two people familiar with the meeting said on Tuesday.
Demand for weapons has shot up after Russia’s invasion spurred US and allied weapons transfers to Ukraine. Resupplying as well as planning for a longer war is expected to be discussed at the meeting, the sources told Reuters on condition of anonymity, - The Guardian reports.
The Pentagon’s office of Acquisition and Sustainment, the weapons buyer for the US Department of Defense, will host the 90 minute meeting and Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks was expected to attend, one of the people said.
The Pentagon has said that the most useful weapons are smaller systems such as Javelin anti-tank missiles and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, which Washington and allies have been shipping to Ukraine on a nearly daily basis.
The intense usage, as well as the battlefield effectiveness displayed by Ukrainian forces, has driven interest in restocking these weapons.
Raytheon Technologies and Lockheed Martin Corp jointly produce Javelins, while Raytheon makes Stingers. Other top weapons makers are Boeing Co Northrop Grumman , General Dynamics and L3Harris Technologies.
06:20 The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons ‘concerned’ by Mariupol report.
The world’s chemical weapons watchdog has said it is “concerned” over reports of the use of chemical weapons in the besieged Ukrainian port of Mariupol, - The Guardian reports.
Reports first emerged Monday from Ukraine’s Azov battalion that a Russian drone had dropped a “poisonous substance” on troops and civilians in Mariupol.
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said in a statement:
"The Technical Secretariat of the OPCW is monitoring closely the situation in Ukraine. The Secretariat is concerned by the recent unconfirmed report of chemical weapons use in Mariupol, which has been carried in the media over the past 24 hours.
This follows reports in the media over the past few weeks of shelling targeted at chemical plants located in Ukraine, together with accusations levelled by both sides around possible misuse of toxic chemicals.
All 193 OPCW Member States, including the Russian Federation and Ukraine, are parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention, an international treaty of major importance in the field of disarmament that has been in force since 1997.
In doing so, they have solemnly and voluntarily committed never to develop, produce, acquire, stockpile, transfer or use chemical weapons.”
06:00 Ukraine pushes UN to "stop financing Russian aggression" by buying Russian goods, services.
Ukrainian diplomats are pushing the United Nations to stop paying Russia for goods and services, which they stress helps fuel Vladimir Putin's war, - Ukrinform reports citing CBS News.
"If you buy goods and services from Russian companies you support their war effort, no matter what the amount is," Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the UN, Sergiy Kyslytsya, told CBS News on Monday.
The UN has spent at least $2.5 billion on Russian goods and services since 2014, when Putin launched his first invasion of Ukraine. During 2020 alone, the last year for which figures are available, UN purchases from Russia totalled $272 million. The money buys a wide range of things, from food supplies for humanitarian relief efforts, to aircraft and the personnel to fly them for peace missions.
Ukraine's delegation first asked the UN leadership in a formal letter sent in March to "immediately suspend all non-essential procurement cooperation of the UN with the Russian Federation."
Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said the UN responded to that letter from the Ukrainian Mission by explaining that UN purchasing was determined "on the basis of best value for money, fairness, integrity and transparency, and effective international competition," and that other factors were not taken into consideration.
03:00 Ukraine’s anti-aircraft missile units destroyed 300 air targets since Russian invasion started.
The Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have downed 300 enemy air targets since the Russian invasion started.
The relevant statement was made by the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Telegram, - Ukrinform reports.
On April 12, 2022, in eastern and southern Ukraine, most affected by Russia’s air strikes, the weather was rather unsafe for completing air tasks and, thus, the intensity of enemy aircraft operations was low.
“However, this has not prevented the anti-aircraft missile units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from hitting the enemy Su-25 assault aircraft. It is the 300th anniversary air target downed by the anti-aircraft missile units since Russia’s full-scale invasion started,” the report states.
01:00 Operational Command “South” destroys 11 enemy equipment units and field ammunition depot.
Over the past day, Russia’s losses within Ukraine’s southern defense frontiers have reached 12 troops and 11 equipment units, including three unmanned aerial vehicles, two self-propelled artillery systems, one Grad multiple rocket launcher and motor vehicles.
The relevant statement was made by the South Operational Command on Facebook, Ukrinform reports.
00:45 The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy: It is very symbolic that Mr. Medvedchuk was detained on Cosmonautics Day.
In his video message the President of Ukraine cleared out additional information about Viktor Medvedchuk detainment.
“He hid for 48 days. And finally decided to try to escape from our country. Well, for this "astronaut" - in the bad sense of the word - did not work the famous "Let's go!".
I find his use of military camouflage particularly cynical. He tried to disguise himself like that. That’s what kind of "soldier" he is, that’s what kind of "patriot" he is. Well, if Medvedchuk chose a military uniform for himself, he falls under the rules of wartime.
I suggest that the Russian Federation exchange this guy of yours for our boys and girls in Russian captivity. So it is important that our law enforcement and military also consider this”, said the President.
00:15 Ukraine’s military pilots launched a campaign #buymeafighterjet. Due to lack of fighter jets in Ukraine military pilots are appealing to wealthy world business leaders who support Ukraine asking them to buy Soviet-made planes on their own initiative and then hand them over to Ukraine after issuing an "end-user certificate". The special site lists the countries that may be sellers of Soviet equipment. The video below.
Key points regarding the current state of warfare:
- Ukraine managed to establish the defense, the Russian offense has stalled, in some directions, the Ukrainian military intensively push back the invaders, numerous villages and small cities were liberated, horrific facts of genocide conducted by russians are revealed.
- Russia uses terroristic methods of war, shelling civilian facilities where there are no military facilities nearby, keeping cities in a full blockade, and sabotaging humanitarian corridors for evacuation and convoys with humanitarian aid.
- Russian army targets nuclear power plants; Zaporizhzhia NPP is currently seized by the invaders; Russian troops, poisoned by radiation, have left the Chornobyl NPP; military activities by Russian forces near the power plants were described by Ukraine as nuclear terrorism
- Ukraine offered the United Nations Security Council a platform for an updated security system – the "Kyiv U-24 Office" similar to the human rights Geneva office or the environmental protection Nairobi office. Or at least prevent from Russia abusing its veto power to continue the war in Ukraine.
- Ukraine is willing to join the European Union, has sent an application which is being considered; during the visit to Kyiv, European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen handed over a questionnaire for the EU candidate country status to the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and said proceeding to the next stage of membership would be "a matter of weeks"
- Ukrainian citizens in the occupied cities rally against the Russians; on their part, the occupiers began to kidnap activists and authorities; locals are being forcibly "evacuated" to Russia with the following deportation to the depressed areas and appointment of jobs
- thousands of civilian volunteers join the Territorial Defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine; Ukraine has established an International Legion for foreign volunteers willing to fight for Ukraine, thousands have joined already
- Ukraine has had several rounds of negotiations with Russia; still, no significant progress towards ceasefire and peace, the main question, for now, is the provision of concrete security guarantees for Ukraine; the negotiations continue "non-stop" in an online format; President Zelenskyy expressed readiness to directly talk with Putin.
Read more: Day 47th of War Between Ukraine and Russian Federation (Live Updates)
