Ukraine Daily

Saturday, 23 April 2022

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Russia’s war against Ukraine

An aerial picture taken on April 18, 2022 shows coffins being buried during a funeral ceremony at a cemetery in Bucha, Ukraine, amid the Russian invasion. (AFP/Getty Images)

Ukraine, Russia held virtual talks in recent days. Ukrainian delegation head David Arakhamia confirmed to Ukrainska Pravda that the negotiations were held on April 21-22. The news outlet reported, citing an undisclosed official, that at the talks, Ukraine gave an ultimatum to Russia that if it holds a staged referendum to “legitimize” Russian occupation in Kherson Oblast, it will put an end to negotiations.

Lavrov: Negotiations with Ukraine have stalled after recent round of peace talks. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the Ukrainian side has not yet responded to the latest version of Russia’s “proposals” sent five days ago.

Plane crashes near Zaporizhzhia. The Zaporizhzhia Regional Administration reported that one person died and two were injured after the plane crashed into high-voltage power lines while performing a “technical flight.” The plane was en route from Zaporizhzhia to Uzhhorod.

Governor: Russians shell hospital in Donetsk Oblast. Donetsk Oblast Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said the Russian army fired at a regional trauma hospital in Lyman city in Donetsk oblast with an Uragan missile launch system. Direct shelling caused fires and destruction in both the hospital and nearby residential buildings, he added. No casualties have been reported yet.

Russia strikes Kharkiv region 56 times on April 22. As a result of the strikes, two civilians were killed and 19 injured, according to the Kharkiv regional military administration.

Mayor: Russian forces use cluster munitions in Sloviansk. According to Sloviansk Mayor Vadym Lyakh, “the night was restless” as the city was under fire from Russian forces, who “likely” used cluster bombs. No casualties have been reported. The mayor urged people to evacuate. The use of cluster bombs targeting civilians may constitute a war crime, according to Amnesty International.

Russian forces enter two new territorial communities in Kherson Oblast. The local authorities of Velykolepetyska and Hornostaivska communities informed the residents that the Russian occupiers could be checking the civilians’ documents and inspecting households. Ukraine’s Armed Forces also warned the Russian military is currently conducting aerial reconnaissance in the region.

UK intelligence: Russia blockades Azovstal plant in Mariupol to contain Ukraine resistance. According to the latest British Defense Ministry intelligence update, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to blockade the Azovstal steel plant likely indicates a desire to contain resistance in Mariupol. “A full ground assault by Russia on the plant would likely incur significant Russian casualties,” the ministry said.

Russia acknowledges seeking ‘full control’ of Donbas, southern Ukraine. The Kremlin is planning to seize the Donbas region and southern Ukraine, and open a route to Russian-occupied Moldova’s Transnistria region as part of the “second phase” of its war, Russian state-controlled TASS media reported, citing Russia’s Central Military District acting commander Rustam Minnekayev.

Moldova summons Russian ambassador after reports of Russia’s goal to access Moldovan enclave. Moldova’s Foreign Ministry summoned Oleg Vasnetov, the Russian Ambassador to Moldova, to express concern over a Russian general’s earlier statement that Russia wanted to take control of southern Ukraine to gain access to the pro-Russia breakaway region of Transnistria. The ministry called the general’s statements “unfounded.”

Defense Ministry: Kremlin finalizing favorable targets to strike in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine’s Defense Ministry Spokesperson Oleksandr Motuzianyk said that heavy fighting is taking place in several directions in eastern Ukraine including that of Kharkiv Oblast’s Izium, Donetsk Oblast’s besieged Mariupol, and on the road between Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk.

Russian occupiers thwart evacuation efforts in Luhansk Oblast. Luhansk Oblast Governor Serhiy Haidai said that only 25 civilians were able to evacuate from the town of Popasna and reach the destination, Rubizhne, on April 22. One of the buses was disrupted due to Russian shelling, he said. Some 45 people were also able to evacuate from Lysychansk and are now heading to Dnipro, according to the official.

Joint Forces Operation: Nearly 50 units of Russian equipment destroyed in Donbas on April 22. Russia lost nine tanks, three artillery systems, 18 units of armored vehicles, one armored combat vehicle, 13 units of vehicles and one tanker, the JFO said. In total, Ukrainian joint forces successfully repelled eight Russian attacks.

No humanitarian corridors on April 22. No humanitarian corridors for evacuation of civilians will be open on April 22 due to danger on the routes, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk reported.

Over 7,500 Russian war crimes under investigation in Ukraine. According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, another 3,652 Russian crimes against Ukraine’s national security are being investigated.

Read our exclusive, on the ground stories

Uncovering the scope of the Bucha massacre. As Ukraine recaptured the town of Bucha, the world saw the extent of the violence Russian soldiers inflicted on the civilian population. Since Russian forces were driven out of Kyiv Oblast, 412 bodies have been found in the town’s streets, buildings and mass graves as of April 19, according to Bucha Mayor Anatoliy Fedoruk.

The human cost of Russia’s war

Ombudsman: About 1,000 civilians trapped in Mariupol’s Azovstal plant include infants, children, elderly, and women. Lyudmila Denisova said there are about 500 wounded soldiers who are also in the shelter, running out of drinkable water and with little food left. People sheltering at Azovstal don’t see sunlight at all, leaving children on the verge of exhaustion and in need of comprehensive care, the official said.

Prosecutor General’s Office: Russia’s war kills 208 children, wounds 386. The actual figures are thought to be higher since they do not include child casualties in the areas where hostilities are ongoing and in temporarily occupied areas. Prosecutors added that the bombing and shelling by the Russian forces damaged 1,141 educational institutions, 99 of which were completely destroyed.

1,084 bodies of civilians killed by Russian military found in Kyiv Oblast. Up to 75% of these people were killed with small arms, according to Kyiv Oblast Police Chief Andriy Nebytov, which indicates targeted killings or executions. More than 300 bodies have not yet been identified, he added.

UN verifies 5,264 civilian casualties in Ukraine since Feb. 24. Out of them, 2,345 people have been killed and 2,919 injured. “Over these eight weeks, international humanitarian law has not merely been ignored but seemingly tossed aside,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said.

WHO records 162 attacks on Ukrainian healthcare facilities since Russia’s full-scale invasion began. The World Health Organization said attacks on healthcare facilities between Feb. 24 and April 16 have caused 73 deaths and 52 injuries.

General Staff: Russia has lost 21,200 troops in Ukraine. Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported that Russia also lost 838 tanks, 2,162 armored personnel carriers, 1,523 vehicles, 397 artillery systems, 138 multiple launch rocket systems, 69 anti-aircraft defense systems, 153 helicopters, 176 aircraft, 76 fuel tanks, 172 UAVs and 8 boats since Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24.

International response

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to visit Moscow on April 26. Guterres will meet Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to discuss “urgent steps to bring peace to Ukraine.” Earlier, the organization sent letters to both the Ukrainian and Russian missions in the UN, with a request for a meeting between Guterres and the leaders of these countries.

CNN: UN secretary-general will travel to Ukraine next Thursday. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will travel to Ukraine next week where he is expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday, according to a UN spokesperson. Guterres will also meet with Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to discuss humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

UK to reopen embassy in Kyiv. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson made the announcement at a press conference on April 22. The embassy is set to open next week after having relocated to Ukraine’s western city of Lviv before Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Spain reopens its embassy in Kyiv on April 22. Embassy staff was evacuated on Feb. 23, a day before Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The reopening of the embassy followed the visit of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to Kyiv on April 21, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky.

US is not ready to re-open embassy in Kyiv. CNN, citing several undisclosed sources, reported that as long as there is a threat of missile strikes that could hit U.S. personnel, the mission will not return to the city. As of April 18, embassies of 15 countries have already returned to Kyiv.

US to provide additional $500 million in aid to Ukraine. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the grant would go directly to Ukraine’s state budget to help stabilize the economy by providing social payments, pensions, and salaries. In total, the U.S. has announced $1 billion in grant aid to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s all-out invasion.

USAID announces additional $131 million in development assistance for Ukraine. The U.S. Agency for International Development’s administrator Samantha Power made the announcement after meeting with Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal during his trip to Washington. The funding will go to strengthening Ukraine’s “resilience, democracy, economy, and healthcare systems,” the USAID statement said.

Australia sanctions additional 147 Russian individuals, including daughters of Putin, Lavrov. Australia has imposed sanctions against 144 senators of Russia’s Federal Assembly, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s two daughters, and Foreign Minister’s Sergey Lavrov’s daughter.

France to send heavy artillery to Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron told local newspaper Ouest-France that his country would provide Ukraine with Milan anti-tank missiles and Caesar self-propelled howitzers. He said France would continue “on this route.”

Netherlands aims to stop buying Russian gas by end of 2022. Dutch Minister of Climate and Energy Rob Jetten said his government will spend $675 million on incentives for companies to fill up gas storage facilities. According to Reuters, only about 15% of Dutch gas comes from Russia.

Netherlands to supply Ukraine with self-propelled howitzers. Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren said the negotiations with Germany, which is expected to take part in training and installation, are in the final stages. There would be a “limited number” of artillery mounts, as there are 54 in total in the country.

Canada sends four howitzers to Ukraine. CBC News reported, citing three unnamed defense department sources, that Canada recently sent four of its relatively new M-777 howitzers to Ukraine’s military to help it combat Russia’s offensive in the east. Earlier, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada was planning to ship “heavy artillery” to Ukraine, but offered no details.

Zelensky: Allies finally providing weapons Ukraine asked for. In his nightly address, President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Ukraine’s partners who “finally heard” Ukraine’s requests for weapons. Zelensky said the arms will save the lives of thousands of people and show Russia the day they will be forced to leave Ukraine is approaching.

Austrian Finance Minister: All other sanctions on Russia acceptable except gas embargo. Austria’s finance minister Magnus Brunner told CNN that his country supports all sanctions on Russia except a gas embargo as sanctions on gas would harm Austria’s economy more than Russia’s.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Natalia Datskevych, Thaisa Semenova, Asami Terajima, Sergiy Slipchenko, Oleksiy Sorokin, Olga Rudenko, Toma Istomina, Lili Bivings.

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