The Commander-in-Chief of the Norwegian Armed Forces said that the speed of improvement of the Russian army has exceeded his expectations. The White House joins these words according to which: “The fighting in Ukraine is not developing in Kiev’s favor, neither in Donbass nor in the rest of the country”.
Despite this “technical” finding, the President of the United States, Joe Biden, signed the package of laws on assistance to Ukraine previously approved by Congress. On April 24, Biden said: “The United States will begin military deliveries to Ukraine in the next few hours (…) The United States will send air defense ammunition, artillery, missile systems, armored vehicles to Ukraine.”
“The new military supplies to Ukraine include air defense ammunition, Himars MLRS, cluster projectiles, Bradley infantry fighting vehicle” explained the Pentagon. And according to the Reuters news agency “ATACMS missiles will also be delivered to Ukraine, including them in the March military aid package, without public announcements.” According to Russian sources, ATACMS tactical missiles were used twice against Russian targets, Politico source.
While German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he would not change his decision not to supply Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, Spain will send Ukraine a small number of anti-aircraft guided missiles for the Patriot air defense system, but will refuse to send the launchers themselves.
The European Union has developed a plan to use the proceeds of frozen Russian assets, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said.
The new head of the Latvian Foreign Ministry Baiba Brazhe has arrived in Kiev, he has already met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmitry Kuleba. They will discuss aid to Kiev.
News comes from Ukraine that former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) Valery Zaluzhny will take up the post of Ukrainian ambassador to Great Britain in a few weeks, London has agreed on his candidacy, the chief’s adviser said of the office of Ukraine Ukrainian President Mikhail Podolyak.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said that, comparing the latest achievements of Russia and the West in the field of defense, it seems that not all is well with the West.
Russia and Ukraine held face-to-face negotiations on children for the first time through the mediation of Qatar in Doha, Russian Children’s Ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova told RIA Novosti. According to the agreement, 29 children will move to Ukraine, 19 to Russia.
Big scandal in Russia for the arrest for corruption of the Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation Timur Ivanov, according to the Russian Investigative Committee, the general was arrested on charges of receiving a bribe. The amount of the bribe is not known. According to other media, the general favored companies in the reconstruction of Russian sites in exchange for renovations of his apartments. Be it about at least a million rubles. The general denied the accusations. He is now in preventive detention and risks up to 15 years in prison. He was denied release on bail. President Vladimir Putin was informed about the detention of Deputy Defense Minister Ivanov, Serjei Shoigu was also informed in advance – Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. The general declared himself innocent during the preliminary hearing. Timur Ivanov will remain in prison for a period of 2 months, until June 23, 2024.
According to Apty Alaudinov, deputy head of the Main Political-Military Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces: “By the end of May – beginning of June, Russian troops will achieve tangible results in the zone of special military operations (SVO) in Ukraine.” “I think that by the end of the month – beginning of June we will see a more serious, tangible result, even more so,” Alaudinov said in an interview with Channel One. “The enemy has already begun to crumble,” he said. According to Alaudinov, units of the Russian Ministry of Defense take control of “rather dangerous areas and populated areas” on a daily basis. “We see the result every day,” he said.
And now a look at the front line updated at 2.00 pm on April 26th.
Ukrainian attacks on regions of Russia with UAVs continue. Fires broke out at complex fuel and energy plants in the Smolensk region as a result of UAV attacks, the region’s governor Vasily Anokhin said. In the Lipetsk region a drone fell in an industrial area.
Ukrainian sources report the transfer of Russian attack units and equipment to the border with Kharkiv and Sumy regions. On the morning of April 26, the Russian airstrike launched on Kharkiv.
The situation in the Kherson direction has not changed. In addition to Krynky and the area near the Antonovsky Bridge, both sides are active on the islands in the river’s floodplain. Dnieper. Drones of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are mining the islands with heavy drones, shelling of civilians continues: in the village. Dnepryan, Novokakhovsky district, two civilians were killed in the city of Tavriysk, a 12-year-old child was injured by shrapnel in the neck; the city of Nova Kakhovka is attacked by many FPVs.
On the Zaporozhzhie front, battles are underway near Rabotinye. The continuous, months-long attempts by the Russian armed forces to take a settlement in the lower and southern part of the village without any maneuvers, unlike other sections of the front, are ineffective, but entail an extremely high cost for the army Russian. Northwest of Verbove, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are gathering reserves and strengthening defenses.
In the south direction of Donetsk there are battles in Krasnohorivka, in its southern part. Yesterday the Russian armed forces carried out a series of powerful attacks in the direction of enemy refractory plants (industrial zone), partly recognizing the success of the Russian units; There are battles in the direction of Netalove.
Northwest of Avdiivka, the Russian army is achieving successes after the capture of Ocheretyne and Novobakhmutovka. The Russian flag flies over the village. Soloviove, reported offensive actions in the direction of Arkhangelsk. In Novokalynove Russian troops operate on the southern outskirts.
Heavy battles are taking place on the eastern outskirts of Časiv Jar. There have been no significant changes in LBS in recent days; the Ukrainians are mining the area and bringing in reinforcements. Russian aviation and artillery are working on the positions of the Ukrainian armed forces.
At night, over the Belgorod region, Russian air defense was operational. Attacks on border areas continue.
In the Kursk region, under bombardment, located on the border of Tyotkino, the village of Guevo and the Oleshnya farm of the Sudzhansky district, the village of Gorodishche of the Rylsky district. There is an active reaction against enemy drones shot down or suppressed with the help of electronic warfare and small arms in Tyotkino, near the village of Elizavetovka, Glushkovsky district, settlement. Gornal and Oleshnya, Sudzhansky district, the villages of Lokot, Rylsky district and Iskra, Khomutovsky district.
In the Bryansk region, as a result of a UAV-kamikaze of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on a passenger bus, four civilians were injured.
In the DPR, shelling by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Donetsk killed two civilians and injured five civilians.
Graziella Giangiulio
