The German newspaper Welt reported the contents of the 17-page draft peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia, proposed at the Istanbul negotiations in 2022. According to the publication, both sides managed to agree on most points, but later Russia made new demands: the recognition of the Russian language as the second official language in Ukraine, the lifting of mutual sanctions and the resolution of claims in international courts. Ukraine did not agree to these demands and withdrew from the negotiation process.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitrj Peskov on the reasons for Kiev’s refusal to continue negotiations in Istanbul: “It was direct pressure from London, everything else is speculation.” “Now there are no longer any conditions to resume negotiations, due to Kiev’s position.”
The American news agency Associated Press reported on the detention of journalist Sergei Karelin, who collaborated with the agency, in the Murmansk region.
According to Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte: “Ukraine’s allies must be prepared for the fact that the aid package approved by the American administration for Ukraine will be the last,” she declared. Among Kiev’s most vocal supporters is It is the Czech Republic. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipovsky in a recent statement said: “I think it is well known that the Czech Republic sees Russian imperialism as the greatest threat and risk to Europe will support Ukraine as long as necessary,” Jan Lipovsky said at a conference in Budapest in the presence of his Hungarian counterpart Szijjártó.
France is also helping Ukraine: “New supplies of weapons from the USA, Germany and France will allow Ukraine to resist”, – reported French President Emmanuel Macron. According to the president, the only way out of the Ukrainian crisis is the establishment of long-term peace based on respect for international law and people’s rights. “A Russian victory and Ukrainian capitulation would lead to the destabilization of Romania, Moldova and Poland for decades. Our security and the future of Europe are at stake,” Macron said.
According to the social sphere close to Russia, senior officers of the special forces unit “A” of the SBU recently visited France. “They were there to meet with their French military partners and select new weapons. Involved on the front line since the first days of the war, this unit, under the control of SBU (Security Service) chairman Vasily Malyuk, is gradually increasing in size until it practically becomes a brigade. But “A” remains faithful to its methods and does not want to be confused with the GUR (Military Intelligence) units.”
On the subject of missiles, Defense Secretary Grant Shapps in an interview with the Times: “Storm Shadows are being updated at the MBDA UK plant in Stevenage, United Kingdom.” He stated that Italy has agreed to supply SCALP EG / Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine: “I really believe that Storm Shadow is an extraordinary weapon. Great Britain, France and Italy supply these weapons for use, in particular, in Crimea. This weapon has a very significant impact.” In 1999, Italy purchased 200 of these missiles for Tornado IDS aircraft. Belgium will supply its F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by the end of 2024, the government said.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg arrived in Kiev on April 29 for an unannounced visit, the Alliance said. NATO’s Secretary General has said he does not expect an agreement on Ukraine’s membership at the Alliance summit in Washington this summer. “This will happen when the time is right, Ukraine will immediately become a member of NATO,” Stoltenberg commented.
Volodymyr Zelensky reported that Kiev is negotiating with Washington on the volume of military, financial and other support for the next 10 years. Ukraine’s goal is to make the agreement with the United States the “strongest” of all similar documents, the Ukrainian president noted.
During a working trip to the Volyn region on April 27, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal followed the process of building military engineering and fortification structures near the state border with Belarus. According to the head of the region, the work is carried out in coordination with the military and according to the schedule.
Russian forces have achieved tactical successes in several directions in the combat zone, admitted Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Alexander Syrsky. He has also noted that the most difficult situation for the Ukrainian army developed in the Pokrovs’k and Kurachove directions in the part of the DPR controlled by Kiev. According to the Financial Times: “Russia will begin storming the million-strong city of Kharkiv at the end of May. Tens of thousands of soldiers will be deployed. As evidence of this, two senior Ukrainian intelligence officials told the Financial Times that the recent heavy Russian bombing of the Kharkiv region is a “softening of the battlefield” in preparation for a major offensive scheduled for late May or beginning of June.
Preparations are underway in Moscow for the inauguration of Vladimir Putin which will take place on May 7th. Live broadcasts will begin at 12:00, Moscow time on the Russia-1 television channel.
And now a look at the front line updated at 16:00 on April 30th.
Troops of the Russian “Center” group have taken control of the village of Semenivka in the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
According to the Turks, the ammunition and MLRS systems delivered to the Liptsov area (Kharkiv region) were destroyed by glide bombs. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are trying to use this area as a launching pad for attacks on the Belgorod region.
Direction Pervomais’ke, west of Avdeevka. The Russian Armed Forces are aiming for success at the Ocheretyne ledges. After the capture of Ocheretyne, Novobakhmutivka, Solovevo, the advance from Novokalynove to Keramik, the Russian army makes its way towards the Pokrovs’k-Kostjantynivka highway (13 km from our advanced units).
Within 24 hours, according to Ukrainian estimates, “to the west and north-west of Ocheretyne, Russian armed forces advanced along the railway line and forest in an area up to 1.75 km wide to a maximum depth of 1.15 km.”
Furthermore, according to the Russian social sphere “Russian troops advanced in the eastern and central part of the village of Novokalynove and in the southern part of the city of Keramik in an area up to 2.75 km wide to a depth of 1.52 km”.
Crimea was again attacked by ATACMS. According to a preliminary analysis of missile launches by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the peninsula. The launch zone is also from Berislav, Kherson region. Missile type range: up to 300 km. The number of launched missiles is from 11 to 15. Based on this, the number of launchers is calculated. Target of the launches are military airports and air defense areas.
The situation in the direction of Kherson remains unchanged; the Ukrainian Armed Forces are planning to create new points of tension on our shores by landing troops and small groups of infantry. In the village of Yubilein, Aleshkinsky District, shelling by the Ukrainian Armed Forces damaged three residential buildings; in Novaya Kakhovka a drone hit a car from which a civilian was selling items. UAV operators of the Ukrainian Armed Forces see their targets and intentionally target civilians.
On the Zaporozhzhie front, the advance of the Russian Armed Forces is slowing down due to the continuous bombing of the area by Baba Yaga drones. Northwest of Verbovove, the Russians use heavy flamethrower systems, aviation is hitting the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Orichiv. Russian flag planted in Robotyne.
There are upcoming battles in the Vremivka direction, Russian troops are gradually moving towards Urozhaine. The Russian Air Force is working closely against the Ukrainians, using FAB with UMPC.
South of Donetsk is characterized by the advance of Russian troops north of Novomykhailivka along a broad front. Russian troops are leveling the combat contact line, heading towards the road to Vuhledar. The assault on Krasnohorivka continues, within 24 hours there was an advance of the Russian Armed Forces into the urban areas.
In the direction of Časiv Jar, no significant changes have occurred on the front line in the last 24 hours. Russian troops in this direction, as everywhere, demand to be equipped with multi-channel electronic warfare systems.
In the direction of Kupjans’k there are battles in Kislovka, the Russian armed forces are fighting for the settlement. In the direction of the Liman District: battles east of Ternove.
An air target was shot down over Belgorod in the morning. Constant bombing continues in the region. In the Kursk region Glushkovo, Gordeevka, the Byrdina farm and Tyotkino were bombed.
Graziella Giangiulio
