Press digest – Ukraine
37th day of heroic resistance of Ukraine against Russian military invasion
Every morning, starting March 17, a nationwide minute of silence has been declared throughout Ukraine at 9:00am Kyiv time.
“We will remember the Ukrainians who gave their lives, all the military, civilians and children” (c) President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy
DESTRUCTION AND LOSSES
📌 Photo of the day
Head of Kharkiv oblast Oleh Synehubov in his working place in Kharkiv.
The municipality was hit by a Russian rocket on 1 March.
📌 Almost 400 children have been injured in Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s war against our country. 153 of them were killed and more than 245 were injured.
📌 Russia continues to launch numerous missile and bomb strikes and airstrikes on critical infrastructure, government buildings and residential areas in Ukrainian cities and villages.
📌 As of the morning of April 1, there are 20 days of the actual blockade in Izyum – Russians are not releasing people and are hindering the work of “green corridors”.
📌 The situation in the Luhansk region is getting worse, Russian troops are importing a lot of equipment. Chechen militants have also entered the region with paramilitary equipment.
📌 Due to the Russian attack in Ukraine on April 1, more than 1,339 settlements remain without electricity. It is a total of more than 925,000 consumers. 338 thousand consumers remain without a gas supply. Over the past 24hrs, the electricity supply to more than 71.8 thousand consumers has been restored.
📌 Retreating from the territory of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the Russian occupiers kidnapped employees of the National Guard, who had been held captive since February 24. Also, Russians took away office and household appliances. This was reported by Chernobyl workers who are at the station.
📌 Retreating, Russian occupiers mine Ukraine’s civilian and food infrastructure and poison food. Thus, the Russian military mined a confectionery factory in Bucha and poisoned its products.
📌According to the mayor of temporarily occupied Melitopol Ivan Fedorova, the director of schools in temporarily occupied Melitopol wrote applications for dismissal, in order not to cooperate with the occupiers.
📌 In some areas of the temporarily occupied territories, Russian military commandants’ offices are trying to force entrepreneurs to switch to paying for goods and services in Russian rubles.
📌 A fire broke out at an oil depot in Belgorod, Russia, near the Ukrainian border. Russia is trying to blame Ukraine for this.
📌 In the town of Dergachi in the Kharkiv region, Russian troops attacked the City Council. One person was killed and three were injured.
📌 In the Black Sea, the Russian Black Sea Fleet has placed their warships equipped with Caliber naval cruise missiles. At the Sevastopol naval base, the occupiers refilled the Caliber anti-aircraft missile system on the Admiral Makarov frigate.
📌 According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on March 31, the Russians are trying to create a new group of troops in the Slobozhansky direction to establish control over parts of Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk regions, including the blockade of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk.
📌 In the territories of the Kyiv region left by the Russian troops, there are frequent cases of mining of the territory and buildings of local residents.
📌 Russian troops destroyed 90% of the infrastructure of the city of Trostyanets in Sumy region. The city was liberated on March 24 by the Holodny Yar unit; its occupation lasted for 30 days.
📌 The main efforts of the Russian military in the Donetsk direction are concentrating on taking control of the settlements of Popasna and Rubizhne, as well as establishing full control over the city of Mariupol.
📌 Due to heavy shelling in Severodonetsk, Rubizhne, Lysychansk, Kreminna, Ivanivka in the Luhansk region, 20 objects were damaged. In Severodonetsk, 2 people died from Russian firing.
📌 The number of deaths as a result of the Russian airstrike on the Mykolayiv regional state administration increased to 30 people.
📌 Russia transfers missile systems to Gomel, Belarus. According to Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Hanna Malyar, this is due to Russia’s plans to launch missile strikes or use them there as a tool of blackmail and intimidation.
📌 Russia is redeploying part of its forces from the occupied territories of Georgia to intensify the offensive on Ukraine. According to British intelligence, Russia did not plan this at the beginning of the war. This indicates the unforeseen losses it suffered during the invasion.
📌 Belarus is strengthening the protection of the Belarusian-Ukrainian border by adding soldiers and equipment.
📌 At least 300 Syrian mercenaries have already arrived in Russia to prepare for war with Ukraine, writes The New York Times, citing sources.
📌 The war slowed down or stopped 86% of Ukrainian companies. One in five (21%) entrepreneurs have started the process of industry transformation to save their business from closure, 16% already have results and the same number plan to join the transformation.
📌 Hero of the day
Taras Koval was a participant in the defense of Donetsk airport in 2014, a “cyborg”, a paratrooper. He died heroically in the battles near Kyiv.
RUSSIAN CONTEXT
his is the reality of Russia for the last 20 years of Putin’s reign. This is the regime against which the whole of Ukraine is now fighting.
The world has already given it the unofficial name “rashism”.
⚠️ FIFA has approved Russian as the official language.
⚠️ Bloomberg: the wealth of Russian billionaires has decreased by $83 billion since the beginning of 2022.
DEFENSE UPDATES
📌 Estimated losses of the Russian Federation Army in Ukraine:
📌 The Security Service of Ukraine exposed a Russian-run bot farm in Kharkiv that operated exclusively on Ukrainian military and military infrastructure personnel. The equipment was confiscated, and the SSU is working with all those involved.
📌 Efforts of the defenders of the 60th separate infantry brigade, which is part of the group of troops “Pivden (South)”, liberated 11 settlements in the Kherson region: Novovorontsovka, Mala Shesternya, Novohryhorivka, Topolyne, Kniazivka, Krasnivka, Svobodne, Kamyanka, Pryhirya, Kochubeivka, Orlove.
📌 President Zelensky signed a decree on the establishment of two military administrations in the Luhansk region – in the cities of Kreminna and Rubizhne.
📌 On April 1, the Russian occupiers completely left the Brovary district of the Kyiv region.
📌 After the withdrawal of Russian troops, units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine took control of settlements.
📌 The Armed Forces of Ukraine regained control over the settlements of the Kyiv region. In the north-western direction – Demydiv, Dymer, Lytvynivka, Gavrylivka, Kozarovychi, Zhovtneve, Hlybivka, Yasnogorodka, Talakun, Sukoluchchya, Lypivka, Gavronshchyna, Makovyshche, Mykolaivka, Khmilna; in the eastern and north-eastern directions – Rudnya, Shevchenkove, Bobryk, Stara Basan, Nova Basan, Makiivka, Pohreby, Bazhanivka, Volodymyrivka, Shnyakivka, Salne, Sofiivka, Gavrylivka. Bucha and Ivankiv were also released and returned to Ukrainian control.
📌 On April 1, a prisoner exchange took place in Zaporizhia Oblast: 86 Ukrainian servicemen, including 15 women, returned to Ukraine and are safe. This was announced by the Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Kyryl Tymoshenko.
President Volodymyr Zelensky’s daily statements
📌 On March 31, Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the parliaments of Australia, Belgium and the Netherlands.
📌 The Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Police and the National Guard, Intelligence and Territorial Defense are gradually freeing Ukrainian cities from Russian war criminals and occupiers.
📌 The situation in the southern direction and Donbas remains extremely difficult. In the Donbas, in Mariupol, in the Kharkiv direction, Russian troops are accumulating the potential for powerful strikes.
📌 The President of Ukraine discussed in detail with the President of the European Council Charles Michel the economic support of Ukraine and the financing of priority projects, as well as the dynamics of Ukraine’s movement towards full membership in the EU.
📌 The sanctions policy was one of the topics of conversation between the head of the President’s Office, Andriy Ermak, and Jake Sullivan, the US President’s National Security Adviser. The United States has imposed a new package of sanctions against Russia.
PUBLIC AND BUSINESS SUPPORT
📌 The world’s largest aircraft lessor, AerCap, has filed a $3.5 billion insurance claim to cover the loss of more than 100 of its aircraft, which Russia is refusing to return.
📌 Financial Services Corporation American Express suspends trading operations in Russia and Belarus.
📌 In 2022, Google will allocate $5 million in grants and support to Ukrainian startups. The fund will assist about 50 companies. Startups will also receive support from Google managers.
📌 Adobe has given Ukrainians 90 days of free use of its programs. At the same time, the company suspended new sales for Russians and Belarusians: “We are deeply saddened by the violent acts of war against Ukraine and the humanitarian crisis that has arisen. Adobe is joining the global community and demonstrating its position.”
📌 On April 8, dozens of favorite stars will take part in The Stand Up for Ukraine rally in support of Ukraine. Participants include Madonna, The Weeknd, Billy Isle, Radiohead, Elton John, Demi Lovato and many others. The campaign is aimed at helping Ukrainian displaced people, as well as combating humanitarian crises.
📌 The director of “007: No Time to Die” arrived in Kyiv together with the WCK charity project. Cary Fukunaga is actively sharing photos from Ukraine and urging subscribers to help the Armed Forces: “I now admire Ukraine, its will to fight, its spirit and such moments. Continue to resist. “
📌 In Berlin, the flag of Ukraine covered the monument with T-34 tanks, which is located near the memorial to Soviet troops. The Russian embassy sent a note of protest, and the Berlin authorities replied that the T-34 tank was developed in Kharkiv, and Kharkiv is Ukraine.
📌 “These are Tatiana’s girl’s shoes. She was 6 years old, she died in Mariupol,” said the letter, which was placed together with the girl’s shoes under Olaf Scholz’s office.
📌 “Mariupol Nightmare” – this is the name of the April cover of the Guardian Weekly. The illustration was created by Maria Foya from Kyiv.
📌 Film company Lionsgate suspends the release of its films in Russia from March 2022.
INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE
📌 Turkey is ready to become a guarantor of Ukraine’s security. This was stated by President Zelensky after talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
📌 The US Department of the Treasury has imposed new sanctions on 21 companies and 13 individuals involved in the Kremlin’s circumvention of US sanctions. The sanctions also include organizations of the Russian Federation engaged in cyber operations. In addition, the US Department of Commerce will soon impose new sanctions on 120 military, aviation and maritime entities in Russia and Belarus.
📌 The EU is preparing a fifth package of sanctions against Russia.
📌 Australia has announced donating additional 25 million Australian dollars to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities.
📌 The United Kingdom has imposed sanctions against Russian propagandists and state media that spread false information about Russia’s war against Ukraine.
📌 Swiss TV providers Swisscom, Sunrise UPC, Salt and others have removed the Russian channel Russia Today from their packages.
📌 The International Monetary Fund is working to create a special account for Ukraine, which provides loans and grants.
📌 Sweden will allocate $1.1 billion to support Ukrainian refugees.
📌 The 13th cargo with ventilators and other medical devices left the UK for Ukraine. In total, the country has already donated 5.29 million units of medical devices and equipment.
📌 The Danish government handed over three specially equipped fire and rescue vehicles to Kyiv.
📌 The President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola has arrived in Ukraine and is on his way to Kyiv.
📌 After the speech of the President of Ukraine Zelensky to the Parliament of Australia, the country announced the sending of military aid to Ukraine: armored vehicles, including Bushmasters, weapons, ammunition, bulletproof vests. Australia also plans to send humanitarian aid.
📌 Following a donors’ conference convened by British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, the allies agreed to provide more assistance to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities.
📌 US President Joe Biden has authorized the use of oil from the Strategic Oil Reserve
📌 The Latvian Seimas has banned the use of symbols used by Russia to denote military aggression and crimes against Ukraine.
📌 The Estonian government has approved a draft amendment to the Penitentiary Code, according to which the public display of criminal symbols of the Russian Federation will be classified as a crime.
📌 The Ministry of the Internal Affairs of the Czech Republic transfers medical goods of 230 thousand dollars.
📌 A charity auction was held in Prague, raising more than €1 million for the Armed Forces.
📌 Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calls for the exclusion of Russia from the G20.
📌Tweet of the day
If someone is afraid to make the necessary decisions, for us to obtain planes, tanks, the necessary artillery and shells, it makes these people co-responsible for the catastrophe created by Russian troops in Ukrainian cities.