Tuesday, April 18

Russia’s war against Ukraine

People celebrate Easter Monday at the Museum of Folk Architecture and Life in Lviv, Ukraine, on April 17, 2023. (Photo by Olena Znak/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

The Kyiv Independent shortlisted for Emerging Europe Awards 2023. The Kyiv Independent has been shortlisted for the Emerging Europe Awards 2023 in the Media Freedom and Responsible Reporting Initiative of the Year category. The Kyiv Independent was highlighted “for their determination to defend editorial independence,” reads Emerging Europe’s website.

Danilov: Ukraine hasn’t found Chinese weapons on the battlefield. Ukraine hasn’t found any Chinese weapons used by Russia on the battlefield, National Security and Defense Secretary Oleksiy Danilov said in an interview on April 16. “In the event that this changes, we will promptly notify both (Ukrainian) society and the world,” Danilov said.

Ombudsman says his office has received ‘dozens’ of videos with alleged executions of Ukrainian POWs. Ukraine’s Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets told Ukrainska Pravda publication that over the past nine months, his office had received “several dozens” of videos allegedly showing executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war carried out by Russian soldiers.

Borrell: Russia blocking 50 ships with Ukrainian grain in Black Sea. Russia has “once again” blocked 50 ships carrying “urgently needed” Ukrainian grain in the Black Sea, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on April 17.

Defense Ministry: Russia increases air strikes, artillery attacks on Bakhmut. Russian troops have increased the intensity of artillery and airstrikes in the Bakhmut area, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine’s deputy defense minister Hanna Maliar reported on April 17.

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Prosecutor General’s Office records over 80,500 Russian war crimes, crimes of aggression in Ukraine. Russian forces have committed 80,840 war crimes and crimes of aggression in Ukraine since the start of Russia’s all-out war, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office said on April 17.

Wagner ex-commanders tell Russian opposition media of their war crimes in Ukraine, Kyiv launches investigation. Two former mercenaries of Russia’s state-backed Wagner Group told Russian opposition media outlet Gulagu.net how they had killed dozens of Ukrainian civilians, including children, as well as prisoners of war when fighting in Donetsk Oblast.

Russia attacks 7 oblasts over past 24 hours, injuring at least 3 people. Russia launched attacks across Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Donetsk oblasts over the past 24 hours, causing widespread property damage and injuring at least three people.

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Estonia’s biggest charity helping Ukraine under audit after board finds Ukrainian recipients suspicious

Check out this joint investigation by the Kyiv Independent and Delfi Estonia.

Photo: Karl-Erik Leik/Delfi Estonia

Ukraine war latest: Slovakia delivers MiG jets; no Chinese weapons found on the battlefield

Check out the latest updates from April 17.

Photo: Photo by STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Human cost of Russia’s war

Governor: Russian attack kills 4 people in Donetsk Oblast. Russian attacks on April 16 killed four people in Sloviansk, Donetsk Oblast, Donetsk Oblast Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko reported.

General Staff: Russia has lost 182,660 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022. According to the report, Russia has also lost 3,660 tanks, 7,087 armored fighting vehicles, 5,672 vehicles and fuel tanks, 2,804 artillery systems, 538 multiple launch rocket systems, 285 air defense systems, 308 airplanes, 293 helicopters, 2,347 drones, and 18 boats.

International response

International Ice Hockey Federation likely to ban Russia, Belarus from tournaments for duration of war. Russian and Belarusian players will likely be banned from participating in IIHF tournaments for the duration of the war, ESPN reported on April 16. “I hope Russia and Belarus will come back as soon as possible because it will mean the war is over,” said IIHF President Luc Tardif.

Reuters: EU to discuss Hungarian, Polish bans on Ukrainian grain imports this week. The ambassadors of the European Union’s member states in Brussels will discuss a decision of Poland and Hungary to ban grain imports from Ukraine this week, Reuters reported on April 17, citing an unnamed senior EU official.

Slovak Defense Ministry confirms transfer of 13 MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine. All 13 MiG-29 fighter jets pledged by Slovakia have been transferred to Ukraine, the Slovak Defense Ministry reported on April 17.

In other news…

Moscow sentences Russian opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza to 25 years in prison. Russian journalist and opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for condemning Russia’s all-out war in Ukraine. Human Rights Watch said the charges against Kara-Murza were “unfounded and constitute blatant persecution for his entirely peaceful exercise of freedom of expression.”

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Oleksiy Sorokin, Kate Tsurkan, Olga Rudenko, Dinara Khalilova, Anastasiya Gordiychuk, Teah Pelechaty, and Anastasiia Malenko.

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