Bit of hope
Life is a long lesson in humility.
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How could I, would I ever come in peace with this...your son is in the sea somewhere....What the heck.....
Russia Attacks Ukraine - 23 Feb 2022 #8
- Thread starter margarita25
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Bit of hope
Life is a long lesson in humility.
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I have to cry real hard....right now....I'm so hardened.....immense resilience...because of things happened in my own live...but still...this is a sign....things are getting in....for real....Sorry for being human....and I feel so totally incapable to do something.
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Bit of hope
Life is a long lesson in humility.
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I'm going to sleep..... no bomb/missiles in the air tonight.....a peaceful sleep.....I'm so grateful....but thinking of our beloved Ukrainians out there,,,,what the heck!!! Unimaginable....
CSIDreamer
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CSIDreamer
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https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1516142546115874816?t=NZEam4n0kq1OjaecrVvrRA&s=19
Google Maps has opened all military and strategic facilities in Russia: they have become available in maximum resolution (up to 0.5 meters per pixel). Any user can see the airfields of Russia, naval bases, launch pads, command posts, and more.
Google Maps has opened all military and strategic sites in Russia. Now everyone can see them in good quality https://t.co/RqEHMZPL0I
Google Maps has opened all military and strategic facilities in Russia: they have become available in maximum resolution (up to 0.5 meters per pixel). Any user can see the airfields of Russia, naval bases, launch pads, command posts, and more.
Google Maps has opened all military and strategic sites in Russia. Now everyone can see them in good quality https://t.co/RqEHMZPL0I
sds71
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@maxseddon
Zelensky says Russia’s long-awaited offensive in the Donbas is underway. “We will defend ourselves. We will fight. We won’t give up anything Ukrainian […] however many troops they send there.”
Zelensky says Russia’s long-awaited offensive in the Donbas is underway. “We will defend ourselves. We will fight. We won’t give up anything Ukrainian […] however many troops they send there.”
PommyMommy
#ShinelikeShanann
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NEXTA on Twitter - 9 hrs ago
In Google Maps military and strategic objects of #Russia became available in maximum resolution.
The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 7 hrs ago
Center for Countering Disinformation: Russians promise compensation for destroyed homes in Mariupol in attempt to persuade residents to cooperate. The Russian invaders promise compensation in rubles only to those Ukrainians who agree to receive IDs issued by them.
The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
Zaporizhzhia Oblast administration: 69 civilians in Russian captivity. According to the administration, as of April 18, Russian forces abducted a total of 155 residents in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, 86 of which were released.
Zaporizhzhia - Google Maps
The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 6 hrs ago
Belarusian senior official threatens Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia in response to their military power increase. Belarusian Security Council Secretary Alexander Volfovich said that the countries will suffer from “destruction, death, and explosions” if they attack Belarus.
NEXTA on Twitter
An air-raid alert has been declared in almost all regions of #Ukraine, except for the occupied #Kherson region and #Crimea.
The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 5 hrs ago
BREAKING: Battle of Donbas starts. Zelensky said that Russia had concentrated a significant part of its forces for the offensive in eastern Ukraine. “No matter how many soldiers are drawn there, we will defend ourselves. We will fight. We will not give up anything Ukrainian.”
The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 4 hrs ago
Azov commander urges world leaders to arrange evacuation corridor for civilians hiding at Azovstal plant in Mariupol. According to Denys Prokopenko, hundreds of people, including women, children, and families of the Mariupol defenders are sheltering in the plant’s basement.
The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
Reuters: US to train Ukrainian soldiers on how to use howitzers, radars. Citing a U.S. senior defense official, Reuters reported that U.S. military experts will train Ukrainians on using weapons from the recent batch of assistance it had provided to Kyiv.
The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
269 people killed by Russian military in Irpin. Serhiy Pantelieiev, deputy head of the National Police’s investigation department, said that they had discovered seven places of execution in Irpin, a city northwest of Kyiv that endured heavy fighting and Russian occupation.
The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 1 hr ago
Pentagon: ‘Russia adds 11 battalion tactical groups in Ukraine.’ In a statement on April 18, a senior U.S. defense official confirmed that there are now 76 Russian battalion tactical groups in the Donbas region and in southeast Ukraine (up from 65 last week).
The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
Besides those, there are about 22 groups north of Ukraine that are likely being resupplied and refitted, the official said.
In Google Maps military and strategic objects of #Russia became available in maximum resolution.
The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 7 hrs ago
Center for Countering Disinformation: Russians promise compensation for destroyed homes in Mariupol in attempt to persuade residents to cooperate. The Russian invaders promise compensation in rubles only to those Ukrainians who agree to receive IDs issued by them.
The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
Zaporizhzhia Oblast administration: 69 civilians in Russian captivity. According to the administration, as of April 18, Russian forces abducted a total of 155 residents in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, 86 of which were released.
Zaporizhzhia - Google Maps
The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 6 hrs ago
Belarusian senior official threatens Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia in response to their military power increase. Belarusian Security Council Secretary Alexander Volfovich said that the countries will suffer from “destruction, death, and explosions” if they attack Belarus.
NEXTA on Twitter
An air-raid alert has been declared in almost all regions of #Ukraine, except for the occupied #Kherson region and #Crimea.
The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 5 hrs ago
BREAKING: Battle of Donbas starts. Zelensky said that Russia had concentrated a significant part of its forces for the offensive in eastern Ukraine. “No matter how many soldiers are drawn there, we will defend ourselves. We will fight. We will not give up anything Ukrainian.”
The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 4 hrs ago
Azov commander urges world leaders to arrange evacuation corridor for civilians hiding at Azovstal plant in Mariupol. According to Denys Prokopenko, hundreds of people, including women, children, and families of the Mariupol defenders are sheltering in the plant’s basement.
The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
Reuters: US to train Ukrainian soldiers on how to use howitzers, radars. Citing a U.S. senior defense official, Reuters reported that U.S. military experts will train Ukrainians on using weapons from the recent batch of assistance it had provided to Kyiv.
The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
269 people killed by Russian military in Irpin. Serhiy Pantelieiev, deputy head of the National Police’s investigation department, said that they had discovered seven places of execution in Irpin, a city northwest of Kyiv that endured heavy fighting and Russian occupation.
The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 1 hr ago
Pentagon: ‘Russia adds 11 battalion tactical groups in Ukraine.’ In a statement on April 18, a senior U.S. defense official confirmed that there are now 76 Russian battalion tactical groups in the Donbas region and in southeast Ukraine (up from 65 last week).
The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
Besides those, there are about 22 groups north of Ukraine that are likely being resupplied and refitted, the official said.
PommyMommy
#ShinelikeShanann
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APR 18, 2022
Kharkiv Oblast resident forcibly deported to Russia: ‘It’s not a country, it’s a prison’ (kyivindependent.com)
[...]
“We were confronted with a fact — you are going to Russia,” Ihor says. “No one even asked us whether we wanted it or not.”
[...]
A month of horror
Russian shelling cut off power lines in Ihor’s village just an hour after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. Since then, the power supply hasn’t been restored.
Russian forces soon entered his village. Ihor says he was terrified to see dozens of Russian tanks and armored vehicles near his home.
“You understand that there is nothing you can do, and you no longer control your life,” he says.
[...]
Ihor says he was lucky to have had some food stocked. He also had a dairy cow, whose milk he was giving to a neighboring family with small kids that were starving.
Soon, Russian soldiers started wandering around the village, demanding that the locals give them their food. People were too afraid to disobey.
Ihor was told that one of his fellow villagers refused to follow the order, yelling at the occupiers and telling them to leave the yard of his house.
“He got shot immediately,” Ihor says.
[...]
In early March, Ihor was told about 20 new graves that had been dug for the dead locals. Several days after that, heavy shelling killed a couple he knew, along with their pregnant daughter, and her little son.
No choice
With mobile and internet connection cut off, the village’s residents had no access to news about Russia’s war since the first day of the full-scale invasion. Not knowing how it was going added to the fear they lived in, Ihor says.
Russians knew exactly how to use that.
“(Russian) soldiers have been spreading rumors that Kharkiv surrendered and Kyiv was about to be taken as well,” Ihor says. “They kept saying that 70% of Ukraine was taken by Russia.”
Ihor says he almost believed in it until he found an old radio and listened to Ukrainian news. He was relieved to learn that it wasn’t true.
[...]
He asked the soldiers whether he could walk to Kharkiv. He could try, they said, but “if he got shot on the way, that was his problem.”
[...]
Escaping prison
At the Russian border outpost in Belgorod, Ihor was questioned by a man who introduced himself as an FSB (Federal Security Service) officer. He says the interaction was very humiliating and oppressing.
Their first stop in Russia was a filtration camp set up in the middle of a field.
[...]
Many Ukrainians are often sent to distant regions of Russia. Lomakina says they know of Ukrainians who have been deported to Samara, Kursk, Tula, Cheboksary, and other impoverished Russian cities.
[...]
“In Russia, if you are against Putin, you are against Russia,” Ihor says. “It’s not a country, it’s a prison.”
He desperately wanted to escape Russia. Three days after he came to Moscow, Ihor reached out to a woman from his village who was still in Belgorod. She needed a driver to help her flee the country. He agreed immediately. Other Ukrainians he contacted were too afraid to try to leave.
[...]
Now Ihor is safe in Poland, though he fears for those who are still trapped in his native village.
[...]
Kharkiv Oblast resident forcibly deported to Russia: ‘It’s not a country, it’s a prison’ (kyivindependent.com)
[...]
“We were confronted with a fact — you are going to Russia,” Ihor says. “No one even asked us whether we wanted it or not.”
[...]
A month of horror
Russian shelling cut off power lines in Ihor’s village just an hour after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. Since then, the power supply hasn’t been restored.
Russian forces soon entered his village. Ihor says he was terrified to see dozens of Russian tanks and armored vehicles near his home.
“You understand that there is nothing you can do, and you no longer control your life,” he says.
[...]
Ihor says he was lucky to have had some food stocked. He also had a dairy cow, whose milk he was giving to a neighboring family with small kids that were starving.
Soon, Russian soldiers started wandering around the village, demanding that the locals give them their food. People were too afraid to disobey.
Ihor was told that one of his fellow villagers refused to follow the order, yelling at the occupiers and telling them to leave the yard of his house.
“He got shot immediately,” Ihor says.
[...]
In early March, Ihor was told about 20 new graves that had been dug for the dead locals. Several days after that, heavy shelling killed a couple he knew, along with their pregnant daughter, and her little son.
No choice
With mobile and internet connection cut off, the village’s residents had no access to news about Russia’s war since the first day of the full-scale invasion. Not knowing how it was going added to the fear they lived in, Ihor says.
Russians knew exactly how to use that.
“(Russian) soldiers have been spreading rumors that Kharkiv surrendered and Kyiv was about to be taken as well,” Ihor says. “They kept saying that 70% of Ukraine was taken by Russia.”
Ihor says he almost believed in it until he found an old radio and listened to Ukrainian news. He was relieved to learn that it wasn’t true.
[...]
He asked the soldiers whether he could walk to Kharkiv. He could try, they said, but “if he got shot on the way, that was his problem.”
[...]
Escaping prison
At the Russian border outpost in Belgorod, Ihor was questioned by a man who introduced himself as an FSB (Federal Security Service) officer. He says the interaction was very humiliating and oppressing.
Their first stop in Russia was a filtration camp set up in the middle of a field.
[...]
Many Ukrainians are often sent to distant regions of Russia. Lomakina says they know of Ukrainians who have been deported to Samara, Kursk, Tula, Cheboksary, and other impoverished Russian cities.
[...]
“In Russia, if you are against Putin, you are against Russia,” Ihor says. “It’s not a country, it’s a prison.”
He desperately wanted to escape Russia. Three days after he came to Moscow, Ihor reached out to a woman from his village who was still in Belgorod. She needed a driver to help her flee the country. He agreed immediately. Other Ukrainians he contacted were too afraid to try to leave.
[...]
Now Ihor is safe in Poland, though he fears for those who are still trapped in his native village.
[...]
Vern
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Absolutely we are. I'm just pointing out that when it comes to 'calling it a day', only the Ukrainians and their opinion actually matter - as it should be.
Vern
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Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, April 18 | Institute for the Study of War (understandingwar.org)
RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, APRIL 18
April 18, 6:30pm ET
Russian forces began a new phase of large-scale offensive operations in eastern Ukraine on April 18 likely intended to capture the entirety of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. Russian forces have been concentrating reinforcements—including both newly-deployed units and damaged units withdrawn from northeastern Ukraine—to the Donbas axis for several weeks.
The Russian offensive in the east is unlikely to be dramatically more successful than previous Russian offensives, but Russian forces may be able to wear down Ukrainian defenders or achieve limited gains. Russian forces did not take the operational pause that was likely necessary to reconstitute and properly integrate damaged units withdrawn from northeastern Ukraine into operations in eastern Ukraine.
Key Takeaways
Russian authorities face mounting unwillingness to fight among both conscript and contract personnel. The Ukrainian General Staff reported on April 18 that Russian forces began efforts to form additional units in Rostov and Crimea by April 24 to form a “second echelon” to occupy administrative buildings and important infrastructure in occupied Ukraine.[
Russian cruise missiles struck a Ukrainian vehicle repair shop in Lviv, western Ukraine, killing civilians in Lviv for the first time in the war. Social media users depicted several missiles striking a warehouse and railway junction in Lviv and killing several civilians on April 18.
Main Effort—Eastern Ukraine
Subordinate Main Effort—Mariupol (Russian objective: Capture Mariupol and reduce the Ukrainian defenders)
Russian forces continued assaults against Ukrainian defenders in the Azovstal steel plant but did not make any verifiable gains in the last 24 hours.
Subordinate Main Effort—Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts (Russian objective: Capture the entirety of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, the claimed territory of Russia’s proxies in Donbas)
Russian forces likely began large-scale offensive operations in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts on April 18.
Supporting Effort #1—Kharkiv and Izyum: (Russian objective: Advance southeast to support Russian operations in Luhansk Oblast; defend ground lines of communication (GLOCs) to the Izyum axis)
Ukrainian forces continued a successful counterattack (begun on April 16) southeast of Kharkiv, taking several small towns on April 17-18. Ukrainian forces reportedly seized Bazaliivka, Lebyazhe, and Kutuzivka and claimed to capture several unspecified villages near Izyum.
Supporting Effort #2—Southern Axis: (Objective: Defend Kherson against Ukrainian counterattacks)
Fighting continued in Oleksandrivka, just west of Kherson, without any major territorial changes.
Supporting Effort #3—Sumy and Northeastern Ukraine: (Russian objective: Withdraw combat power in good order for redeployment to eastern Ukraine)
There was no significant change in this area in the past 24 hours.
Immediate items to watch
RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE CAMPAIGN ASSESSMENT, APRIL 18
April 18, 6:30pm ET
Russian forces began a new phase of large-scale offensive operations in eastern Ukraine on April 18 likely intended to capture the entirety of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. Russian forces have been concentrating reinforcements—including both newly-deployed units and damaged units withdrawn from northeastern Ukraine—to the Donbas axis for several weeks.
The Russian offensive in the east is unlikely to be dramatically more successful than previous Russian offensives, but Russian forces may be able to wear down Ukrainian defenders or achieve limited gains. Russian forces did not take the operational pause that was likely necessary to reconstitute and properly integrate damaged units withdrawn from northeastern Ukraine into operations in eastern Ukraine.
Key Takeaways
- Russian forces likely began large-scale offensive operations in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts focused on Rubizhne, Popasna, and Marinka.
- Russian forces may be able to gain ground through the heavy concentration of artillery and numbers. However, Russian operations are unlikely to be dramatically more successful than previous major offensives around Kyiv. The Russian military is unlikely to have addressed the root causes—poor coordination, the inability to conduct cross-country operations, and low morale—that impeded prior offensives.
- Successful Ukrainian counterattacks southeast of Kharkiv will likely force Russian forces to divert some units intended for the Izyum offensive, but Ukrainian forces are unlikely to completely sever Russian lines of communication north of Izyum in the coming days.
- Ukrainian defenders in Mariupol continued to hold out against heavy Russian artillery and air bombardment.
Russian authorities face mounting unwillingness to fight among both conscript and contract personnel. The Ukrainian General Staff reported on April 18 that Russian forces began efforts to form additional units in Rostov and Crimea by April 24 to form a “second echelon” to occupy administrative buildings and important infrastructure in occupied Ukraine.[
Russian cruise missiles struck a Ukrainian vehicle repair shop in Lviv, western Ukraine, killing civilians in Lviv for the first time in the war. Social media users depicted several missiles striking a warehouse and railway junction in Lviv and killing several civilians on April 18.
Main Effort—Eastern Ukraine
Subordinate Main Effort—Mariupol (Russian objective: Capture Mariupol and reduce the Ukrainian defenders)
Russian forces continued assaults against Ukrainian defenders in the Azovstal steel plant but did not make any verifiable gains in the last 24 hours.
Subordinate Main Effort—Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts (Russian objective: Capture the entirety of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, the claimed territory of Russia’s proxies in Donbas)
Russian forces likely began large-scale offensive operations in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts on April 18.
Supporting Effort #1—Kharkiv and Izyum: (Russian objective: Advance southeast to support Russian operations in Luhansk Oblast; defend ground lines of communication (GLOCs) to the Izyum axis)
Ukrainian forces continued a successful counterattack (begun on April 16) southeast of Kharkiv, taking several small towns on April 17-18. Ukrainian forces reportedly seized Bazaliivka, Lebyazhe, and Kutuzivka and claimed to capture several unspecified villages near Izyum.
Supporting Effort #2—Southern Axis: (Objective: Defend Kherson against Ukrainian counterattacks)
Fighting continued in Oleksandrivka, just west of Kherson, without any major territorial changes.
Supporting Effort #3—Sumy and Northeastern Ukraine: (Russian objective: Withdraw combat power in good order for redeployment to eastern Ukraine)
There was no significant change in this area in the past 24 hours.
Immediate items to watch
- Russian forces likely commenced large-scale offensive operations in Donbas but are unlikely to achieve a major breakthrough.
- Ukrainian counterattacks southeast of Kharkiv may divert some Russian units but are unlikely to sever Russian lines of communication in the coming days.
- Russian forces concentrating around Izyum will continue small-scale offensive operations to the southeast and southwest and may begin larger-scale offensives.
- Russia and its proxies may declare victory in the Battle of Mariupol.
- Russian forces could launch a new offensive operation from Donetsk City to the north through Avdiivka toward Kramatorsk.
Vern
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Keeping you in my thoughts tonight Bit of hope. You are allowed to be human; a great many of us are experiencing feelings of being incapable, disappointment in our nations reactions or lack of action ... (for me - it's uselessness and utter disappointment).
Be well; I hope you manage to get some sleep tonight.
BY YURAS KARMANAU / AP
Russia Launches Offensive in Eastern Ukraine: Zelenskyy | Time
APRIL 18, 2022 11:49 PM EDT
''(LVIV, Ukraine) — Russia launched its long-feared, full-scale ground offensive to take control of Ukraine’s east on Monday, attacking along a broad front over 300 miles (480 kilometers) long, Ukrainian officials said in what marked the opening of a new and potentially climactic phase of the war.
“The Russian troops have begun the battle for the Donbas,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced in a video address. He said a “significant part of the entire Russian army is now concentrated on this offensive.”
The Donbas is Ukraine’s mostly Russian-speaking industrial heartland in the east, where Moscow-backed separatists have been fighting Ukrainian forces for the past eight years and have declared two independent republics that have been recognized by Russia.
In recent weeks, the Kremlin declared the capture of the Donbas its main goal of the war after its attempt to storm Kyiv failed. After withdrawing from the capital, Russia began regrouping and reinforcing its ground troops in the east for an all-out offensive.
“No matter how many Russian troops are driven there, we will fight,” Zelenskyy vowed. “We will defend ourselves. We will do it every day.”
Russia Launches Offensive in Eastern Ukraine: Zelenskyy | Time
APRIL 18, 2022 11:49 PM EDT
''(LVIV, Ukraine) — Russia launched its long-feared, full-scale ground offensive to take control of Ukraine’s east on Monday, attacking along a broad front over 300 miles (480 kilometers) long, Ukrainian officials said in what marked the opening of a new and potentially climactic phase of the war.
“The Russian troops have begun the battle for the Donbas,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced in a video address. He said a “significant part of the entire Russian army is now concentrated on this offensive.”
The Donbas is Ukraine’s mostly Russian-speaking industrial heartland in the east, where Moscow-backed separatists have been fighting Ukrainian forces for the past eight years and have declared two independent republics that have been recognized by Russia.
In recent weeks, the Kremlin declared the capture of the Donbas its main goal of the war after its attempt to storm Kyiv failed. After withdrawing from the capital, Russia began regrouping and reinforcing its ground troops in the east for an all-out offensive.
“No matter how many Russian troops are driven there, we will fight,” Zelenskyy vowed. “We will defend ourselves. We will do it every day.”
Russia invades Ukraine (cnn.com)
rbbm.
''New images emerged early Monday on social media showing Russia's guided-missile cruiser, the Moskva, badly damaged and on fire in the hours before the ship sank in the Black Sea on Thursday.
The sinking of the Moskva, the flagship of Russia's Black Sea fleet, was the biggest wartime loss of a naval ship in 40 years -- and a huge embarrassment for Moscow.
The images show the Moskva listing to one side, with black holes from possible missile puncture marks, and significant scarring at and just above the waterline on the port (left) side of the middle of the vessel.
A large plume of black smoke can be seen billowing upwards, partly obscuring the front of the stricken ship.
Analysts told CNN the warship in the images looked like the Moskva, a Slava Class guided-missile destroyer.''
Russia invades Ukraine (cnn.com)
17 min ago
''Ukrainian commander: Russian forces firing "willingly" on Mariupol factory where people are sheltering
From CNN's Katharina Krebs in London and Karen Smith in Atlanta''
''In an address on Monday to world leaders, commander of the Azov Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Denys Prokopenko, said Russian forces are firing on the Azovstal steelworks factory “willingly” in Mariupol as hundreds of people are sheltering inside.
Prokopenko is the commander of one of the Ukrainian units defending the port city of Mariupol.
Prokopenko said in a post on Telegram account that among those sheltering are, “people of all ages, women, children, and families of Mariupol defenders. They are sheltering in the basements and bunkers from the ‘Russian world.'"
According to Prokopenko, those sheltering “found their only available shelter next to the Ukrainian soldiers, who are still defending the city from Russian invaders.”
“Russian occupational forces and their proxy from Luhansk People’s Republic/Donetsk People's Republics know about civilians and keep their fire on the factory willingly. They use free-fall bombs, rockets, bunker-buster bombs, and all varieties of artillery, both ground and naval, for indiscriminate attacks,” Prokopenko said.
He added, “City theatre, maternity hospital, schools, kindergartens, and houses were destroyed by those who now offer civilians evacuation and safety. These are the same people. And nobody believes.”
rbbm.
''New images emerged early Monday on social media showing Russia's guided-missile cruiser, the Moskva, badly damaged and on fire in the hours before the ship sank in the Black Sea on Thursday.
The sinking of the Moskva, the flagship of Russia's Black Sea fleet, was the biggest wartime loss of a naval ship in 40 years -- and a huge embarrassment for Moscow.
The images show the Moskva listing to one side, with black holes from possible missile puncture marks, and significant scarring at and just above the waterline on the port (left) side of the middle of the vessel.
A large plume of black smoke can be seen billowing upwards, partly obscuring the front of the stricken ship.
Analysts told CNN the warship in the images looked like the Moskva, a Slava Class guided-missile destroyer.''
Russia invades Ukraine (cnn.com)
17 min ago
''Ukrainian commander: Russian forces firing "willingly" on Mariupol factory where people are sheltering
From CNN's Katharina Krebs in London and Karen Smith in Atlanta''
''In an address on Monday to world leaders, commander of the Azov Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Denys Prokopenko, said Russian forces are firing on the Azovstal steelworks factory “willingly” in Mariupol as hundreds of people are sheltering inside.
Prokopenko is the commander of one of the Ukrainian units defending the port city of Mariupol.
Prokopenko said in a post on Telegram account that among those sheltering are, “people of all ages, women, children, and families of Mariupol defenders. They are sheltering in the basements and bunkers from the ‘Russian world.'"
According to Prokopenko, those sheltering “found their only available shelter next to the Ukrainian soldiers, who are still defending the city from Russian invaders.”
“Russian occupational forces and their proxy from Luhansk People’s Republic/Donetsk People's Republics know about civilians and keep their fire on the factory willingly. They use free-fall bombs, rockets, bunker-buster bombs, and all varieties of artillery, both ground and naval, for indiscriminate attacks,” Prokopenko said.
He added, “City theatre, maternity hospital, schools, kindergartens, and houses were destroyed by those who now offer civilians evacuation and safety. These are the same people. And nobody believes.”
PommyMommy
#ShinelikeShanann
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APR 18, 2022
Zelenskyy: Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine has begun | AP News
[...]
“This morning, almost along the whole front line of the Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv regions, the occupiers attempted to break through our defenses,” Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine’s national security council, was quoted as telling Ukrainian media. “Fortunately, our military is holding out. They passed through only two cities. This is Kreminna and another small town.”
He added: “We are not giving up any of our territories.”
[...]
Meanwhile, in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, Denys Prokopenko, commander of the Azov Regiment of the Ukrainian National Guard that was holding out against Russian forces, said in a video message that Russia had begun dropping bunker-buster bombs on the Azovstal steel plant where the regiment was holed up.
The sprawling plant contains a warren of tunnels where both fighters and civilians are sheltering. It is believed to be the last major pocket of resistance in the shattered city.
[...]
A Lviv hotel sheltering Ukrainians who had fled the fighting in other parts of the country was also badly damaged, Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said. The city has seen its population swell with elderly people, mothers and children trying to escape the war.
“The nightmare of war has caught up with us even in Lviv,” said Lyudmila Turchak, who fled with two children from the eastern city of Kharkiv. “There is no longer anywhere in Ukraine where we can feel safe.”
[...]
A senior U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the Pentagon’s assessments of the war, said there are now 76 Russian combat units, known as battalion tactical groups, in eastern and southern Ukraine, up from 65 last week.
[...]
The U.S. defense official said that if Russian forces succeed in taking full control of Mariupol, that could free up nearly a dozen battalion tactical groups for use elsewhere in the Donbas.
Zelenskyy: Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine has begun | AP News
[...]
“This morning, almost along the whole front line of the Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv regions, the occupiers attempted to break through our defenses,” Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine’s national security council, was quoted as telling Ukrainian media. “Fortunately, our military is holding out. They passed through only two cities. This is Kreminna and another small town.”
He added: “We are not giving up any of our territories.”
[...]
Meanwhile, in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol, Denys Prokopenko, commander of the Azov Regiment of the Ukrainian National Guard that was holding out against Russian forces, said in a video message that Russia had begun dropping bunker-buster bombs on the Azovstal steel plant where the regiment was holed up.
The sprawling plant contains a warren of tunnels where both fighters and civilians are sheltering. It is believed to be the last major pocket of resistance in the shattered city.
[...]
A Lviv hotel sheltering Ukrainians who had fled the fighting in other parts of the country was also badly damaged, Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said. The city has seen its population swell with elderly people, mothers and children trying to escape the war.
“The nightmare of war has caught up with us even in Lviv,” said Lyudmila Turchak, who fled with two children from the eastern city of Kharkiv. “There is no longer anywhere in Ukraine where we can feel safe.”
[...]
A senior U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the Pentagon’s assessments of the war, said there are now 76 Russian combat units, known as battalion tactical groups, in eastern and southern Ukraine, up from 65 last week.
[...]
The U.S. defense official said that if Russian forces succeed in taking full control of Mariupol, that could free up nearly a dozen battalion tactical groups for use elsewhere in the Donbas.
PommyMommy
#ShinelikeShanann
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APR 18, 2022
Russian Brigade Accused Of Bucha War Crimes Awarded Honorary Title (rferl.org)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has bestowed an honorary title on a brigade accused by Ukraine of committing war crimes in the town of Bucha.
A decree signed by Putin on April 18 gave the 64th Motor Rifle Brigade the title of Guards for their defense of the "motherland and state interests" and praised the "mass heroism and valor, tenacity, and courage" of its members.
[...]
The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 2 hrs ago
Mariupol Mayor: Russian forces illegally deport 40,000 civilians from Mariupol. Mayor Vadym Boichenko said in an interview on Ukrainian television that the civilians have been “forcibly deported” to Russia or to Russian-controlled regions of Ukraine.
Euromaidan Press on Twitter - 1 hr ago
Professional firefighters from many countries did not stay away and came to Ukraine. Ukrainian MIA met those from the US, Germany, Australia, and Poland today. They have been helping in Borodianka since Saturday, and are currently working in Gostomel near Kyiv. PHOTO CREDIT: SES
The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 25 min ago
UN: Six million Ukrainians have limited access to drinking water. UNICEF Ukraine said on April 18 that Russia’s war has “devastated water and electricity networks” in Ukraine, leaving an additional 4.6 million people with limited access to water.
Russian Brigade Accused Of Bucha War Crimes Awarded Honorary Title (rferl.org)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has bestowed an honorary title on a brigade accused by Ukraine of committing war crimes in the town of Bucha.
A decree signed by Putin on April 18 gave the 64th Motor Rifle Brigade the title of Guards for their defense of the "motherland and state interests" and praised the "mass heroism and valor, tenacity, and courage" of its members.
[...]
The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 2 hrs ago
Mariupol Mayor: Russian forces illegally deport 40,000 civilians from Mariupol. Mayor Vadym Boichenko said in an interview on Ukrainian television that the civilians have been “forcibly deported” to Russia or to Russian-controlled regions of Ukraine.
Euromaidan Press on Twitter - 1 hr ago
Professional firefighters from many countries did not stay away and came to Ukraine. Ukrainian MIA met those from the US, Germany, Australia, and Poland today. They have been helping in Borodianka since Saturday, and are currently working in Gostomel near Kyiv. PHOTO CREDIT: SES
The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 25 min ago
UN: Six million Ukrainians have limited access to drinking water. UNICEF Ukraine said on April 18 that Russia’s war has “devastated water and electricity networks” in Ukraine, leaving an additional 4.6 million people with limited access to water.
sunshineray
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Bit of Hope, never apologize for having compassion and sorrow in your heart...praying for you and for peace <3
Fika
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I will be relieved when this happens as well a bit worried about the threats from Russia before and during the application but it has to be done! IMO
PommyMommy
#ShinelikeShanann
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[URL='https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2022/apr/19/russia-ukraine-war-zelenskiy-says-battle-for-donbas-has-begun-dialogue-between-macron-and-putin-stalls-live']Russia-Ukraine war: Russian troops capture eastern city as battle for Donbas region begins – live (theguardian.com)[/URL]
3h ago 06.03
Today so far …
3h ago 06.03
Today so far …
- The Russian offensive to seize eastern Ukraine and the “battle for Donbas” has begun, Ukraine’s president Volodymr Zelenskiy said. “Now we can already state that the Russian troops have begun the battle for the Donbas, for which they have been preparing for a long time,” he said in a video address, adding that a “significant part of the entire Russian army is now concentrated on this offensive”.
- Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed Moscow was starting a new stage of what it calls its special military operation in Ukraine. He predicted it would be a significant development.
- Russia’s defence ministry said Russian missile and artillery forces struck 1,260 targets in Ukraine overnight, and that anti-aircraft forces downed a Ukrainian MiG-29 jet in the Donetsk region. Russia’s new offensive is going “very cautiously” and will fail because Moscow’s forces lack the strength to break through Ukrainian defences, Ukraine’s presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych has said.
- Russia has 76 battalion tactical groups in the Donbas region of Ukraine and in the country’s south-east with 11 of those added over the last several days, a senior US defence department official said in a statement on Monday night.
- Russian troops have reportedly captured the east Ukraine town of Kreminna while local authorities have urged residents in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions to evacuate. “Currently, control over the city of Kreminna is lost; street fights are taking place,” Luhansk regional governor Sergiy Gaiday said in a statement on his official Telegram channel on Monday night.
- Russia has again called on Ukrainian forces encamped in the Azovstal metallurgical plant in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol to lay down their arms. Ukrainian authorities say that no fewer than 1,000 civilians are hiding in the complex along with Ukrainian fighters.
- The deputy prime minister of Ukraine Iryna Vereshchuk has said there will be no humanitarian corridors set up again today in Ukraine, the third day consecutive day without agreed escape routes.
- Greece seized a crude oil Russian tanker off the island of Evia as part of European Union sanctions against Russia, a Greek shipping ministry official has said.
- French finance minister Bruno Le Maire said that an embargo on Russian oil at a European Union level was in the works, adding that France’s president Emmanuel Macron is keen on such a move.
- The UK government’s Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis said he would not comment on national security issues when asked what the UK was doing to bring home Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin, British fighters in Ukraine captured by the Russians and paraded on national TV.
- Labour party’s shadow attorney general, Emily Thornberry, said “it is inappropriate for British people to be involved in the war in Ukraine and they should not be going there”. She said she had been “surprised” UK foreign secretary Liz Truss had given out “mixed messages” and had “seemed to almost be endorsing people going out to Ukraine. It simply is wrong.”
Updated 9:50 a.m. ET, April 19, 2022 rbbm.
Live updates: Russia invades Ukraine, battle for Donbas begins (cnn.com)
''The Netherlands will send “heavier material” to Ukraine, “including armored vehicles," Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Tuesday.
In a tweet, Rutte said that he and the Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren had expressed their support to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a phone conversation, “as Russia begins a renewed offensive.”
“Together with allies, we are looking at the delivery of additional heavier equipment,” Rutte said.
Zelensky also tweeted after the phone call, saying that he had informed Rutte “about the aggravation of the situation in Donbas” and was “grateful” for the support.
“When peace is restored we'll build Ukraine-Netherlands relations of a new quality together in the EU!” Zelensky said. ''
Russia-Ukraine war live updates: Putin launches eastern offensive in Donbas (nbcnews.com)
''Ukraine's fight linked to fate of other Black Sea countries, foreign minister says
Associated Press
1h ago / 8:37 AM EDT
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says security for his country also means security for Bulgaria and all other Black Sea countries.
“We are fighting not only for our safety,” Kuleba said after talks Tuesday with his Bulgarian counterpart, Teodora Genchovska. “We are fighting for you too, so that you never have to face the tragedy of Russia’s attempts to affect and damage your country.”
Kuleba expressed understanding that many in Bulgaria have emotional and historic links to Russia.
“But now it’s different — destroying, killing, torturing, raping,” he said. “This is not a Russia that deserves sympathy and understanding. I want everyone to understand that.”
Along with Hungary, Bulgaria is the only European Union member that has so far been reluctant to send weapons to Kyiv. During his unofficial visit to Sofia, Kuleba will also meet Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev and Prime Minister Kiril Petkov.''
Live updates: Russia invades Ukraine, battle for Donbas begins (cnn.com)
''The Netherlands will send “heavier material” to Ukraine, “including armored vehicles," Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Tuesday.
In a tweet, Rutte said that he and the Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren had expressed their support to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a phone conversation, “as Russia begins a renewed offensive.”
“Together with allies, we are looking at the delivery of additional heavier equipment,” Rutte said.
Zelensky also tweeted after the phone call, saying that he had informed Rutte “about the aggravation of the situation in Donbas” and was “grateful” for the support.
“When peace is restored we'll build Ukraine-Netherlands relations of a new quality together in the EU!” Zelensky said. ''
Russia-Ukraine war live updates: Putin launches eastern offensive in Donbas (nbcnews.com)
''Ukraine's fight linked to fate of other Black Sea countries, foreign minister says
Associated Press
1h ago / 8:37 AM EDT
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says security for his country also means security for Bulgaria and all other Black Sea countries.
“We are fighting not only for our safety,” Kuleba said after talks Tuesday with his Bulgarian counterpart, Teodora Genchovska. “We are fighting for you too, so that you never have to face the tragedy of Russia’s attempts to affect and damage your country.”
Kuleba expressed understanding that many in Bulgaria have emotional and historic links to Russia.
“But now it’s different — destroying, killing, torturing, raping,” he said. “This is not a Russia that deserves sympathy and understanding. I want everyone to understand that.”
Along with Hungary, Bulgaria is the only European Union member that has so far been reluctant to send weapons to Kyiv. During his unofficial visit to Sofia, Kuleba will also meet Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev and Prime Minister Kiril Petkov.''
- Status