TheOldGuy @TheOldGuy@qoto.org

US aid to Ukraine will be a problem for Putin.
Nexta.

Celeste Wallander, US Assistant Secretary of Defense, expressed confidence that new arms supplies will have a significant impact on the course of hostilities.

According to her, there was a priority action plan, and the supply of weapons was only awaiting funding.

Wallander emphasized that strengthening the Armed Forces of Ukraine has become a necessity and noted that new American assistance will complicate the Russian Federation’s ability to carry out attacks. She noted that the US experience in delivering large volumes of military equipment will speed up deliveries.

Aid may have another, less obvious but potentially important impact, journalists say. It can raise the morale of Ukrainians.

In recent weeks, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have used improvised attack methods, attacking Russian armored vehicles and troops with UAVs equipped with explosive devices.

Increasing the amount of ammunition will allow Ukraine to more effectively use artillery, which is more destructive and capable of deterring the enemy at greater distances, where it poses less of a threat to infantry.

🇺🇦@ukraine_report 🇺🇦🔱

🔱 Operational information as of 18.00 on April 21, 2024 regarding the Russian invasion

❗️ The main summary:

🔵 During the day, 65 combat clashes were recorded. In total, the enemy launched 4 missile and 37 air strikes, carried out 49 attacks from rocket salvo systems on the positions of our troops and populated areas.

🔵 The enemy did not conduct offensive (assault) actions in the Kupyansk direction.

🔵 In the Lyman direction, the Defense Forces repelled 9 attacks in the area of Terna settlement of Donetsk region.

🔵 In the direction of Bakhmut, our soldiers repelled 13 attacks in the areas of settlements of Belogorivka, Luhansk region; Verkhnokamianske, Bohdanivka, Donetsk region.

🔵 In the Avdiyiv direction, our defenders repelled 9 attacks in the areas of Ocheretine, Berdychi, Umanske, Yasnobrodivka and Pervomayske settlements of the Donetsk region.

🔵 On the Novopavlivskyi direction, the Defense Forces continue to hold back the enemy in the areas of Georgiyivka, Novomykhailivka, Vodyane and Urozhane settlements of the Donetsk region, where the enemy tried 15 times to break through the defenses of our troops.

🔵 In the Orykhiv direction, the enemy, with the support of aviation, attacked the positions of our defenders 3 times in the districts of Staromayorsky, Donetsk region, and Robotyny, Zaporizhzhia region.

🔵 In the Kherson direction, the enemy launched 1 unsuccessful attack on the positions of our troops in the area of the settlement of Krynka, Kherson region.

🔥 During the day, the aviation of the Defense Forces struck 9 areas of concentration of personnel, weapons and military equipment of the enemy.

🔥 Also, the forces and means of air defense of Ukraine destroyed 2 Kh-59 guided air missiles.

🔥 Units of missile forces inflicted damage on 1 area of concentration of enemy personnel.

Support the Armed Forces! Let's win together !
AFU

🇺🇦@ukraine_report 🇺🇦🔱

🔥Shadow unit eliminates another russian military golf cart.

There is a death in this video.

🇺🇦@ukraine_report 🇺🇦🔱

Moldova has completely got rid of Russian gas dependence.

USAID Administrator Samantha Power reported at a joint press conference with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Moldova Mihai Popșoi.

In a year alone, Moldova has rapidly expanded its connections to European energy networks and converted 100% of its gas needs in government-controlled territory to alternative sources such as solar energy and natural gas.

The Moldovan people can now access energy resources whenever they need, without fear of being blackmailed.

🇺🇦@ukraine_report 🇺🇦🔱

Good morning Resisters everywhere

Goodnight Resisters everywhere

“You are standing in clean pants, and your son is in Dubai. Aren’t you ashamed?”: Orsk residents who lost their homes attack the mayor

The head of Orsk, Vasily Kozupitsa (United Russia), met with residents of flooded Orsk. One of the women publicly criticized the official for the lack of financial assistance to the victims and accused him of “covering his ass” when her husband “died in the war.”

“I came here to bury him. I was left in this [only shorts]. This is fine? And no payment for me? Why did my husband die? Why are you standing here blushing? I feel bad, damn it, because I can’t get through on the phone, no one answers, and you’re sitting there, everything’s fine with you. Have a conscience. You are in a white shirt, and we go for two weeks without money, without anything. You are standing in clean pants, and your son is in Dubai. Not ashamed?", she says in a video that appeared on social networks.

That's normal ruZZia, dear. Didn't you notice until now?

@freerussia_report

An electromechanical plant is on fire in Voronezh.

A thick column of smoke rose over the city. We are talking about the ENIKmash-V machine-building plant. Initially, two people were injured. The fire area is 3000 square meters. Voronezh residents also report the sound of explosions.

According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations three people died and two more were injured. The cause of the fire was not disclosed.

The Voronezh Electromechanical Plant manufactures gearboxes, gearmotors, shoe brakes, industrial fans, and also specializes in supplying electric motors.

Read more (Russian) or (English translated)

@freerussia_report

A ruZZian plane dropped another bomb on the Belgorod region Astra

Another FAB-500 was found the day before, on April 21, in the area of he Stadnikov farm in the Shebekinsky city district. The ammunition will be destroyed today.

Previously, they counted at least 21 aerial bombs that fell from ruZZian aircraft onto the own territory or occupied territories in March and April.

The authorities prefer to hide this, and when this fails, they call the falls “an abnormal discharge of ammunition.” There are no exact answers why this happens.

The British Ministry of Defense named poor procedures in arming the aircraft before departure or improper crew actions during missions or probably both as possible causes and believes that the increase in the frequency of such cases demonstrates the fatigue of air and ground personnel as well as insufficient training.

Some Belgorod media pointed out that the Air Force is afraid to risk their planes over Ukrainian airspace.

@freerussia_report

https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/senile-donald-trump-just-sitting-there-with-a-blank-expression-during-trial/55651/

https://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/donald-trumps-most-desperate-cash-grab-yet/55628/

While the Russians are engaged in infantry combat to capture small settlements turned into ruins by then, its strategic weaponry is gradually being knocked out on the ground, in the sky, and at sea. Ukraine is systematically destroying Russia's strategic military potential.

🔹 In the sky
Over the past few months, the number of Russian planes shot down has increased significantly. If earlier Su-34 and Su-35 were hit, then since the beginning of 2024, Ukraine has been hitting strategic aircraft.

On April 19, 2024, AFU destroyed the Russian strategic bomber Tu-22M3 in the air.

Another Tu-22M was destroyed on August 19, 2023, at the airfield in Soltsy. These losses are irreplaceable.

The same goes for the destruction of 2 A-50 AEW&C aircraft.

The Russian Air Force has nine planes of this type. By damaging 1 A-50 with a drone strike last year and shooting down 2 A-50s this year, the Ukrainians eliminated a third of the sensor coverage and created "blind spots" where it is difficult for the occupiers to detect approaching missiles.

According to Nicholas Aucott, military adviser to the British delegation to the OSCE, Russia is losing airplanes 20 times faster than it can replace them.

In the case of the Tu-22M and A-50 aircraft, it is impossible to replace them at all.

🔹 At sea
As of early April 2024, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have destroyed or seriously damaged already one-third of 80 warships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.

In addition, on April 7, 2024, the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence conducted an operation to detonate on board the newest Serpukhov missile carrier, a ship located near Kaliningrad but presumably preparing to be relocated to the Black Sea Fleet.

🔹 On the ground
Ukraine's recent air attacks on Dzhankoi and Mordovia have reinforced the course of destroying the strategic capabilities of the Russian army.

Their targets were various radar complexes, including those of early warning and air defense systems.

The damage from these strikes is also irreparable.

@worldnewschat

Asfan Mohammed, a 31-year-old store manager in India, dreamt of a better life for his wife and two young children. Dissatisfied with his job and failing an English language test that could have led him to Australia, Asfan saw an opportunity in Russia. Lured by recruiters promising high-paying jobs, he travelled there in November 2023.

However, Asfan's dream quickly turned into a nightmare. Instead of a civilian job, he found himself recruited into the Russian military and deployed to the warzone in Ukraine. In March, the Indian embassy confirmed Asfan's death to his family.

Asfan's story is not unique. Reports suggest several Indians have been deceived into fighting in Ukraine. The family blames the recruiters who exploited Asfan's dreams and is now struggling to cope with the loss. The war in Ukraine, far from home, has left a deep scar on this Indian family.

While Indian law doesn't restrict citizens from joining foreign militaries, India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recently exposed a dark side to this freedom. In early March, they uncovered human trafficking rings tricking Indian men into combat roles for Russia in Ukraine.

“The trafficked Indian Nationals were trained in combat roles and deployed at front bases in Russia-Ukraine War Zone against their wishes,” the CBI statement said.

According to CCN, “Russia has been sending thousands of foreign men to fight in Ukraine since Putin ordered the invasion. Many of them are young men from South Asia, enticed by the prospect of steady employment and higher salaries in Russia. In Nepal, prominent opposition lawmaker and former foreign minister Bimala Rai Paudyal told parliament earlier this year that between 14,000 and 15,000 Nepalis were fighting on the front lines, citing testimony from men returning from Russia.

⚡🇺🇸🇺🇦 Zelensky: Had a telephone conversation with US President Joe Biden following the results of the vote in the House of Representatives.

The President assured that if approved by the Senate, he would immediately sign the law. I am grateful to Joe Biden for his unwavering support for Ukraine and for his true global leadership.

I also noted the bipartisan support for the bill and the personal role of Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Another decision by the House of Representatives to allow the confiscation of Russian assets sends a strong signal to all our partners.

Told President Biden about Russian aerial terror with thousands of missiles, drones and bombs. In particular, about the attack on the Kharkiv TV tower just a few minutes before the conversation. This is Russia's clear intention to make the city unlivable.

We discussed the first defense aid package after the law was passed. I have the assurance of the President that it will be fast and powerful and will strengthen our air defence, long-range and artillery capabilities.

The signing of a bilateral security agreement and preparations for the upcoming Peace Summit were also discussed.

“Both the doctors and I took risks”: a year ago, the captain of the Armed Forces of Ukraine became the first patient in the history of Ukraine with a prosthesis implanted into the bone

Now 57-year-old Igor Krupnov is actively involved in sports, drives a car, volunteers and urges people not to be skeptical about osseointegration prosthetics, reports the first medical association of Lvov.

He lost both legs in the fall of 2022 - a military vehicle was blown up by enemy mines. The defender recalls that it was not easy to decide on an operation that had never been performed in Ukraine.

💬 “I didn’t know what would happen then. Both the doctors and I took risks, but we operated on. I think it was the right step. Since then I haven’t regretted a single day,” said Igor Krupnov.

@worldnewschat

💔 Odesa The enemy once again "pelts" the invincible region with missiles. Rescuers eliminate the large-scale consequences of shelling. Difficult. They work hour after hour, overcoming fatigue.

Suddenly, hundreds of pelicans appear in the sky. They circle above the firefighters. Such snow-white ones, with proudly outstretched wings. They fly through dark, thick clouds of smoke and emerge again, just as light and white.

Whatever darkness the enemy tries to plunge Ukrainians into every time, the light will always be with us, in our hearts! We will overcome everything! We will win! And there will be no more black, acrid smoke. There will be a blue, Ukrainian sky. There will be Ukraine!💛

Good Night!

Norway will financially join the initiative to provide Ukraine with additional air defense systems, — Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre for TV2.

“We have limited time to delay, so Norway will be involved in the financing. Several other countries are contributing to this, because there is air defense equipment that can get to Ukraine quite quickly, and they have been working intensively on this in the last few days and weeks,” the Norwegian prime minister said.

He emphasized that it takes time to manufacture air defense equipment. Therefore, the countries' own air defense equipment needs to be sent now.

"This has been the pattern so far, and we have also contributed to it. Other countries will also dig deeper to contribute to this. We also need to increase production. The news every morning is about Russian missiles and drones that hit civilian buildings, power plants and killed many people,” Støre emphasized.

According to him, in order to make an effective impact, Norway will revise the budget of the Nansen program, which provides military and civilian support to Ukraine in the amount of 75 billion Norwegian kroner over five years.

Jonas Gahr Støre states that there are significant amounts of money to be spent on air defense, but does not give an exact amount.

“We will return to this when we present the revised budget. It is expensive, but preserving peace and freedom costs money. Ukraine and Ukrainians pay the most expensive price,” he emphasized.

The EU and NATO are putting pressure on Spain and Greece to hand over air defense systems to Ukraine

The leaders of the two countries, whose armed forces have more than a dozen Patriot systems, as well as other systems such as the S-300, have been told that their needs are not as great as Ukraine's and that they do not face an immediate a threat, writes the Financial Times.

"We all know who has them, we all know where they are located, and we all know who really needs them," said one of the interlocutors of the publication.

Poland and Romania, which also have the Patriot, are under less pressure to consider supplying Kiev, officials said, given their more vulnerable locations on the border with Ukraine.

Ukraine currently has at least three Patriot systems, including one supplied by the US and two received from Germany, prior to Berlin's announcement last week.

Things will get very interesting in a couple of weeks.. ;-)

--

Russian terrorists have struck again in Kharkiv - at a TV tower. This is an obvious intimidation to make the terror visible to the entire city and to try to limit Kharkiv's communication and access to information. Work is underway to restore the signal.

Just like Kharkiv, different cities and communities need protection - they need "petriots." And at the same time, we need to inflict maximum damage on everything that Russia uses as a base for terror and for its military logistics. I am grateful to everyone in the world who is willing to help us with this, and we are working with our American partners to increase our capabilities.

Four priorities are key: protection of the sky, modern artillery, long-range capability, and ensuring that American support packages arrive as soon as possible. And today's result is that all the dots have been crossed in the agreements on "ATACMS" for Ukraine. Thank you, Mr. President! Thank you, USA!

From Zelenskyy

Russian forces are likely to take advantage of the limited window before the arrival of new US aid, and increase their attacks in the coming weeks, — ISW.

Analysts note that Ukrainian forces may suffer additional setbacks in the coming weeks while waiting for US security assistance that will allow Ukraine to stabilize the front, but they will likely be able to blunt the current Russian offensive assuming the resumed US assistance arrives promptly.

In addition, Russian forces have maintained and, in some areas, intensified ongoing offensive operations, likely to exploit abnormally dry spring ground conditions and persisting Ukrainian material shortages before the arrival of promised Western security assistance.

Experts assume that the Russian military command will likely intensify offensive operations and missile and drone strikes to pursue operationally significant effects that will certainly become harder to achieve against well-provisioned Ukrainian forces.

@ukrainejournal