Russia Attacks Ukraine - 23 Feb 2022 **Media Thread** NO DISCUSSION #4

[PommyMommy]

Trained Russian Navy Dolphins are Protecting Black Sea Naval Base, Satellite Photos Show

Russia has deployed trained dolphins during its invasion of Ukraine to protect a Black Sea naval base, USNI News has learned.

The Russian Navy has placed two dolphin pens at the entrance to Sevastopol harbor, sheltered just inside a sea wall. The pens were moved there in February, around the time of the invasion of Ukraine, according to a review of satellite imagery.

Trained Russian Navy Dolphins are Protecting Black Sea Naval Base, Satellite Photos Show - USNI News

 

[PommyMommy]

A shelter in Ukraine saved hundreds of cats and dogs - and a lion | Ottawa Sun
[...]

The 77-year-old had spent two decades keeping her animal shelter going in Hostomel, a town northwest of Kyiv. With the threat of Russian occupation now looming, she thought, there was no place in Ukraine that needed her more.

Shelling boomed out as she arrived at the shelter. Through the gate she recognized the howling and whimpering of various animals.

“I knew it was my responsibility to look after them,” Serpinska recalled.

With three colleagues, she kept most of the 700 dogs and 100 cats alive – and even rescued a lion – as Russian and Ukrainian forces exchanged shelling overhead and as Russian forces repeatedly entered the property and threatened their lives.

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

Euromaidan Press on Twitter - 10 hrs ago
Russian forces demand 5000 euros from Olha Novikova, the filmmaker who lives in Mariupol, for saving the life of her son whom Russian soldiers hold in captivity. Otherwise, the occupiers said 'they would kill him in front of the camera.' Occupiers demand ransom for Ukrainians held captive - YouTube

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 7 hrs ago
Ukraine's intelligence: Russian occupiers plan propaganda press tour in Mariupol. The tour for journalists of “loyal” media including the Western ones may present false witnesses to blame the killing of civilians and the bombing in the besieged city on Ukraine’s military.

Euromaidan Press on Twitter
Russians stole paintings by Kuyindzhi and Ayvazovskyy from Mariupol museums. "Seven masterpieces were kept in the city,"–Petro Andriushchenko, advisor to the mayor of Mariupol http://t.me/andriyshTime/513… Image: The stolen painting by Ayvazovskyy "Near the shores of the Caucasus"

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
Six-year-old girl raises Hr 5,000 ($165) for Ukrainian military by playing flute on the street. Solomiia Reut from Dnipro raised half the sum needed to buy one bulletproof vest, and her mother fundraised the other half on social media. Photo: Sicheslavska Prosvita/Facebook

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 6 hrs ago
Defense Minister: 'Extremely difficult weeks lie ahead.' Oleksiy Reznikov expects hostilities to intensify in the Donbas. He said that Russia is "already aware of its strategic defeat, but will still try to inflict as much pain on us as possible.”

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
Zelensky: Russia will blackmail Europe with trade. Russia is trying to provoke a global price crisis, Zelensky said during his address on April 27. He warned Europeans against economic cooperation with Russia. “Russia considers not only gas but also any trade as a weapon.”

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 5 hrs ago
French government seizes three Russian oligarchs' villas in the south of France. The list includes the property of Oleg Deripaska in Saint Tropez, Kirill Shamalov in Biarritz and Musa Bazhaev in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
Governor: Russian forces shell Sumy Oblast over 50 times in half an hour. The Esman territorial community was heavily hit by mortar shelling, Dmytro Zhyvytskyi, the governor of Sumy Oblast, wrote on April 27. The number of casualties is yet to be determined.

NEXTA on Twitter
#British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss called on countries that have condemned #Russian invasion to double their support for #Kyiv and supply country with heavy weapons. Truss also said that #NATO, as a structure intended to ensure peace and security, had failed #Ukraine.

Euromaidan Press on Twitter - 4 hrs ago
Russia executed 2 Chechens who refused to go to war in Ukraine on 25 April, Musa Taipov, niece of Dzokhar Dudaev and member of the Presidium of the Government of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria and the official representative of the CRI in France, says - our sources

About a hundred Chechens, who were drafted into the Russian army to take part in the war against Ukraine, refused to go. Russian officers demonstratively shot two of them. The bodies of those shot were not given to relatives for burial - Taipov

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 2 hrs ago
Canada lawmakers vote to label Russia’s acts in Ukraine as ‘genocide.’ Canadian lawmakers voted unanimously on April 27 to call Russia’s attacks in Ukraine a “genocide”, adding that there was “ample evidence of systemic and massive war crimes against humanity.”

Euromaidan Press on Twitter - Video
Explosions in Kherson late in the evening on April 27. There were so many of them that locals could not count their number,–UkrPravda reports After the explosions in the area of the Kherson TV tower, the Russian TV channels in the city stopped working

NEXTA on Twitter
The United States has already supplied more than half of the promised ninety 155 mm howitzers to #Ukraine. The weapons have arrived in the country, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said. He also said that initial phase of training for 50 Ukrainian soldiers was completed this week.

Euromaidan Press on Twitter - 1 hr ago
Russia plans "press tour" for Western media to Mariupol with actors along the way telling fake stories about Ukrainian army "Arrival of "journalists" to Ukraine is planned via Russian "Rostov" - Ukraine intel ... - Головне управління розвідки Міністерства оборони України | Facebook Ukraine MFA warned foreign journalists "agst participating in this propaganda effort"

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 30 min ago
Ukraine’s Air Force: 8 Russian aerial targets destroyed. The press center of the Ukraine’s Air Force reported early on April 28 that Russia lost at least one airplane, one missile, and 6 UAVs over the past 24 hours.

 

[PommyMommy]

Russia-Ukraine war: Putin warns of ‘lightning fast’ retaliation if west intervenes; White House accuses Russia of ‘weaponising energy supplies’ - live (theguardian.com)

''Putin warns of ‘lightning fast’ retaliation if West interferes in Ukraine

In an address to lawmakers in St Petersburg earlier today, Vladimir Putin warned any countries attempting to interfere in Ukraine would be met with a “lightning-fast” response from Moscow.

The Russian president said the West wanted to cut Russia up into different pieces and accused it of pushing Ukraine into conflict with Russia, adding:

If someone intends to intervene into the ongoing events (in Ukraine) from the outside and creates unacceptable strategic threats for us, then they should know that our response to those strikes will be swift, lightning fast.

Russian troops would not hesitate to use the most modern weaponry, Putin said:

We have all the tools for this — ones that no one can brag about. And we won’t brag. We will use them if needed. And I want everyone to know this.

We have already taken all the decisions on this.''

 

[PommyMommy]

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 6 hrs ago
UK Defense Ministry: ‘Approximately 20 Russian Navy vessels remain in Black Sea’s operational zone, including submarines.’ The ministry said on April 28 that Russia is unable to replace the lost cruiser Moskva, as the Bosporus Strait remains closed to non-Turkish warships.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
However, despite the “embarrassing losses of the landing ship Saratov and cruiser Moskva,” Russia’s Black Sea fleet retains the ability to strike Ukrainian and coastal targets.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
Russia to impose rubles in Kherson Oblast from May 1. Russian state-controlled Ria Novosti news agency, citing pro-Kremlin official Kirill Stremousov, said the shift would follow a four-month transitionary period, during which rubles and hryvnias will circulate.

Euromaidan Press on Twitter - 5 hrs ago
Russian military seized the Melitopol museum, found where Scythian gold was stored & most likely stole it—Oblast Administration The practice is not new: Treasures stolen from Kyiv cathedrals in the 1930s were discovered in Moscow State Historical Museum: Treasures stolen from Kyiv cathedrals in the 1930s discovered in State Historical Museum in Moscow | Euromaidan Press

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 4 hrs ago
General Staff: Russia transfers up to 500 units of military equipment to Izium. Ukraine’s Armed Forces said on April 28 that Russian forces continue to attack Kharkiv and are trying to advance towards towards Sulyhivka – Nova Dmytrivka and Andriivka – Velyka Komyshuvakha.

Izyum - Google Maps

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
Russia launches phosphorous bombs, around 50 airstrikes on Mariupol overnight. Deputy Commander of the Azov Regiment Sviatoslav Palamar called for decisive measures to evacuate the city, as Russia is employing “everything that a barbarian can use against humanity.”

Visegrád 24 on Twitter
Ysabel, the transport ship of the Spanish Navy has docked in the Polish Port of Gdynia. It arrived with 200 tons of ammunition, 30 trucks loaded with military materials and 20 armored vehicles. All of it will now be transported through Poland and into Ukraine.

NEXTA on Twitter
#Belarusian dictator #Lukashenko declared that #Minsk and #Moscow are building a union of sovereign states, which will be joined in the future by other former Soviet republics.

Euromaidan Press on Twitter
"When Natalia opened the door of the room, we saw the whole floor of the room littered with feces. I asked Natalia to close the door immediately, as I was getting sick," Ukrainian freelance journalist Anatolii Shara describes his visit to Bucha.
Cruelty, murder, and destruction in Bucha | Euromaidan Press

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 3 hrs ago
General Staff: Russa entrenches near Tavriiske, prepare offensive on Siversky Donets River. Ukraine’s Armed Forces said on April 28 that Russia is increasing the pace of its offensive in all directions, with the greatest efforts observed towards Slobozhanske and Donetsk.

Tavriiske - Google Maps

NEXTA on Twitter
U.S. Special Envoy for International Justice Beth Van Schaack told the #UN that the United States has credible information that #Russian military shot and killed #Ukrainians attempting to surrender near #Donetsk.

Euromaidan Press on Twitter - 2 hrs ago
Ukraine needs modern medium- & long-range anti-aircraft missile systems to close the sky ourselves from Russian bombers at the high altitude. We also need modern fighter jets. We are interested in Western-made equipment on any terms—commander of Ukraine Air Force Командування Повітряних Сил ЗСУ / Air Force Command of UA Armed Forces | Facebook

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 1 hr ago
Local official: Russia steals over 2,000 artworks from Mariupol museums. According to Petro Andriushchenko, advisor to Mariupol mayor, stolen artworks include paintings of Ivan Aivazovsky and Mariupol-native Arkhip Kuindzhi, ancient icons, and medals.

NEXTA on Twitter - Video (This appears to be video from inside the hospital)
Last night, #Russian troops dropped massively multi-ton air bombs and fired with artillery at a military field hospital located at the #Azovstal plant in #Mariupol, where the wounded are being held.

Euromaidan Press on Twitter
Russian soldiers take children hostage and demand women explore Ukrainian positions. "There is also rape and cruelty. We are not calling them orcs for no reason," Luhansk Obl head said, giving example of a woman who escaped from occupied areas days before https://facebook.com/sergey.gaidai.loga/videos/396623408752977/

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
Prosecutor General: Ukraine identifies 10 Russian soldiers who tortured civilians in Bucha. According to Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova, Ukraine identified 10 Russian soldiers from Russia’s 64th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade who have looted and tortured civilians in Bucha.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
Mariupol defenders: Russian airstrike hit military field hospital at Azovstal plant, kills soldiers. According to Azov fighters, overnight, Russia was attacking the hospital where Ukrainian soldiers were treated and then shelling it with naval artillery.

 

[PommyMommy]

As NATO weighs nuclear war risk, U.S. security "assurances" upset Ukraine

Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland perturbed Ukrainians last week when she said the U.S. is negotiating future "security assurances" for Kyiv, using the same terminology as the 1994 Budapest Memorandum under which Ukraine surrendered its nuclear arsenal in exchange for the hollow Western and Russian promise of protection.

Ukrainian leaders are demanding legally-binding security guarantees as part of any deal that ends the current Russian invasion of the country. Absent NATO membership and admission into the alliance's Article 5 collective defense umbrella—which appears unlikely—Kyiv argues this is the only way to deter yet more Russian aggression.

Nuland's interview with the Ukrainian Evropeiska Pravda newspaper was not received well in Kyiv, according to current and former Ukrainian officials and politicians who spoke with Newsweek.

 

[PommyMommy]

Russia's 'champion looter' sends almost 500 kg of stolen goods home to his wife: report | National Post

''Yevgeny Kovalenko, 27, lifted goods ranging from speakers, tables, tents and tools to ship to his hometown of Rubtsovsk in Altai Krai region of western Siberia, according to the Russian opposition website Dossier Centre in London.''

''Kovalenko’s spoils were reportedly addressed to his 24-year-old wife Margarita, a former clothing retailer and graduate of Altai State University.''

“The record for the number and weight of parcels is held by Yevgeny Kovalenko, 27….he tried to send home 17 parcels with a total weight of 440k (970 pounds),” the Dossier Center reported.

CCTV footage shows Kovalenko and a band of sticky-fingered soldiers shipping off parcels to their homes at the CDEK delivery centre in Belarus, according to the outlet East2West.''

''Lazarev mailed home an electric scooter, while another sent an air conditioning unit. Another still dispatched a 90kg trunk lid to his home in Western Russia.''

 

[PommyMommy]

Inside Zelensky's World

Inside his own bunker, the President has a habit of staring at his daily agenda even when the day is over. He lies awake and wonders whether he missed something, forgot someone. “It’s pointless,” Volodymyr Zelensky told me at the presidential compound in Kyiv, just outside the office where he sometimes sleeps. “It’s the same agenda. I see it’s over for today. But I look at it several times and sense that something is wrong.” It’s not anxiety that keeps his eyes from closing. “It’s my conscience bothering me.”

 

[PommyMommy]

Marechaussees naar Oekraïne voor onderzoek naar oorlogsmisdaden

Military Police to Ukraine to Investigate War Crimes
A few dozen Dutch military police are going to Ukraine to investigate war crimes. The cabinet will ratify that decision tomorrow during the Council of Ministers, sources confirm after reporting from the ANP news agency.

In order to demonstrate that war crimes have been committed, the rapid collection of evidence is of great importance. In the investigation into the disaster with flight MH17 in 2014, the Netherlands has acquired the necessary forensic knowledge in this area.

Criminal Court in The Hague
The Marechaussees will work in places where war crimes may have been committed and transfer the material they find to the International Criminal Court in The Hague. It is already investigating war crimes that may have been committed in Ukraine in recent weeks, such as summary executions and rapes.

The Dutch team will leave very soon and will stay in Ukraine for a few weeks.

Earlier this month, Ukrainian Attorney General Iryna Venediktova, who is leading the investigation, said there are some 6,000 places in the country where war crimes are taking place or have been found. Another Ukrainian researcher recently estimated that there may be 20,000 crimes to be investigated.

 

[PommyMommy]

Aantal opvangplekken voor Oekraïners groeit • Marechaussees gaan helpen met onderzoek oorlogsmisdaden

2 HOURS AGO
European Commission: EU countries will not pay in rubles for Russian gas
The countries of the European Union will not pay in rubles for Russian gas, as the Kremlin is demanding. A spokesman for the European Commission says May 20 is likely the deadline for the new payments to be made to secure gas supplies.

But although the Member States agree on this, it is not clear how to proceed with payments to Russia. For example, it is unclear which energy companies have already opened accounts with the Russian Gazprombank. There they can pay in euros or dollars, after which the bank converts the money into rubles and pays the bill for the purchased gas at Gazprom. Incidentally, the European Commission says that paying for Russian gas in Western currency does not violate sanctions against Russia. "What the Russians do with the money after that is their business."

This leaves the uncertainty, because the exchange into rubles is in any case against the sanctions: that has to be done via the central bank of Russia, and that is one of the institutions against which sanctions have been imposed.

Press conference Biden is coming up....

 

[PommyMommy]

[URL='https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10764527/Putin-launches-missile-strikes-Kyiv-Secretary-Generals-visit-act-barbarism.html']Russia launches missile strike on Kyiv during UN Secretary-General's visit days after Moscow visit | Daily Mail Online[/URL]

@CampbellMacD
A British man has been killed in Ukraine and a second is missing, @FCDOGovUK
said today. The pair were believed to have been fighting with Ukrainian forces.

 

[PommyMommy]

Brits kabinetslid: uitspraken Lavrov over Derde Wereldoorlog zijn grootspraak.

Source is a very respected Dutch news agency/paper. NRC
Brits kabinetslid: uitspraken Lavrov over Derde Wereldoorlog zijn grootspraak

James Heappey, a member of the British cabinet responsible for the armed forces, has dismissed Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's statements about a possible World War III as a bluff. Heappey does not think there is "an imminent threat of escalation in Ukraine at this time," he said in a BBC TV broadcast on Tuesday, according to Reuters news agency.

Lavrov said earlier on Tuesday that the risk of a new world war is real and that other countries should not underestimate the risks of a nuclear conflict. NATO would also be in a proxy war with Russia due to arms supplies by member states to Ukraine. Heappey called statements "boastful" and said these kinds of claims are the trademark of the Russian minister. "Everything the West is doing to support Ukraine has been carefully considered to avoid a direct confrontation with Russia," Heappey said.

Correction (April 26, 2022): An earlier version of this article stated that James Heappey is the UK's Defense Secretary. This is incorrect and has been corrected above.

 

[PommyMommy]

Russian attack targets Ukrainian capital amid UN chief's visit to Kyiv | CBC News
''Russia pounded targets from practically one end of Ukraine to the other Thursday, including Kyiv, bombarding the city while the head of the United Nations was visiting, in the boldest attack on the capital since Russian forces retreated weeks ago.

Several people were wounded in the attack on Kyiv, including one who lost a leg and others who were trapped in the rubble when two buildings were hit, rescue officials said.

The bombardment came barely an hour after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a news conference with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who said Ukraine has become "an epicentre of unbearable heartache and pain." A spokesperson said Guterres and his team were safe.''

 

[PommyMommy]

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 9 hrs ago
CNN: New video shows Russian soldiers, vehicles next to killed civilians in Bucha. The video obtained by CNN was shot on March 12-13 by a drone. It shows Russian forces and armored vehicles near the bodies of the dead people in Bucha, a city in Kyiv Oblast.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
The video confirms that the atrocities in Bucha were committed when the city was occupied by the Russian forces. Russian propaganda has been trying to claim that the bodies were planted by Ukrainians after Russians left the area.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 8 hrs ago
Kherson official: Russia lacks people's support for staged referendum in Kherson. According to Yurii Sobolevskyi, deputy head of Kherson Regional Council, Russian occupiers have no support from the locals and are thus unable to hold a staged referendum.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
Deputy PM Vereshchuk: 45 Ukrainians released in new prisoner exchange with Russia. Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said that 13 officers, 20 soldiers, and 12 civilians were released from Russian captivity on April 28.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 7 hrs ago
Missiles hit Kyiv. Two sites in the city's Shevchenkivsky District have been hit, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

NEXTA on Twitter
In #Bucha, the dead are being buried non-stop. Reuters pictures show fields of fresh graves and crosses. According to #Ukrainian authorities, at least 400 people died in the city. The process of identifying the dead is still underway.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 6 hrs ago
3 Russian missiles hit Kyiv Oblast. The missiles hit undisclosed infrastructure sites near the city of Fastiv in Kyiv Oblast, according to Oleksandr Pavlyuk, head of the Kyiv Oblast Military Administration. There is no information on casualties yet.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
Russians force school teachers in occupied town to switch to Russian curriculum. Yuriy Sobolevskyi, deputy head of Kherson Regional Council, said that school principals in Henichesk in Kherson Oblast were told that teachers must switch or face dismissal.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 5 hrs ago
3 Russian missiles intercepted over Odesa Oblast. Governor Maksym Marchenko said that the air defense systems intercepted the missiles and “have the sky under their control.” Two series of explosions were reportedly heard in Odesa on the evening of April 28.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
UN is ready to participate in the evacuation of civilians from Azovstal in occupied Mariupol. In Kyiv, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that “intensive discussions” were underway on the involvement of the UN and the Red Cross in the evacuation process.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 4 hrs ago
US House of Representatives passes Lend-Lease bill to speed up weapons supply to Ukraine. The House passed the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act of 2022 by a vote of 417-10. If signed by U.S. President Joe Biden, Ukraine will be able to get military equipment faster.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 2 hrs ago
Ukraine's Air Force: 15 aerial targets shot down on April 28. Spokesman for Ukraine's Air Force Yuriy Ignat said while Russia is increasing the number of its airstrikes, its air force suffered heavy losses on April 28, losing an aircraft, five cruise missiles, and nine UAVs.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
Joint Forces Operation: Ukraine repels 9 Russian attacks in Donbas on April 28. According to Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation, Russian losses as a result of the fighting include six tanks, one artillery system, 12 armored vehicles, one car, and one anti-aircraft gun.

Euromaidan Press on Twitter - 1 hr ago
Demydiv locals flooded their village, creating swamp that gave Ukraine army time to prepare for the defense of Kyiv Now they struggle with consequences but "everyone understands & no one regrets it for a moment": "We saved Kyiv!" PHOTO CREDIT David Guttenfelder on Instagram

Euromaidan Press on Twitter
"Significant" number of Russian troops leave Mariupol, head in direction of Zaporizhia Obl -senior Pentagon official at closed briefing

• Says Russia continued strikes at Mariupol means they don't yet control it
• Russians have launched 1900 missiles at Ukraine

Part of russian troops withdraws from Mariupol and moves towards Zaporozhye – Pentagon (radiosvoboda.org)

 

[PommyMommy]

APR 28, 2022

Live updates | Russia-Ukraine War | AP News
Russia pounded targets from practically one end of Ukraine to the other Thursday, including Kyiv, bombarding the city while the head of the United Nations was visiting in the boldest attack on the capital since Moscow’s forces retreated weeks ago.

[...]

Russia-Ukraine war: Moscow warns west of ‘harsh response’ to encouragement of Ukrainian strikes in Russian territories – live (theguardian.com)

36m ago 23.59
Russia is preventing wounded Ukrainian fighters from being evacuated from the Azovstal steel works in Mariupol because it wants to capture them, the local officials say.

Reuters reports Pavlo Kyrylenko as telling a briefing:

They (want to) use the opportunity to capture the defenders of Mariupol, one of the main (elements) of whom are the... Azov regiment.

Therefore the Russian side is not agreeing to any evacuation measures regarding wounded (Ukrainian) troops.”

[...]

OSCE Envoy Says Evidence Of 'Filtration Camps' Emerging From Areas Of Ukraine Claimed By Russian Forces (rferl.org)
[...]

“Our information indicates Russia is abducting, torturing, and/or murdering locally elected leaders, journalists, and civil society activists, as well as religious leaders,” Carpenter said.

He said the Mariupol mayor’s office reports that four filtration camps are operating in the city and that accounts from these camps are “harrowing.”

[...]

Missile flights over nuclear power plants in Ukraine could result in an accident | UN News
[...]

Today, according to him [head of the IAEA], Ukraine officially informed the IAEA that on April 16, 2022, a video surveillance camera recorded the flight of a missile directly over the South-Ukrainian nuclear power plant.

"The IAEA is reviewing the evidence and, if confirmed, this incident will have extremely serious consequences. If such a missile were to change trajectory, it could seriously affect the physical integrity of the nuclear power plant, which could lead to a nuclear accident," said the Director General.

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

Kabinet: Nederland kan schip met Russische olie niet weigeren • Zware gevechten in Donbas

Cabinet: The Netherlands cannot refuse a ship with Russian oil • Heavy fighting in Donbas

2 HOURS AGO
Destination ship with Russian gas oil still unclear
The port of Rotterdam <the Netherlands> says that a ship with a cargo of Russian gas oil on its way to Rotterdam has not reported. According to the website marinetraffic.com, the Sunny Liger would arrive there at 6:00 PM. Mooring requests must be made 24 hours in advance. It therefore seems impossible that the ship will dock today. The ship is currently between England and the Netherlands.

Trade union FNV Havens calls on port workers not to unload the ship, writes ANP news agency. Swedish port workers did not do that before either. They didn't want to unload any ship that had anything to do with Russia. The Sunny Liger then changed course to Rotterdam. That's still the destination marinetraffic.com shows.

"It would show a VOC mentality if the Netherlands allowed the ship to dock," Niek Stam of FNV Havens told ANP. The ship is not a normal customer of the port of Rotterdam and I therefore call on the dock workers to keep their feet off of it."

The cabinet previously announced that it cannot deny the Sunny Liger access to Rotterdam. The ship does not sail under the Russian flag, but that of the Marshall Islands and is therefore not subject to EU sanctions against Russia.

Minister Hoekstra of Foreign Affairs supports the trade union's call, but does not know whether the ship is still coming.

What is going on? Now a minister goes against his fellow ministers......need to know more about this. No...it's a bit different. "We" can not legally refuse it....but the dockworkers can refuse to unload it.

4 HOURS AGO
Cabinet: The Netherlands cannot refuse a ship with Russian oil
The cabinet cannot prevent a ship with a cargo of gas oil from Russia from mooring in the port of Rotterdam today. Minister Hoekstra writes this in response to urgent questions that the PvdA and MP Omtzigt asked last night. The ship does not sail under the Russian flag, but under that of the Marshall Islands and is therefore not subject to EU sanctions against Russia. As a result, there is no legal basis to refuse the ship.

The Sunny Liger was previously unable to enter Sweden, but according to the Minister of Foreign Affairs <Hoekstra> , this was not due to the refusal of access by the Swedish authorities, but to resistance from dock workers. They refuse to unload all ships with "ties to Russia".

It is still being investigated who the buyer of the gas oil cargo is. The cabinet wants to talk to that company. The intention is for companies to limit the import of Russian oil, coal and gas as much as possible.

4 HOURS AGO
Dutch embassy in Kiev open again
The Dutch embassy in Kiev will reopen today. That is what Minister Hoekstra of Foreign Affairs said before the weekly cabinet meeting.

Due to the Russian threat, the embassy personnel were moved to Lviv to the west rather soon after the war started. A small part of the staff can return to the capital again.

"It is never without risks, but taking everything into consideration, we think this is sensible and acceptable. It is a small team and security has been looked at very carefully," said Hoekstra, who spoke of a "diplomatic signal" to Ukraine.

6 HOURS AGO
'Heavy fighting in Donbas, but little gain for Russians'
The British Ministry of Defense says, based on intelligence information, that Russia suffered "significant" losses in the battle of the Donbas and made only "limited" territorial gains. There would be hard fighting, especially at the places Lysychansk and Shevyerodonetsk. From Izhum, the Russians would like to push through to the strategically important place Slovyansk.

 

[PommyMommy]

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 6 hrs ago
At least 1 Ukrainian soldier killed by Russia’s airstrike on Azovstal plant. Almost 100 wounded Ukrainian soldiers sheltering at Mariupol’s steel plant got new injuries and concussions as a result of Russia’s attack on April 28, Ukrainska Pravda media outlet reported.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
"Putin has drowned in blood three out of the four most important cities of my life, one after one." Illia Ponomarenko: How Russia killed 3 cities of my life (kyivindependent.com)

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
Mayor: Russian forces begin mass abduction of people in occupied Melitopol. According to Ivan Fedorov, two weeks ago, Russian occupiers began illegally conscripting men of military age. But recently, Russians have started to kidnap them from checkpoints en masse, he said.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 5 hrs ago
Media: Ukraine hopes to evacuate civilians from Azovstal plant in Mariupol on April 29. According to Ombudsman Lyudmila Denisova, about 1,000 civilians are sheltering in Mariupol’s Azovstal plant including infants, children, elderly, and women, as well as 500 wounded soldiers.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 4 hrs ago
Interior Minister: Ukraine needs more specialists, equipment to demine its territories. Denys Monastyrsky said Ukraine has asked international organizations to help demine its liberated territories by sending their pyrotechnicians and supplying equipment.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
Russian missile killed Ukrainian RFE/RL producer in Kyiv. Vira Hyrych was killed by a Russian missile that hit her apartment building in Kyiv on April 28, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported. Her dead body was found under the rubble on April 29. Photo: Vira Hyrych/Facebook

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 3 hrs ago
State Border Guard Service: Sumy Oblast shelled from Russia. Sumy Oblast, which borders Russia, was attacked with mortars more than 30 times on the morning of April 29. No casualties have been reported yet.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
After a month of living under Russian shelling in complete isolation, Liudmyla Usenka, 69, began to accept the terrifying glimpse of her future. “I didn’t think that I would make it till the end of the war,” she said, breaking into tears.
Wheelchair-bound Bucha resident on surviving Russian occupation: ‘I hope no one will have to live through this’ (kyivindependent.com)

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 2 hrs ago
BBC: Russian occupiers abduct 2 British volunteers in Ukraine. Two British volunteers were detained by Russian forces at a checkpoint in Zaporizhzhia Oblast on April 25, as they were trying to rescue a family from a Russian-occupied settlement there, BBC reported.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 1 hr ago
Ukraine reports 243 Russian crimes against journalists since Feb. 24. The State Committee for Television and Radio-Broadcasting said Russian troops committed 243 crimes against journalists and media in 16 Ukrainian regions.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
The crimes included murder, injury, abduction, threats, and shelling of TV towers. Overall, 7 journalists were killed, 15 went missing, 14 died as combatants or from Russian shelling when they weren’t on duty, 9 were wounded, and 8 journalists were abducted.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
Ombudsman: Russian troops step up ‘filtration’ in Mariupol. According to Lyudmyla Denisova, Russian forces are not allowing men to exit the city, while residents of Mariupol are forced to undergo a special procedure where Russian forces question and often torture civilians.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter
Governor: Ukraine liberated village north of Kharkiv. Kharkiv Oblast Governor said the military liberated the village of Ruska Lozova. According to the Armed Forces, this settlement was of strategic importance, as it was used as a base for artillery attacks on Kharkiv.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 35 min ago
Mariupol Mayor: Over 600 wounded remain in field hospital at Azovstal plant. Mayor Vadym Boychenko said Russians continue using heavy weapons. “Before shelling the hospital, the number of wounded was 170, now — over 600. Russian forces killed more than 20,000 people,” he said.

The Kyiv Independent on Twitter - 5 min ago
Kyiv residents asked not to drive private transport due to fuel shortages. Kyiv City Council urged citizens to use public transport instead, as scarce fuel is required by the military.

 

[PommyMommy]

Ukraine published the names and photos of 10 Russian soldiers whom they accuse of kidnapping and torturing unarmed civilians in the town of Bucha, the most detailed accusation yet against Russian forces in Ukraine. https://nyti.ms/3OJjVAW

 

[PommyMommy]

Updated 9:07 a.m. ET, April 29, 2022
Live updates: Russia's war in Ukraine (cnn.com)
''51 min ago
2 Russian regions claim their borders with Ukraine have been shelled
From CNN’s Anna Chernova
Two regions of Russia that border Ukraine — Kursk and Bryansk — said that their territory has been shelled.

“The morning in the border [town] of Rylsk was restless. At about 8:00am, mortars fired at the checkpoint in the village of Krupets,” the Kursk region Gov. Roman Starovoit said in Telegram post Friday morning local time.
According to Starovoit, “the firing points were suppressed by the return fire of [Russian] border guards and the military.” There were no casualties or destruction, he added.

The head of the Bryansk region, Alexander Bogomaz, said the border department of the Federal Security Service (FSB) had reported shelling in the village of Belaya Berezka, allegedly carried out from Ukrainian territory.

“On April 29, a branch of the border department of the FSB of Russia in the Bryansk region in the village of Belaya Berezka, Trubchevsky district, was subjected to mortar fire from the territory of Ukraine,” Bogomaz said in a Telegram post on his official channel Friday. He said there were no casualties.

Water and electricity networks were damaged as a result of the shelling in the Bryansk region, Bogomaz added.

40 min ago
600 injured in recent bombing of Azovstal steel plant, Mariupol mayor says
From CNN's Tim Lister in Lviv

The mayor of Mariupol said that more than 600 people were injured in Russian bombing that struck the makeshift hospital facility within the besieged Azovstal steel complex.

"You already know that they dropped bombs on the hospital, aerial bombs destroyed the hospital, and that is a sign of a war crime, because the number of wounded before that was 170, and now it is over 600," the mayor, Vadym Boichenko, said on Ukrainian television.

The Azovstal plant was heavily bombed on Wednesday night, according to multiple accounts.''

• "Illegal theft of grain": Ukrainian officials have accused Russian forces of "robbing" wheat from parts of the country they have occupied, a move which increases the threat to international food supplies. “The looting of grain from the Kherson region, as well as the blocking of shipments from Ukrainian ports and the mining of shipping lanes, threaten the world’s food security," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement reported by Reuters. The ministry also demanded that Russia stops "the illegal theft of grain, unblock Ukrainian ports, restore freedom of navigation and allow the passage of merchant ships.” CNN is unable to verify these allegations independently and the Kremlin has said it had no information on the matter.''

 

[PommyMommy]

Russia-Ukraine war: Putin tried to humiliate UN, says Zelenskiy; warning of ‘catastrophe’ inside Mariupol steelworks – live (theguardian.com)

3h ago 07.19
Zelenskiy: Russia trying to ‘humiliate’ UN with Kyiv attack


In a video address late last night, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, condemned yesterday’s Russian airstrikes on Kyiv, which took place while the UN secretary general was visiting the capital.

Zelenskiy said the strikes happened immediately after his talks with António Guterres, “and this says a lot about Russia’s true attitude to global institutions”. He accused Russia’s leadership of trying to “humiliate the UN and everything that the organisation represents”.

He said:

Today, immediately after the end of our talks [with Guterres] in Kyiv, Russian missiles flew into the city. Five missiles.

This says a lot about Russia’s true attitude to global institutions, about the Russian leadership’s efforts to humiliate the UN and everything that the organisation represents.

And therefore requires an appropriate, powerful response.

Russian attacks in other cities across the country, including Fastiv and Odesa “once again prove that we cannot let our guard down”, he said.

We cannot think that the war is over. We still have to fight. We still have to drive the occupiers out.

The Ukrainian prime minister, Denys Shmyhal, said Russia’s “defiant behaviour” was an “attack on world security”.

Denys Shmyhal on Twitter - Prime Minister of Ukraine
During the meeting with @antonioguterres in #Kyiv, we heard explosions,
russia launched a missile strike on the capital. I am sure that such defiant behavior of the occupier will be assessed properly by the @UN
Secretary-General. War in #Ukraine is an attack on world security!