Russia Attacks Ukraine - 23 Feb 2022 #15

[PommyMommy]

APR 18, 2025

Ukraine, Russia to conduct prisoner swap before Easter, Sky News reports

The swap will reportedly involve 246 POWs from each side, as well as 46 injured soldiers, an undisclosed source told Sky News.

kyivindependent.com

According to the source, the swap will reportedly involve 246 POWs from each side, as well as 46 injured soldiers. The swap will be mediated by the United Arab Emirates, Sky News reported.

Russia and Ukraine have held 62 prisoner swaps throughout the full-scale war. The most recent POW exchange between Ukraine and Russia took place on March 19, with 175 Ukrainians brought back home.

Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale war in 2022, Kyiv has returned 4,306 people from Russia's captivity, including both soldiers and civilians.

Ukraine war latest: US proposes leaving occupied areas under Russian control, easing sanctions, Bloomberg reports

Key developments on April 18: * U.S. proposes leaving occupied areas under Russian control, easing sanctions, Bloomberg reports * 'You're fools' — US may 'take a pass' on Ukraine-Russia talks if either side stalls, Trump says * "Not our war" — US may drop Russia-Ukraine ceasefire efforts...

kyivindependent.com

Washington is ready to cease its mediation efforts to end Russia's war against Ukraine if one of the sides "makes it very difficult" to settle, U.S. President Donald Trump told journalists on April 18.

"If for some reason one of the two parties makes it very difficult, we're just going to say: 'you're foolish, you're fools, you're horrible people,' and we're just going to take a pass. But hopefully we won't have to do that," Trump said.

‘More traitors in Russia’ — Ukrainian intel officer shares secrets of recent deep-strike drone successes

The aerial war between Russia and Ukraine is explosive in every sense. But beyond the physical dimension, it is also a battle of morale and information. Both sides are locked in a continuous back-and-forth of public statements and dramatic videos claiming hits and damage to the other side. There’s

kyivindependent.com

Russia’s censorship machine is much more aggressive than Ukraine’s, Shchyhol tells the Kyiv Independent in an interview, making it easier to hide Ukraine’s wins.

Russia’s big advantage, he explains, is a massive air defense arsenal. But the great drawback is the sheer size of Russia.

"There is no amount of equipment that can protect all of Russia."

Frontline report: Ukraine’s F-16s and Mirages are blasting Russian commanders with French smart bombs - Euromaidan Press

In just two weeks, Ukraine’s Western jets struck 19 high-value Russian positions, many housing field commanders.

euromaidanpress.com

Overall, recent airstrikes reveal a clear Ukrainian focus on hidden troop concentrations and command centers, disrupting command structures and undermining Russian assaults before they can even begin. Bolstering Ukraine’s aerial capabilities by delivering Western fighter jets and precision-guided munitions has allowed for a massive airstrike campaign against Russian targets.

Most notably, Ukrainians conducted over 19 successful airstrikes against high-priority Russian targets over the last two weeks alone. With France continuing to supply approximately 50 AASM Hammer bombs to Ukraine per month, Ukrainians can continue to devastate Russian offensive plans.

 

[PommyMommy]

APR 18, 2025

Latvian Foreign Ministry: "Russia's 'traditional values' demonstrated on Good Friday are war crimes" - Euromaidan Press

Latvia's Foreign Minister has condemned Russia's attacks on Ukrainian civilian targets during Good Friday as demonstrating Russia's true "traditional values" of war crimes and aggression.

euromaidanpress.com

As of 5 pm, Russian ballistic missiles attack equipped with cluster munitions on Kharkiv on 18 April injured 103 people, including eight children. One person was killed, according to authorities.

“Russia’s ‘traditional values’ demonstrated on Good Friday are: war crimes, aggression, armed attacks on civilians, including a pastry shop preparing food for Easter in Ukraine,” the Latvian minister wrote on X.

She said there is no indication Russia supports US peace efforts and called for Russia to be “forced into it.”

Bucha's women take down the drones that once hunted them

Forged in occupation, Bucha's women turned from war victim into drone hunters, protecting the very ground where they once ran for cover.

euromaidanpress.com

In the streets where Russians killed their men, the women of Bucha now stand guard with machine guns.

They call themselves the Bucha Witches — a battalion of doctors, teachers, and office workers who traded trauma for grit and turned a massacre site into the birthplace of Ukraine’s first all-female anti-aircraft unit.

They’re water inspectors, ER doctors, and math teachers by day, who clock out from saving lives or grading papers — only to shoulder World War II machine guns and fire at Russian drones, defending the very streets where the past still bleeds into the present.

APR 17, 2025

Drones Overhead 24/7: Ukrainian Troops In Kharkiv Region Face Intensifying Russian Attacks​

Ukrainian troops fighting to hold their positions in the northeastern region of Kharkiv say they narrowly escaped being surrounded by advancing forces. Soldiers described a barrage of explosives scattered by drones as they fought back with heavy artillery.

 

[Mo Thuairim]

Trump team reveals lack of expertise – and patience – as it threatens to abandon Ukraine peace talks​

Trump said he could stop war in 24 hours, but team appears daunted by negotiation with ‘a lot of detail attached to it’

[...]

Standing on a tarmac in Paris, the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, issued a threat that the US could simply “move on” from mediating the biggest military conflict in Europe since the second world war. That would be the latest about-face for an administration that has already taken a back seat on negotiating a peace in Gaza and retreated on implementing worldwide tariffs that shook financial markets around the globe earlier this month.

Diplomacy, it turns out, is hard. The 24 hours that Donald Trump promised he would need to halt the fighting in Ukraine have long since passed. And the administration has done little of the hard diplomatic work that was required to secure landmark deals like the Dayton agreement or the Camp David accords in the past.

[...]

But to listen to Rubio or Witkoff, the various sides have barely moved from their opening positions. On Friday, Bloomberg reported that the United States had offered Russia some sanctions relief in exchange for a deal – something that Rubio had offered as far back as his confirmation hearings in January. And Witkoff appeared surprised on Fox News that Russia wanted “so much more” than just a ceasefire. “I mean, it’s just a lot of detail attached to it,” he said. “It’s a complicated situation from, you know – rooted in some real problematic things happening between the two countries.”

There was always an expertise gap in the difficult negotiations over a ceasefire to the Russian war in Ukraine. Now the administration appears to have a patience gap and has signaled it is ready to walk away. Ukraine does not have that option.

Trump team reveals lack of expertise – and patience – as it threatens to abandon Ukraine peace talks

Trump said he could stop war in 24 hours, but team appears daunted by negotiation with ‘a lot of detail attached to it’

www.theguardian.com

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Surprise, Surprise, a deal takes more than just threats and bullying.

 

[Lilibet]

Surprise, Surprise, a deal takes more than just threats and bullying.

And for Trump, it has to happen fast so he looks like the best deal-maker the world has ever seen.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Ukraine might be better off with the U.S./Trump out of the picture. It looks like the minerals deal is back on. I don’t like the idea of any deal made with Trump. If he doesn’t do what has been agreed to what’s Zelensky going to do?

Trump threatens to abandon Ukraine peace efforts unless deal reached ‘very shortly’

President says US may ‘take a pass’ on brokering agreement as Kyiv signs minerals memorandum

www.theguardian.com

The US treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, added: “We’re still working on the details.” He said the latest version ran to 80 pages and was “substantially what we’d agree on previously”. “That’s what we will be signing,” he declared.
<snip>

It says Ukraine’s prime minister, Denys Shmyhal, will visit Washington next week to hold final “technical talks” with Bessent. They are expected to complete discussions on a “reconstruction investment fund”, the memo adds.

The deal would need to be ratified by Ukraine’s parliament, Ukraine’s deputy minister of economy said on Friday.

Ukraine WILL be better off without the US.
There is no question in my mind that tRump is only working on land deals to Russia and letting Ukraine suffer and die. moo. for sure, moo.
i just hope that whatever does get signed may possibly be turned around if we can change direction in the US in four years, but it will be too late for Ukraine.

 

[PommyMommy]

APR 19, 2025

Kremlin seeks to replace Moldova’s leadership with loyal figures, says Sandu - Euromaidan Press

If Russia succeeds in Moldova's September parliamentary elections, the country could shift overnight from a friendly neighbor of Ukraine to a Russian-controlled threat, she says.

euromaidanpress.com

Moldovan President Maia Sandu has accused the Kremlin of planning to seize control of Moldova’s political leadership through the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for 28 September. In a televised interview cited by Point.md, Sandu stated that Russia’s goal is to replace Moldova’s current leadership with individuals it can control.

Sandu warned that if the Kremlin succeeds in gaining political control over Moldova, it would likely use the country against Ukraine. She stated that Russia’s interests go beyond Moldova itself and are rooted in its ongoing war against Ukraine. Moldova, which shares a 1,200 km border with Ukraine, could turn from a friendly neighbor into a Russian-controlled threat overnight, Sandu cautioned.

ISW: Russia again rejects US-backed ceasefire, demands total Ukrainian surrender - Euromaidan Press

Russia demands Ukraine’s capitulation and regime change, rejecting all ceasefire plans that fall short of those preconditions.

euromaidanpress.com

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported on 18 April that Kremlin mouthpieces and officials continue to reject all US proposals to end the war in Ukraine that do not concede to Russia’s full demands—regime change, demilitarization, and significant territorial concessions—while reiterating calls to eliminate the so-called “root causes” of the war, directly contradicting US President Donald Trump’s stated objective of achieving a lasting peace in Ukraine.

Previously, Putin had already rejected a 30-day ceasefire proposal during a 18 March call with US President Donald Trump, ISW notes. Since then, senior Russian officials have echoed Putin’s stance, while attempting to shift blame onto Ukraine and extract further concessions from Washington.

Republican US Congressman Fitzpatrick visits Ukraine’s front line, signs a shell for Putin

"I encourage all my colleagues in Congress to come here," U.S. Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, a pro-Ukraine Republican representing Pennsylvania, said during his visit to the front line.

kyivindependent.com

U.S. Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, a pro-Ukraine Republican representing Pennsylvania, visited Ukrainian troops near the front line on April 18, following his meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.

In a post shared on Facebook, Fitzpatrick published another video, showing him signing an artillery shell with a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Fitzpatrick serves as the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Energy, the Environment, and Cyber.

What to know about the 5 ‘key territories’ at the heart of Ukraine peace talks

As U.S. officials continue to push for a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, five Ukrainian territories have emerged as a central focus — and sticking point — in the negotiations. “This peace deal is about these so-called five territories,” U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said in comments to...

kyivindependent.com

Russia now occupies large portions of the territories, but has failed to capture all the land. It has repeatedly demanded international recognition of the regions as Russian and that Ukrainian troops completely withdraw from them as part of any peace negotiations.

Such a move would go much further than simply freezing the current battle lines, where Russia currently controls around 20% of Ukraine’s territory. It would permanently surrender to Russia four of Ukraine’s 24 oblasts as well as the autonomous Ukrainian region of Crimea — historic national lands home to millions of Ukrainians.

President Volodymyr Zelensky, responding to Witkoff’s recent comments, reiterated that Ukraine is prepared to negotiate a ceasefire but will not recognize these territories as Russian.

 

[Dotta]

From my country's MSM

"This is why Pyongyang is arming Russia.​

North Korean ballistic missile launchers

The North Korean KN-23 ballistic missiles used by the Russians,
which were initially prone to failure,
have posed a much greater threat in recent weeks.

According to experts,
this is the result of modifications made based on experience with their use against the Ukrainians.

KN-23 ballistic missiles increasingly dangerous for Ukraine​

The Ukrainian expert believes that the KN-23 ballistic missiles have been significantly improved since the first Russian strikes, over the past several months.

He attributes this to the effects of close military-technical cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang,
which benefits both sides.

The Russians can attack Ukrainian cities more effectively,
and the North Koreans
can improve their weapons based on war experience,
not just tests on training grounds,
which worries not only Ukraine,
but also South Korea and Japan.

KN-23 ballistic missiles
were used in the attack on Sumy, which the Russians carried out on April 13.

It is thanks to the found fragments of the missiles that Ukrainian experts can assess their construction and capabilities."

More in the link
Click Translate

Prawda wyszła na jaw. To dlatego Pjongjang zbroi Rosję

Wykorzystywane przez Rosjan północnokoreańskie pociski balistyczne KN-23, które początkowo były podatne na awarie, w ostatnich tygodniach stanowią znacznie większe zagrożenie. Zdaniem ekspertów to efekt...

tech.wp.pl

 

[nhmemorymaker]

The US doesn't have the authority to negotiate any agreement on behalf of other countries. We can negotiate our own agreement with Ukraine and Russia, but that's all.

Europe has much more at stake in these negotiations, much more at risk. It's none of our business what they choose to do WRT threats from Russia. JMO

POTUS forcing the US to do anything in support of Russia is nothing short of treason, JMO. They are not our ally. Our trusted allies are NATO, Ukraine, EU, etc. Not Russia.

This must be screaming from the rooftops....
The US doesn't have the authority to negotiate any agreement on behalf of other countries. We can negotiate our own agreement with Ukraine and Russia, but that's all.
is nothing short of treason


I forget, @Betty P , if you are in the US ??????
I am just so distraught about the lack of concerted effort to focus attention on the Russian activities with the broader American population.

On , one level, I can understand, given the amount of Chaos fronts are going on to confuse everyone....
but it is just so hard getting the focus.....

My kids are at a rally in the Capital Region..Albany NY.. today. I've asked them to assess the signs and the comments to see what the main focus in rallies is.....

 

[Dotta]

Breaking News ​

" 'Easter Truce'.​

Putin Announces 'Cease in Action'.​

Vladimir Putin called for an 'Easter truce'.

He announced that Russia
'will cease all military operations from 6:00 p.m. Moscow time on April 19
to 12:00 a.m. Moscow time on April 21'.

He called on Ukraine to make a similar declaration.

What do you need to know?

• Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed introducing a several-day 'Easter regime'.
• He hopes that Kyiv will also decide on a ceasefire.
• During previous 'ceasefires' Russia did not stop its attacks."

Much more in the link
Click Translate

"Rozejm wielkanocny". Putin zapowiedział "wstrzymanie działań"

Władimir Putin wezwał do "rozejmu wielkanocnego". Zapowiedział, że Rosja "wstrzyma wszelkie działania militarne od godziny 18.00 czasu moskiewskiego 19 kwietnia do godziny 00.00 czasu moskiewskiego 21 kwietnia"....

wiadomosci.wp.pl

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Putin Announces 'Cease in Action'.

I'll believe it when it happens.

 

[Dotta]

"Zelensky reacts to 'Easter truce'. ​

He attacks Putin.​

'The Shahed drones in our sky reflect Putin's true attitude to Easter and people's lives '
- said Volodymyr Zelensky.

The President of Ukraine reported that an air raid alert had been declared in the country.
Meanwhile, earlier, Vladimir Putin ordered the introduction of an 'Easter truce'.

'Our forces continued their operations in Kursk region on Saturday
and are holding their positions.

In Belgorod region,
our troops advanced and expanded their zone of influence',
Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram.

This is the first comment by the Ukrainian leader on the 'Easter truce' that Vladimir Putin announced on Saturday."

Much more in the link
Click Translate

Zełenski reaguje. Co z "rozejmem wielkanocnym"?

- Drony "Szahed" na naszym niebie odzwierciedlają prawdziwy stosunek Putina do Świąt Wielkanocnych i życia ludzi - przekazał Wołodymyr Zełenski. Prezydent Ukrainy poinformował, że w kraju ogłoszono alarm...

wiadomosci.wp.pl

"Ukrainians: ​

Why not an unconditional ceasefire?​

'And why for 30 hours,
and not an unconditional ceasefire,
as the partners propose from March 11?',
wrote on Telegram the head of the Center for Combating Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Andriy Kovalenko.

This is not the first time Putin has proposed a holiday truce. In January 2023, he announced a ceasefire for the Orthodox Christmas holiday."

Much more in the link

Rosja ogłasza rozejm czasowy. Jest pierwsza reakcja Ukrainy.

"I dlaczego na 30 godzin, a nie bezwarunkowe zawieszenie broni, które proponujemy od 11 marca?" - pyta Andrij Kowalenko…

wiadomosci.wp.pl

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Putin can't be trusted.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

From my country's MSM

"This is why Pyongyang is arming Russia.​

View attachment 580214
North Korean ballistic missile launchers

The North Korean KN-23 ballistic missiles used by the Russians,
which were initially prone to failure,
have posed a much greater threat in recent weeks.

According to experts,
this is the result of modifications made based on experience with their use against the Ukrainians.

KN-23 ballistic missiles increasingly dangerous for Ukraine​

The Ukrainian expert believes that the KN-23 ballistic missiles have been significantly improved since the first Russian strikes, over the past several months.

He attributes this to the effects of close military-technical cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang,
which benefits both sides.

The Russians can attack Ukrainian cities more effectively,
and the North Koreans
can improve their weapons based on war experience,
not just tests on training grounds,
which worries not only Ukraine,
but also South Korea and Japan.

KN-23 ballistic missiles
were used in the attack on Sumy, which the Russians carried out on April 13.

It is thanks to the found fragments of the missiles that Ukrainian experts can assess their construction and capabilities."

More in the link
Click Translate

Prawda wyszła na jaw. To dlatego Pjongjang zbroi Rosję

Wykorzystywane przez Rosjan północnokoreańskie pociski balistyczne KN-23, które początkowo były podatne na awarie, w ostatnich tygodniach stanowią znacznie większe zagrożenie. Zdaniem ekspertów to efekt...

tech.wp.pl

This is terrible...

@Dotta please keep us updated. You do translate better than most of us!!!

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Breaking News ​

" 'Easter Truce'.​

Putin Announces 'Cease in Action'.​

Vladimir Putin called for an 'Easter truce'.

He announced that Russia
'will cease all military operations from 6:00 p.m. Moscow time on April 19
to 12:00 a.m. Moscow time on April 21'.

He called on Ukraine to make a similar declaration.

What do you need to know?

• Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed introducing a several-day 'Easter regime'.
• He hopes that Kyiv will also decide on a ceasefire.
• During previous 'ceasefires' Russia did not stop its attacks."

Much more in the link
Click Translate

"Rozejm wielkanocny". Putin zapowiedział "wstrzymanie działań"

Władimir Putin wezwał do "rozejmu wielkanocnego". Zapowiedział, że Rosja "wstrzyma wszelkie działania militarne od godziny 18.00 czasu moskiewskiego 19 kwietnia do godziny 00.00 czasu moskiewskiego 21 kwietnia"....

wiadomosci.wp.pl

oh my.... what game is he planning, this time??

 

[Dotta]

@Dotta please keep us updated. You do translate better than most of us!!!

Thanks,
but as I wrote earlier
the work is done by Google Translator

I should pass our regards to "it" haha

I only check the translated text

 

[Dotta]

"Prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia. Zelensky confirms.​

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Saturday
that Ukraine has returned 277 prisoners of war from Russian captivity.
The Russian side, in turn, is talking about an exchange according to the formula of 246 for 246.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported on his Telegram channel about the return of prisoners of war from Russian captivity.

'The return of our people home is one of the best possible news.
277 soldiers have returned home from Russian captivity'.

The role of mediators​

The exchange was brokered by representatives of the United Arab Emirates."

Much more in the link
Click Translate

Rosja wymieniła jeńców z Ukrainą. Przejmujące kadry

Prezydent Wołodymyr Zełenski ogłosił w sobotę, że Ukraina odzyskała 277 jeńców wojennych z rosyjskiej niewoli. Z kolei strona rosyjska mówi o wymianie według formuły 246 na 246.

wiadomosci.wp.pl

 

[Dotta]

No need to translate....

"Putin announces surprise ‘Easter truce’ ​

and claims ​

Russia will not attack Ukraine until Monday.​

Ukrainians react sceptically to Russian president’s orders to pause fighting out of ‘humanitarian considerations’."

Zelenskyy says Russia still firing on Ukraine despite ‘Easter truce’

Kremlin proclaimed a temporary ceasefire, but Russian artillery fire is continuing, according to Ukrainian president

www.theguardian.com

Zelensky calls Putin’s words ‘empty’ as Ukraine and Russia trade blame for breaking ‘Easter truce’

Kyiv says Russian shelling and drone activity have increased today while Moscow accused Ukraine of launching hundreds of drone attacks.

www.bbc.com

Putin declares temporary 'Easter truce' in Ukraine

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy called the proposal "yet another attempt by Putin to play with human lives."

abcnews-go-com.cdn.ampproject.org

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Thanks,
but as I wrote earlier
the work is done by Google Translator

I should pass our regards to "it" haha

I only check the translated text

i know , i know....... BUT at least you do see the original source!!!!

 

[Niner]

No need to translate....

"Putin announces surprise ‘Easter truce’ ​

and claims ​

Russia will not attack Ukraine until Monday.​

Ukrainians react sceptically to Russian president’s orders to pause fighting out of ‘humanitarian considerations’."

Zelenskyy says Russia still firing on Ukraine despite ‘Easter truce’

Kremlin proclaimed a temporary ceasefire, but Russian artillery fire is continuing, according to Ukrainian president

www.theguardian.com

Zelensky calls Putin’s words ‘empty’ as Ukraine and Russia trade blame for breaking ‘Easter truce’

Kyiv says Russian shelling and drone activity have increased today while Moscow accused Ukraine of launching hundreds of drone attacks.

www.bbc.com

Putin declares temporary 'Easter truce' in Ukraine

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy called the proposal "yet another attempt by Putin to play with human lives."

abcnews-go-com.cdn.ampproject.org

Like @TootsieFootsie said - I'll believe when I see it.... and Yes - Putin can not be trusted! Probably massing new recruits to the border....