Kremlin and Defense Ministry statements, economic situation, international reaction
Russia continues its special operation in Ukraine. Vladimir Putin discussed its progress with the permanent members of the Security Council of the Russian Federation. Everyone noted the need to actively counter the information sabotage of the Ukrainian side, as was the case in Bucha. Meanwhile, the US Treasury released a list of Russian citizens and companies subject to sanctions. It included 8 individuals and 29 Russian structures. “MK” led online the previous day of the special operation.
10:02 Secretary of the General Council of the United Russia party Andrei Turchak advised Russian officials to personally go to the territory of Donbass to communicate with the civilian population before commenting on the situation. So he answered Peskov’s public statements.
9:54 Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that Russia and the United States were planning a meeting of a bilateral consultative commission on START-3 in the spring of 2022. However, the meeting was adjourned. And the point, according to him, is not in the situation around Ukraine.
It’s just that Geneva has ceased to be an acceptable platform for contacts because of the unfriendly actions of the Swiss authorities towards Moscow. At the same time, the United States refuses to transfer negotiations to another city.
9:50 The Russian military evacuated more than 300 civilians from Aleksandrovka and Stanislav in the Kherson region. They have been shelled by Ukrainian troops for more than a week now.
9:40 Criminal cases have been initiated against the fighters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine who are shelling the settlements of the LPR and DPR. This was announced in the TFR.
9:30 Ukrainian troops fired on Yasinovataya from the Grad. 25 rockets and six 122mm shells were fired.
9:22 The Russian military brought more than 60 tons of humanitarian aid to needy residents of the city of Izyum, Kharkiv region. This was reported in the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
9:10 Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Irina Vereshchuk said that the Kiev authorities will carry out the evacuation of civilians along 10 humanitarian corridors.
9:08 The Russian government increases funding for one-time payments of 10 thousand rubles to residents of the DPR, LPR and Ukraine who came to Russia.
9:04 French President Macron said the conflict in Ukraine will not end in the coming weeks. He calls for humanitarian aid to the population.
The European Union agreed on the fifth package of sanctions against Russia. The main restriction will concern the embargo on Russian coal. Meanwhile, Germany will stop coal imports from Russia for 120 days. At the same time, German Chancellor Scholz is postponing the decision to send tanks to Kiev.
Meanwhile, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced a response to sanctions against Putin’s relatives. One of the goals of the special operation in Ukraine, he called the prevention of the threat of the Third World War. He also acknowledged that Russia suffered “significant losses of troops” during a special operation in Ukraine.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported on the blocking of Ugledar and Novomikhailovka by Russian troops in the Donetsk region. It is also stated that the Ukrainian military fired on April 5 the Turkish ship “Azburg” with a Ukrainian crew in the port of Mariupol.