Battle in Ukraine, Day 425 Ukrainian forces have reportedly successfully established positions on the east bank of the Dnieper River, a sign that Russian forces are losing defensive positions in the south.
Most Important Events in Last 24 Hours:
- The city of Sevadopol in Crimea was hit by drones
- The United Nations Security Council meeting was chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
- On Sunday, at least one person was killed and several others were injured in bombings carried out by the Russian military in several parts of Ukraine.
- Lavrov has said that Moscow will not forgive the US for denying visas to Russian journalists
- ISW: There are serious discussions in the Kremlin about how to proceed with the war in Ukraine.
- Russia threatens G7 with canceling deal with Ukraine on grain exports
- The Chinese ambassador in Paris questioned Ukraine’s sovereignty. France’s reaction
- G7 condemns Russia’s use of food as a tool of ‘geopolitical coercion’
- At least five Russian missiles hit the city of Kharkiv and the surrounding area
Update 09:09 The city of Sevastopol, on the annexed peninsula of Crimea, was hit by drone strikes early Monday.
Pro-Moscow Governor Mikhail Razvojev announced that one of the drones had been shot down by local security forces and the second had exploded by itself.
There is damage related information at the time of this update.
Update 08:02 Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will chair a meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Monday.
A meeting with his US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, was not scheduled on this occasion.
“There are no such plans. In general, we do not have an agenda with the Americans to discuss at the ministerial level,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Sunday.
Tensions between Russia and the US are high over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and deepening diplomatic tensions.
Moscow said it “cannot forgive” the US for denying visas to Russian journalists traveling to the US to cover Minister Lavrov’s participation in the UN.
Russian state media indicated that Moscow would retaliate against American reporters.
Update 00:01 Ukrainian forces have successfully established positions on the east bank of the Dnieper river in recent days, a sign that Russian forces are losing defensive positions in the south, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said on Sunday (April 23).
As of Saturday, Russian military bloggers were able to provide enough geospatial images and reports to confirm the presence of Ukrainian troops on the other side of the natural border, the Washington DC-based research organization said. The Kherson region in the south of the country is close to Crimea and has been largely under Russian control since the early stages of the war.
Western analysts have long suspected that Ukraine would launch a spring offensive against Russian defensive positions, and the war has stalled over the winter as it nears its first year. By late 2022, Ukraine was able to recapture the city of Kherson, a major victory that left Russia in control of no major Ukrainian cities.
ISW was unable to confirm the scale or objectives of the landings, which appear to have taken place north of Olesky, a town across the Dnieper River from Kherson.
Footage recorded on April 18 shows Ukrainian amphibious vehicles landing on the eastern bank of the river and setting up a bridge. Bridges across the river were previously destroyed as Ukraine tried to cut off Russian supply lines at Kherson.
In addition to establishing positions on the banks of the Dnieper River, ISW sightings indicated that Ukrainian forces advanced on the northern outskirts of Oleshki and west of Dasi, destroying Ukrainian settlements on either side of the Antonievsky Bridge. Missile attacks to deter Russian forces earlier in Kherson city.
Sources say Russian forces are not in control of the islands in the Kinka and Cheika rivers near the Antonievsky Bridge.
Russian military bloggers reported that “on April 20 and 22, Ukrainian forces held positions in the eastern Kherson region for several weeks, established stable supply lines to these positions, and continued fighting in the area – all of which points to a lack of Russian control of the area”.
Natalia Humenyuk, head of the press center of the “Southern” operational command, neither confirmed nor denied the information and did not ask for informational silence.
“For example, I want everyone to understand that this is a very difficult task when it is necessary to cross an obstacle like the Dnieper. When the front line passes through such a wide and powerful river. Therefore, informed silence is necessary until the conditions of a military operation are sufficiently safe for our army. . That’s why we have to be patient,” Humenyuk said.
At the same time, he added, the occupiers in the left bank of the Kherson region are trying to hide behind the local population to provide themselves with a “human shield” along the new defense lines. In addition, the enemy tries to attract as many strong and well-prepared forces as possible.
War in Ukraine, April 23 | At least five Russian missiles hit the city of Kharkiv
War in Ukraine, April 22 | Danger of explosion at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant
War in Ukraine, April 21 | Pentagon chief: “Allies have brought tanks, armored vehicles and equipment for nine brigades to Ukraine”
War in Ukraine, April 20 | Russia “launders” oil in allied countries, and gasoline and diesel reach the European Union
War in Ukraine, April 19 | Ukraine will not announce the date of the spring counteroffensive
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