Ukraine: realities | «The Weekly Five»: 17.04 – 23.04
Ukrainian forces land on the left bank of the Kherson region – ISW
The Institute for the Study of War claims that Ukrainian forces have taken up positions on the left bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson region.
The institute's analysts said that Russian «military commanders» have provided enough geo-located video footage and text messages to confirm that Ukrainian forces have taken up positions on the eastern bank of the Kherson region.
«Geolocation footage published by a Russian blogger on April 22 shows that Ukrainian forces have taken up positions on the Dnipro river bank north of Oleshky (7 km southwest of Kherson) and advanced to the northern outskirts of the settlement on the E97 highway, as well as west of Dacha (10 km south of Kherson).
This footage also indicates that Russian forces may not be in control of the islands on the Kinka and Chaika rivers, located less than half a kilometer north of the Ukrainian military's geolocation positions near the Antonivskyi Bridge,» the ISW report says.
EU plans to ban transit of many goods through Russia - Bloomberg
The European Union intends to propose a ban on the transit of many goods through Russia in the 11th package of sanctions currently being prepared in Brussels. This was reported by Bloomberg.
The ban on transit will cover numerous technologies and other goods, including several types of vehicles, the agency's sources said. However, not all goods will be prohibited from transiting through Russia on their way to third countries.
Moscow has managed to circumvent restrictions on some technologies that have been sanctioned. Trade data previously reported by the agency indicate that modern chips and integrated circuits made in the EU and other countries are being shipped to Russia through third countries, including Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Kazakhstan.
German Defense Minister considers operations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Russia acceptable
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that the operations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Russia are completely acceptable.
He said this on German television, DW reports.
According to him, the situation in which the attacked country penetrates the enemy's territory during hostilities, for example, to cut off its supply routes, is absolutely normal.
«As long as cities, civilians, and civilian objects are not attacked, we will have to accept this. It's unwilling, but it has to happen, for example, to cut off supply routes,» the German minister said.
NATO Secretary General on Ukrainian counteroffensive: Ukrainian troops will liberate more territory
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has expressed confidence that Ukraine is ready to retake more territory as it prepares for an expected counteroffensive against Russian forces.
«I am confident that they will now be able to liberate even more land,» Stoltenberg told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
In addition, Jens Stoltenberg said that at the July summit in Vilnius, NATO member states are preparing to discuss Ukraine's membership and security guarantees for it.
«President Zelenskyy raised the issue of membership and security guarantees (for Ukraine – ed.). And this will be an important element of the agenda at this meeting, and NATO is preparing for it. Ukraine is choosing its future in the Euro-Atlantic family, Ukraine's future is in NATO, and Allies agree,» the NATO Secretary General said.
Modern IRIS-T and Patriot air defense systems are already in Ukraine
Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov confirmed that Patriot air defense systems have arrived in Ukraine.
«Today our beautiful Ukrainian sky is becoming more secure, as Patriot air defense systems have arrived in Ukraine,» the minister said.
In addition, a little earlier, Spiegel reported that Germany had handed over the second of the four promised IRIS-T SLM air defense systems to Ukraine. This information was later confirmed officially.
The project «Ukraine: realities» is implemented by the News agency «Konkurent» together with the Civic Movement «SVIDOMI» and the charity organization Global Empowerment Mission in English for readers from other countries to tell the stories of people who survived the horrors of the Russian occupation.
Проєкт «Ukraine: realities» реалізовується Інформаційним агентством «Конкурент» спільно з Громадянським Рухом «СВІДОМІ» та благодійною організацією Global Empowerment Mission на англійській мові для читачів з інших країн аби розповісти історії людей, які пережили жахи російської окупації.
