April 20^th, 2022

1. Russia opened safe exits from Azovstal plant for the second time

Taking into account the catastrophic situation, created by Kiev at Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, the Russian Armed Forces have opened a humanitarian corridor for the withdrawal of Ukrainian servicemen and militants of nationalist formations who voluntarily laid down their arms from 14:00 till 16:00 Moscow time on April 19, 2022.

For this purpose, a ceasefire has been announced as well, any hostilities have been stopped, units of the Russian Armed Forces and the Donetsk People's Republic troops have been withdrawn to a safe distance along the entire perimeter of Azovstal.

In the immediate vicinity of the plant, three humanitarian convoys are deployed in three directions: the first one is from the western direction on Shevchenko street; the second is from the eastern direction on Pobeda avenue; the third is from the north direction on Taganrogskaya street. On all routes of movement of humanitarian convoys, the Russian Armed Forces, together with the formations of the Donetsk People's Republic, strictly observed the ceasefire.

Each humanitarian convoy consisted of 30 buses and cars for transporting people, 10 ambulances with medical and nursing teams. In addition, meeting points and temporary accommodation have been deployed in all three directions, food and primary medical care facilities have been organized.

It has been also stressed that if there are any civilians at the plant, as Zelensky has claimed, they could use these humanitarian routes in order to move into safe areas. The leadership of the DPR said that there were no civilians at the Azovstal plant, and the story of “the trapped civilians, including children inside it”, is a lie invented to save war criminals and terrorists from trial.

Once again, Russia called on the official authorities of Kiev to show prudence, to give appropriate instructions to the militants about ending senseless resistance and leaving the hotbed of resistance. But realizing that the commanders of Ukrainian units may not receive such orders and commands from the Kiev authorities, Russia urge them to make such a decision on their own and lay down their arms.

The leadership of the Russian Federation guaranteed the preservation of life, complete safety and the provision of qualified medical care to all those who have laid down their weapons. Russia has repeatedly, including through the surrender of Ukrainian marines who have laid down their arms and surrendered in practice, confirmed its humane attitude towards prisoners of war and its full compliance with the norms of international humanitarian law. And this time the Russian side guarantees compliance with the Geneva Conventions on the treatment of prisoners of war.

This statement was delivered to the Ukrainian side through Irina Vereshchuk, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of Ukraine.

2. One more provocation is planned by Kiev

According to the available reliable information, the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) is preparing another provocation to accuse the servicemen of the Russian Federation of so-called war crimes with the mass destruction of civilians in the Odessa Region.

To this end, in the near future it is planned to dress one of the SSU units in the uniform of Russian servicemen and make a demonstrative shooting of local residents. Photo and video footage of this action with alleged "Russian atrocities" will be published by Ukrainian and Western news agencies to immediately promote fakes.

The upcoming provocation of the Ukrainian authorities demonstrates their inhumane attitude to the fate of peaceful citizens of Ukraine and testifies to the complete disregard for all norms of morality and international humanitarian law.

Russia warns the countries of the "civilized West" led by the USA in advance that the Russian Federation has full-fledged operational evidence base about the upcoming additional terrible crimes of the Kiev regime.

3. Moscow responds to nuclear weapons claim

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has rejected claims that Moscow could resort to the use of tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

Lavrov was questioned on the issue during an extensive interview with India Today in Moscow on April 19th. When the journalist mentioned that “President Zelensky said that Russia plans to use tactical weapons,” the foreign minister didn’t even let her finish the question. “He says many things,” Lavrov said. He reminded that Russia had never mentioned the use of nuclear weapons as an option during its military operation in the neighboring country, and the Ukrainian leader was the only one to speak about this.

“I cannot comment [on] something, which a not very adequate person pronounces,” the Russian FM added.

Lavrov reiterated the notion that “there could be no winners in a nuclear war,” and assured that Russia would only rely on conventional weapons in Ukraine.

Zelensky claimed that Moscow could use tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine during his interview with CNN on April 15th.

4. New arms deliveries to Kiev

The USA recently announced a $800 million package of weapons for Kiev, including 200 aging armored personnel carriers and 18 towed howitzers. The Pentagon said US allies have helped bolster Ukraine’s fleet of fighter aircraft by donating spare parts needed to make more of the jets operable as fighting with Russia heats up in the country’s Donbass region. While Washington hasn’t been able to provide some of the Soviet-type weaponry that Kiev has requested, countries that have compatible gear in their inventories have stepped up to help, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters on April 19th. In recent days, such aid has included fighter jet parts.

Kirby didn’t identify the countries involved in the parts shipments; nor did he disclose the number or type of jets that have been repaired and put back into service. The USA and other NATO members have accelerated weapons shipments to Ukraine in recent weeks,

Germany explains way to send more of its arms to Ukraine. The Bundeswehr has no weapons to spare, but Berlin will pay defense industry to arm Ukraine, says Chancellor Scholz. The government in Berlin will pay the German military-industrial complex to produce weapons for Ukraine, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on April 19th after talks with G7 members. He added that the Bundeswehr has no weapons left to spare for Kiev from its own stockpiles, and will need a large-scale rearmament program.  “We initially supplied Ukraine with weapons from our stocks. Now we must recognize that our capabilities have reached their limits,” Scholz said. “Therefore, we are creating a special fund so that our army, after many years of savings, will finally be well-armed, and we are investing on a large scale in the Bundeswehr’s capabilities.”

From February 24^th, 21 NATO countries and four “neutral” states pledged to send arms and ammunition to Ukraine wroth of $ 6 bln (see the chart below in Russian only).

5. Situation on the battlefield

Armed Forces of Ukraine continued shelling of residential areas in the DPR and LPR.

AFU shelled the DPR 29 times by firing 217 artillery shells and mines. Seven civilians have been injured, 28 houses and two social structures have been damaged. Two areas in the LPR have been shelled by MRLS. Hjuman losses have not been announced.

Another Russian village was attacked from Ukraine early on April 19th, the governor of the southwestern Belgorod Region Vyacheslav Gladkov has claimed. The settlement of Golovchino, located some 10km from the Ukrainian border was targeted, the governor announced on his Telegram channel. In his words, “Three people were hurt” in the attack and rushed to hospital, he wrote. One of them has already been discharged after receiving treatment, while two women remain in medical care.

The shelling affected some 30 residential buildings in the village, Gladkov added. Windows were smashed, with damage also being delivered to roofs, fences and parked cars.

The U.S. and its allies have sent billions of dollars-worth of weaponry to Ukraine over the years, and committed billions more after Russia and its Donbass allies began a military operation in the country in February. Last week, U.S. officials said Moscow had "warned" the White House to stop sending advanced arms or face "unpredictable consequences"

A Russian precision airstrike has wiped out a logistics facility outside Lvov in western Ukraine containing large amounts of U.S. and European weaponry sent to Kiev in violation of the 1993 OSCE decision, Russian MoD announced in a briefing April 18^th (see annex in Russian only). It has been said that the same day, air-launched missiles fired by the Russian Aerospace Forces delivered a precision strike against the 124th Joint Logistics Center of the Logistics Forces Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Lvov. The logistics center and a large batch of foreign weapons delivered to Ukraine over the past six days from the United States and European countries was destroyed.

During the night, high-precision air-based missiles of the Russian Aerospace Forces suppressed 13 strongholds of the Ukrainian troops, as well as areas of enemy's manpower and military equipment concentration in Slavyansk, Barvenkovo and Popasnaya.

Russian Aerospace Forces hit 60 military assets of Ukraine. 2 depots of Tochka-U missile warheads were destroyed near Chervonaya Polyana and Balakleya. 3 command posts of Ukrainian troops as well as 53 areas of enemy's manpower and military equipment concentration were also hit.

Missile troops and artillery hit 1,260 military targets.

Destroyed were: 25 command posts of Ukrainian units near Nikolaev, Kirovsk; 2 missile and artillery weapons depots near Voskresensk and Nikolaev; 2 Buk-M1 anti-aircraft missile launchers near Gulyai Pole and Nikolaevka II, as well as 1,214 enemy manpower concentrations.

Russian AAD shot down 1 Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet near Malinovka, Donetsk Region. 2 Ukrainian Tochka-U tactical missiles were intercepted near Petropol'e and Malaya Kamyshevakha. 4 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed near Mar'inka, Kamenka, Semenovka and Sinichino.

Annex

DELIVERIES

 of deadly weapons by unfriendly nations to Kiev regime from February 24^th, 2022

Written by Vladimir P. Kozin