April 23, 2022
1. Humanitarian situation
Since 21st March 2022, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have been announcing daily humanitarian pauses during which a full ceasefire is imposed to evacuate all civilians from the city of Mariupol, without exception, in any direction they choose. The Russian side has done, and continues to do so, purely on humanitarian principles towards the civilian population. At the same time, the introduction of ceasefire led to a significant slowdown in the pace of the advance of troops and the postponement of the tasks of destroying the formations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and neo-Nazis in the city.
But, thanks to the measures taken, it was possible to evacuate 143,631 civilians and 341 foreign citizens from Mariupol, as well as to carry out the safe withdrawal of 1,844 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine who surrendered. All of them have their lives saved, safety is ensured and qualified medical care is provided. All this was done without any participation of the Kiev authorities, but towards the citizens of their own country.
These statistics indicate that the accusations of the authorities of Ukraine and the countries of the so-called civilized West against the Armed Forces of Russia and the formations of the Donetsk People's Republic are groundless in creating some obstacles to the exit of civilians and not providing conditions for the surrender of Ukrainian servicemen. These blatant lies and deception spread by the collective West in order to discredit the actions of the Russian Armed Forces during a special military operation have become almost around the clock.
It is suffice to look at the materials posted on the website of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation in the section of the Joint Coordination Headquarters of the Russian Federation for Humanitarian Response, where it scrupulously keeps the entire chronology of events every day. Anyone, including those who make loud statements, both official and unofficial persons of Ukraine and the Western "civilized world", will find all the exhaustive answers there.
The Russian Federation consistently informs the entire world community about its actions. For our country, this fundamental issue in the conditions of round-the-clock baseless information hysteria filled with millions of fake messages has been and remains one of the main aspects of all activities in the Ukrainian direction.
That is why, in accordance with this principled position, as well as guided by purely humane principles and in response to the ongoing allegations of the Ukrainian side about the alleged presence of civilians on Azovstal, Russia once again declared that it is ready to introduce a ceasefire at any moment and declare a humanitarian pause for the evacuation of civilians (if such they are actually located in the underground structures of the combine), as well as Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen who have expressed a desire to lay down their arms, militants of nationalist battalions, including wounded Ukrainian servicemen, whose presence is also announced daily by Kiev officials.
At the same time, Russia emphasized that if civilians are still at the metallurgical plant, it categorically demands that the Kiev authorities immediately issue a corresponding order to the commanders of the nationalist formations to release them.
At the same time, Russia declared that the forcible detention of civilians as "human shields" in accordance with the norms of international law is terrorism, and the officials of the Kiev authorities and the direct perpetrators of this inhuman action at Azovstal are war criminals and terrorists.
At the same time, the actual beginning of the humanitarian pause is the raising of white flags by Ukrainian armed formations around the perimeter or in certain directions of Azovstal.
In case of detection of such signs in any of the directions of the Azovstal plant, the Armed Forces of Russia and the formations of the Donetsk People's Republic immediately cease any hostilities and provide safe access to the gathering places of humanitarian convoys.
2. Ten Russian approaches to humanitarian issues
Russia announces 10 principled approaches of the leadership of the Russian Federation on this humanitarian issues:
1. Delivery of the civilian population is carried out to any point, both to the territory controlled by the Armed Forces of Ukraine and to the Russian Federation (this decision is made by everyone independently).
2. The surrendered servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, militants of nationalist battalions and foreign mercenaries are guaranteed the preservation of life.
3. The specified categories of citizens are guaranteed complete security.
4. All, without exception, will be provided with qualified medical care, including primary care at collection points.
5. This humanitarian initiative on the part of the Russian Federation operates around the clock.
6. In order to implement the measures of this humanitarian action, the Russian side in the city of Mariupol keeps a sufficient number of buses, motor vehicles for transporting people, as well as ambulances with medical and nursing teams in constant readiness.
7.This urgent statement is subject to immediate communication to the United Nations, the OSCE, the International Committee of the Red Cross and other international organizations, diplomatic missions of all foreign states through all available communication channels and information resources.
8. The specified statement will be continuously brought to the Ukrainian formations at Azovstal plant on all radio channels with an interval of every 30 minutes.
9.Through operational communication channels, this statement is immediately communicated to the Ukrainian side through Irina Vereshchuk, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of Ukraine.
10. The specified urgent statement is subject to immediate publication on all information resources.
Meanwhile, in the Kharkov region, in settlements liberated from nationalist battalions, Russian servicemen help the population to restore peaceful life and, with the support of local residents, participate in the organization of daily life.
Humanitarian cargo is also delivered to the population, primary medical care is provided. People with chronic diseases and in need of inpatient medical care are taken to specialized medical institutions.
During the advance of Russian troops, military personnel in the liberated territories deploy road commandant garrisons, which ensure the safety and escort of convoys of armored and automotive vehicles, including those carrying humanitarian supplies. The safety of the movement of convoys is also carried out by the crews of attack helicopters of the army aviation.
3. Russia revealed the tempo of peace talks with Ukraine
Russia has not received any answer from Ukraine to its most recent peace proposals, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters on April 22nd, adding that Kiev is conveying the impression that it isn't interested in a diplomatic solution to the ongoing military conflict.
His words came two days after Moscow said it had forwarded a “draft document” on a settlement, with concrete wording. Kiev confirmed it had received the document and was reviewing it. However, at the time, President Zelensky stated he had not seen anything containing proposals from Moscow.
Lavrov questioned Kiev’s position on the talks during a press-conference. It was “very strange” for him to hear statements from Kiev, including those by aides to Ukrainian president, that “suggest they do not need these talks at all,” Lavrov added.
Earlier this week, Ukrainian presidential adviser Alexey Arestovich warned that peace talks with Moscow could be halted if Russian troops seized Mariupol, a strategically valuable port city on the Black Sea. When asked to comment on these statements, Lavrov explained that Moscow sees any “ultimatums” as unacceptable. The city has been totally captured, except Azovstal plant.
4. Situation on the battlefields
During the day, 13 military assets of Ukraine were hit by high-precision air-based missiles of the Russian Aerospace Forces. Among them: 2 control points, 11 strong points and areas of Ukrainian manpower and military equipment concentration.
As a result of the strikes, up to 2 companies of nationalists were eliminated, as well as 27 Ukrainian armored vehicles and cars. In addition, 1 depot of missiles for Osa-AKM anti-aircraft missile systems was destroyed in Chervonnoe.
Operational-tactical and army aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces hit 26 military assets of Ukraine. Among them: 2 command posts and 21 areas of manpower and military equipment concentration. 3 missile and artillery weapons depots were destroyed near Toretskiy, Komar and Bogatyr.
During the day, missile troops hit: 1 command post, 5 areas areas of manpower and military equipment concentration, as well as 1 artillery battery. 1 Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter, 1 Buk-M1 anti-aircraft missile system, as well as 1 electronic warfare station were destroyed at the airfield near Barvenkovo.
Russian air defence means destroyed 3 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles near Bolshie Prokhody, Shurovka in Kharkov Region and Spartak in the Donetsk People's Republic.
In total, 140 aircraft and 107 helicopters, 523 unmanned aerial vehicles, 258 anti-aircraft missile systems, 2,458 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 272 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,069 field artillery and mortars, as well as 2,305 units of special military vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were destroyed during the operation.
5. The losses on board cruiser Moskva
As a result of a fire on April 13, the Black Sea Fleet flagship Moskva was seriously damaged due to a detonation of ammunition, Russia's Ministry of Defense outlined on April 22nd. One serviceman died and another 27 crew members went missing, and attempts by the crew to put out the fire were not successful, the statement added.
The Russian MoD earlier announced that the Moskva sank while being towed to port amid poor sea conditions. It said that the warship’s hull had been damaged by an ammunition explosion that was caused by an onboard fire.
Written by Vladimir P. Kozin
