Protests in Ukraine escalate

[Natalka]

Past 24 hours in the war zone
Russian-backed troops launch 44 attacks on Ukrainian positions in Donetsk, Luhansk and Mariupol sectors.
Five Ukrainian soldiers wounded.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin in Toronto, Canada: "The main result is that G7 countries regard the aggression against Ukraine as aggression against the entire civilized world. All the participants stated this very clearly. We also agreed to join forces to repel this aggression."

[Natalka]

Pavlo Koval was killed on April 20, 2018 in the war zone. Location and circumstances still under investigation.
Pavlo was born in Volochysk, Khmelnytsky Oblast in 1984. He graduated from the Podilsky Agrarian Technical Academy and worked at the Volochysk Machine-Building Plant Motor Sich PJSC. He was mobilized and then signed a service contract. Served in the 24th Separate Motorized Brigade.
Pavlo leaves behind his grieving mother and brother.
Вічна Пам’ять! Eternal Memory!
Герої не вмирають! Heroes Never Die!

[Natalka]

Past 24 hours in the war zone
Increase in hostilities as Russian mercenary troops launch 69 attacks on Ukrainian positions in Donetsk, Luhansk and Mariupol sectors.
Eleven Ukrainian servicemen wounded.

Anatoly Petrenko, Deputy Defense Minister of Ukraine on European Integration at international conference on NATO: "Russia has amassed in the temporarily occupied Crimea more than 32,000 military personnel, 174 artillery systems, 113 aircraft, warships and submarines, as well as S-400 air defense and Iskander tactical missile systems. Russia also deployed eight warships and submarines equipped with Kalibr missiles, and set up coastal anti-ship missile systems Bastion and Bal."
Moldova's intelligence service says its operatives have identified at least 62 people, mostly from the breakaway region of Transnistria, fighting for pro-Russian separatists in Eastern Ukraine.

[Natalka]

Spring comes to the war zone.

[Natalka]

Past 24 hours in the war zone
Russian proxies launch 33 attacks on Ukrainian positions in Luhansk, Donetsk and Mariupol sectors.
Five Ukrainian soldiers wounded.
Russian aggressor used multiple rocket launchers, Grad, as well as 152 mm artillery, 120 mm mortars, and tanks.

[Natalka]

On 24 April, the Russian-occupation forces pounded the villages of Luhanske and Novoluhanske (Donetsk Oblast) with 122mm artillery and 120mm/82mm mortars. The photographs show the consequences of the fire attack on Luhanske.

[Natalka]

32 years since Chornobyl accident

The catastrophic accident at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant (NPP) near the city of Prypiat occurred overnight into 26 April 1986. By the evening of that day, two people had died in the city from effects of radiation exposure; 52 more were hospitalized.

24 hours after the blast, the authorities ordered residents to evacuate Prypiat and other settlements in the 10-kilometer zone. Residents were told to bring only what was necessary for approximately three days. Pets and most personal belongings were left behind. Ten days later, the evacuation area was expanded to 30 km. In total, about 200,000 people were evacuated from the 30 km zone. Among them, more than 50,000 residents of Prypiat and about 14,000 inhabitants of the city of Chornobyl located about 10 km from the NPP.


Later, some people returned to their homeland. They are now known as samosely or self-settlers. As of 2017, the city of Chornobyl has a population of 690.

[Natalka]

Past 24 hours in the war zone
Russian-backed forces launch 52 attacks on Ukrainian positions in Luhansk, Donetsk and Mariupol sectors.
Five Ukrainian servicemen wounded.

Nine houses in Zaitseve, Donetsk Oblast heavily damaged by enemy artillery strike.
PACE Vice-President Heorhiy Lohvynsky says the resolution earlier adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which recognized that part of Donbas is "effectively controlled" by the Russian Federation, will become a base for international suits and sanctions against the aggressor state.

[Natalka]

Past 24 hours in the war zone
Russian-backed forces launch 53 attacks on Ukrainian positions in Donetsk, Luhansk and Mariupol sectors.
Three Ukrainian servicemen wounded.
Boris Gryzlov, a Russian representative to the Trilateral Contact Group says new major prisoner swap possible in Donbas

[Natalka]

Dmytro Sheptsov died of an ischemic stroke during active service in Donetsk Oblast on April 24, 2018.
Dmytro was born on January 19, 1977 in Sevastopol, but lived in Odesa as of 2014. Before the occupation of Crimea, he lived in Sevastopol. In 1998, he graduated from the Nakhimov Naval Academy and continued serving in Sevastopol. In the spring of 2014, during the Russian invasion and occupation of Crimea, he urged the Ukrainian officers to protect their honor and preserve the oath of loyalty. After the annexation of Crimea, Lieutenant-Colonel Dmytro Shcheptsov and Second Captain Oleksandr Shcheptsov traveled to mainland Ukraine and continued serving in Odesa [16].
Dmytro served as Lieutenant-Colonel, Senior Officer, and Commander in the Naval Forces of Ukraine. He was often deployed to the war zone, notably to Donetsk Airport and Debaltseve.
Dmytro leaves behind his grieving parents, brother, wife and three children – two sons and a daughter. His older son also serves in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Вічна Пам’ять! Eternal Memory!
Герої не вмирають! Heroes Never Die!

[Natalka]

25-year-old Kostyantyn Parshenko was killed near Novoaidar, Luhansk Oblast on April 28, 2018.
Kostyantyn was born in Rudkivtsi, Khmelnytsky Oblast, but resided in Kamyanets-Podilsky. He served in the 11th Battalion of the 48th Engineering Brigade.
Kostyantyn leaves behind his grieving parents and brother.
Вічна Пам’ять! Eternal Memory!
Герої не вмирають! Heroes Never Die!

[Natalka]

Delivery Of Javelin Antitank Missiles To Ukraine



KYIV -- The United States has confirmed to RFE/RL its delivery of American-made, Javelin antitank missile systems to Ukraine in a move that is welcome in Kyiv but will almost certainly enrage Moscow amid a four-year conflict that pits Russia-backed separatists against Ukrainian national troops.


"They have already been delivered," a U.S. State Department official confirmed on April 30 in response to an RFE/RL query on the handover of Javelins.


In a statement posted on Facebook, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko also confirmed the delivery and said his country continues "to strengthen our defense potential in order to repel Russian aggression."


"I am sincerely grateful for the fair decision of [U.S. President] Donald Trump in support of Ukraine, in defense of freedom and democracy," Poroshenko wrote. "Washington not only fulfilled our joint agreement, it demonstrated leadership and an important example."

https://www.rferl.org/a/javelin-miss.../29200588.html

[Natalka]

Joint Forces Operation (JFO replaces ATO) kicks off in Donbas. The Joint Forces will take over monitoring over the situation in the zone of hostilities in the east of Ukraine.

[Natalka]

41-year-old Viktor Dyachenko, call sign “Bandera”, passed away on April 29, 2018. His motorcycle was hit by a delivery truck in Kharkiv on April 21; Viktor slipped into a coma from which he never awakened…
Viktor was from Kharkiv. A war veteran, he served from 2014-2016 as senior officer in the 92nd Separate Motorized Brigade, deployed at Shchastya and Maryinka. After returning home from military service, Viktor became involved in public life.
Viktor leaves behind his wife and two children.
Вічна Пам’ять! Eternal Memory!
Герої не вмирають! Heroes Never Die!

[Natalka]

Past 24 hours in the war zone
Russian-backed troops launch 44 attacks on Ukrainian positions in Luhansk, Donetsk and mariupol sectors.
Three Ukrainian servicemen wounded.

Head of the Donetsk Military and Civil Administration, Pavlo Zhebrivsky says that with the start of Joint Forces Operation in eastern Ukraine, access to territories beyond Ukraine's control and zone of hostilities becomes restricted
President Poroshenko says Joint Forces Commander Serhiy Nayev will be primarily responsible for repelling any large-scale armed aggression in case Russia launches full-blown offensive in Donbas.