Timeline: day 54 of Ukraine's defense against russia's aggression
Today, April 18, russia's military attack on Ukraine has been going on for fifty-four days. We're reporting on all the current news. The article will be constantly updated.
What about today?
Key points
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy published a photo of the destruction after the arrival of the russian world: "The occupiers will be responsible for everything they did in Ukraine. For everything, they did against Ukrainians. They will be responsible for Bucha, Kramatorsk, Volnovakha, and Okhtyrka. Hostomel and Borodianka. Izium, Mariupol, and all other cities and communities of Ukraine, which the russian army put to the time of 80 years ago, at a terrible time about which everyone in the world has always said: 'Never again,'" the President wrote.
Fascist russia continues to bomb, and fire rockets and artillery at peaceful Ukrainian cities, bringing grief, death, and destruction. Especially in the East and South of Ukraine, where the rascists drew a lot of weapons and forces.
Soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine inflict significant losses on the occupiers both on the ground and in the air. In the last 24 hours of April 17, the air defense units of the Air Force and the Land Forces destroyed five air targets:
- 1 aircraft (fighter type "Su");
- 3 helicopters (two Mi-24 and one Ka-52);
- 1 UAV of operational and tactical level (Orlan-10).
In the territory of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, defenders of Ukraine repulsed 12 enemy attacks, destroyed 10 tanks, 15 units of armored and 5 units of motor vehicles, as well as 5 artillery systems of the enemy.
In the south, the enemy doesn't stop trying to regain control of Oleksandrivka in the Kherson region, but to no avail. The total losses of the invaders amounted to 60 non-humans and 16 units of military equipment, including 3 tanks, 4 rocket-propelled grenade launchers, 7 armored infantry and landing vehicles, and other vehicles.
The russians are preparing for a decisive battle for Donbas and want to win at least some victory before Easter, that is, on April 24, says the head of the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense, Kyrylo Budanov. He added that despite the "tactical victories," when the villages pass from hand to hand several times a day, the occupiers will not succeed, "they will not make it anywhere" and Ukraine will stand.
19:30 – The Armed Forces of Ukraine began to record signs of the beginning of the offensive operation of the russian military in the east; in Sloboda and Donetsk operational areas, the russian army intensified offensive and assault operations, according to the General Staff.
20:00 – russian troops are trying to break through the defenses in the East in several directions, focusing on Izium. However, the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Zaluzhnyi, says that the Ukrainian military manages to repel attacks, inflicting significant losses on the enemy.
Total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02 to 18.04:
Russia lost 39 armored personnel carriers and 17 tanks yesterday. Such figures have not been in the statistics for a long time. The losses of orcs are equal to the losses in the first days of the offensive.
Medvedchuk appealed to the presidents of Ukraine and russia to exchange him for defenders and residents of Mariupol, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reports. People's Deputy Viktor Medvedchuk, detained by the Security Service, addressed the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the President of the russian federation putin with a proposal to exchange him for defenders and residents of Mariupol. He noted that they were in a blocked city, without safe access through humanitarian corridors. Perhaps more cynical a person than the father of putin's godchild, who worked for decades for russia, which brought Mariupol to a humanitarian catastrophe, is the putin himself.
But it seems that russia is not very interested in Medvedchuk. The speaker of the russian president Dmitry Peskov promised to inform if vladimir putin decides to answer Oksana Marchenko about her request to help in the release of Viktor Medvedchuk.
More than 1,100 civilians went missing in the territories that were and are still under occupation. This was announced by Serhii Panteleiev, Deputy Chief of the Main Investigation Department of the National Police of Ukraine. Police have already opened nearly 900 cases on these facts. Police also documented the illegal detention of 544 civilians.
The first part of Ukraine's application for EU membership has been sent to the European Commission. This was announced by Deputy Prime Minister of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, Olha Stefanishyna. "As promised by President Zelenskyy, Ukraine has prepared a document in a week! Work has already begun on the second part," Stefanishyna wrote.
Photo: OPU
The Ambassador of the European Union to Ukraine, Matti Maasikas, published photos where Volodymyr Zelenskyy officially handed over to the European Union the completed questionnaire required for EU accession.
Humanitarian corridors
8:00 – The head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration Serhii Gaidai insists: the residents of the region should be evacuated immediately. "Have you seen the new Sievierodonetsk cemetery?! More every day… We do not want to dig graves, we want to live and develop! Make this decision. This week can decide a lot. When is the Victory? Each of us can influence it," said Serhii Haidai.
9:30 – The russian army entered Kreminna in the Luhansk region, and street fights began. Evacuation is impossible, said the head of regional administration Haidai.
On April 18, the evacuation will be carried out from Popasna, Rubizhne, Hiske community, Sievierodonetsk, and Lysychansk. Humanitarian corridors will be opened in these settlements in case of a ceasefire. They will evacuate in any case. Where they can get, they will take people.
Do not leave it too late when there is no safe exit from the area. Buses are waiting for you on April 18. Gather your things and come. Ukraine needs you alive! The authorities and military call on the population.
As of today, April 18, there will be no humanitarian corridors, Deputy PM Iryna Vereshchuk said. "Yesterday we held long and difficult negotiations on the corridors from Mariupol, Berdiansk, Tokmak, Enerhodar. We also worked on corridors from the Kherson region. Of course, negotiations were also held on corridors from the cities of the Luhansk region: Sievierodonetsk, Lysychansk, Rubizhne, Popasna, and Nyzhnie. However, in violation of international humanitarian law, the russian occupiers did not stop blocking and shelling humanitarian routes. Therefore, for security reasons, it was decided not to open humanitarian corridors today. We will make every effort to make the humanitarian corridors work again as soon as possible," the minister said.
12:00 – Serhii Haidai: More than 100 people were evacuated from the Luhansk region without humanitarian corridors and without a ceasefire! Today, together with the Patrol Police, the State Emergency Service, and volunteers, they were able to evacuate 49 residents of Lisytsia, 18 residents of Sievierodonetsk, and 23 people from the Hirske Community, and 14 residents of Rubizhne, and 4 residents of Popasna. Food, medicine, and hygiene items were brought for those who remained. They are already being transported to bomb shelters. The evacuation will continue tomorrow.
For the second day in a row, the russians have made it impossible to open humanitarian corridors from the areas of hostilities and the temporarily occupied territories. Routes are under constant fire, ombudswoman Liudmyla Denisova reports. Such actions by the rascist occupiers are a war crime under Articles 7 and 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and a gross violation of the 1949 Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.
"I appeal to the UN Commission to Investigate Human Rights Violations during the Horde's military invasion of Ukraine to take into account these facts of crimes and human rights violations in Ukraine," the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights called.
Who's coming to Ukraine?
About financial aid, weapons, and volunteer fighters
Ukraine needs to be delivered weapons quickly! In an interview with Bild, Ursula von der Leyen said that this applies to all member states of the European Union. "Those, who can, must act quickly because only in this way will Ukraine be able to survive in a fierce defensive battle against russia," von der Leyen added. The President of the European Commission also called on European leaders not to delay the decision because of differences in the categories of military assistance. "I do not distinguish between heavy and light weapons. Ukraine must get everything it needs to defend itself and what it can handle," von der Leyen said.
Mykhailo Podoliak thanked the Europeans for their help to Ukraine. "We may have problems with the governments of some EU countries regarding the supply of weapons, but we feel strong support from ordinary people across Europe. The way you help Ukrainians proves once again that we are all a big European family, for the safety of which Ukrainian soldiers are fighting today," said the adviser to the head of the Office of the President.
Assistance to refugees and those who receive them
Ukrzaliznytsia railway company said that Ukrainians need to present a foreign passport at the border to enter the European Union. The State Border Guard Service has not reported anything about it yet, but Ukrzaliznytsia asks to update the rules of crossing the border by Ukrainian citizens and announce it, as there are already cases of passengers putting off at the border due to lack of documents.
Latvia has approved the right to abortion for Ukrainian victims of sexual violence paid for by the state. Ukrainians do not need a police certificate and a consultation to terminate a pregnancy.
The Motor Transport Bureau of Ukraine shared good news for Ukrainians who are forced to flee the war. According to the bureau, several European countries have decided to exempt Ukrainians from paying for the use of toll roads. These are the routes of Bulgaria, Slovakia, Poland, and Germany.
News from partners
In the city of Perth (Western Australia), people sewed a large flag of Ukraine; its parameters are 15×3 meters. Everyone can leave their words of support for Ukraine on the flag. The flag was sewn by a German family. They will take the flag to Berlin, from where it will go to London, the United States, and other countries. In the end, with words of support from around the world, the flag will end its journey in Kyiv.
putin will not stop in Ukraine. The kremlin dictator wants to return to the borders of the russian empire and gain control of a number of European countries. This opinion was expressed by American diplomat Robert Pearson in an article on The Hill. According to him, the list of potential victims of putin includes not only Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, but also Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Moldova.
By the way, Moldova has refused to sell MiG-29 aircraft to Ukraine, which they have not been able to sell at auction for several years, "so as not to irritate Moscow."
As a result of the situation in Ukraine, the world has entered a new period of the Cold War, said the representative of the President of Turkey Ibrahim Kalin. "We are entering a new era, a new Cold War. We need to prepare for the impact it will have in the future. We need to be ready in many areas: food, energy, cybersecurity," he said.
Austria is studying the possibility of launching its own investigation into war crimes committed in Ukraine, the Ministry of Justice said. The agency said it was clarifying the legal basis under national law for such cases.
Ukraine has agreed with the UN proposal to establish a humanitarian contact group for coordination with russia, as well as humanitarian ceasefires, said the Deputy Secretary-General of the Organization. According to him, the UN invites Ukraine and russia to hold a meeting to discuss humanitarian issues. The UN also announces that it will reopen its office in Kyiv.
What's in russia?
"Our economy can live on reserves temporarily, in the second or early third quarter of russia will enter a period of structural transformation," said the chairperson of the Central Bank of russia Nabiullina. In russia, everything is stable: not an explosion, but a "bang," not a fire, but "smoke," not the end of the economy, but "structural transformation."
Meanwhile, rehearsals for the victory parade in moscow have begun in russia. MiG-29 aircraft trained to fly the letter "Z." The propaganda publication Ria Novosti claims that 11,000 servicemen will be involved in the parade.
Google has stopped hiding secret objects of Muskovy on its maps. In Google Maps, all military and strategic orc objects have become available in maximum resolution.
WARNING! "The shelling of Orthodox churches in Ukraine is being prepared for Easter," the russian Defense Ministry said. The aggressor state warned of "provocations with numerous victims" in five regions. This tactic is already well known: if Ukraine is accused of shelling in advance, it means that orcs are going to fire on temples in Ukrainian cities.
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has released a phone number for the russian military, who want to surrender and avoid the possibility of becoming another "cannon fodder." The Ministry requests that this information be disseminated as widely as possible. Send this photo to your friends and relatives in russia. Let them show it to those who are now in Ukraine and do not know how to surrender.
In russia, 51-year-old former vice president of Gazprombank Vladislav Avaev and two members of his family were found dead in Moscow. Previously, Avaev himself, who committed suicide, could have killed his pregnant wife and daughter. Police reportedly found three bodies with gunshot wounds in an apartment on Universitetsky Avenue. The call to the police came from relatives of the Avaev family, who could not contact the Avaevs for a long time, and then, arriving at their house, found the bodies.
What about Belarusians?
Belarusians have been thinking for a long time and came up with "where the attack is coming from." The Secretary of State of the Security Council of Belarus suspected Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania of preparing aggression against Belarus and threatened them with destruction, death, and explosions. In fact, it is not at all ridiculous when you know whose mouthpiece Belarus is.
russian lies
rossiya 1 TV channel showed a story about the creation of a personal religion for Azov fighters in Ukraine. According to the propagandists, all this is "in order to separate them from the society in which they lived." According to Yan Gagin, who calls himself an adviser to the DPR leaders, the Azov religion combines Scandinavian and Slavic beliefs and has its own goddess of death and a special prayer. "To confirm" their inventions, the channel showed in the story wooden statues that stand on many playgrounds in ordinary Ukrainian residential areas.
Life considering hostilities
The Ministry of Digital Transformation does not recommend Ukrainians discuss the movements and actions of the russian military with people in the occupied territories. "If your relatives, friends, or acquaintances are in the occupied territories, try not to discuss the movement and actions of the occupiers with them over the phone or on social media. This can be dangerous for their lives," the ministry said. The Ministry offers to tell all family and friends about YeVorih chatbots. With its help, they will be able to secretly share valuable information about the geolocation, movement, and actions of the enemy and help our military.
The State Cinema urges not to allow russian films to participate in the Cannes Film Festival. The main competition program of the Cannes Film Festival includes the work of russian director Kirill Serebrennikov's Tchaikovsky's Wife.
From April 20, IDPs will be able to apply for social assistance in the Diia app, Zelenskyy said. Each migrant can receive a living allowance of UAH 2,000 per month for an adult and UAH 3,000 per child.
There will be no additional days off during the martial law in Ukraine during Easter and May holidays. Therefore, April 25, May 2, and May 9 are normal working days.
monobank will stop serving customers who were before the war and have not yet left russia, Belarus, Crimea, LDPR, North Korea, Syria, and Eritrea on April 18. In total, it is 11 251 people.
Ukrposhta reported that about half a million stamps with a russian warship had been sold in five days. The circulation was one million copies. There are no plans to reprint new stamps.
Energoatom refuses russian uranium for nuclear power plants, the company's press service reports. Instead, it is planned to increase the purchase of resources from the multinational company Urenco.
Kyiv and region
Strict Irpin: locals make garbage bins from russian armored vehicles.
Police have completed all necessary investigative actions in Irpin to record russia's war crimes and handed over for examination the bodies of 269 dead locals, a separate case of the Rich Town residential complex is ready for transfer to the ICC. This was announced by the First Deputy Chief of the Main Investigation Department of the National Police of Ukraine Serhii Panteleiev.
In Horenka, they also found their "survived cabinet." And not just a cabinet, but also it was with canned food. Ukrainian owners do everything for a full due! Hold on, like those cabinets! Victory is ours!
Updated information on damage and destruction of facilities in the Kyiv region (according to local communities). As a result, 2541 objects suffered significant damage and destruction:
1,815 buildings were partially damaged. Completely destroyed:
– 38 multi-story buildings,
– 586 private estates,
– 8 educational institutions,
– 4 health care facilities,
– 8 cultural institutions,
– 2 sports facilities
– 6 life support facilities.
At about 1 p.m., an explosion was heard in Vasylkiv, Kyiv Region. This triggered the air defense system. The mayor of the city Natalia Balasynovych reported about it. She added that the situation in the city remained under control.
In Zhuliany, Kyiv, law enforcement agencies detained enemy sabotage and reconnaissance group. The detainees were found with a bag containing cigarettes, a walkie-talkie, money, and gold. A passport with a new photo and without a stamp on the photo was also found there.
A group of looters was detained in Bucha, who ransacked one of the construction supermarkets and took out tools, equipment, and even scooters. The total amount of the theft was over 5 million hryvnias.
Another good news: a temporary bridge has been opened across the Irpin River near the village of Stoyanka in the Kyiv region. Oleksandr Pavliuk, the head of the Kyiv Regional State Administration, said, "In the Kyiv region, near the village of Stoyanka, a crossing over the Irpin River was built on the M-06 Kyiv-Chop highway. Traffic on the temporary bridge was allowed as of today, April 18. The crossing was built in 13 days. Traffic on the temporary bridge has already begun." Important: only light vehicles weighing up to 10 tons are allowed to cross the bridge. Instead, heavy vehicles are allowed to bypass.
Donetsk and Luhansk regions
Starting at 4 am, the battalions of the Zaporizhzhia Separate Territorial Defense Brigade are fighting fierce battles along the entire length of the front line in the area of responsibility.
The enemy fired on the villages of Staromaiorske, Makarivka, Storozheve, Neskuchne, Vremivka, Pryiutne, Vyshneve, Malynivka, Poltavka, Novodarivka, Novoukrainske, and Stepove. Rashist troops used tanks, Grad missile systems, armored personnel carriers, and infantry.
8:30 – the orcs entered Kreminna. Street fights began. The russians hit the Olympus sports complex in Kreminna; an ignition area is 2400 square meters.
11:00 – according to the head of the regional state administration Serhii Haidai, the occupiers took control of Kreminna. The fighting continues. Evacuation from the city is no longer possible. In Kreminna, the occupiers fired on a civilian car. Previously, four people were killed and one was injured. People tried to leave on their own. The rascists deliberately opened fire on them.
In Lysychansk, six patrol policemen were wounded as a result of orc attacks on the Office building. Two people were killed and four were injured in the shelling of the town of Zolote. 7 people were rescued from the rubble in Rubizhne. More than 15 houses were set on fire in the region.
12:00 – At least 8 residential buildings, and educational and infrastructural facilities were destroyed as a result of a missile strike on Kramatorsk, says the head of the Donetsk Regional Department Pavlo Kyrylenko.
The enemy fired artillery at night in the Maryinka, Avdiivka, and Ocheretyne directions.
Mariupol
Many civilians, including infants and women, are hiding from the shelling at Azovstal in Mariupol, the Vershinin patrol police chief said.
Ukrainian journalist Artem Popov names the figures live: it is about 1,000 civilians.
According to Vershinin, the russians use the local population, which is about 100 thousand people, to excavate the rubble, and collect corpses. People "work" for food.
Also, absolutely everyone in the city is forced to wear white headbands on their right leg and left arm. All servicemen from the russian army and the so-called "DPR" have the same markings.
Adviser to the Mayor of Mariupol Petro Andriushchenko added details about the current state of Mariupol on UA Together:
- There are no doctors left in the city, which makes the humanitarian situation even worse.
- There are 4 filtration camps around Mariupol, where citizens are kept before deportation to russia.
- The number of civilians killed at the moment is about 22 thousand people. It will grow.
The commander of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade, Serhii Volyna, wrote a letter to Pope Francis. He asks to help save the people of Mariupol. After all, women with children are hiding in the bunkers of the Azovstal plant. In hunger and cold. Every day under the sight of enemy aircraft. "You have probably seen a lot in your life. But I am sure you have never seen what is happening in Mariupol. Because this is what hell looks like on Earth. I turn to you for help, because the time has come when not only prayers alone. Help save them. After the bombing of the drama theater and the maternity hospital, no one has faith in the russian occupiers. Give the world the truth, evacuate people, and save their lives from the hands of Satan, who wants to burn all living things!" Serhii Volyna addressed the head of the Catholic Church.
In Mariupol, the russian occupiers promise to pay in rubles compensation for the destroyed housing; this way the enemy is trying to conduct a ruble occupation, and then isolate the population, following the example of some areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Mariupol supports the idea of exchanging Medvedchuk for defenders and residents of the city. "If it (the idea of exchange) was real, if it really happened, it would be very good… It is better for us to exchange him for our heroes, for our people than in Ukraine he will get the punishment he deserves," said the adviser to the mayor of Mariupol Petro Andriushchenko.
Kharkiv region
In the Sloboda direction, the russian occupiers continue to partially block Kharkiv and try to prevent the fire defeat of our troops.
To expand the bridgehead on the left bank of the Siverskyi Donets River and create conditions for the rapid deployment of troops, the enemy conducted reconnaissance by fighting in the areas of the settlements of Zavody, Dmytrivka, and Dubrovno. It was unlucky, suffered losses and left," the General Staff of the Armed Forces reports.
The Zolochiv community in the Kharkiv region was shelled again: a resident of the village of Dovzhyk died. A fragment of a shell hit a woman while working in a greenhouse.
On the morning of April 18, russian troops shelled Kharkiv. As a result of the shelling of the Novi Budynky area, according to preliminary data, one person was killed and six were injured. The shells fell near the humanitarian aid point.
As a result of the russian shelling of the Osnovianskyi district of Kharkiv on Hagarina Avenue on April 18, two people were killed and criminal proceedings were opened, spokesperson for the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office Dmytro Chubenko confirmed to the Public. "According to the investigation, on April 18, 2022, at about 11:50 am, the russian occupiers fired on the Osnovianskyi district of Kharkiv. The shells fell on the playgrounds near residential buildings. A man and a woman died as a result of the shelling," the prosecutor's office said.
Because of the chaotic russian shelling, Kharkiv residents are asked not to leave the shelters all day on April 18. russian troops continue to shell the residential areas of the city. It is worth staying in cover all the time, even in the absence of air alarms.
17:00 – The Armed Forces of Ukraine liberated a number of settlements on the outskirts of Izium, said the spokesman of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Oleksandr Motuzianyk. "Yes, I can confirm. A number of settlements were liberated by the Ukrainian military as a result of intense hostilities," the spokesman said.
21:30 – in the Kharkiv region, the Ukrainian military shot down an enemy plane! Oleh Synehubov, the head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, announced this on the air of the telethon: Our biggest flashpoint is the Izium direction. There, our armed forces are actively resisting, holding their positions, which the enemy is constantly trying to break through, but it fails. And today we shot down an enemy plane near the town of Balaklia."
Kherson region
Kherson residents report that the russian occupiers are preparing a provocation in the city, said the spokesman of the Odesa military administration Serhii Bratchuk. According to him, in the area of Antonovka Bridge, the Russians are deploying GRAD missile launchers to strike at Kherson and accuse the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This should be the reason for "saving" the city by holding a referendum there.
The russian military released Serhii Skubenyk, a resident of Hola Pristan. There is no information about four more prisoners, including the mayor of Hola Pristan Oleksandr Babych, said the deputy of the City Council Yurii Zelenin.
"All units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine that arrived to reinforce the south of Ukraine came to liberate the Kherson region," said Serhii Khlan, a deputy of the regional council.
While residents of the Kherson region are waiting for liberation, the occupiers are restoring a monument to Lenin in Henichesk.
And in Kakhovka, employees of budgetary institutions, because of the occupation of the russian military, lost their jobs and funding, according to the Kakhovka City Territorial Community. Currently, the community leadership is trying to change the situation.
In the Kherson region, the russian military seized the towers and offices of the mobile operator Kyivstar. The prosecutor's office opened criminal proceedings for violating the laws and customs of war.
Mykolaiv region
In the Mykolaiv region, soldiers of a separate battalion of the Odesa brigade of marines destroyed one brood of invaders. Some of them were lucky enough to survive; they were taken prisoner, and some will go home in a black cellophane bag.
During the defense of Voznesensk and nearby settlements, a column of rascist equipment was destroyed.
This is how Mykolaiv lives now. Since April 12, the city has had no water supply. People are forced to take water from rivers, springs, and drains and collect rainwater from roofs.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian defenders are destroying the occupiers near Mykolaiv: some enemy units have lost more than 70% of their manpower. This is evidenced by new interceptions of telephone conversations of russian invaders, which are available to the Security Service of Ukraine. "Our regiment has the biggest losses, f*ck. We are almost gone. There were a thousand of us, there are about four hundred left," the occupier told his wife. Rashist is no longer thinking about capturing Ukraine, but about plans to return home and terminate his contract: "I will not come here for the second time!" Of course, you will not come, because you will soon be taken home in a plastic bag.
Odesa region
In the Odesa region, the Security Service neutralized an agent network working for the aggressor country and detained three of its agents. They collected intelligence: about military formations in the Odesa region, the location of checkpoints, volunteer centers, and the mood of the locals. If necessary, photo reports were sent.
Today, April 18, in the Odesa region, the anti-aircraft missile unit of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine shot down a russian unmanned aerial vehicle of operational and tactical level, which carried out air reconnaissance, the South Air Command reports.
Dnipropetrovsk region
In the morning, the Dnipropetrovsk region was shelled. In the Synelnykove district, the missile hit an infrastructure facility, injuring two people. In Pavlohrad district, the railway infrastructure was destroyed, without casualties. 60% of the missiles were shot down by Ukrainian air defenses, said the head of the administration, Valentyn Reznichenko.
Chernihiv region
Photo by Mark Melnik
Until recently, there was a library here, one of the prominent buildings of Chernihiv. Now there is a 5-meter funnel from the Russian 500-kilogram bomb. Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Mariupol, each city has the same signature: "The russian world came here."
"In Chernihiv, the blockages at the Gagarin Stadium were dismantled, and 25 kilometers of the M-01 highway were cleared of russian equipment. After the fierce fighting, there was a lot of burnt equipment of the occupiers, fragments of shells," said Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko.
And in Chernihiv, the payment for water supply services, garbage collection, and rent for 2 months was abolished. The decision concerns the fee charged by the city's utilities. In May, the issue of payment for services provided may return, depending on the situation with hostilities.
Zaporizhzhia region
The russian military fired banned phosphorous bombs at the city of Huliaipole in the Zaporizhzhia region. According to the regional administration spokesperson, the shelling destroyed residential buildings and social facilities.
In Zaporizhzhia region, about 70 people are being held captive by the occupiers, the Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration reports. "As of the evening of April 18, 155 cases of abduction of civilians by the occupying forces of the russian federation have been registered in the Zaporizhzhia region. Thanks to the joint work of the central and regional authorities, 86 hostages have already been released. 69 are still in captivity," the administration reports.
Zhytomyr region
In the Zhytomyr region, a priest is accused of collaborationism who, while communicating with parishioners, publicly supported russia's actions in Ukraine. The 64-year-old abbot will be held accountable in court.
Western Ukraine
8:30 – The mayor of Lviv Sadovyi reports about 5 aimed missile strikes in the city. Relevant services have left for the locations.
UPD: This morning there were four missile strikes on Lviv. Three were on the object of military infrastructure, one was on tire fitting. There are dead and injured. As of this hour, six people have been killed and eight injured, including one child.
10:30 – The mayor of Lviv Sadovyi confirmed that one of the missiles hit a civilian object, a tire service. The second object is warehouses that were not used. Rocket strikes preliminary killed 7 people and wounded 11, including 1 child. About 40 cars were damaged or destroyed. The shock wave shattered the windows of a hotel near where evacuated Ukrainians live.
According to Lviv City Council deputy Andrian Hutnyk, guided missiles arrived in Lviv and changed direction at the last moment. "The missiles were sent to the Ivano-Frankivsk region but were returned to Lviv at the last moment. The city lives and works in the usual rhythm, traffic is stabilized, some directions have been changed, the railway station is working in the normal mode," he said.
The head of the Ivano-Frankivsk Military-Civil Administration Svitlana Onyschuk appealed to the residents of Prykarpattia in the coming days, not to ignore the air raid alarm signals about possible airstrikes. "This week will be difficult for our region," Onyschuk warned.
The one who got out of Mariupol: mobile crematoria, remains of bodies on streets, lack of water, food and opportunities to keep warm. Life in occupied city and escape from it
