Timeline: day 62 of Ukraine's defense against russia's aggression

Alice Smahina

Today is April 26. russia's military attack on Ukraine has been going on for more than two months. We're reporting on all the current news. The article will be constantly updated.

What about today?

Key points

The Ukrainian Armed Forces struck 10 targets of ruscists over the past day in the sky over Ukraine, the Command of the Air Force of the Armed Forces reported. Enemy losses:

• 3 planes (Su-34, shot down in the Kharkiv region, Su-35, Su-30);
• 3 cruise missiles;
• 4 UAV OTL.

The servicemen of the Joint Forces successfully repulsed 6 enemy attacks in the Donetsk and Luhansk directions. Ukrainian defenders destroyed:

• 4 tanks
• 5 artillery systems
• 13 units of armored vehicles
• 15 units of automotive equipment
• 2 fuel tanks
• 1 anti-aircraft gun

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the russian army has lost 918 tanks and more than 22,000 soldiers.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine refuted rumors that before the invasion of russian troops, the bridge near Chongar on the administrative border with Crimea was not mined. "The bridge was mined, but we were opposed by the enemy forces more than 15 times bigger than us," the General Staff said on its Facebook page.

"All conclusions about the legitimacy of the decisions taken during the hostilities will be made in the manner prescribed by law after their completion," the General Staff said.

Mykhailo Podoliak collected the dubious "achievements" of the russians in the war against Ukraine.

• In 60 days, they lost almost 22,000 of their soldiers (killed).
• Seven (according to unconfirmed data – nine) generals were lost in 60 days.
• "russian warships" (including "Moscow") have followed the right direction.
• They proved to the world that russians are synonymous with mass violence, killing children, and burning the corpses of civilians.
• They proved to the world that russia is such a "rich" country that its army steals toilets, dog kennels, and worn-out items from Ukrainians en masse.
• It has been proven to the world that schizophrenia can be collective and endless.
• They made the whole world willingly beat for the russian passport.
• They collected the heaviest sanctions and applied for a battle against North Korea for the title of the world's biggest outcast.

We made Ukraine a global symbol of freedom and stability.

"On February 24, most people in the world did not believe that we would survive for more than a week. A month ago we had to convince different countries that betting on Ukraine was a win-win. And now everyone knows it. A global anti-war coalition was formed two months later. Ukraine is receiving aid from dozens of countries, including support with weapons, finances, necessary goods, and political support directly," he said in a daily video address.

Bucha, Borodianka, Hostomel, Okhtyrka, Chernihiv and Sumy, Izium, Kharkiv, Volnovakha, Zolote, Sievierodonetsk, Rubizhne, Popasna, and Mariupol – all cities and communities of Ukraine – russia has shown what it wants and what it can really bring to Europe. Robbery, rape, death, and destruction are the true face and ideology of putin's russia.

Seven were killed, and 15 are missing. During the two months of the war, the occupiers committed 243 crimes against Ukrainian journalists and media. Among those killed were three Ukrainian journalists and four foreign journalists, five men and two women. All of them died in the line of duty. Nine more journalists were injured.

At least 106 regional media outlets were forced to shut down due to threats from the russian occupiers, seizure of newsrooms, inability to work under temporary occupation, and printing newspapers.

russian troops failed to destroy Ukrainian fuel reserves, so the enemy switched to attacking the country's logistics infrastructure. The adviser to the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Vadym Denisenko, reported about it. "We managed to disperse the fuel, and the plan failed; now they have started targeting the railway infrastructure to stop the movement of goods across the country because due to the blockade of ports, all exports go across the western border."

The UN Secretary-General's Office says putin has agreed to involve the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross in evacuating civilians from the Azovstal plant in Mariupol. "Further discussions will be held with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the russian Ministry of Defense."

It is proposed to establish a trilateral group with Ukraine and russia for the effectiveness of humanitarian corridors. "We need to work together, together with the armed forces of both russia and Ukraine, to solve the problem once and for all. This will be the initial operation to evacuate civilians from the Azovstal plant," the UN Secretary-General said.

Ukraine's talks with russia

Lavrov said that the russian-Ukrainian war would end with the signing of an agreement, but there are conditions. "As in any situation where the armed forces are used, of course, everything will end in an agreement, but the parameters of this agreement will be determined by the stage of hostilities, during which this agreement will become a reality," Lavrov said.

Trophies of the Ukrainian Armed Forces

The Ukrainian military made a barbecue from the remains of russian warheads. The Ukrainian Embassy in the United States is already collecting information on Twitter on how to order such a copy.

About financial aid, weapons, and volunteer fighters

Today in Germany, the defense ministers of 40 countries will discuss military assistance to Ukraine. According to General Mark Millie, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the main task of the talks is to synchronize and coordinate military aid to Kyiv. The meeting is to take place at Rammstein Air Base.

The Prime Minister of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki confirmed the transfer of tanks to Ukraine on Polish television but refused to name their number for security reasons.

Denmark was the first to contribute to the Fund for the Restoration of Destroyed Ukrainian Energy Infrastructure. This was reported by the Cabinet of Ministers. The Fund's money will be used to rebuild infrastructure damaged or destroyed during the war. It is expected that suppliers will be selected by international procurement agencies with experience in the field of energy.

Germany will hand over Gepard anti-aircraft self-propelled units to Ukraine. This was stated by Christine Lambrecht, Minister of Defense. Lambrecht also said that Germany would help Eastern European countries that agree to hand over Soviet weapons to Ukraine and find a replacement.

In addition, the Minister of Defense stated that Germany, together with the United States, is working on organizing training for the Ukrainian military, which needs to learn how to use Western artillery.

Germany plans to provide Ukraine with heavy weapons for the first time: according to Defense Minister Lambrecht, it is about Gepard anti-aircraft self-propelled systems.

The United Kingdom is handing over 22 ambulances and more than 40 fire engines to Ukraine, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said. Ambulances are equipped with basic kits; they will be sent at the request of the Ukrainian side in the coming days. Britain also provides Ukraine with medicines and medical devices for 300 thousand pounds.

The total cost of humanitarian aid to Ukraine provided by Britain is already about 400 million pounds.

Assistance to refugees and displaced persons

From May, not all IDPs will receive assistance. The Cabinet of Ministers has amended the Procedure for providing housing assistance to IDPs, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers on March 20, 2022, № 332. From May 2022, such payments will be available only to:

• persons displaced from areas of hostilities who are unable to return;
• persons who cannot return to their place of residence due to destruction or damage to property.
• such payments will be suspended for people returning to their main place of residence.

However, even if persons remain in places of forced resettlement and their property at their main place of residence is not damaged and the settlement is not in a combat zone, payments to IDPs will not be transferred either.

Uniting for Ukraine: The US Department of Homeland Security has developed a website to help Ukrainians; Americans can apply for help from victims of russian aggression. The site is currently open only to potential sponsors and contains a link to a form confirming the financial ability to help Ukrainians seeking asylum in the United States.

The Cabinet of Ministers and the mission of the International Committee of the Red Cross will launch a new program of benefits for internally displaced persons, amounting to UAH 2,500 per person. "The government, with the participation of the Mission of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Ukraine and the Red Cross Society of Ukraine, will launch a new program of benefits for IDPs," Shmyhal wrote. Financial assistance under the program will amount to UAH 2,500 per person. Payments will be made on the basis of available information from the IDP database. That is, according to Shmyhal, no applications will be required to receive payments. The Prime Minister estimates that almost 1 million people will receive the payments. Preference will be given to IDPs from the occupied territories and combat zones.

News from partners

Graffiti "Neptune destroys the devil's ship" in support of Ukraine appeared near Hala Koszyki in Warsaw. The author is Belarusian artist @street_wind_.

The image of Neptune symbolized the Ukrainian military, who, with the help of a trident, destroys the russian death ship.

Britain has announced that it will abolish tariffs and quotas on goods from Ukraine. This decision will apply to key items of Ukrainian exports, such as barley, honey, canned tomatoes, and poultry. Tariffs will initially be reduced for 12 months, but this decision can be extended.

In addition, Britain has banned the export of electronic equipment to russia that can be used to intercept messages and track Ukrainians.

Britain believes that Ukraine has the right to strike at military facilities in russia. The deputy secretary of parliament for the armed forces said that "in the war, Ukraine must strike deep into the enemy to attack its logistics lines, fuel supplies, ammunition depots, and this is part of the war." He also said that London would consider the attacks on facilities in russia by the Ukrainian military as "a legitimate response to russian military aggression."

China has responded to russia's talks on the possibility of a third world war. "China is not interested in the Third World War and supports the peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

In the afternoon, Erdogan and putin spoke on the phone. putin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Ukraine was being discussed during the conversation. He did not give other details.

Today, Turkish media reported that Erdogan would offer putin to continue talks between Ukraine and russia in Istanbul.

"putin must be defeated in Ukraine," said British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace. "Our strategy is twofold. First, putin must be defeated in Ukraine. His invasion must fail. Ukraine decides when it wants to agree to peace. And we will do our best to support them."

russia has stopped supplying gas to Poland, according to the Polish portal Onet, citing sources. According to the newspaper, the official decision should be announced today.

After meeting with Polish Climate Minister Anna Moskva in Warsaw, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said Germany was ready to cut off russian oil supplies: "Today I can say that the embargo has become acceptable to Germany."

Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová has written a russian-language address to russian soldiers and commanders calling for an end to the war in Ukraine. Čaputová's address is posted on her Twitter page. "Every war is violence. Therefore, on the way to civilization, humanity has agreed on certain rules to protect those who may fall victim to war. But officer honor and military discipline, and the rules of warfare are lost," she said.

What's in russia?

Estonian customs officers found 3.5 tons of cocaine on the Milan Express ship in the port of Muuga. The cargo of the ship bound for Ecuador consisted of containers whose destination was the russian federation. It is one of the largest quantities of cocaine seized in the Baltic and Northern European regions. Its retail value is about 500 million euros. How can russia be without "sugar for the rich" now?

In the Ulyanovsk oblast, an unknown person did a shooting in a kindergarten. A man came to the institution with a gun, shot a nanny, and two children, and shot himself. Police officers are working on the spot.

What about russian minions?

As a result of two explosions in the village of Mayak in Transnistria, two powerful antennas of the radio center, which retransmitted the radio of the russian federation, were out of order, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Transnistria reported. Official Chisinau sees the explosions in Tiraspol as an attempt to escalate the situation in Transnistria.

Since yesterday it has been restless in Transnistria. There are explosions at various sites. Earlier in russia, it was stated that the second stage of the special operation will be connected with the exit to Transnistria, and today the "throw to Transnistria" was talked about by the "head of the DPR" Denis Pushilin. He said Transnistria would be taken into account in the "next phase of the operation."

Currently, checkpoints are being set up in Transnistrian cities, local authorities said. The security forces have been transferred to an enhanced service mode. Transnistrian city educational institutions have been transferred to distance learning by the end of the school year. The parade on May 9 was canceled. The situation is very similar to the pre-war situation in Donbas.

Meanwhile, Moldovan President Maia Sandu is convening a Security Council meeting over incidents in Transnistria.

Residents of unrecognized Transnistria began receiving SMS, allegedly on behalf of the Armed Forces and special services of Ukraine. They report that "missile and artillery shelling of objects on the territory of the republic will be carried out at exactly 19.00." These reports are actively covered by russian propaganda information resources. However, Ukraine has nothing to do with this and similar provocations. Such fakes and incidents, which are likely to take place on the territory of Transnistria, are nothing more than another provocation of the russian special services against Ukraine and Moldova.

The Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine explains the reasons for russia's provocations in Transnistria:

• Provocations of the horde in Transnistria were carried out by the FSB to open an additional front in the Odesa region. Such a situation will force the Ukrainian Armed Forces to pull forces in this direction, weakening them in the Mykolaiv area. Transnistria follows the Belarusian scenario, supporting the horde without entering the active phase of the war.
• The second reason for the provocations is to justify their actions in Ukraine. After dropping the shelling from Tiraspol on the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the horde, "rescuing its own," justifies the invasion of Ukraine and the death of thousands of its soldiers.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu has made a number of statements on the situation in Transnistria.

• Moldova does not plan to blockade Transnistria but advocates peaceful dialogue and diplomatic decisions
• Moldova raises the level of readiness and strengthens the security of public institutions
• No talks are planned with putin.

russian lies 

The Center for Counteracting Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine warns that the enemy may be planning provocative explosions on the dam of the Karlivka Reservoir. Thus, in several Telegram channels of the Horde, which provide media coverage of the Horde's war against Ukraine, there was information that "in the village of Karlivka (ORDO) nationalist battalions mined the dam of the Karlivka Reservoir." Such information intrusions may be an informational and psychological operation of the occupiers, but given the nature of the enemy's war against Ukraine, the possibility of implementing such a plan cannot be completely ruled out.

Podoliak called russia a country of "fakes" after another ruscist report of the capture of Mariupol. He explained that Azovstal was 1/5 of Mariupol. That's why the stories about the capture of the city with the amendment "except Azovstal" sound just ridiculous.

Sanctions on the aggressor!

Muscovy is left by even their own producers. The first to leave the country is the production of Ural motorcycles. The manufacturer is forced to move production to Kazakhstan. The decision is due to a lack of components.

russia will not be allowed to hold international figure skating competitions because of the war in Ukraine, said the International Skating Union (ISU). The organization said that the Rostelecom Cup was also canceled.

Tour operator TUI sent a letter to Turkish hotels demanding to cancel the booking of russian tourists. As TUI provides a key part of the tour in Turkey, Turkish hotels are forced to accept these conditions. The reason was that travel agencies in several European countries issued an ultimatum to the tour operator: in the hotels where their tourists stay, there should be no russians to avoid conflicts. Existing russian bookings must be canceled and russian tourists expelled.

Life considering hostilities

The United language project, aimed at supporting those who are switching to Ukrainian, has started in Ukraine. "United" is a 28-day support course, during which its participants will receive tasks and training materials that will help overcome the language barrier; will take part in webinars and talk clubs in their city. Participation in the project is free. To register, you need to leave your contacts in Google form and join the Facebook page of the project.

There are 4 days left: PrivatBank has announced the closure of many accounts. From May 1, PrivatBank closes the Bonus + program, as well as all bonus accounts of customers who still have money. In total, Ukrainians have more than 600 million hryvnias in such accounts.

The main competitor of ATB, the German network Lidl, has changed its mind to enter Ukraine. We are somehow not very upset, and ATB, which is not afraid to work during the war and honestly transfers millions of hryvnias to the budget of Ukraine, even more so.

The Ministry of Health, Ukrzaliznytsia, and Doctors Without Borders have launched the first hospital train. It allows the evacuation of injured, sick, and wounded citizens from dangerous regions. Doctors Without Borders is currently looking for Ukrainian specialists to join the evacuation train team.

Kyiv and the region

Kyiv today

The Kyiv City Council is collecting proposals to rename 279 city facilities, the names of which are related to russia and Belarus, the press service of the Kyiv City State Administration reports. Proposals can be sent by May 1 to the e-mail address: [email protected]. According to Deputy Mayor of Kyiv Volodymyr Bondarenko, the list for renaming mostly streets whose names come from russian or Belarusian cities. There are also objects named after russian writers, artists, and scientists.

In Kyiv, a russian worker statue lost his head while dismantling a monument to workers under the Arch of Friendship of Peoples. Another bad sign for ruscists.

Donetsk and Luhansk regions

russian troops continue to bomb Azovstal in Mariupol. A huge column of black smoke rose into the sky over the territory of the plant, where civilians are hiding in the basements. This is evidenced by pictures published by Sky News on the morning of April 26.

The russian occupiers killed 4 more civilians in Donetsk. In particular, a 9-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy died in Lyman. Nine more people were injured in the region.

Luhansk Region continues to suffer from regular missile fire; civilians have been shelled 17 times in the past 24 hours. Popasna with 4 powerful artillery attacks, Lysychansk with 2 attacks, and the Hirske Community suffered the most. On the territory of the Luhansk region, the russians continue to fight in the area of ​​Rubizhne and do not lose attempts to capture Popasna; the fighting does not stop.

It has been very hot in Popasna since the morning. The mayor reports that aircraft with artillery are working, as well as ground fighting is happening. People are trapped in basements.

Rushists steal children and then force their mothers to go to Ukrainian military positions to gather intelligence. This was announced by the head of the Luhansk Regional Council, Serhii Haidai.

A house collapsed in Popasna after the shelling: three people died. This was announced by the head of the Luhansk Regional State Administration, Serhii Haidai. "They were hiding in the basement from russian shells. But it was in this house that the missile flew. There was a collapse of the walls and ceiling to the basement. People were under the rubble. The high-rise building is occupied," Haidai said. Rescuers managed to extinguish the flames, but the three people who were there were already without signs of life. Only one woman survived.

Today, the prosecutor's office of the Donetsk region reported in absentia about the suspicion of the director of the Volnovakha basic school 5, who voluntarily cooperated with the occupiers. Now in occupied Volnovakha she is implementing "education" under the dictation of the occupiers and is conducting anti-Ukrainian propaganda, said the head of the Donetsk regional military administration Pavlo Kyrylenko. However, the time will come and all traitors and collaborationists will receive a well-deserved sentence.

On April 26, the russians killed three civilians in the Donetsk region: Lyman, Niu York, and Travneve. Six others were injured. It was possible to clarify the information about 1 wounded in Mariupol, but the exact number of victims in Mariupol and Volnovakha is currently unknown.

russia's green corridor for Azovstal turned out to be another trap, said an adviser to the mayor Petro Andriushchenko. On Tuesday, April 26, the occupiers struck artillery at the zone of conditional exit from Azovstal. A powerful blow was struck a few minutes after the russians announced through loudspeakers that a green corridor had been opened.

Kharkiv region

Information from the State Service for Emergencies in the Kharkiv region. April 26, as of 07:00:

• During the day rescuers of the Kharkiv region went on call 26 times, 14 of them were related to extinguishing fires caused by shelling;
• A large-scale fire broke out as a result of shells hitting a 12-story residential building. Completely destroyed apartments on the 3rd and 4th floors. Four civilians were wounded in the shelling of the occupiers.
• On April 25, deminers made 61 trips to clear ammunition.

The russians again fired on residential areas of Kharkiv: three people were killed and seven were injured. This was announced by Oleh Sinehubov, head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration. According to Sinehubov, two victims are in serious condition. Emergency medical teams work in an intensive mode.

16:30 – another russian Ka-52 helicopter was destroyed in the Kharkiv region.

Kherson region

The Ukrainian military destroyed the warehouse of the occupiers with ammunition in the Kherson region in Velyka Oleksandrivka. According to preliminary data from the General Staff, about 70 russian soldiers were killed along with the staff.

Shit doesn't sink. In Kherson, the former mayor, collaborationist Saldo, who once fled abroad during the Revolution and Dignity, emerged again. Today in occupied Kherson, in the city council, the occupiers held a meeting at which they appointed the so-called "head" of the Kherson Regional State Administration Volodymyr Saldo and "head" of the Kherson City Administration Oleksandr Kobets. This was announced by the head of the Kherson Regional State Administration Hennadii Lahuta on Telegram. "I am convinced that these collaborationists and their associates will be held accountable after our victory. These appointments are illegal," Lahuta said.

Kherson Mayor Ihor Kolikhaiev said he refused to cooperate with the "new administration" appointed by the russian invaders.

Mykolaiv region

The city authorities of Mykolaiv prepare for an attack or siege of the city. Defense facilities are currently being equipped, Mayor Oleksandr Senkevych said. According to him, russia is transferring weapons and resources across Crimea, accumulating them in the Kherson region. "We expect an attack or siege of the city of Mykolaiv. Already today we prepare defensive constructions together with our military. Both on the outskirts of the city, and inside," Senkevich told.

Also, Mykolaiv has a catastrophic situation with water. There is still no central water supply. "The problem is that the pipe that supplies water from the Kherson region to Mykolaiv was hit by a missile. And we, unfortunately, can't restore it while the fighting continues. We appealed to the Association of Ukrainian Cities and there we get a small number of barrels. Also, water carriers were sent to us from Kropyvnytskyi, Odesa. We still wait for drilling machines with teams which we place here, feed, and they drill wells on all socially significant objects," the mayor of Mykolaiv Senkevich explained.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces regained full control of three villages west of Snihurivka: Shyroke, Liubyne, and Novopetrivka.

17:40 – Shelling of Mykolaiv: the missile broke the gas pipeline, houses were destroyed, and one person died.

Odesa region

14:00 – The bridge from the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi district towards Odesa was closed due to damage. What happened is not disclosed. Also, they reported a missile strike in the Gulf of Odessa region.

UPD: The enemy fired a missile at the Odesa region: they hit the bridge across the Dniester estuary. For security reasons, the bridge is blocked. Drivers are asked to choose alternative routes. Circumstances and information about the wounded are being clarified.

This bridge is the most important transport artery connecting Odesa with the Romanian border. In addition, this bridge is practically the only road and rail connection with three districts of the Odesa region: Izmail, Bolhradskyi, and Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi.

Dnipropetrovsk region

A missile was shot down from the Igla MANPADS in the Dnipropetrovsk region. This was announced by the head of the regional military administration Valentyn Reznichenko. The wreckage fell in the field, no one was injured.

Two enemy cluster munitions arrived this afternoon in the Kryvyi Rih district at the gardens of local residents. Fortunately, no one was injured.

Several more "arrivals" of enemy shells were recorded in the Synelnykove district on the border with Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions. No one was injured.

Zaporizhzhia region

russian troops are completely blocking the exit from Melitopol to conduct a "conscription campaign." This was announced by the head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration Oleksandr Starukh. He also added that "the occupiers are spreading false information that the Armed Forces is allegedly preparing mass shelling and killing of civilians during the evacuation. Of course, this is an absolute lie, but the russians do not know how to fight honestly, so they use fakes and lies, and accusations."

8:30 – Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration reports: Rushists launched a missile strike on the Zaporizhzhia region. No details yet.

11:00 – Strike in Zaporizhzhia: "In the morning, two ruscist guided missiles hit the territory of one of the city's enterprises. The third rocket exploded in the air," the Zaporizhzhya Regional Military Administration said in a statement. The infrastructure facilities of the enterprise were damaged and destroyed. All relevant services are working on site. According to preliminary information, one person was killed and one was injured.

At 6:41 and 6:46, two enemy cruise missiles flew at a low altitude over the Zaporizhzhia NPP site in the direction of Zaporizhzhia. Later, explosions from russian cruise missiles were recorded in Zaporizhzhia. "The flight of low-altitude missiles directly above the ZNPP site, where there are 7 nuclear facilities with a huge amount of nuclear material, poses huge risks. After all, missiles can hit one or more nuclear facilities, which threatens nuclear and radiation catastrophe around the world," said Petro Kotin, head of Energoatom.

The head of the Melitopol district council, Serhii Pryima, was released from captivity. This information was confirmed to journalists by the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration, a Ukrinform correspondent reports.

Sumy region

From the russian village of Tiotkino, the enemy fired heavy weapons at the outskirts of the Ukrainian village of Rivne in the Konotop district of the Sumy region. Border guards counted 15 "hits."

On April 26, the russian military fired mortars at settlements in the Esman community, according to Dmytro Zhyvytskyi, head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration.

Cherkasy region

Saboteurs were prevented from making damage in the Cherkasy region. The spokeswoman of the Main Directorate of the National Police of the region Zoia Vovk told about it. She noted that the saboteurs were found from April 18 to 24. The spokeswoman also said that the checkpoints twice prevented attempts to transport unregistered weapons.