Summary of the Events of the Day
Russian forces that had attacked Kyiv are still licking their wounds and have not yet reentered to fight in the Battle for the Donbas. They are regrouping in the Russian cities of Bryansk and Kursk. But ten more battalion tactical groups, numbering around 800 soldiers, have arrived in the Donbas since Wednesday alone. Russia continues to hit the defensive Contact Line with artillery and missiles but is waiting for the big operation until those forces from the Battle for Kyiv can join. Ukraine is using this time to resupply and reenforce their defenses in the Donbas as well. The war will be decided here and probably before the May 9 World War II celebrations scheduled in Moscow.
Battle for the Skies
Russian bombers escorted by fighters continue to ravage Ukrainian civilians in cities around Ukraine as Ukraine has very little air defense. But on Friday they did manage to shoot down one missile, one drone, and one helicopter. Only Slovakia has helped Ukraine defend against the skies with the delivery of a S-300 air defense system. The UK has agreed to supply more portable Starstreak anti-aircraft missile systems to Ukraine.
Battle for the Donbas (Donetsk, Luhansk, Mariupol, Kharkiv, and Sumy)
Kharkiv continues to be shelled constantly from Russian forces stationed in Belgorod.
Russian forces in Izyum launched an offensive south against the settlement of Brazhkivka and Sulyhivka but were repulsed by Ukrainian forces.
The Contact Line (Novobakhmutivka – Popasna – Nyzhnje – Severodonetsk – Rubizhne) repulsed seven assaults against its defensive line. Russian attacks were mostly made against civilian housing. Four civilians died in the attacks.
Russian forces have detained eight buses that were sent to evacuate Ukrainian citizens from Mariupol.
The Battle for the Black Sea (Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Kherson)
Ukrainian forces in Shevchenkove and Novohryhorivka were under heavy shelling to stop their advance on Kherson.
Odesa continues to be under constant missile attacks from Russian forces in Crimea.
The Battle for Water for Crimea (Zaporizhia, Melitopol)
Russian forces shelled the communities of Maryanski and Novovorontsovka across the Kakhovka reservoir to slow down Ukrainian forces moving south.
Other Regions
Missiles overnight hit homes near Kirovograd and Poltava.
Other News
Despite the sanctions, the Russian ruble makes a spectacular bounce back since 80% of their economy is based on the export of gas and oil on which the world continues to feed. Russia’s demand that all gas and oil be purchased with Russian rubles has kept their economy afloat.
A recent poll shows that 91% of Ukrainians do not want to become part of Russia.
Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has challenged the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to expel Russia from its membership since Russia has violated the charter of the OSCE which is to monitor security in the region. The OSCE was created by the Helsinki Final Act in 1975 to monitor borders of Europe to maintain the peace during the Cold War. The OSCE was sent to the Donbas after Russia invaded in 2014 and was highly criticized because it included Russian forces who were biased against Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers instituted new rules to insure the humane detention of Russian prisoners of war. Detention camps must be kept in order with proper maintenance, prisoner accommodation, and access to medical services. All international organizations are invited to inspect these facilities at any time. Prisoners must also be provided with postal services to send and receive mail.
Russia has assigned General Alexander Dvornikov as the Supreme Russian Commander over the war in Ukraine. Dvornikov led the Southern Command during the first month of the war successfully taking the cities of Melitopol and Kherson. With this new appointment, the entire Russian army in Ukraine will now come under one command.
The US Department of Defense reported that Ukraine has defeated 20% of the Russian forces that had converged upon Ukraine on February 24. But that Russia was conscripting another 60,000 troops to add back into the mix.
International Support
35 members of Parliaments from 11 countries arrived in Kyiv to show international support for Ukraine. They promised to continue working within their countries to provide the weaponry that Ukraine needs to defeat this Russian invasion and retake Ukrainian territory.
The European Union has returned their diplomatic mission to Kyiv which has temporarily moved to Poland when the Russian invasion had begun.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnston made a visit to Kyiv to show support for Ukraine. The UK will provide another $130 million in military support.
Leaders of the Bulgarian We Go movement were arrested for throwing red paint at the Russian embassy in Sofia to protest the Ukrainian blood spilt by Russian troops.
The US has expanded sanctions on Russia to include the ban of access to all foreign fertilizers.
The International Monetary Fund has opened a special account to help fast-track donations from foreign countries to Ukraine.
The Cayman Islands invoked the UK sanctions on Russia freezing $7.3 billion in Russian assets.