The British Ministry of Defense (MOD) said that Russia managed to launch a new attack on the city of Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast.
“Russia has reactivated its offensive on the city of Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, where forces of the Russian Defense Ministry and the Wagner Group have improved cooperation,” the Defense Ministry said in its daily intelligence update on Friday.
The Defense Ministry said that Ukrainian forces had managed to take control of the western districts of the city, but were having “significant resupply problems” and had to make “orderly withdrawals from positions they were forced to cede”.
It has also been said that Ukrainian forces have faced “particularly heavy Russian artillery fire over the past 48 hours”.
The Ministry of Defense said that Wagner’s forces were leading the advance into the city center while the Airborne Forces (VDV) were brought in to relieve some of Wagner’s units that were securing the northern and southern flanks.
The battle for the strategically important city became the longest and bloodiest of the war, with heavy losses on both the Russian and Ukrainian sides.
Here are some other notable developments related to Russia’s war in Ukraine on Friday, April 14th
The European Union imposes sanctions on the Russian Wagner Group
The European Union added the Russian Wagner mercenary group to its sanctions list “for its active participation in it.” Russian aggressive war on Ukraine. “
Wagner, who is leading the battle for Moscow to try to seize the Ukrainian towns of Bakhmut and Solidar, had already been placed on another EU sanctions list in February for violating human rights and “destabilizing” countries in Africa.
The European Council, which represents 27 EU member states, said the new sanctions list “complements” the previous one.
WagnerHe added that he had been added to the list “for actions that undermine or threaten Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence.”
A Russian NGO and a Wagner defector claimed that Wagner fighters were responsible for an alleged attack Beheading of a Ukrainian prisoner of war. A clear video of the act drew condemnation from Ukraine and United Nations officials.
Russia said I opened a probe in Stills.
The European Union adopted 10 consecutive sanctions packages against Russia last year over its invasion of Ukraine.
Belarusian aircrews complete their training with “special munitions”
The Russian Defense Ministry said that the crews of the Belarusian Air Force have completed additional training in the “operational and combat use of the Su-25 ground attack aircraft.”
The statement, which appeared on the ministry’s Telegram channel, said Russian instructors trained members of the Belarusian Air Force to “master new ways of using modern aviation weapons, including special munitions.”
It is not clear whether tactical nuclear weapons could fall under “special munitions,” as stated in the ministry’s statement.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said last month that Moscow would station some of its tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.
US Secretary of Defense visits Sweden and Germany
The Pentagon said US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin would meet his counterparts in Sweden and Germany next week to discuss matters related to Ukraine.
The talks will include senior officials from about 50 countries.
“While in Sweden, Secretary Austin will discuss security-related topics of mutual interest between our two countries and speak with senior Swedish defense and government officials,” a Pentagon statement said.
In Germany, Austin and senior officials will discuss the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and continue our close coordination on providing the Ukrainian people with the means.
necessary to protect themselves from continued Russian aggression” at Ramstein Air Base.
Leaked documents will not affect aggressiveness – report
Ukrainian military intelligence said Leaked confidential documents published In the United States will not have an impact on the planned Kiev attack.
“This will not be able to affect the real results of the offensive operation,” Kirillo Budanov, the head of military intelligence, told US ABC.
Budanov also said that the leak would not have a permanent negative impact on the relationship between Washington and Kiev.
The breach reportedly includes classified information about Ukraine’s fight against invading Russian forces, as well as classified assessments of US allies.
Some of the most sensitive information allegedly relates to Ukraine’s military capabilities and shortcomings.
Thursday, US federal investigators have arrested a person wanted in connection with a data breach.
Ukraine and Russia exchange the bodies of dozens of soldiers – report
Ukraine and Russia have once again exchanged the bodies of dozens of servicemen killed during the fighting, German news agency DPA reported, citing Ukrainian officials.
“Ukraine has recovered the bodies of another 82 fallen defenders,” Ukrainian officials said in a post on Telegram on Friday.
The responsible ministry did not disclose the number of dead Russian soldiers who were returned.
Since the Russian invasion, about 800 corpses have been received by the Ukrainian authorities, according to a DPA report.
Highest Russian oil exports since April 2020 – International Energy Agency
The International Energy Agency (IEA) said that Russian oil exports reached their highest level in nearly three years during March, but revenues fell 43% compared to the previous year.
The International Energy Agency said that despite Western sanctions, Russian oil shipments rose by 600,000 barrels per day to 8.1 million barrels per day, the highest level since April 2020.
The increase, based in Paris, is partly due to a rise in exports of petroleum products, which have returned to pre-Covid levels.
China will not supply weapons – FM Qin Gang
Chinese Foreign Minister Chen Gang has said that Beijing will not provide weapons to Russia while it continues its invasion of Ukraine.
“We do not and will not supply arms to the conflicting parties,” Chen Gang said after nearly two hours of talks with German Foreign Minister Annalena Bruck in Beijing.
“We will not continue to add fuel to the fire,” he said, following the official translation.
His comments came after Berbock called on China to encourage Russia to end the war in Ukraine.
Berbock is in talks in China about Russia and Taiwan
German Foreign Minister Analina Berbock called on Beijing to demand the “Russian aggressor stop the war” in Ukraine in talks with Chinese officials during her second day. trip to china.
“It is good for China to indicate its commitment to the solution, but I have to say frankly that I wonder why the Chinese position does not yet include a call for the aggressor Russia to stop the war,” Berbock said.
She flew to Beijing for strategic talks on Friday after visiting a German electric transmission company based in the northeastern port city of Tianjin with her Chinese counterpart, Chen Gang.
She is expected to attend the talks at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse as part of the Germany-China Strategic Dialogue.
Given China’s support for Russian President Vladimir Putin and tensions with the West over the status of Taiwan, the political talks are seen as the hardest part of Berbock’s visit.
An area twice the size of Austria mined – Ukraine PM
A report by the German news program Tagesschau highlighted the issue of banned anti-personnel landmines and the dangers they pose to people living in Ukraine.
According to the report, which cited information from Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Schmyhal, an area twice the size of Austria was mined.
According to UN figures also cited in the report, more than 740 civilians have been killed or injured by mines or other explosives since Russia launched its invasion.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused Russian forces of using prohibited devices in various places in Ukraine, posing a danger to the civilian population.
The organization has so far published three reports documenting Russia’s use of antipersonnel mines, but research has also highlighted that Ukrainian forces “appear to have widely deployed landmines around the Izyum region”. Human Rights Watch says Ukraine is committed to studying the results.
According to the Tagesschau report, it is believed that it could take decades to clear the country of mines, and stated that Germany has provided more than 26 million euros ($28.7 million) to the demining effort so far.
kilobyte, dram/nm (dpa, AP, AFP, Reuters)
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