Russian invasion of Ukraine: tanks and rocket attacks on the cities. Breaking news

German Minister of Economic Affairs and Energy in 2013-2017 and Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2017-2018 Sigmar Gabriel admitted: official Berlin made a geopolitical mistake, ignoring the arguments of Ukraine and other countries in Eastern Europe that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline is the Kremlin's energy weapon.

In Ukrainian captivity there are valuable officers of the Russian Federation, relatives of Russian politicians, and high-ranking officials, with whom a favorable exchange can be carried out - advisor to the chief of the president’s office Oleksiy Arestovych.

10th Mountain Assault Brigade: In their spare time, soldiers learn and improve their skills, because we still need to storm, liberate and clear our land from the invader. And we will do it professionally.

Novodruzhesk shelled at night - houses destroyed, town without gas. Three more high-rise buildings demined in Lysychansk - Luhansk RMA.

The occupiers killed a 13-year-old teenager during an agreed evacuation from the village of Pobeda in Kyiv Region during the occupation of the region. He and others attempting to evacuate were shot in cars - Radio Svoboda.

Switchblade drone manufacturer AeroVironment, a US company, will also hand over 100 Quantix Recon reconnaissance drones to Ukraine.

Serhiy Volyna, commander of the 36th brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' marines, who with a group of his brothers broke through to the Azov regiment fighters in Mariupol besieged by Russian occupiers a few days ago, described two options for rescue - an abrupt military operation or a political solution.

In Donetsk and Luhansk regions, ten attacks by the Russian occupants were repelled in the past 24 hours, twelve tanks, twenty-eight armoured vehicles, two vehicles, and one artillery system were destroyed.

A group of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has hit nine aerial targets in the previous day: one aircraft, one helicopter, six UAVs of various types and a cruise missile - a report of the AFU General Staff.

The occupiers have withdrawn a battalion tactical group of the 237th Tank Regiment of the 3rd Motorized Rifle Division of the 20th All-Arms Army of the Western Military District from Kharkiv Region to its permanent deployment point in Russia's Belgorod Region due to heavy losses to restore combat readiness, the General Staff of the Ukrainian armed forces has said.

The UK plans to hand over anti-ship missiles to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, including high-tech self-directed Brimstone-class missiles.

Ukrzaliznytsya has published the schedule of evacuation trains for 20 April - from Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhya, Pokrovsk, Odesa and Dnipro.

The situation near temporarily occupied Kherson is unfolding in favour of Ukrainian troops; if they have heavy weapons, the Russian army will be able to be broken, if not, they will have to "mess around longer" - adviser to Presidential Office head Oleksiy Arestovych.

During the war, Russian occupation troops destroyed 1,929 residential buildings in Kharkiv by bombing and rocket attacks (a total of about 8,000 houses in the city). This was stated by Kharkiv mayor Igor Terekhov during a national TV marathon.

According to Terekhov, the shelling has intensified in recent days. The city centre, Nemyshlanskyy district and Saltivka have become the epicentre of the attack, he added.

Infrastructure in Chernihiv is recovering from the retreat of the Russian occupiers. One of the cafes not only serves delicious coffee, but also inspires visitors with patriotic children's drawings. The photo was published on Facebook by Operational Command North.

An offensive in Donbas could last several months, a senior British national security official has warned the British government. This was reported by The Independent.

In response, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that Ukraine's situation was "dangerous" as Russian dictator Vladimir Putin seeks some sort of victory "regardless of the human cost".

In Zaporizhzhya Region, Russian occupants have seized the greenhouse plant of the Agrokoin company, which used to grow vegetables. The invaders do not allow shipment of products and confiscate all the proceeds. The owner of the agribusiness company, Andriy Chornyy, wrote this on Facebook.

The main news that happened overnight:

- Off the island of Evia in Greece, the coast guard arrested a Russian oil tanker as part of EU sanctions imposed on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.
- On 19 April, the Ukrainian government terminated a missile development agreement with Russia that had been in place since February 1995.
- South Korea sends around 20 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Ukraine - automatic defibrillators, ventilators and first-aid kits
- The US believes Russia will attack the routes used to deliver the weapons - they could destroy bridges, roads and rails used to bring ammunition into the country.
- Russia is expelling 21 Belgian diplomats from Moscow; they must leave by 3 May, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
- Japan will give Ukraine a $300m loan to support Ukrainians who are resisting Russian aggression and have suffered significant damage from the war's devastation.
- Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney visited Ukraine and saw the atrocities of the Russian army in Bucha. He urged Russia to agree to an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and asked the UN Security Council to find a way to stop the war.
- US President Joe Biden's administration is preparing another $800m military aid package for Ukraine.
- Russian occupation troops have launched a massive offensive in Zaporizhzhya Region, residents of frontline regions are being urged to evacuate.
- The Moskva cruiser, which was destroyed by the Ukrainian military with two Neptun missiles, was on its way to Odessa to land troops, the mother of a rescued enlisted sailor has said.

On April 19 in the southern direction a stably tense situation on the line of fire lasted. The information is provided by the "Pivden" (The South) Operational Command.

General losses of the enemy on the southern borders of defense in the last 24 hours are:

— 19 Russians;

— 6 units of the machinery, including armored, automotive, and UAV "Orlan-10".

Ukraine will win! New hit from Ukrainian singers and actors — Oleksandr Ponomaryov, Mykhailo Khoma, Taras Topolya, Evhen Koshovyy, Yurij Tkach, Petro Chornyy.

On April 19 the aerial defense of the AFU shot nine aerial targets of the Russian occupants, the press service of the AFU informs.

— 1 aircraft (presumably a Su-34 fighter-bomber);
— 1 helicopter (Ka-52);
— 5 UAVs ("Orlan-10");
— 1 cruise missile;
— 1 UAV (S-100).

The USA and the allies intend to supply more weapons to Ukraine. This agreement was made during the video conference on April 19 by US President Joe Biden and the leaders of the states which united in a coalition to help Ukraine in the war with Russia. The information is provided by the spokeswoman of the White House Jen Psaki at a briefing.

Explosions are heard again in Mykolaiv. Local citizens are asked to stay in shelters or be as far from the windows as possible, the mayor Oleksandr Senkevych informs.

Russian occupants confessed to his mother that the Russian army kills peaceful citizens in Ukraine and children too. Her reaction is shocking: "No, you do not kill civilians and children... You kill fascists, for f*ck's sake, believe me!". 

In Dnipro cyber specialists of the SSU exposed a "sleeping" subversive group of FSB agents, consisting of three locals. They have been conducting sabotage and reconnaissance activities in the region under the supervision of Russian special services since 2015. The information is provided by the press service of the SSU.

It is specified that with the beginning of the war they became more active. Curators were informed about the location of military facilities, and the work of the headquarters of the Armed Forces and the National Guard.

Russian troops in the East of Ukraine continue to intensify active hostilities but face opposition that prevents them from achieving their goals. The information is provided by the British Intelligence.

"Russia's ability to progress continues to be impacted by the environmental, logistical and technical challenges that have beset them so far, combined with the resilience of the highly-motivated Ukrainian armed forces".

Polish priest Wojciech Drozdowicz turned on the Ukrainian song "Oi u luzi chervona kalyna" ("Oh, red viburnum in the meadow ...") for the parishioners of the church. He also printed out the lyrics for the parishioners would be able to sing along. He himself even danced a little.

An information about another Russian conscript who went missing on the destroyed cruiser "Moskva" became public, being provided by Nastoyashchee Vremya resource.

Conscript's name is Mykyta Yefremenko, he is from Pryozersk, Leningrad region. His relatives were informed that he went missing after the accident and that he was in a diner when the fire started, His mother, Tetyana Yefremenko, hopes that her son is alive and will go to look for him in hospitals.

France is ready to provide safety guarantees to Ukraine after the end of the war with Russia, Reuters informs referring the Advisor of the President of France.

"These will be military supplies so that Ukraine would be able to cope with a new attack, or perhaps guarantees that will allow us to intervene if Ukraine is attacked in such a way that we can assess how to help it", — French official stated.

Ukrainian military received spare parts for military aircrafts from the USA allies. It will allow launching more military aircrafts into the air. The information is provided by the spokesman of the Ministry of Defense of the USA John Kirby at the briefing, according to CNN.

Over 1 million Ukrainians returned to the country from the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russia to Ukraine, the Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal informs.

According to him, over 1 million citizens became internally displaced persons and began to receive financial aid.

American car manufacturer General Motors leaves the Russian market due to Russian aggression in Ukraine.

It is specified that there will be no supply of cars, and also all employees of the Russian representation will be dismissed.

British Intelligence commented on the successes of the Russians in the offense on Donbas: Ukrainians repelled numerous attempted advances by Russian forces. Besides the resistance of the highly-motivated Ukrainian armed forces, Russians trying to advance are also abstained by the environmental, logistical, and technical challenges. And the failure to break the resistance of Mariupol and the chaotic shelling of civilians demonstrate their inability to achieve their aims as quickly as they would like.

Apple deleted Tiktok from AppStore for its Russian users, the Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov informs.

Occupants have fired at Bashtanka, in Mykolaiv region, the head of the Regional Council Anna Zamaeva reports. They destroyed the dialysis department, the emergency department, the operating room was damaged. There are people injured, but no one died.

In Eurojust (the European agency that cooperates with judicial and police authorities of the EU member states) a meeting of the Joint Investigation Group on War Crimes of the Russian Federation in Ukraine was held, Prosecutor General Iryna Vereshchuk informs. More than 100 participants of this process were present. They discussed steps to bring Russia to justice.

In the Zaporizhzhia region, in occupied Rozivka the Russians held another "referendum", Zaporizhzhia RSA informs referring the head of the Polohivskyy region Artur Krupskyy. People were gathered at the local house of culture, promising to discuss their needs. In fact, people were informed about a so-called memorandum to hold elections for a new "mayor", a "village asset", and then to appeal to the so-called DNR republic to join until Zaporizhia is captured. People were made to vote for what the occupants wanted under the muzzle of assault rifles.

Mykhailo Podolyak, advisor to the President's Office head, on Twitter: "Russia continues to drop superpower anti-bunker bombs on "Azovstal". The world continues to watch the murders of children live and continues to keep silent. Religious and world leaders can stop this if they help to agree on a green corridor. Otherwise, the blood is on their hands".

The head of Luhansk Regional Administration Serhiy Haidai informs there has been an increase in shelling from various types of weapons. In the sky of the Luhansk region, six enemy aircrafts are "working". As a result, a large number of damages in the residential areas, complicated evacuation. Combats in Rubizhne, Popasna and Kreminna continue. Separately Haidai mentions the importance of evacuation and calls on 20 000 residents of Severodonetsk to leave the city.

In addition, Gaidai spoke about the resistance to the occupation: "There is a school that teaches our children in Ukrainian and according to the Ukrainian program, despite all the threats from the Russcists. Distance studying in the morning starts with the anthem of Ukraine.

Evening address of the President of Ukraine on the need for weapons, the silence of Russia in response to exchange offers, and actions of the occupants in the occupied South of the country. And also on the legislative work and awarding the heroes of Ukraine.

The US President Joe Biden consulted the allies, President of France Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister of Great Britain Boris Johnson included, on safety guarantees for Ukraine during and after the war with Russia. The information is provided by Reuters.

According to the French official, these guarantees will look more like a defense clause that operates within the European Union and not like the defense mechanism of Article 5 of the NATO that guarantees automatic military support in the event of an attack on a member state.

The Minister of Internal Affairs Denys Monastyrskyy discusses with Turkey the issue of assistance in the demining Ukraine and informs about it on his Facebook. In Particular, the help of Turkish sappers and the needs for equipment for demining and emergency recovery work are subject to discussion.  Also, the issue of providing armored vehicles to police and rescuers who are currently working under occupant fire is being talked about.

Occupants shot two employees of the Feldman Ecopark near Kharkiv, the Facebook page of the Ecopark informs. They remained to feed the animals. They were being looked for from March 7 and yesterday a message of their bodies being found arrived. They were shot and their bodies were barricaded in the utility room.

During the day the Joint Forces Operation soldiers successfully reflected 10 enemy attacks. Ukrainian defenders liquidated 12 tanks, 1 artillery system, 28 units of armed machinery, 2 units of automotive machinery. Subdivisions of aerial defense brought down one enemy aircraft Su-34, one Ka-52 helicopter, four unmanned aerial vehicles, and one cruise missile in the sky of Ukrainian Donbas.

President Joe Biden states that the USA plan to provide more artillery weapons for Ukraine, the CNN informs.

The work of the 30th Knyaz Kostyantyn Ostrozkyy Mechanized Brigade. Video is provided by the Facebook page of the Brigade.

The Czech Republic will restore Ukrainian tanks and armored personnel carriers damaged in combats, the Minister of Defense of the Czech Republic Jana Černochová confirms, according to the BBC. She also informed that the first machinery will be Ukrainian T-64 tanks, but others will follow, including infantry fighting vehicles.

Road connection in the Chernihiv region is being restored. Restoration of the H-27 Chernihiv - Hremyach road has started.  Traffic through three crossings has already resumed, work on three more continues. Road workers are cleaning some sections of the M-01, H-27, and R-56 roads.

The Cabinet of Ministers has additionally allocated UAH 16 billion to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal informs. The funds will be used to pay salaries to the military, repair and modernize equipment, and pay the families of the fallen heroes.

In the area of responsibility of "Skhid" (the East) operational and tactical grouping the occupants continued to offense: three enemy attacks were reflected. Enemy losses as a result of combats are 30 occupants, 2 tanks, 8 IFVs/APCs, 2 ATs, 1 helicopter.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba believes that the outcome of Russia's war against Ukraine will be decided on the battlefield, not at the negotiating table. He said this in an interview with France 24 Channel.