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

In Transnistria, the FSB RF inspected the combat capability of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd separate motorized rifle brigades - they are not ready for hostilities, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine informs.

Journalists of "Schemes" (Radio Svoboda) have begun to identify the dead Russian sailors from the crew of the cruiser "Moskva". Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry said that the entire crew was evacuated. But it was possible to establish the identity of one of the dead - Moskva midshipman Ivan Vakhrushev, who served in the Fifth Combat Unit, which was responsible for the operational safety of the ship.

The United States will continue to support Ukraine despite all the demarches and diplomatic notes of Russia, which threatens "unpredictable consequences" for the supply of heavy weapons and equipment to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The Ambassador of Ukraine to the US in Washington Oksana Markarova said this in a comment to Ukrinform.

General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: The occupiers continue to partially block Kharkiv and shell its residential areas. In the Donetsk and Tavriya directions - airstrikes on Mariupol and assault near the seaport. The occupiers are preparing units of the 810th and 155th separate marine brigades for carrying out an amphibious operation.

Latvia has financed 100,000 euros in the investigation of the war crimes of the invaders in Ukraine, which is to be conducted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

The restaurant, which cooperates with the famous chef Jose Andres and his global humanitarian organization, World Central Kitchen, was hit by a missile in Kharkiv, said WCK CEO Nate Mook, writes CNN. Four employees were injured. Since the beginning of the war, World Central Kitchen has been helping with providing Ukrainians with food.

The 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade named after the Black Zaporozhians published a photo of a stolen by the invaders from the locals ... vacuum truck (for cleaning latrine pits). The brigade assumes that the occupiers confused it with a fuel truck.

The 30th Independent Mechanized Brigade "Konstanty Ostrogski" shoots from MLRS “Grad” at the invaders.

The Russian Ministry of Defense is spreading a fake about the alleged "complete clearing operation" of Mariupol from the Ukrainian military. This was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council on April 16.

Animals support Ukrainian servicemen who oppose the Russian invaders. Fighters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine hope that after the victory pet owners will take them home - they want warmth and care. The photo was published on Facebook by the 30th Independent Mechanized Brigade "Konstanty Ostrogski".

A signpost for the Russian invaders was set up in the Chernihiv oblast. The photo was published on Facebook of the Operational Command North.

During the 13-day assault on Kyiv, Ukrainian servicemen had to dig up trenches used in World War II. The fighter of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade named after the Black Zaporozhians Vadym with the call sign Yaga told about it. The video was published by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi.

In Hungary, Ukrainian TV channels united to hold a 24-hour news telethon started broadcasting. They also show children's and educational programs in Ukrainian. This was announced by the head of the Zakarpatska Regional Military State Administration Viktor Mykyta.

The Back And Alive Foundation showed a video in which the Russian invaders leave their positions and flee after the Ukrainian military struck them.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen called on EU countries to promptly deliver weapons to Ukraine to counter Russian aggression. This was reported by Bild.

"I do not see any difference between heavy and light weapons. Ukraine needs to get what it requires to defend itself and what it can handle," she said.

In the United States, U.S. military instructors use lessons learned from Russia's war against Ukraine to prepare soldiers for future battles with a major adversary. This was reported by the Associated Press.

In Spain, the village of Fuentes de Andalucia changed its name to Ukraine during Holy Week in solidarity with Ukrainians who oppose Russian aggression. This was reported by Bild.

A plate at the entrance to the settlement with 7,100 people on the east of Seville was painted blue and yellow with the Ukrainian flag, and the streets were renamed to Kyiv, Odesa and Mariupol.

On April 16, shelling intensified in the Donetsk region, active hostilities are taking place in the northern part of the region, and the Ukrainian army is holding back attempts of the enemy to breakthrough. This was stated by the head of the Donetsk Regional Military State Administration Pavlo Kyrylenko.

According to the head of the administration, mass shelling took place during the day in Kramatorsk, Vuhledar, Avdiivka, and in the settlements of the Lyman community.

In the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, Russians and their subordinate militants began mobilizing children who took part in so-called "patriotic clubs", into the ranks of illegal armed groups. There are already dead teenagers. The ombudsman Lyudmila Denisova reported.

The main updates of the night:

• Britain is preparing another aid package for Ukraine. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson wrote about it on Twitter.
  
  
• The first 15 modular houses were installed in Borodyanka, Kyiv region. They will house State Emergency Service officers and volunteers who will eliminate the aftermath of the attacks of the Russian invaders. This was announced by Deputy Head of the Office of President Kyrylo Tymoshenko.
  
  
• The White House souvenir shop presented a commemorative coin number seven, dedicated to the address of President Vladimir Zelensky to the US Congress on March 7, 2022. Proceeds will go to humanitarian aid to Ukraine. This was announced by the Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States Oksana Markarova.
  
  
• After a meeting with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said that the Kremlin leader was aware of the Russian army's war crimes in Ukraine and was confident of his country's victory. This was reported by the American TV channel NBC.
  
  
• In Mariupol, Russian invaders killed National Guard medic Olena Kushnir, who remained in the besieged city till the end to help people. This was reported by journalist Tetyana Danylenko.
  
  
• On April 16 in Mykolaiv, the Russian occupying forces shelled a kindergarten. Fortunately, there were no children in the room during the shelling, no one was injured. The head of the Mykolaiv oblast council Anna Zamazeeva reported about it.
  
  
• Russian General, Deputy Commander of the 8th Army of Russia Vladimir Frolov died in Ukraine. He was buried in St. Petersburg. This was reported by CNN.
  
  
• On April 16, at the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games in Hague, Prince Harry spoke in support of the Ukrainian people who oppose Russian aggression. He noted the contribution of Ukrainian servicemen and added that "the world is one with Ukraine." This was reported by CNN.
  
  
• Belgium closes ports for Russian commercial ships on April 17. Exceptions apply to ships carrying gas, oil, coal, pharmaceuticals, medical, agricultural, and food products, fertilizers, and humanitarian aid. This is stated in a statement by the large Belgian port of Antwerp.
  
  
• The Russian occupiers intend to send teachers from the temporarily occupied territories to the Crimea, where they will be trained according to the standards of education of the invaders. The head of occupiers of the Crimea Sergey Aksonov declared it.
  
  
• Pope Francis condemned the brutality of the war in Ukraine at an Easter service. At the end of the sermon, he said, "Christ is risen!" in Ukrainian. The mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, who was released from Russian captivity, was present at the mass. This was reported by the Voice of America.
  
  
• Russia psychologically lost the war, the commanders of the occupying army of the Russian Federation lost the will to fight. This was stated by the advisor to the chief of the president’s office Oleksii Arestovych in an interview with Mark Feigin.
  
  
• Another package of sanctions against the Kremlin regime will hit Russia's banking sector, including Sberbank. This was stated by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, writes Reuters.
  
  
  
• In Irpin, Kyiv region, the Russian occupiers damaged or destroyed 71% of buildings. The mayor of the city Oleksander Markushyn wrote about it on Telegram.
  
  

• The closure of Black Sea ports could provoke a global food catastrophe that will lead to famine, mass migration, and political instability. This warning was issued by the Executive Director of the UN World Food Program David Beasley, according to The New York Times.
  
  
• In the temporarily occupied Melitopol, the Russian invaders stole 3 million grivnas from the Ukrposhta branch, negotiations are underway to return the money. They were intended for the issuance of pensions, social help, and wages. This was stated by the CEO of Ukrposhta Igor Smelyansky on the air of the telethon.
  
  

• The active appeals of Oksana Marchenko, the wife of the arrested godfather of Russian dictator Putin Viktor Medvedchuk, with a request for his release, show that Medvedchuk is of great value to the Kremlin. This was stated by the advisor to the chief of the president’s office Oleksii Arestovych in an interview with Mark Feigin on April 16.
  
  

• During the day on April 16 on the southern borders of the defense, enemy losses amounted to 36 invaders and 13 units of equipment, including armored combat vehicles, two self-propelled artillery units, and two MLRS “Grad”. This was reported by the Operational Command South.
  
  

• On April 16, the Air Defence Forces and Joint Forces Operation units hit 13 air targets of the Russian occupiers. This was reported by the Air Force Command of UA Armed Forces: one plane; one helicopter; five unmanned aerial vehicles; six cruise missiles.
  
  

• Despite Russia's advantage in quantity and weapons, Ukraine in 24 hours inflicted more losses on Russia than it suffered in eight years of fighting in Syria, writes The Economist.

  

• In the UK, the property of Russians subjects to international sanctions, amounting to about one billion dollars, has been discovered. This is stated in the investigation of the ВВС.
  According to the investigation, the identification of the real owners of British real estate is often complicated by the fact that these people own property through fictitious companies registered in classified offshore.
  
  

• On April 16, three explosive technicians died and four others were seriously injured while demining the area near Kharkiv. The commander of an explosive technician unit was killed: a part of a cluster munition exploded during demining. This was announced by the Minister of Internal Affairs Denis Monastyrsky on the air of the national telethon.

“We can’t let doctors and nurses, teachers and law enforcement officers who give their everything to their jobs keep living in hostels for dozens of years if not their entire lives.”

Zelenskyy emphasized that prominent architects have already been engaged in this project, as well as Ukraine’s all potential, international support from partner countries, and international donors.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has spelled out the global objective of restoring Ukraine — it involves not only reconstructing all the urban infrastructure destroyed by the Russian troops, but also tackling old problems: urban amenities, space planning, motor traffic monitoring, and improving construction quality.

The President also said that the Ukrainians have the right to have their own housing, their own home, and to lead their lives in a modern environment. It all will most definitely be restored, as well as the justice concerning those whose right to shelter was violated.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has published a new address to the people of Ukraine, summing up the 52th day of the war:

“Either our partners give Ukraine all the required heavy weaponry and warplanes and do it immediately, to say the least, for us to reduce the enemy pressure on Mariupol and break the siege there, or we take the path of negotiations, during which our partners will have to play the pivotal role.”

The third super-yacht of the sanctioned Russian oligarchs has been identified in Turkey. Reuters reports that the 73-metre-long Clio yacht linked to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska arrived in Göcek, a resort town in Southwest of Turkey.

The Ukrainian defenders fended off 10 attacks of the Russian invaders today, destroying dozens of enemy equipment, the Joint Forces Operation staff reports.

In the Kherson Region, three Russian Tigr infantry mobility vehicles, one BMP-3 IFV, and “the remaining infantry” were destroyed by the Knights of the First Winter Campaign 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade using the Corsar anti-tank missile system.

Although the Kremlin declared that the destroyed Moskva cruiser’s crew “has been evacuated in full”, Ukrainian investigative journalists identified a KIA sailor—Ivan Vakhrushev, a midshipman of the 5th engineering department that ensured the ship’s operational safety.

Russia is using the children deported from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine in its propaganda. The NSDC’s Center for Countering Disinformation warns that the Kremlin’s mass media have been spreading disinformation stories alleging that “the Ukrainian regime, in an effort to imitate the Third Reich, is sending children to fight in its war”.

In Hlibovka, Kyiv Region, former Head of SpecOps Center of the Security Service of Ukraine Serhii Chalyi survived the invaders’ tortures, six refugee “handling” centres, and even mock execution. The video recounts his story and analyzes what he came through and what the Russian occupational forces did to him.

The EU provides not the weapons Ukraine needs and does it not as quickly as Ukraine needs. “This game can drag on for a long time,” Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter.

Today, the East operative and tactical group has killed 16 Russian personnel, fended off one attack, and destroyed two IFVs, three drones, four artillery systems, and two mechanical transport vehicles.

So far, 94,800 Ukrainian refugees have arrived in Italy, the country’s Ministry of Internal Affairs wrote on Twitter.

The UK will keep supplying arms to Ukraine, including armoured vehicles, the British Prime Minister’s Office informs.

Viktor Medvedchuk's wife Oksana Marchenko pleads Putin to assist in having her husband exchanged as a POW. She says Medvedchuk has agreed for the exchange, after which he will be handed over to Russia.

The developers of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. raised $800,000 from the charity sale of their games on 4–11 April.

The charity sale of GSC Game World games is over.

Together with you, we’ve managed to raise more than $800,000. Thank you! After taxes and store commissions, all funds will be donated to the «Come Back Alive» Charitable Foundation.

We will remember that. Always. pic.twitter.com/EbzbZGMmHK

— S.T.A.L.K.E.R. OFFICIAL (@stalker_thegame) April 15, 2022

A letter from the occupation | Khrystyna, a Luhansk resident, writes about the mobilization of locals in the occupied Luhansk, “attacks” of the Security Service of Ukraine, saboteur women, and the armed people running about.

Three ordnance technicians died and four were gravely injured during demining activities near Kharkiv today, the Ukrainian minister of the interior Denys Monastyrskyi said on air during the national TV marathon.

O.Torvald frontman Zhenia Halych has joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Сообщение, распространенное O.TORVALD (@otorvald)

Zelensky has explained that his signing of the law No. 7176 on dismissing the supervisory board members for now showing up to their workplace for two days will speed up the executive decision-making for Ukrainian companies during the martial law. He said it in response to LIGA.net ’s questions during today’s meeting with the Ukrainian press.

Russia is looking for the people to blame for failing to fulfil its military objectives in Ukraine. One of the leaders of terrorist organization DPR Eduard Basurin is among the suspects, Ukrainian intelligence reports.

Italy, Romania, and Belgium have announced that they ban Russian vehicles from their ports, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine informs. The ban becomes effective on 17 April and affects ships under the Russian flag and those who changed it after 24 February. This was reported by la Repubblica, the press service of the Romanian Naval Administration and RTBF.

Residues of chemical weapons - sarin and other substances - were found in the village of Bilka in the Sumy region, the mayor of Trostyanets Yuri Bova told Hromadske radio.

The first modular houses have arrived in Borodyanka. The 15 houses which have already been installed will accommodate employees of the State Emergency Service and volunteers who are engaged in the reconstruction of the settlement. The same mobile homes have been ordered for Kyiv, Sumy and Chernihiv regions, Deputy Head of the President’s Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko reports. You can watch the video here.

Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with the Prime Minister of Great Britain Boris Johnson.

Продовжив діалог з Прем'єр-міністром @BorisJohnson. Обговорили домовленості, досягнуті під час його нещодавнього візиту, насамперед щодо оборонної та макрофінансової підтримки. Поінформував про ситуацію на фронті, зокрема в Маріуполі. Працюємо над гарантіями безпеки для .

— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 16, 2022

Instructions on how to fold a tourniquet properly and in a quick way as shown by "Biker", the combat medic specialist.

There has been an increase in passenger traffic at the border. About 400,000 people have entered Ukraine since the beginning of April, according to the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. Among them are citizens who previously evacuated from the country.

The Czech Republic called Russia's complaints "nonsense": “We will continue to support Ukraine.” The statement concerns the note of protest from the Russian Federation regarding the transfer of Soviet weapons to Ukraine. The statement was made by Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipavsky, writes České Noviny.

The French cosmetics manufacturer L'Occitane is closing its stores and online stores in Russia.

Today, on April 16, it was possible to evacuate 1,449 people. Due to dense and massive shelling, the evacuation of people from the town of Lysychansk in the Luhansk region was completely disrupted.