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

In Chernihiv, traffic on the Desna pedestrian bridge has been restricted due to its emergency condition as a result of shelling.

Four trolleybus routes have been launched in Kyiv - №№ 3, 8, 9K and 17 - Kyiv City State Administration.

The Joint Forces Operation group of Ukraine seized the MSTA-B cannon and several armored personnel carriers: "The seized cannon together with the ammunition will perfectly assist in destroying the Russian occupiers."

The full-scale Russian invasion resulted in 176 children killed and more than 324 wounded - the Office of the Prosecutor General.

The enemy's losses have reached approximately 19,100.

Situation in Kharkiv region: occupiers continued night shelling of residential areas of Kharkiv; battles are in progress in the Izyum direction, the Russians have no success; evacuation continues from Barvinkove   and Lozova; in the Izyum district - clearing of the liberated territories.

The number of victims at Kramatorsk railway station has risen to 52 dead and 109 wounded.

The head of the Luhansk Regional State Administration Serhiy Haidai published the meeting points for evacuation from Luhansk region.

The Russians again launched a missile strike on the infrastructure in Myrhorod this night. Significant damages, two suffered - Poltava Regional State Administration.

In the east and south increase the activity of Russian aviation is expected - British intelligence.

Photo of the remnants of the downed latest Russian strike drone "Orion" from the Command of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

A map Where do orcs come from? on Google Maps has been created in Estonia. To create it, the data of Ukrainian intelligence on the places of issuance of military passports of the 64th separate motorized infantry brigade of the 35th army of the Russian Federation has been used.

Ukrzaliznytsia - about other evacuation trains for today.

On April 9, an evacuation train will depart from Novozolotarivka at 14:00. It will head to the stations in the Donetsk region - Luhansk Regional State Administration.

A high-rise building was on fire in Severodonetsk as a result of a Russian attack. The number of victims is being clarified. The Russians attack Rubizhne and Popasna, at the same time inflicting artillery strikes on residential areas of other cities - Luhansk Regional State Administration.

What Ukraine will consider a victory in a full-scale war against the Russian aggressor will be decided at the battlefield and in negotiations - Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov.

Dmytro Zhyvytskyi, head of the Sumy Regional State Administration, told DW: "We are observing a large concentration of Russian troops near the Ukrainian border in the Sumy region. But we are preparing for a "hellish meeting" if they want to cross the Sumy region again. But we do not recommend them doing so."

In the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, seven enemy attacks were repulsed in one day, nine tanks, seven armored vehicles and five vehicles were destroyed. Russia continues to launch missile strikes on the Odessa region from the territory of the occupied Crimea - the summary of the General Staff of the Armed Forces as of 6:00 on April 9.

Germany cannot refuse from Russian oil right now, but this issue will be probably resolved by the end of the year - Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

The Pentagon confirms that the Russian military, struck the Kramatorsk station with a Tochka-U missile, according to Radio Svoboda.

South Africa's neutral position on the war in Ukraine does not mean that it supports the Russian invasion, said Naledi Pandor, the country's foreign minister: "Constant annoying a wounded bear only makes that bear angrier and more reckless."

The head of the Central Intelligence Service of the Ministry of Defense, Major General Kirill Budanov, told CNN in an interview that Russian troops are regrouping in the east and planning to advance to Kharkiv: "They will try to capture Mariupol and only thereafter can try to advance actively to Kyiv."

The main updates of the night:

• Europe's largest oil company, Shell, previously announced its abandonment of Russian oil, but it was formal - using the schemes, the company continues to buy oil in Russia. This is stated in the Bloomberg investigation.
• The former head of the fifth service of the Russian FSB, Serhiy Besida, who was sent under house arrest after the invasion of Ukraine, was transferred to the Lefortovo pre-trial detention center. This was written on Facebook by journalist Andrei Soldatov, who specializes in Russian special services.
• Ukrainian journalist Oleksiy Merkulov, who shot a video of a missile attack on civilians in Kramatorsk, told CNN that people were calmly waiting for the evacuation, and there was no panic at the train station. According to the journalist, people were divided into groups, they waited for their train, drank coffee and talked.
• In the Sumy region, after the retreat of the Russian occupation troops, a repair brigade of Sumyoblenergo exploded on the mine - one person was killed, two were wounded and two got contusion. This was reported by the head of the Sumy military administration Dmytro Zhyvytskyi.
• The centralized storage facility of the used nuclear fuel in the Chornobyl zone has not been damaged by the Russian occupation, but "there are signs of looting: several doors have been damaged, some household appliances have disappeared." This was reported by the press service of Energoatom in the Telegram.
• The UN has stated that all those responsible for the missile strike on the Kramatorsk railway station, which killed peaceful Ukrainians, must be brought to justice. This was reported by the organization's website.
• The American IT company EPAM Systems is leaving the Russian market due to a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, dev.by informs.
• In Makariv, Kyiv region, the Russian occupiers killed 132 civilians. The mayor of the city Vadim Tokar declared it, writes CNN. According to the mayor, 45% of Makarov's infrastructure was destroyed - residential buildings and a hospital were damaged as a result of the bombing. About 15,000 people used to live in the city, but now there are less than 1,000. After the retreat of the invaders, the city began to rebuild, but large areas remain mined and are dangerous.
• In an interview with Vogue magazine, First Lady Olena Zelenska told about the first days of the war for her family, the stories of Ukrainian women who stood to defended the state, their families and children, to save Ukraine from Russian occupation.
• The European Union has decided to return its mission to Ukraine, which was evacuated after February 24 to the Polish city of Rzeszow, back to Kyiv. This was announced by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Joseph Borrell on Friday. EU Head of Mission Matti Maasikas, who arrived in Kyiv with Borrel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, will remain in Kyiv.
• On April 8, President Joe Baiden signed a law suspending normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus aimed at further strengthening trade and human rights sanctions. The American leader also signed a law banning the import of energy products from Russia. This was reported on the website of the White House.
• In the temporarily occupied Melitopol, the occupiers are preventing the evacuation of civilians, and the Ukrainian side is negotiating with the invaders. This was stated during a briefing by Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk.
• The exact number of victims of Russian aggression in Borodyanka and other settlements of Kyiv region will be known in a few weeks. The search for the bodies is complicated by the fact that the Russian army has left behind a large number of mines, said Minister of Internal Affairs Denys Monastyrsky.
• Hungary will not supply weapons to support Ukraine in the war with Russia. This was stated by Zoltan Kovacs, an international representative of the Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán, CNN reports.
• The United States has imposed sanctions on exports of fertilizers and pipeline accessories to Russia and Belarus, Reuters reports. Washington has also imposed restrictions on flights of American-made aircraft owned, controlled or leased by Belarusians "as part of the US government's response to Belarus' actions in support of Russia's aggressive behavior towards Ukraine."
• The Cayman Islands, one of the Caribbean's main offshore financial centers, has frozen $ 7.3 billion in Russian-related assets due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This was announced by the government of the country, which is an overseas territory of Great Britain.
• Russia wants to achieve a regional victory by May 9, so a month before the holiday it is sending troops to the south-east of Ukraine. This was reported by CNN with reference to the words of two European officials.
• Germany may stop imports of Russian oil by the end of 2022 due to a full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. This was stated by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, according to Reuters.
• The IMF Board of Directors has agreed to open a special administrative account to send donor money to Ukraine. This was reported on the IMF website. It is specified that the account is intended for donor resources in the form of grants and loans that will help Ukraine to make the payments balance, implement the budget, stabilize the economy.
• Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called for Russia's exclusion from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). He wrote about this on Twitter.
• One of the leaders of the Pravyi Sector, Taras Bobanych with the call sign Hammer, died in the battle against the Russian occupiers near Izyum in the Kharkiv region. This was reported on Facebook of the 2nd separate battalion of the Right Sector.
• Ukraine defeated 15-20% of Russian troops that the Kremlin had concentrated before the February 2022 invasion. This was announced at a briefing on Friday by a Pentagon spokesman, ABC News reports.
• Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said that peace talks with Russia had been suspended. He said this at a briefing with foreign journalists on Friday.
• In Bucha, the exhumation of the bodies of civilians killed by the Russian occupiers (about 67 people), who were buried by the invaders in a mass grave near the church, began. The head of the Kyiv military administration Oleksiy Kuleba wrote about this in the Telegram.
• Russia is closing 15 offices of international organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the Carnegie Endowment. This was reported by CNN.
• Pizza Veterano co-founder Rafael Agayev, who fought in the Marine Corps, was killed in the battle for Mariupol. This was announced by another co-founder of the network, a veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war Leonid Ostaltsev on Facebook.
• Ukraine begins to recover after liberation from Russian occupation. The construction of a temporary crossing began at the entrance to Irpen. Construction of a new bridge will begin soon, preparations for the work are underway. This was written on Facebook by Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko.
• Russian occupation forces are regrouping in eastern Ukraine and intend to advance on Kharkiv. This was stated in an interview with CNN by Chief of the Central Intelligence Agency Kyrylo Budanov.
• Ukraine needs long-range weapons to not only deter Russian troops but also expel them. This was stated by Defense Minister Alexei Reznikov at a briefing with foreign journalists on Friday.
• European Parliament President Robert Metzola called the missile attack on Kramatorsk and the attacks on civilians in Ukraine "international war crimes committed against sovereign peoples who are simply fighting for democracy and for their country." This was reported by CNN. Metsola stressed that Ukraine will be able to join the European Union because of its "place in Europe."
• Russia intends to engage "more than 60,000 recruits" for the war in Ukraine and mobilize reservists. This was reported by CNN with reference to the words of a high-ranking official from the United States.
• Russian troops in Ukraine will now be led by Southern Military District Commander General Alexander Dvornikov, who has extensive experience in fighting in Syria, the BBC reported, citing its own sources.
• In the city of Ivankiv, Kyiv region, for the first time since the liberation from the Russian occupiers, residents were able to contact relatives thanks to Starlink from Ilon Mask and volunteers who brought it to the village. This was reported by the Foreign Ministry on Twitter.

The Azov National Guard regiment destroyed an enemy's armoured vehicle with a crew in Mariupol.

The EU is preparing the 6th package of sanctions against Russia, Ursula von der Leine wrote on Twitter.

We can never match the sacrifice of the Ukrainian people.

But we are mobilizing our economic power to make Putin pay.

We have imposed heavy sanctions against Russia & are already preparing the 6th wave.

Russia will descend, while Ukraine is marching towards a European future. pic.twitter.com/PdRuB2gFJP

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) April 8, 2022

Russian propagandists accidentally confirmed Russia's guilt for the shelling of Kramatorsk station. The news about the shelling appeared on the RIA Novosti website while the rocket was still in the air, Zelensky said. He added that the day before, other Russian propagandists had spread threats to all those who escaped from Donbass by railway.

The Pentagon believes that Russian dictator Putin "probably gave up" the attempt to seize Kyiv, as Russia has refocused its attention on the east and south of Ukraine, Defense News reports.

The occupiers killed a family in Avdiivka, the head of the Donetsk OVA Pavlo Kyrychenko wrote.

"Four people - for the enemy it's just another executed order, several destroyed targets. For us - a loss and a tragedy. And we will not stop until each murderer is punished," - wrote Kyrychenko.

Russia plans to recruit more than 60,000 troops to strengthen the invasion of Ukraine. This was reported by CNN, referring to a senior US Department of Defense official.

Today, 6,665 people were evacuated through humanitarian corridors, including 1,614 from besieged Mariupol, said Iryna Vereshchuk.

Joint Forces Operation forces repulsed seven attacks in the Donetsk and Luhansk directions. They also destroyed nine tanks, two helicopters, one cruise missile, seven armored and five enemy vehicles. This was reported by the Joint Forces Operation Command.

The current results of the shelling of the railway station in Kramatorsk are 52 people killed and 109 wounded, the head of the Donetsk Regional State Administration Kyrylenko informed.

Volodymyr Zelensky met with the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic Eduard Heger. The President of Ukraine thanked the Slovak Prime Minister for his active and up to the point support of Ukraine, which enables the country to resist the Russian invasion.

"The missile strike on Kramatorsk should be one of the charges at the tribunal, which will definitely take place," said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in his address summarizing the 44th day of the war.

The Lithuanian Minister of Defense told an anecdote about Chornobayivka:

- Here you are, guys, diesel right up to Chornobayivka
- And then?
- I didn't get the question.

A letter from a 9-year-old child to mother, who was killed by the Russian occupiers.

Mom, if you think you raised me for nothing, that's not true. Thank you for the best nine years of your life.

Thank you for childhood. You are the best mom in the world. I will never forget you. I wish you happiness in heaven! I wish you to go to heaven! Let’s meet in paradise! I will try to behave well to get to heaven! I kiss you.

The European Union has imposed a fifth package of sanctions against Russia for its war against Ukraine. The sanctions list includes 200 Russians and 17 Russian companies. The respective decision has been announced on the EU website.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has received a questionnaire from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Completion of this document is a necessary step in granting Ukraine EU candidate status. She did so at a joint press conference on April 8 during her visit to Kyiv along with EU leaders.

"We will do whatever needed to give you the weapons you need to win," state Jose Borrell, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

31,000 city residents were forcibly deported from Mariupol to Russia or the so-called Donetsk People's Republic. The mayor of Mariupol Vadym Boychenko reported about it.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer is heading to Ukraine following the invitation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to see Bucha. His visit can be seen as a sign of solidarity with the Ukrainian people, Kurier notes.

The winners of Eurovision 2021, the Italian band Måneskin on their Instagram page published a real manifesto calling to help people from Ukraine who are forced to leave their homes to escape the Russian war.

Переглянути цей допис в Instagram

Допис, поширений Måneskin (@maneskinofficial)

Von der Leyen warned Hungary: If you pay Russia for gas in rubles, you will violate sanctions. This was stated by the President of the European Commission in a comment to CNN.

Reuters report from the basement of a school in the village of Yahidne, north of Kyiv. More than 300 Ukrainians hid here from the Russian occupiers. The names of the dead are painted on the basement walls.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine shot down a Russian drone - "Orlan-30".

The EU is introducing free roaming for Ukrainian refugees, Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov informs. 24 EU mobile operators and three Ukrainian mobile operators have signed a joint statement.

According to US data, the Kramatorsk railway station was hit by a Russian SS-21 short-range ballistic missile, CNN reports, referring to two high-ranking United States defense officials.

Video from Bucha (contains very horrible footage). The bodies of tortured civilians were found at 144, Yablunska Street. People were shot close, their eyes were burned, and parts of their bodies were cut off. It was a headquarters of Kadyrov's group, writes journalist Denys Kazansky.

Great Britain will provide Ukraine with an additional package of military aid worth 100 million pounds to fight Russian aggression. This was reported by CNN with reference to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson.

The Russian occupiers have completely withdrawn their troops from the Sumy region to the Russian Federation, the General Staff informed in Facebook.