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

Russian occupiers have mined sacks of potatoes. The bags were taken out in a prominent place so that people, starving, would pay attention to it.

Ombudswoman Lyudmyla Denysova spoke about horrible cases of brutal rape of children by occupiers in Bucha and Irpin.

"A 14-year-old girl was raped by 5 male occupiers. She is currently pregnant. Bucha.
An 11-year-old boy was raped in front of his mother - she was tied to a chair to watch. Bucha.
A 20-year-old woman was raped by three occupiers simultaneously in all possible places. Irpin ".

The Ministry of Defense of Slovakia shared a video of the C-300, which was handed over to Ukraine.

The European Command will redeploy a Patriot missile system to Slovakia, piloted by US troops. This is stated in a press release from the US Department of Defense.

US President Joe Biden called the missile attack on the Kramatorsk railway station "another horrific atrocity committed by Russia." He added that the United States will continue to help Ukraine defend its security by supplying weapons.

The attack on a Ukrainian train station is yet another horrific atrocity committed by Russia, striking civilians who were trying to evacuate and reach safety.

— President Biden (@POTUS) April 8, 2022

Svyatoslav Vakarchuk answered questions from Russian opposition journalists and accused them of involvement in Russia's war crimes in Ukraine.

All occupiers who were in the Exclusion Zone received large doses of radiation. They have a maximum of one year left to live. This was stated by Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko following a trip to the Exclusion Zone and the Chornobyl nuclear power plant.

Digest | How the United States drew Russia to NATO and why the Russian army banned smartphones. Western media review.

More than 80% of the personnel of some Russian army units involved in the war against Ukraine do not want to take part in further hostilities. This was reported in the operational summary of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as of 18:00 on April 8.

Ukraine counts on support of the EU in bringing all perpetrators to international criminal responsibility for war crimes committed by Russia in Bucha and other cities of Ukraine, said Denys Shmyhal.

Odessa businessman Andriy Stavnitser helped the Ukrainian Armed Forces destroy 12 Russian military equipment units in the yard of his house in Kyiv. The destroyed equipment included MRLS, Tornado-G and “Grad” launchers.

"I will rebuild the house, we will rebuild the country, the main thing is to save more lives," Stavnitzer wrote on Facebook.

Ursula von der Leyen about her trip to Ukraine: "It was important to start my visit from Bucha. Because in Bucha our humanity was defeated. <...> Your struggle is our struggle. I am in Kyiv today to tell you that Europe is on your side," said the President of the European Commission.

Ukraine's application for EU membership will be considered by the summer of this year, said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, reports DW.

Ukraine has regained control over the search and rescue vessel "Sapphire" earlier seized by the aggressor. The vessel is being towed to the raid of the Romanian port of Sulina, as reported by the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine.

Since the full-scale war broke out, each and every medical establishment has been shelled in Luhansk region – as of today there are no any non-damaged hospital in the whole region, says Ombudsman Lyudmila Denisova.

132 civilians shot dead were found in Makariv, Kyiv Region, as stated during the telethon by Vadym Tokar, the town council chairman

Slovakia handed over the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system to Ukraine, as reported by the Ukrainan Air Force Command.

The British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced at a briefing following negotiations, that they are ready for unprecedented steps to make Europe get rid of dependence on Russian gas, help Ukraine repel Russian aggression and bring the Russian leadership to justice for war crimes.

The whole unit of Russian special forces experienced in the Syrian campaign "decided not to try their luck" and refused to take part in further attempts to assault the heroic city of Mariupol. This is reported by the Central Intelligence Agency with reference to a document from the military assembly point in Yekaterinburg.

The Sumy Region's territorial defence forces have replenished the Armed Forces of Ukraine by recapturing equipment from the Russian occupiers.

Ukrainian children and their mothers presented flowers to the residents of Bucharest, Romania, in gratitude for their support and hospitality.

Russians shelled the town of Zolote, Luhansk Region. Houses are on fire and five people are known to have been wounded. During the day, the enemy destroyed 11 objects in Luhansk Region, of which eight were residential buildings in Severodonetsk, Lysychansk, Kreminna and Zolote. This was reported by the Luhansk RMA.

110 thousand Ukrainians have joined the Territorial Defence Forces, more than a hundred have received state awards - Brigadier General Yuriy Galushkin, Commander of the Territorial Defence Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.  

The exhumation of bodies from the mass temporary burial site has started in Bucha. There are an estimated 67 bodies in the mass grave - Prosecutor-General Iryna Venediktova.

Russians shelled a building in Lysychansk. Under the rubble rescuers found a woman with no signs of life. Russian army fired on Severodonetsk, Schedryschevo, Kreminna, Toschkivtsi, Lysychansk during the day, — Luhansk RSA.

From the beginning of Russian invasion to the territory of Ukraine the partner-states expelled 443 employees of Russian diplomatic institutions, — the MFA informs.

Self-proclaimed mayor-collaborator of Mariupol Ivaschenko tried to count the population of Mariupol on air of Russian propaganda channel.

How occupants mocked Ukrainian language at the Hostomel lyceum:

 President of France Emmanuel Makron on the shelling of Kramatorsk: "That is disgusting".

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, High Representative of the EU Josep Borrell and Prime Minister of Slovakia Eduard Heger visited Bucha.

Volunteers are allowed to transfer foreign currency to buy certain goods abroad. Click the link for more information.

Russian occupants captured "Ukrtelekom" building in Enerhodar and took out all of the equipment. The city might loose Ukrainian connection and internet completely.

The missile for Kramatorsk might has been launched from the temporarily occupied territories. This is evidenced by the position of the missile after the fall, — Conflict Intelligence Team informs.

The death toll from the shelling of Kramatorsk station has reached 50 people. 98 people hospitalized, — Donetsk RSA.

The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs of the UN Martin Griffiths visited Bucha and Irpin. He "was horrified by what he saw".

CNN shows a coverage from Chernihiv:

CNN’s @clarissaward tours the damage from Russian attacks and speaks to civilians in Chernihiv, Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/sqR9VjVNPh

— CNN (@CNN) April 8, 2022

The term of COVID-certificates in Diia (state application) is extended to 1,5 years — 545 days.

60 volunteers from Kyiv came to Borodyanka to help the rescuers, — the SESU informs.

Immediate evacuation by car from Kramatorsk starts. City authorities are looking for 30-40 drivers. Evacuation is performed for everybody who wants to get to safer railway stations, — the mayor of Kramatorsk Oleksandr Honcharenko.

The police has found a torture room in a village of Izyum region. The mutilated bodies of people, including children, were found there.

One of the metallurgical plants of Dnipro region starts his work again — with new orders and fullest loading, — the head of Dnipro RSA Valentyn Reznichenko informs.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier calls for a war crimes tribunal against occupant-state Russia's Volodymyr Putin and his Minister of Foreign Affairs Serhiy Lavrov.

In Dnipro region a clergyman of the OCU of the MP who cooperated with the RF was exposed. Starting April 24 he encouraged occupant actions, called on to help the Russian army and supported the point of view of Patriarch Kirill.

Russia offers Belarus as a safety guarantee state for Ukraine, — Interfaх informs.

A shot down car with family inside was found by the local citizens in the woods at the exit from Hostomel towards Irpin, — ITV News informs.

In the French city of Nantes the film  festival "From Lviv to the Urals" has been canceled.

The mayor of Chernihiv Vladyslav Atroshenko: "Nearly 700 people died in Chernihiv during the war — both military and civilian".

Over the past two days sappers of the State Special Transport Service inspected 132 km of railways in Chernihiv region. They found and disposed of 116 explosive devices.

The SBI exposed the assistants of people's deputies from the banned party of OPZZh (OPFL) who were engaged in anti-Ukrainian activities in favor of Russia. Among them is top manager of the sanctioned TV channel "112 Ukraine" Artem Marchevskyy.

Slovakia gives complexes of air and missile defense S-300 to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.