I’m in a panic / Rain of raids, Putin leads Wagner

UPDATE Ukraine appeals to the Council of Europe to derogate from certain parts of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms due to martial law

Ukraine addressed the European Council to suspend part of the terms of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms due to martial law, the corresponding notification being published on April 28 on the website.

UPDATE The Secretary General of NATO, Stoltenberg, arrives in Kiev on a surprise visit

The Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, arrived in Kyiv on April 29, in a previously unannounced visit.

UPDATE The Russian attack in the Kherson region killed one man

Russian forces attacked the village of Kizomys in Kherson region on April 29, killing a 60-year-old man, regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.

UPDATE Military information: Over 18,000 Russian soldiers from the Southern Military District have deserted

More than 18,000 soldiers from this district are said to have deserted, including about 12,000 belonging to the 8th Combined Arms Army – a unit frequently deployed in hostilities in eastern Ukraine.

Politically, the Kremlin took control of Wagner’s mercenaries

Thousands of former Wagner militants are now responding to Moscow’s orders. Politico is writing this exclusively, claiming that the Russian mercenary militia, which is fighting in Ukraine and has also staged an uprising against President Vladimir Putin, has been disbanded and split into at least four groups that now operate in the service of the Kremlin. Politico cites two official US sources as saying that by mixing the fighters with other mercenaries loyal to Putin, the Moscow government hopes to avoid a repeat of riots like the one last year, when the Wagner mercenaries attempted an insurrection against Putin and the Ministry of Defense. reaching the gates of Moscow. According to the sources, the new private armies have already been deployed around the world in special missions: not only in Ukraine, but also in Africa, “where they play a destabilizing role as when they were under Prigozhin’s command.” “The reconstituted paramilitary groups have already forced the Biden administration to withdraw troops from Niger and Chad and are challenging US policies in the Central African Republic, Mali, Burkina Faso, Libya and other African nations.”

Ukraine: Klitschko criticizes Zelenski: more fight against corruption is needed

The mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, accused the Ukrainian government of doing too little to fight corruption in the country. Asked if the government is on the right track in fighting corruption, he said in an interview with the Funke media group newspapers: “You can ask that question to every citizen and I’m sure every citizen will say no.” And I have “exactly the same opinion”, said Klitschko. Asked if he had met with the Ukrainian president in the meantime to resolve the tensions between the two, Klitschko replied that he had tried dozens of times since the beginning of the war “but, unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to meet Zelenskiy in person. He probably has more to do.” According to the mayor of the capital of Ukraine, it is important to forget about political ambitions in the current situation. “Engaging in a political competition would be stupid,” Klitschko also said, adding that “unfortunately, there is no unity between political forces in this time of war.”

Kiev: The two people killed in Germany were convalescing soldiers

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine confirmed that the two Ukrainians killed in Germany were soldiers recovering in Bavaria after being wounded during the war. This was reported by Ukrainian media. Yesterday, a 57-year-old Russian national was arrested in Upper Bavaria, Germany, in connection with the murder of two Ukrainians in the Tengelmann shopping center in Murnau. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine confirmed that the detainee suspected of committing the crime is Russian. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarifies that Minister Dmitro Kuleba has ordered to keep the case under special control and “to be in permanent contact with the law enforcement bodies in Germany, so that the killer is punished to the fullest extent permitted by law.” He also expressed his gratitude to the German law enforcement agencies for the timely arrest of the suspect.

Moscow: weapons caches destroyed in 3 airports in Kiev

Russia’s Defense Ministry said today that its forces destroyed caches of ammunition and military equipment at three airports in Ukraine, including attack drones stored at Kamyanka Airport in the east of the country. According to the ministry’s online update, the attacks took place in the last 24 hours.

Ukraine: the Russians captured two villages near Avdiivka

Russian troops are advancing into the area of ​​the Ukrainian town of Avdiivka, which they have held since February, and have captured two villages, but Ukrainian security officials said that while the situation in the east of the country is “very difficult”, it is “not critical or catastrophic”. The Guardian writes it. After reaching the rural settlement of Ocheretyne a week ago, Moscow troops have taken control of Solovyove and Novokalynove and are advancing west. Ukraine’s Eastern Command said its forces still control two-thirds of Ocheretyne, where fierce fighting has taken place. Russia captured Avdiivka in February after the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops. Since then, Moscow’s forces have continued to advance. Northwest of Avdiivka, Russian combat units reached about 30 km from the city of Pokrovsk, a Ukrainian military center. Further north, they are fighting for control of the town of Chasiv Yar, near Bakhmut.

Germany: two Ukrainian men stabbed, Russians arrested

Two Ukrainian men were stabbed to death in southern Germany, and a Russian man was arrested by police as the main suspect in the murders. The two Ukrainians, who were 23 and 36 years old and lived in the county of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, were killed in a shopping center in the village of Murnau, Upper Bavaria. Shortly after the murder, which took place on Saturday evening, the police arrested a 57-year-old Russian man on suspicion of murder. Authorities said the possible motive for the killings is not yet known. It was also unclear if the three men knew each other.

Pro-Russian: shipyard and hotel with mercenaries hit in Mykolaiv

Russian state news agency Ria Novosti reported that the Mikolaiv attack targeted a shipyard where naval drones are assembled, as well as a hotel housing “English-speaking mercenaries” who fought for Kiev. That’s what Serghei Lebedev, the coordinator of the local pro-Moscow guerrilla movement, said. His comments could not be independently verified. Vitali Kim, the governor of southern Ukraine’s Mykolaiv province, said Russian drones had “severely damaged” a hotel in his homonymous capital, starting a fire that was later extinguished. Kim also said the attack damaged the city’s heat generation infrastructure. There were no victims.

Tajikistan urges its citizens “not to go to Russia”. There are fears of reprisals

Tajikistan’s Foreign Ministry has advised all citizens to “temporarily refrain” from traveling to Russia. The warning was issued after officials expressed concern that Tajiks were being “unreasonably” denied entry to Russia, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported, Sky News reported. Human rights organizations have also reported increased levels of prejudice against Central Asians in Russia following the March 22 shooting at a Moscow concert hall. The Islamic terrorist group Islamic State of Khorasan (IS-K) claimed responsibility for the attack in which at least 130 people were killed and all the accused gunmen are from Tajikistan. Yesterday, in connection with the attack, a twelfth person, also a Tajik citizen, was arrested.

Russia, conquered village in Donetsk region

Russian armed forces have taken control of the village of Novobakhmutivka in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. This was announced by the Russian Ministry of Defense quoted by the Interfax news agency. The village is near the town of Ocheretyne, which has become a focal point of clashes in recent days.