War in Ukraine, day 797. US urges allies to supply Patriot anti-aircraft systems to Ukraine

The most important events of the last 24 hours:

• The US urges its allies to supply Ukraine with Patriot anti-aircraft systems
• Russian troops advance northwest of Avdiivka
• Estonia accuses Russia of using GPS jammers to affect civil aviation in the Baltic area
• UN experts: A missile fired by Russia at Kharkiv came from North Korea
• 30 Ukrainians died crossing the border illegally to escape the war
• The first visit to Ukraine by a member of the British royal family since the beginning of the war
• Russian missile attack in Odessa, resulting in at least five dead and dozens injured
• The first visit to Ukraine by a member of the British royal family since the beginning of the war
• A group of Ukrainians over 60 years old is fighting the Russians on the front with weapons refurbished by themselves
• More than 30 men died while trying to cross the border illegally to escape the mobilization

Update 21:25 – American Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday encouraged the states that have Patriot anti-aircraft systems to donate them to Ukraine, which is waiting for more weapons for anti-aircraft defense against Russia, reports AFP.

“There are countries that have Patriot (batteries), and what we’re doing is continuing to mobilize those countries,” Austin said at a House hearing.

“I myself have talked with the leaders of several countries, right here, in the last two weeks, to encourage them to provide more equipment,” he continued, without specifying which countries they were.

Update 19:15 – The Ukrainian army, faced with the superiority of the Russian troops in terms of troops and weaponry, is trying to stop the rapid advance of the latter northwest of the city of Avdiivka, in the Donetsk region, from where the locals are fleeing to escape the Russian occupation, the agency reports on Tuesday EFE.

Although limited by reporting to the scale of the entire front more than a thousand kilometers long, the recent Russian advances near the village of Oceretîne, northwest of the occupied city of Donetsk, represent the biggest success of Russian troops since the occupation of the nearby town of Avdiivka.

In addition to that village, which the Russian troops control in a proportion of about 80%, they also occupied others in the area.

Kiev’s forces withdrew to reserve positions already prepared to the west, and the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, General Oleksandr Sîrski, sent reinforcements to the area.

Update 17:10 – French President Emmanuel Macron plans to use his personal relationship with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to persuade him during his upcoming visit to France to press Moscow to end the war in Ukraine.

Europe “must show that it is never a vassal of the United States and that it knows how to talk to all the other regions of the world,” said the French leader.

Update 15:20 Estonia accuses Russia of violating international airspace regulations by jamming that alters the GPS signal.

“GPS interference in Estonia’s airspace, generated by the Russian Federation, has affected civil aviation in our region. By doing so, Russia is violating international regulations,” Tallinn Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said on Monday evening, without providing any evidence. in support of his claims.

The official added that he will address the issue with partners from NATO and the European Union, reports the international press.

The new developments come after airline Finnair announced on Monday the temporary suspension of its flights to Tartu in eastern Estonia for a month due to GPS signal disruptions that prevented two planes from landing.

The Finnish company said it did not know where the interference was coming from, but that it had previously reported similar problems near the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad and Finland’s eastern border with Russia.

Earlier this month, Germany said Russia was most likely behind a series of disruptions affecting shipping in the Baltic region.

The German Ministry of Defense pointed to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad as the source of the disruptions, but declined to provide details, citing military security reasons.

Neither the Kremlin nor the Russian Defense Ministry have yet responded to requests for comment on these suspicions and allegations.

Update 14:13 Debris from a missile that hit the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv came from a North Korean Hwasong-11 ballistic missile.

The information comes from observers who monitor compliance with UN sanctions.

They drafted a report dated April 25 of this year and addressed to the Committee on Sanctions against North Korea of ​​the UN Security Council.

In the 32-page document seen by Reuters, UN experts concluded that debris recovered from a missile that fell in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on January 2, 2024, “comes from a DPRK Hwasong-11 series missile.” and violates the arms embargo imposed on North Korea.

“The information provided by the Ukrainian authorities regarding the trajectory of the missile indicates that it was launched from the territory of the Russian Federation,” the quoted report also says.

North Korea, whose official name is the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, DPRK, has been under UN sanctions over its ballistic and nuclear programs since 2006, and these measures have been strengthened over the years.

Update 12:00 About 30 Ukrainian men died while trying to cross the border illegally and avoid being sent to the front in the war with Russia.

The information comes from the spokesman of the Border Guard Service of Ukraine, Andrii Demcenko.

The Ukrainian official states that the statistics refer to the period since the beginning of the war.

“In total, since the large-scale invasion began, around 30 people have died trying to cross the border illegally,” Demcenko was quoted as saying by the Intentional media.

“Attempts to illegally cross the border take place every day. Many of them take place outside the border control points with the Republic of Moldova and Romania. The largest number of forged documents is registered at the border with Poland,” he continued .

The official also stated that, on average, 10 men are stopped every day for trying to leave Ukraine illegally.

This country has suspended consular services for men between 18 and 60 until May 18.

With some exceptions, Ukrainian men between the ages of 18 and 60 are not allowed to leave the country, being able to be mobilized for the front, according to the martial law in force.

Last November, the BBC reported, based on data available in Romania, the Republic of Moldova, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, that nearly 20,000 men fled Ukraine to avoid being drafted.

Update 10:30 Russia attacked Odessa with a ballistic missile and cluster munitions. Initially, the local authorities communicated that four people were killed and another 28 were injured. The death toll was later updated to five people.

The rockets hit the headquarters of the Law Academy in the port city. Images of the burning building were posted on social media.

Several blocks of flats were also damaged. The number of reported casualties is likely to rise as rescuers pull more people from the rubble.

“We have just received reports on the situation in Odesa, following a Russian missile attack, and in Kharkiv, following an attack by Russian guided aerial bombs. Unfortunately, there are casualties in Odesa. My condolences to families and friends. Many people have been injured and given medical aid,” President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said.

Update 08:30 Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, visited Ukraine, meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife, in the first trip to the country by a member of the British royal family since the conflict with Russia began, Buckingham Palace announced on Monday.

Sophie, 59, the wife of King Charles’ younger brother Prince Edward, made the surprise visit on behalf of the British Foreign Office to show solidarity with those affected by the armed conflict and as part of her work to to support victims of sexual violence in the war, notes Reuters.

She met with victims of conflict-related sexual violence and survivors of torture, as well as children who were returned to Ukraine after being separated from their families and taken to Russia. She also met with women volunteers who helped their communities deal with the aftermath of the attacks through mental health work for children.

Duchess Sophie’s trip to Ukraine follows visits to Kosovo, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Colombia to hear testimonies from victims of conflict-related sexual violence.

Update 00:01 Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the people of Ukraine will question the legitimacy of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying his fate “is sealed.”

Peskov reiterated Moscow’s intentions to meet its war aims.

Both Ukrainian government and opposition politicians have expressed doubts about the viability of holding an election during the war.

There are millions of displaced voters and Moscow controls almost a fifth of Ukraine’s territory. Other obstacles include damaged infrastructure, an outdated electoral register and a lack of funds.

During an interview with pro-Kremlin journalist Pavel Zarubin, Peskov predicted that Ukrainian voters would be unhappy with the lack of elections, saying “Zelensky’s fate seems sealed.”

Zelenskiy was elected in 2019, and some US lawmakers have called for wartime elections in Ukraine.

War in Ukraine, April 29, 2024 | ISW: Russia does not have the forces to capture the city of Kharkiv

War in Ukraine, April 28, 2024 | A hotel in Nikolaiev was hit by a drone launched by the Russians

War in Ukraine, April 27, 2024 | Ukraine says it shot down 21 of 34 missiles fired by Russia overnight

War in Ukraine, April 26, 2024 | Ukraine withdraws American Abrams tanks from the front line

War in Ukraine, April 25, 2024 | The United States sent long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine