🟡20.04.2022
23:58 Operational Command “South”
The occupiers in the Kherson region postponed the “referendum” to the end of April
In the Kherson region, the occupiers intensified preparations for the referendum. The date of imitation of the will of the people was postponed to April 27. Trying to speed up the legalization of the occupying power, as always, they ignore all laws and regulations.
Meanwhile, the settlements of the region are under constant fire. The enemy tried to continue the assault around Oleksandrivka, but was unsuccessful.
In Mykolaiiv region, in settlements near the administrative border with Kherson region, the occupiers are forcing the local population to elect a new local government loyal to the invaders under the threat of weapons by fake voting. Meanwhile the enemy continues artillery shelling of residence quarters and civilians of Mykolaiiv and the whole region.
23:16 Mariupol City Counsil
Mykhailo Podoliak and David Arahamiya stated their readiness to hold talks in Mariupol with representatives of the Russian Federation on the evacuation of the military and civilians.
This was announced by the members of the Ukrainian negotiating team on their social media pages. According to them, they are ready to leave for Mariupol at any time as soon as they receive confirmation from the Russian side.
22:43 Chief Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine
Chief Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine received an audio interception of a conversation between the occupiers, which refers to an order to kill all the prisoners of war in the area of Popasna, Luhansk region.
This is a blatant war crime, a violation of international law, and another striking example that the Russian army is murderers, rapists and looters, and by no means military.
22:15 Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine
- Manipulation. Despite President Zelenskyy’s statement that Ukraine has not received any document related to the peace talks, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zakharova said that “Moscow handed over a draft document to Kyiv… on April 15, but has not yet received any. reactions”.
- Manipulation. Russian investigators inspected the Mariupol hospital, which was “subjected to Ukrainian shelling” and “found dozens of bodies of civilians”. The occupiers also noted that they “recorded traces of Ukrainian war crimes”.
- Manipulation. Despite reports of Azov Battalion leaders about the enemy’s shelling of the announced humanitarian corridor, the Russian Defense Ministry said that Kyiv had disrupted a Russian-announced humanitarian operation on “Azovstal”.
20:29 Iryna Vereshchuk, Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine
Unfortunately, the humanitarian corridor from Mariupol did not work as planned today.
Due to the lack of control over their own military on the ground, the occupiers were unable to ensure a proper ceasefire.
Also, due to their inherent disorganization and negligence, occupiers were unable to provide timely transportation of people to the point where dozens of our buses and ambulances were waiting.
Tomorrow morning we will resume our efforts in the Mariupol direction.
19:40 Radio Liberty
Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk regional military administration, said that there were far fewer evacuation buses from Mariupol than announced by the Russian side.
“The occupiers announced a number of buses in the evacuation corridor. In fact, there were far fewer of them. People gathered at the collection points, but few got on the buses. Now some of these buses go on the route determined by the Russian Federation “, stated Kyrylenko.
18:27 Novoye Vremya
Russian and Belarusian tennis players were suspended from participating in the Grand Slam tournament – Wimbledon.
The decision was made due to Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, according to the official website of Wimbledon.
“On behalf of the All England Club and the Committee of Management of The Championships, we wish to express our ongoing support for all those impacted by the conflict in Ukraine during these shocking and distressing times.
In the circumstances of such unjustified and unprecedented military aggression, it would be unacceptable for the Russian regime to derive any benefits from the involvement of Russian or Belarusian players with The Championships,” the organizers said in a statement.
18:09 General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Operational information as of 18.00 on 20.04.2022 regarding the Russian invasion
The fifty-sixth day of the heroic fight of the Ukrainian people against the Russian military invasion continues.
The enemy is trying to continue the offensive in the Eastern Operational Zone in order to establish full control over Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The enemy intensified the use of operational and tactical aircraft and air reconnaissance. Inflicts systematic air strikes on military and civilian targets, including long-range aircraft.
- The enemy did not take active action in the Volyn and Polissya directions. The probability of missile strikes by units of the Air Force of the Russian Federation on military and civilian infrastructure in our country using the airfield network and the airspace of the Republic of Belarus remains.
- In the Sivershchyna direction, no signs of formation of an offensive group by the enemy were found. The protection of the joint part of the border with Ukraine is carried out by enemy units in an enhanced mode.
- In the Slobozhanshchyna direction, the occupiers are strengthening groups of army aircraft near the State Border of Ukraine. In the territory of the Belgorod oblast, the equipment of helicopter landing sites has been completed, where more than 90 attack and multi-purpose helicopters are concentrated.
The enemy continues to partially blockade Kharkiv, trying to carry out fire damage to units of our troops and critical infrastructure.
- The enemy regrouped troops in the Izium direction. In the area of the settlement Dibrovne the enemy carried out offensive actions, and had partial success. In the area of the settlement of Stara Hnylytsia the offensive was unsuccessful, as a result of the fire the enemy suffered losses and withdrew.
In addition, the attempt to take control of the village of Dovhenke was unsuccessful. The enemy retreated with losses. As a feature, the actions of the enemy in this direction in the military uniform of the Ukrainian model are noted.
Units of the occupiers continue to replenish stocks of logistics from the territory of the Russian Federation.
Additional units of the occupiers are being transferred. Thus, at the Kupiansk-Sortuvalnyi railway station, the unloading of the echelon with weapons and military equipment and the movement of artillery units were recorded.
- In the Donetsk and Tavriya directions, the enemy is reconnoitering the routes of advance and preparing for further offensive operations in the direction of the settlement of Lyman and the exit to Slovyansk from the northeast.
The enemy continues to increase the number of troops in this direction. Units from the 90th Panzer Division, the 41st General Army and the 232nd Jet Artillery Brigade of the Central Military District were relocated from the territory of the Russian Federation.
The battalion tactical group from the 150th Motorized Rifle Division lost its combat capability and was withdrawn to the recovery area.
The enemy tried to gain a foothold in the western and northwestern parts of Rubizhne. Failed. He carried out assault operations in the direction of Novotoshkivske, but was unsuccessful.
The Russian occupiers are carrying out assault operations in the area of Popasna.
Air strikes continue on the infrastructure of the city of Mariupol, the enemy is carrying out assault operations near the seaport and the Azovstal plant.
- In the Zaporizhzhia direction, with the support of artillery fire, the enemy resumed the offensive in the direction of the village of Temyrivka.
- In the South Bug direction, enemy artillery units fired on the positions of our units. In addition, enemy military and tactical aircraft fired on individual targets.
The enemy tried to continue the assault in the direction of the village of Alexandrovka, but was unsuccessful.
There are no signs of preparation of the armed forces of the so-called “Transnistrian-Moldavian Republic” to take part in the armed aggression against Ukraine. At the same time, the involvement of law enforcement agencies of this unrecognized state entity in conducting subversive and terrorist activities on the territory of our state is not ruled out.
We believe in the Armed Forces of Ukraine! Let’s win together! Glory to Ukraine!
17:49 Novoye Vremya
Germany will stop importing oil from Russia by the end of 2022. This was stated by Annalena Baerbock, Foreign Minister of the country.
16:59 Priamyi TV
In Mariupol, surrounded by Russian troops, 91-year-old Vanda Obiedkova, who survived the German occupation, died.
This was reported by the museum of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.
“At the age of 10, she hid from the Germans in a basement in Mariupol. 81 years later, she died in a basement in the same city, hiding from Russian troops,” the museum stated.
16:47 Novoye Vremya
Since the beginning of the full-scale war, Russia has lost three and a half times more military equipment than Ukraine, Oryx reports.
16:10 Security Service of Ukraine
In the Kharkiv region, the SSU exposed a secret Russian warehouse with ammunition and components for military equipment worth $200 million.
All this equipment has already been transferred to the needs of the Armed Forces.
15:57 Radio Liberty
Moscow has banned Ukrainian artists and journalists from entering Russia for 50 years for criticizing Russia’s actions. The list includes 31 people.
15:33 Ukrainska Pravda
The head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Epiphanius, doesn’t believe in the ceasefire by the Russian occupiers on Easter, so he urged not to hold night services in dangerous areas of the country.
15:23 Radio Svoboda
The number of Ukrainians who left their homeland after the Russian invasion has exceeded 5 million, according to the update by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on April 19. According to these data, this is the largest flow of refugees in Europe since World War II. 90% of refugees are women and children.
14:04 General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
A global flash mob on social networks in support of Ukraine #ArmUkraineNow is spreading around the world.
Advocacy for the provision of weapons is now a top priority for every Ukrainian. Our courageous army does not have enough heavy weapons. Only after its prompt provision will Ukraine be able to confidently win, save the lives of innocent people and stop this evil.
To join, you must meet three simple conditions:
1. Take a photo with a piece of paper, phone, tablet, etc. on which the text “Arm Ukraine Now” will be written.
2. Post your photo with a poster on one or more social networks: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. Write a short appeal to the world community to provide Ukraine with heavy weapons.
3. In your post, pass the baton of the flash mob to at least three friends or public figures (politicians, artists, athletes, other authorities). BE SURE to add the hashtag #ArmUkraineNow to the post.
Together we will win!
13:37 Chief Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine
Putin plans to carry out forced mobilisation in the occupied territories of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.
Pseudo-referendums in the occupied territories of Zaporizhia and Kherson regions are aimed at declaring forced “mobilisation”. After that, the FSB of the Russian Federation plans to throw “mobilised” Ukrainians to the hottest parts of the front to storm the positions of the Armed Forces under the control of barrier troops. In fact, this is an attempt to destroy Ukraine at the hands of Ukrainians themselves.
As previously reported, personal data of residents of the temporarily occupied territories are collected in advance for “referendums”, allegedly for “humanitarian aid” or social benefits. On election day, FSB officers will fill out ballots using the information obtained without the consent and physical presence of the Ukrainians themselves.
That particular operation pursues the following objectives:
- the destruction of representatives of the Ukrainian ethnic group;
- carrying out propaganda activities with imposing on the population of Russia and the world the myth that “the population of the regions liberated from the Nazis began to fight against nationalist battalions.”
That is another crime of the Putin regime against Ukraine and proof of the genocide against the Ukrainian nation.
11:56 Economichna Pravda
Nearly 200,000 employees of multinational companies in Russia remain on payroll, despite promises to suspend or suspend operations in the country. This was reported by the Financial Times. Several Western companies, such as McDonald’s, IKEA, Renault, Levi Strauss, and others, have pledged to pay salaries to thousands of their employees while operations in Russia are suspended. The FT estimates that there are at least 188,000 employees. The real figure could be much higher, as large employers such as KFC owner Yum Brands and Coca-Cola have not confirmed whether they are still paying employees.
11:14 Head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration Serhii Haidai
Light, gas, and water supply cannot be restored in Popasna, Rubizhne, and parts of the villages of the Hirske community because the infrastructure there is almost destroyed. It cannot be repaired until the end of hostilities.
11:04 Сhairman of the Mykolaiv Regional Council Hanna Zamazieieva
Update on the shelling of the Bashtanka city hospital. The hemodialysis department, which provided vital assistance to hundreds of citizens every day, was damaged.
“We have always cited our Bashtanka Multidisciplinary Hospital as an example. It serves a huge area and is a hub hospital. Soon, there had to be a full-fledged modern reception department with all necessary equipment. But the ugly hands of the “Russian world” reached Bashtanka and this hospital, and now, instead of modern medical facilities, the wards there have been destroyed,” said Zamazieieva.
10:54 European Pravda
The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has confirmed that it has received spare parts and components for aircraft from the Allies, but not new aircraft.
10:53 Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration
According to the acting mayor of the occupied Berdiansk Oleksandr Svidlo, representatives of the Russian Federation came to the houses of culture and demanded to organise concerts on May 9, the Victory Day in Russia. They illegally appointed their director. Russians make fake statements and insist on collaboration. The population of the occupied territories is outraged.
10:25 Chief Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine
On the background of failures at the front, Moscow began a “cleansing” of the leaders of the so-called “LPR”.
According to the information received by the CDI of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, “Minister of Internal Affairs of the People’s Republic of Luhansk” major-general Oleksandr Kornet was arrested by the Russian FSB and is currently being held in the detention centre in Rostov-on-Don.
His arrest provoked a negative reaction from the security forces and the political leadership of the “republic”, which assessed this as the beginning of changes in the power bloc of the quasi-state. However, the head of the so-called “LPR” Leonid Pasichnyk is making every effort to release Cornet from custody and reinstate him.
10:22 General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
The total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02 to 20.04 were approximately:
personnel – about 20900 persons were liquidated,
Tanks – 815,
APV – 2087,
artillery systems – 391,
MLRS – 136,
anti-aircraft warfare systems – 67,
aircraft – 171,
helicopters – 150,
vehicles – 1504,
boats / cutters – 8,
fuel tanks – 76,
UAV operational-tactical level – 165,
special equipment – 27,
mobile SRBM system – 4.
Data is being updated.
10:01 Centre for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine
The most contradictory disinformation theses of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation about the situation in Ukraine over the past day:
- “With high-precision missiles, the Russian Armed Forces destroyed control points of the Armed Forces, ammunition depots, and military equipment in the Luhansk region.”
The General Staff of Ukraine reports that over the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian military has destroyed 12 tanks, 28 units of armoured and 2 units of motor vehicles, an artillery system, an aeroplane, a helicopter, 6 UAVs, and an enemy cruise missile.
- “Assault on Azovstal started in Mariupol”
Azovstal has been under constant fire for 2 months. The enemy has twice offered to surrender in vain to the Ukrainian defenders who are located on the territory of the plant. According to Russian propaganda, the occupiers are storming Azovstal for at least the third time: Ramzan Kadyrov decided to do so for the first time on April 2, followed by other Russian invaders on April 17 and 19.
9:04 Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Iryna Vereshchuk
A humanitarian corridor from Mariupol will be organised for today, April 20, 2022. Given the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Mariupol, efforts will be focused in this direction. Ukrainian authorities have managed to agree in advance on a humanitarian corridor for women, children, and the elderly.
8:32 Centre for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine
Centre for Countering Disinformation collected fakes, manipulation, and disinformation that the enemy spread on the morning of April 20, 2022:
- Fake: Russian propagandists reported that “Russia has declared to the UN that Ukrainian militants use 8 OSCE vehicles.” At the same time, it is noted that “the organisation concealed the facts of the seizure of its cars”;
- Manipulation: even though the propagandists announced the evacuation of more than 140 people from the territory of Azovstal, the Russian Defence Ministry said that on April 19 no one used the humanitarian corridor. “The reason for this was that Kyiv is deceiving its people, convincing them that there is no possibility of evacuation”;
- Disinformation: Russian media reported on the “discovery of documents proving Kyiv’s failure to fulfil its international obligations to extradite criminals, including those who took part in the operation in Donbas and are on the international wanted list.”
8:31 Adviser to the Mayor of Mariupol Petro Andriushchenko
The occupiers, from “soft” offers to wear white ribbons to civilians as a sign of “our”, turned to direct threats to open fire on anyone who will be on the street without such signs.
The Russians are gradually turning the city into a real ghetto for Ukrainians while using civilians as bait to identify Ukrainian army firing points.
8:16 Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine
As of April 19, more than 578 children suffered in Ukraine as a result of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation. The death toll remained unchanged – 205 children were killed. The number of injured increased to 373.
Children suffered the most in regions such as Donetsk – 118, Kyiv – 108, Kharkiv – 91, Chernihiv – 57, Kherson – 43, Mykolaiv – 40, Luhansk – 36, Zaporizhzhia – 25, the capital – 16, Sumy – 16, Zhytomyr – 15.
These data are not conclusive, as inspection of sites of active hostilities and liberated settlements and receiving information on the temporarily occupied territories are underway.
7:42 General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
The operational update regarding the Russian invasion on 06.00 on April 20, 2022.
Video (Spokesman for the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Shtupun)
The fifty-sixth day of the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people to a Russian military invasion continues. A Russian federation continues its full-scale armed aggression against Ukraine.
- The Russian enemy is trying to continue offensive operations in the Eastern Operational Zone to establish full control over the territory of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
- The Russian enemy continues to launch missile and bomb strikes on military and civilian infrastructure throughout Ukraine.
- In the Volyn and Polissia directions, the enemy did not take active action. The threat of rocket-bomb strikes by Russian aircraft on objects on the territory of Ukraine with the use of the territory, airfield network, and airspace of the Republic of Belarus remains.
- Certain units of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus continue to carry out tasks to cover the Ukrainian-Belarusian border in Brest and Gomel regions. Carry out engineering equipment of positions and observation posts.
- In the Siversky direction, there were no signs of the Russian enemy forming a strike group to resume offensive operations. The protection of the Ukrainian-Russian border in this direction is carried out by the enemy in an enhanced mode. Measures of engineering equipment of bases in the border areas with Ukraine are underway.
- In the Slobozhansky direction, the Russian enemy regroups and replenishes its reserves. The partial blockade of Kharkiv and the shelling of the city continue.
- In the Izyum direction, the enemy attempted an offensive in the direction of Sulyhivka, Dibrivne. The enemy is trying to conduct air reconnaissance of the offensive with the use of unmanned aerial vehicles “Orlan-10”.
- In the Donetsk and Tavriya directions, the Russian occupiers continue to shell the front lines of our troops and search for weak points in the defence along the entire line of contact. Fighting continues in the areas of Kreminna, Torske, and Zelena Dolyna. The Russian enemy regroups to further attack in the direction of the village of Lyman.
- The Russian enemy is trying to launch an offensive to advance deep into the village of Popasna. After attempts by the Russian occupiers to storm Rubizhne and Severodonetsk, about 130 wounded enemy soldiers were taken to the local hospital in Novoaydar. The exact number is currently being clarified.
- In the Donetsk direction, the Russian enemy carried out assaults in the area of the Marinka settlement.
- The Russian enemy’s main efforts are focused on capturing the city of Mariupol, continuing the assault in the area of the Azovstal plant.
- The enemy is fighting in the settlements of Velyka Novosilka, Rivnopil, and Storozheve and continues to provide logistical support to troops.
- In the South Buh direction, the Russian enemy is concentrating its main efforts on maintaining the occupied frontiers and shelling the positions of our troops. Conducts hostilities in the area of the settlement of Oleksndrivka.
- In the future, the Russian occupiers will continue to fire on the positions of our troops and conduct hostilities to reach the administrative borders of the Kherson region.
- Due to heavy losses, the Russian occupiers withdrew the battalion tactical group of the 237th Tank Regiment of the 3rd Motorised Rifle Division of the 20th Guards Combined Arms Army of the Western Military District from the Kharkiv region to the Permanent Deployment Point (Soloty, Belgorod Oblast) to restore combat capability.
- Ten attacks by the Russian occupiers were repulsed in the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts over the past 24 hours, twelve tanks were destroyed, twenty-eight armoured and two units of armoured vehicles, and one artillery system were destroyed.
- The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has hit nine air targets the previous day: one plane, one helicopter, six UAVs of various types, and a cruise missile.
7:37 Head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration Serhii Haidai
At night, the Russians shelled Novodruzhesk. Houses were destroyed, the city was left without gas. Three more high-rise buildings were demined in Lysychansk.
6:15 Ukrainska Pravda citing the Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN Serhii Kyslytsia
The Russians forcibly relocated more than 500,000 Ukrainians to Russia, including 121,000 children. Ukrainians are issued documents banning them from leaving Russian regions for two years.
Ukrainians are sent to depressed regions of Russia, including the northern regions and the island of Sakhalin.
In addition, at least 20,000 Ukrainians are being held in filtration camps on the Yalta-Manhush-Nikolske line and about 5-7,000 in Bezimenne in the Donetsk region.
4:58 Suspilne citing the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Mariano Grossi
Direct communications between the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Chornobyl nuclear power plant was restored on April 19, according to a press statement from IAEA’s Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi.
Russian forces held Chornobyl for five weeks before withdrawing on March 31. IAEA lost contact with the nuclear power site on March 10.
“This was clearly not a sustainable situation, and it is very good news that the regulator can now contact the plant directly when it needs to,” Grossi said in the statement.
The statement added that a “mission of IAEA experts” plans to visit the site later this month to “conduct nuclear safety, security and radiological assessments, deliver vital equipment and repair the Agency’s remote safeguards monitoring systems.”
0:58 Operational Command “Sought”
The manoeuvring of the enemy naval group continues in the Black Sea operational zone. Therefore, the threat of missile strikes remains, and a desperate landing is not ruled out.
The enemy continues to reconnoitre Ukrainian positions with the help of reconnaissance drones, which our air defence forces continue to accurately destroy.
The total losses of the enemy for the current day on the southern borders of the defence are 19 Russians and 6 units of equipment, including armoured, automobile, and UAV “Orlan-10”.
0:27 Suspilne citing the Adviser to the Head of the President’s Office Oleksii Arestovych
In the Izium district of the Kharkiv region, 12 Ukrainian servicemen reported breathing problems and red eyes after an attack by the Russian army.
“The type (of the substance – ed.) cannot be determined, because there is no laboratory nearby… There are no deaths. There is evidence that some chemical substance was used. It all needs to be clarified,” Arestovych said.
