Russia continues offensive in eastern Ukraine seeking to take full control of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and to keep a land corridor to occupied Crimea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Russian troops conduct most intense offensive operations along the Slobozhanskyi and Donetsk axes, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in a morning report on April 27. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Russia to take loyal journalists on a \u201cpress tour\u201d to Mariupol, Ukraine\u2019s military intelligence. <\/strong>Russia prepares a propaganda \u201cpress tour\u201d to Mariupol for loyal media, Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine\u2019s Defense Ministry said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRussia plans a large-scale political provocation in destroyed Mariupol and invites western journalists. Russia\u2019s Defense Ministry plans a so-called \u2018press tour\u2019 for loyal foreign media on April 28. \u2018Journalists\u2019 will arrive in Ukraine from Russia\u2019s Rostov,\u201d Ukraine\u2019s military intelligence said in a Telegram post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Russia plans \u201creferenda\u201d to annex DNR, LNR to Russia, and to create a puppet republic in Kherson region.<\/strong>Russia plans to conduct false referenda in the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions to annex both, Russian media website Meduza said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Two sources in the Russian government have even named the dates of the \u201creferenda\u201d – May 14 and 15. The \u201caccession\u201d will be within the limits \u201crecognized\u201d by Russia on February 21 as \u201chistorical\u201d borders of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the same dates, Russia may conduct another \u201creferendum\u201d in Kherson region that is partially occupied by Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Russia will purportedly \u201cput to the vote\u201d the region’s independence from Ukraine and creation of the \u201cKherson People’s Republic\u201d following a pattern of the \u201cDNR\u201d and \u201cLNR\u201d. It may also be annexed to Russia in the future, Meduza’s sources say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Russia shut off the supply of gas to Bulgaria and Poland<\/strong> until they pay in rubles, Gazprom said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The move sent European gas prices up further, surging by 24 per cent. Gas futures for May delivery at TTF reached USD 1.43 per thousand cubic meters, ICE\u2019s markets show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bulgaria\u2019s Minister of Energy Alexander Nikolov said gas deliveries to consumers were still guaranteed for at least a month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt is clear that the natural gas is being used as a political weapon,\u201d Nikolov said. \u201cBulgaria won\u2019t hold negotiations under pressure. One cannot buy Bulgaria, it rejects pressure by trade partners,\u201d the Minister proceeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ukraine in Flames #48. How will the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine take place?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n