Ukraine reports new Russian casualties.
Putin is now apparently changing his tactics.
The current news ticker on the Ukraine war.
Surprisingly, NATO Secretary General
in
Kiev
: Stoltenberg honors fallen Ukrainian soldiers
Kremlin chief
a
“bunker grandpa”
?: According to Kiev, Vladimir Putin sent doubles ahead
Analysis
of a
US think tank
: Russia is running out of weapons
Here you can read current developments from the Ukraine conflict.
The processed information on the losses of the armies involved in the Ukraine war comes partly from the warring parties from Russia or Ukraine.
They can therefore not be independently checked in part.
Update from April 21, 9:55 a.m .:
New losses for Russia are emerging in the Ukraine war.
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has now reported that 185,050 Russian soldiers are said to have fallen in Ukraine.
In the last 24 hours, Russia is said to have lost a total of 630 armed forces.
This information cannot be independently verified, and Russia does not publish any data.
Here is a selection of the numbers of the Ukrainian General Staff on Facebook:
Soldiers:
so far a total of about 185,050 (+630)
Tanks:
3668 (+1)
Armored Fighting Vehicles:
7126 (+6)
Artillery systems:
2827 (+2)
Multiple Rocket Launchers:
539 (+1)
Vehicles and fuel tanks:
5713 (+6)
Source: Ukrainian General Staff as of April 21.
The information cannot be independently verified.
Losses for Russia in the Ukraine war: Pistorius comments on possible attacks by Ukraine on Russian territory
Update from April 21, 8:11 a.m
.: Defense Minister Boris Pistorius commented on Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory in the latest "Maybrit Illner" edition.
The SPD politician considers limited attacks of this kind to be acceptable.
It is "completely normal" in such a military conflict "that the attacked person also moves into enemy territory, for example to block supply routes," said politicians in the ZDF talk.
“As long as no cities, no civilians, no civilian areas are attacked, you will have to accept that.
Not with pleasure, but it is part of it, for example to prevent supply routes.”
Tanks, drones, anti-aircraft defenses: weapons for Ukraine
Tanks, drones, anti-aircraft defenses: weapons for Ukraine
Ukraine war news: Putin fires his governor in Siberia
Update from April 20, 7:50 p.m
.: Russian President Vladimir Putin has deposed the governor of the Krasnoyarsk region in Siberia, Alexander Uss.
The Kremlin chief appointed Mikhail Kotyukov as his successor.
"I am sure that the business handover will be objective and comradely," Putin said in a video link.
The previous governor had been in office since 2018.
According to his own statements, the 68-year-old has an offer to go into national politics.
Elections for the governorship are scheduled to take place in the fall.
The son of the previous governor, Artjom Uss, recently made international headlines.
The businessman was arrested in Italy at the end of March and placed under house arrest for allegedly circumventing Western sanctions against Russia as a result of the Ukraine war.
However, he then fled and reappeared in Moscow.
It is believed that the Russian secret services helped him.
+
Moscow ruler: Russian President Vladimir Putin.
© Ilya Pitalev/Imago
News about the Ukraine war: the Wagner group apparently demanded weapons from China
Update from April 20, 5 p.m.:
According to the leaked US documents, the Russian mercenary force Wagner demanded weapons from China in early 2023.
However, China is said to have rejected this request, the British newspaper
Financial Times
reported , citing the documents.
According to the US papers, Beijing did not even supply Wagner with test weapons and made no contact regarding the delivery of weapons.
Turkey has apparently also largely rejected Wagner's weapon demands.
However, there is still uncertainty as to whether at least some of the required weapons were delivered.
Belarus, on the other hand, delivered 50 percent of the promised weapons, the documents say.
Update from April 20, 2:56 p.m .:
During his first visit to Ukraine since the Russian invasion, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Kiev promised the military alliance’s help “as long as necessary”.
"Ukraine deserves a place in NATO," said the 64-year-old at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kiev on Thursday.
Selenskyj thanked Stoltenberg for personally inviting him to the NATO summit in Vilnius in July.
"The time has come for the leaders to determine the prospects of Ukraine joining NATO," said the 45-year-old.
On the way to NATO membership, Ukraine also needs security guarantees from the military alliance.
News in the Ukraine war: heavy losses for Russia – Putin will probably change tactics
Update from April 20, 11:59 a.m .:
Russia is apparently changing its tactics in the Ukraine war due to the severe losses so far: After the probably failed winter offensive, the Russian army is moving towards “a comprehensive strategic defensive posture”.
This was said by Andriy Yusov, spokesman for the Ukrainian military intelligence service, according to
The Kyiv Independent
on national television.
The most combative section of the Russian military has already been "eliminated," he announced.
“The Russians have no intention of repeating the attempts we saw after February 24 last year.
But that doesn't mean that the enemy is defeated or that it no longer poses a threat to Ukraine," Yusov said.
On February 24, 2022, Putin launched his war on Ukraine with massive bombing and an attempt to capture the capital Kiev within a short period of time.
Ukraine war topical: Denmark and Netherlands deliver Leopard 2 tanks
Update from April 20, 11:33 a.m .:
Denmark and the Netherlands want to buy 14 Leopard 2 tanks and then give them to Ukraine free of charge.
The Danish Ministry of Defense said in Copenhagen on Thursday that both countries want to "jointly acquire 14 Leopard 2A4 tanks, refurbish them and donate them to Ukraine".
Accordingly, the main battle tanks are to be delivered “early 2024”.
Both countries will share the costs of 165 million euros equally.
War in Ukraine: NATO Secretary General makes a surprise visit to Kiev
Update from April 20, 10:21 a.m .:
There are more details about the visit of NATO chief Stoltenberg in Kiev: he paid his respects to fallen Ukrainian soldiers and examined destroyed Russian war material in a central square in Kiev, reports the Reuters news agency.
It is the first visit by the NATO Secretary General to Ukraine since Vladimir Putin launched the war against the neighboring country.
The trip took place under the strictest security precautions.
Update from April 20, 9:58 a.m .:
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg surprisingly arrived on Thursday for a visit to the Ukrainian capital Kiev.
This was confirmed by a spokesman for the defense alliance of the German Press Agency.
Several Ukrainian media published images of the head of the military alliance in central Kiev.
Among other things, he was seen in front of a memorial for killed Ukrainian soldiers in front of St. Michael's Cathedral.
Ukraine war: Baerbock stops construction project worth millions at embassy in Moscow
Update from April 20, 9:33 a.m .:
Due to the Ukraine war, the German government is putting a huge construction project in Moscow on hold.
It's about the residence of the German ambassador in Moscow, which should actually be completely renovated.
Cost point: 15.6 million euros.
But Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock put a stop to the renovation of the so-called "Villa Schlossberg", as the news portal
t-online.de
reports: "Due to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, the construction work for the general renovation of the residence in Moscow has been paused until the end of July 2023 “, the Foreign Office said when asked.
Whether the renovation should take place at some point will be “examined in due course”.
The Renaissance villa Schlossberg has been the residence of the German ambassador for more than 50 years and is a listed building, according to a report by
Russia Beyond.
There is much in the facility that points to the historical connection between Russia and Germany.
Ukraine war: Kiev mocks Putin doppelganger and “bunker grandpa”
April 20 update, 6:27 a.m
.: According to the Kremlin, the Russian President recently visited the front.
"That wasn't the real Putin," Ukraine's National Security Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov claimed on Wednesday (April 19) without any evidence on television.
"In order to be able to speak to the real Putin, you have to be in quarantine for at least 10 to 14 days." The Putin spotted in Kherson was "an ordinary double, of which there are several, as you know."
According to Danilov, Putin is “a frightened man” and it is simply impossible to imagine that he has decided to visit the front.
On Tuesday (April 18) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj visited the heavily contested city of Avdiivka.
Zelenskyy is "the exact opposite" of Putin, emphasized Danilov, since he goes to the front at any time.
"That's the difference to the bunker grandpa Putin, who will soon be afraid of himself." Information from the war zone cannot be independently verified.
Ukraine war: Ukrainian front-line fighters receive around 2,500 euros a month
Update from April 20, 5:29 a.m .:
Ukrainian soldiers receive 100,000 hryvnia (around 2,500 euros) a month in addition to their military pay for their work on the front line.
This was announced by the Ukrainian military leadership on Wednesday (April 19) in order to end speculation about pay and allowances.
The 100,000 hryvnia are "reserved for defenders who fight directly at the front".
Soldiers who perform tasks in the combat area but are not directly involved in combat, as well as air defense soldiers, received an additional 30,000 hryvnia (737 euros).
Those deployed in the rear receive no front-line bonuses.
The basic military pay for all soldiers was raised to almost 20,000 hryvnia (490 euros) from the beginning of February.
Ukraine war: Russia runs out of weapons
Update from April 19, 1:55 p.m .:
Does the Russian army still have enough weapons to win the war against Ukraine?
The US think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) has investigated this question in a new report.
The result: Moscow has lost nearly 10,000 pieces of critical equipment in the ongoing conflict.
These include tanks, trucks, artillery and drones, among others.
As a result, the Kremlin would now increasingly have to resort to older equipment from the Cold War era.
"The quality of the Russian military in terms of advanced equipment is likely to decrease, at least in the short term," the CSIS predicted.
According to the report, however, Russia still has a numerical advantage over Ukraine.
"Russia's military capabilities far exceed those of Ukraine on most indicators, including human, air, land and sea power," the CSIS concluded.
News in the Ukraine war: Germany supplies Iris-T air defense system
Update from April 19, 11:06 a.m .:
Germany has delivered a second state-of-the-art Iris-T air defense system to Ukraine.
A government spokeswoman confirmed this.
The Scholz government has promised Ukraine a total of four Iris-T systems.
They are made by the German manufacturer Diehl.
The Bundeswehr itself does not have this system.
Germany had already delivered a first Iris-T example in 2022.
Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko recently praised it: it saved “thousands” of lives during Russian air raids on Kiev.
"Our military are excited about Iris-T," Klitschko said.
"Every shot is a hit, nobody misses."
Heavy losses for Russia in the Ukraine war: dozens of Wagner graves discovered
Update from April 19, 10:50 a.m.:
Graves with dozens of dead Wagner mercenaries were apparently found in Siberia.
This is reported by the independent Russian news agency People of Baikal.
In a remote part of a cemetery near the Siberian capital Irkutsk, 53 graves with Wagner mercenaries who died in the Ukraine war have been discovered.
The graves have not yet been reported, it is said.
The individual graves were covered with spruce branches and two wreaths each: one in the colors of the Russian flag, one in the colors of Wagner and the inscription: "Blood.
Honor.
motherland.
Courage.
PMC Wagner.” Another row of graves had already been prepared – more than ten empty graves have already been dug there, according to the agency.
The Wagner fighters all died between December 2022 and March 2023, the youngest was 19 years old.
According to the report, some of the relatives only found out about the deaths of the men and their burial in the remote cemetery through the news agency.
US State Department warns: 'Concerned that Putin may use tactical nuclear weapon'
Update from April 19, 6:40 a.m .:
The United States is demanding that Western allies keep a watchful eye on the possible use of Russian nuclear weapons.
"We have all observed and worried that Vladimir Putin may use what he considers a non-strategic tactical nuclear weapon," US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said at a NATO meeting.
Sherman fears that the Russian president could force an escalation.
"It is very important that we remain vigilant in this regard."
Update from April 18, 6:33 p.m
.: Poland and Ukraine have settled their dispute over the import of Ukrainian grain.
As the Polish Minister of Agriculture Robert Telus said after a meeting with Ukrainian representatives on Tuesday, the import ban imposed by Warsaw is to be lifted and Ukrainian grain will be transported through Poland again from next Saturday.
However, Warsaw and Kiev have agreed on "mechanisms" to ensure "that not a ton of grain remains in Poland," Telus said.
Hungary and Poland announced on Saturday that they would no longer import grain and other food from Ukraine until the end of June.
News in the Ukraine war: Ukrainian leadership scoffs at Putin's visit to troops
Update from April 18, 2:20 p.m .:
The leadership in Ukraine reacted with bitter mockery to Putin’s visit to troops in occupied areas of Ukraine.
Mykhailo Podoliak, a senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, wrote on Twitter that Putin's visit was "a 'special tour' by the author of the mass murders in the occupied and devastated territories to enjoy one last time the crimes of his henchmen."
Ukraine and the West accuse Russian troops of war crimes, which the Russian leadership denies.
Meanwhile, the state news agency published a video of Putin's visit to the front - but it leaves some questions unanswered.
April 18 update, 11:55 a.m
.: Vadym Prystajko, Ukraine's former foreign minister, told US news magazine
Newsweek
that Western allies are doing too little to help Ukraine achieve lasting success against Russia.
In addition, Kiev must reverse Russian successes in a counter-offensive in the spring.
News about the Ukraine war: Russia sees provocations
Update from April 18, 10:17 a.m .:
Anatoly Antonov, Russian Ambassador to the United States, claims that the United States would take a provocative course against Russia.
He was referring to a speech by Colin Stahl, Secretary of State for Defense Policy.
"The official's statements are full of shamelessness, hypocrisy and arrogance towards our country." The Pentagon official allegedly admitted that the US government was "in no way" holding back on supplying arms to Ukraine - regardless of potential risks of escalation.
This makes it clear "that Washington deliberately pursued a provocative course towards Russia throughout the conflict," Antonov claimed, according to the Russian news agency Tass.
The ambassador criticized that the weapons supplied by the United States to Ukraine were clearly offensive and not defensive in nature.
U.S. assurances that it does not want to encourage Ukraine to strike Russian territory with U.S. weapons should therefore not be believed.
Antoniv did not name any evidence for his statements.
Ukraine war: fierce fighting in Bakhmut - Russia razes the city "to the ground"
Update from April 18, 9:30 a.m
.: Bitter fighting between Russia and the Ukrainian troops continues in the city of Bakhmut.
More Russian troops are to be transferred from Donetsk to Bakhmut, as the British secret service writes in a recent report.
According to estimates from London, Russia is currently making “creeping progress” there.
Russian artillery and air strikes are intensifying in Bakhmut, commander of the ground forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi writes on Telegram.
Moscow is not giving up on bringing the city under control at any price.
"At the same time, our fighters inflict significant casualties on the enemy and significantly slow down their offensive actions," the general said.
News in the Ukraine war: Kremlin reports visit of Putin at the front
Update from April 18, 8:15 a.m .
: Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin is said to have visited soldiers in Luhansk and Cherson, according to the Russian agency Tass.
It would be the Russian president's first visit to the region since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In addition to other senior military figures, the President is said to have met Commander-in-Chief Alexander Lapin there.
No exact time of the visit was given, but the Kremlin says that Putin is said to have brought Easter wishes.
Update from April 17, 2:22 p.m .
: Poland and Hungary no longer want to import grain from Ukraine by July – with reference to their farmers.
The EU Commission considers this unacceptable.
War in Ukraine: Kiev gives indication of the amount of its own losses
First report from April 17
: Kiev – So far, Ukraine has not provided any information on the number of its wounded and dead.
Only estimates exist for the total number of Ukrainian victims.
Kiev regards the numbers as a state secret.
An interview with the Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Resnikov published on Sunday (April 16) was therefore a novelty.
Speaking to the Spanish newspaper
La Razó
n, he gave an indication of the approximate amount of his own losses since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression: "I can't give you an exact figure, but I can assure you that it is lower than the number of dead in the earthquake in Turkey is.” According to Turkish sources, more than 50,000 people died in the February 6 earthquake.
Ukraine war: security experts see "stalemate on the battlefield"
Meanwhile, several security experts have urged the West to "go all out" in military support to Ukraine.
In an op-ed for the
Tagesspiegel
, they wrote that the "current level of gradual and hesitant military support" will only "create a stalemate on the battlefield."
The article was written by, among others, the chairman of the Munich Security Conference, Christoph Heusgen.
Heusgen, former foreign policy advisor to Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU), and his colleagues emphasized that a victory for Ukraine was "not inevitable".
According to this, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin is betting that “his determination is stronger than that of his opponents and that he can win a war of attrition”.
In addition to Heusgen, the guest article was written by ex-Obama adviser James Jones, former NATO commander-in-chief for transformation and French military adviser Stéphane Abrial, former Italian foreign policy adviser Stefano Stefanini, and Simon McDonald, former Secretary of State at the British Foreign Office.
(frs/nak/AFP/dpa)
Rubric list image: © Ilya Pitalev/Imago
