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UKRAINE WAR BULLETIN - April 14, 2022 - 7 p.m. EDT
Embassy of Ukraine in the USA
Wash, D.C., Thu, April 14, 2022, 7 pm EDT
Distributed by U.S.-Ukraine Business Council​ www.USUBC.org
President V.Zelenskyy: I am grateful to everyone who supported our state and stood with us back to back helping us to get what is necessary for the defense of our state.
Russia is trying to complete preparations for an offensive operation in the Eastern Operational Zone. The aviation group and the command and control system are being built up.
Russian forces continue air strikes on Mariupol.
During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, 324 hospitals were damaged, 24 completely destroyed.
WAR ROOM
General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Russia is trying to complete preparations for an offensive operation in the Eastern Operational Zone. The aviation group and the command and control system are being built up.
Russia continues to launch missile and bomb attacks on infrastructure facilities and residential areas of cities and villages of our state.
In order to conduct hostilities on the territory of Ukraine, the occupiers are training additional units of the northern fleet and the 8th army of the southern military district of the armed forces of the Russian Federation. To provide units with weapons and military equipment, measures are being taken to remove them from long-term storage at bases and warehouses.
According to available information, the losses in the 126th separate coastal defense brigade (Perevalne) and the 127th separate reconnaissance brigade (Sevastopol) amount to more than 50 percent of the personnel.
Due to the critical situation with the staffing of combat units, the command of the armed forces of the Russian Federation plans to begin a new process of mobilization at the national level. According to the plan, the mobilization, in order to hide it, will be carried out in parallel with the planned conscription.
The situation in the Volyn and Polissya areas has not changed significantly. There is a movement of units of the 36th army of the eastern military district by rail from the territory of the Gomel region of the Republic of Belarus. The threat of missile strikes from the territory of Belarus on the objects of our State remains.
In the northern direction, the enemy is regrouping units with their further concentration in areas bordering Ukraine. From the territory of the Bryansk and Kursk regions there is a movement to the Belgorod and Voronezh regions of Russia.
In the Slobozhansky direction, the occupiers are conducting reconnaissance of probable areas of attack, increasing the system of reconnaissance and medical support. Stocks are being replenished.
The partial blockade and shelling of the city of Kharkiv continues.
In the city of Belgorod, the enemy deployed a unit of information and psychological operations of the armed forces of the Russian Federation in order to intensify measures of psychological influence on units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine and the civilian population of Kharkiv region. The goal is to demoralize and end the resistance.
The occupiers continue to prepare for active action in the areas of Slovyansk and Barvinkove.
In the Donetsk direction, the enemy, with the support of aircraft and artillery, continues to attack in certain directions. The main efforts are focused on establishing control over the settlements of Popasna, Rubizhne, Severodonetsk and Slovyansk.
The enemy tried to break through our defenses in the areas of Rubizhne, Novotoshkivske and Marinka, was not successful. Russian forces continue to launch air strikes on Mariupol.
In the Black Sea and Azov operational zones, enemy naval groups continue to carry out tasks to isolate the area of hostilities and reconnaissance.
Defence Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine
Defence Intelligence of Ukraine has obtained data on Russian war criminals belonging to the highest command staff, knowingly following the orders of the Putin regime to destroy the Ukrainian state.
Defence Intelligence of Ukraine has obtained the list of servicemen of the special police unit "Oberig" of the Rosguard in the Kemerovo region - Kuzbass. They took part in the genocide of the people of Ukraine in the Kyiv region.
Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights
58 orphans remain in danger in the occupied Kherson region.
At the beginning of 2022, there were 35 orphanages in the system of the Ministry of Health in Ukraine. 20 institutions have already been evacuated (yesterday the orphanage was evacuated from Zaporizhia).
At the same time, the orphanage in Kherson remains in the occupied territories. According to operative information, there are 58 children in it. The children have been in the basement for a long time, hiding from the shelling and bombing of the Russian military.
In Mariupol, Russians continue repressions against civilians in the occupied areas of the city.
During the monitoring of the occupiers' social networks, information about "evacuated" Mariupol residents was revealed. As stated in the source, for 13.04.2022. 447 citizens, including 69 children, were deported from the city. At the moment, they are in the "relief point", in other words - "filtration camp". Those who remain in the city are forced by the occupiers to wear a white ribbon, which is a hallmark of the Russian military. Civilians are used as a shield against the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
More than 76,700 information requests on the destruction and damage of property of Ukrainians were received through the electronic portal of public services "Action". The total area of losses is more than 5.3 million square meters.
Russian army has already left more than 219.6 thousand people homeless. These are 37550 unique addresses throughout Ukraine.
Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
Last night the enemy fired on 15 settlements in Donetsk region.
The strikes damaged at least 34 civilian objects: residential buildings, agricultural and railway infrastructure, and a gas pipeline. 11 civilians were injured.
During the past 24 hours, the occupiers have attacked the following settlements of Donetsk region: Mariupol, Avdiivka, Marinka, Krasnohorivka, Velyka Novosilka, Ocheretyne, Cherkaske, Novoselivka-3, Berestove, Sokil, Komar, Bohatyr, Novomykhailivka, Novobakhmutivka, Novobakhmutovka, Dolyna.
The enemy fired on the civilian population from aircraft, missiles, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, tanks, and heavy artillery.
This morning, Russian troops launched three air strikes on the village of Velyka Novosilka. There are wounded.
The police of Donetsk oblast opened criminal proceedings under Article 438 (violation of laws and customs of war) and Article 110 (encroachment on the sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Since the beginning of the war, the National Police of Ukraine has been detecting and documenting criminal offenses committed by Russian troops.
Since February 24, 2022, more than 12,500 criminal proceedings have been initiated:
- 4561 proceedings under article 438 of the Criminal Code (Violation of the laws and customs of war);
- 1431 proceedings under article 110 of the Criminal Code (encroachment on the sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine);
- 188 proceedings under article 111-1 of the Criminal Code (Collaborative activity);
- 36 proceedings under article 113 of the Criminal Code (Diversion);
- 8 proceedings under article 437 of the Criminal Code (Planning, preparation, resolution and conduct of aggressive war);
- 10 proceedings under article 258 of the Criminal Code (Terrorist act);
- 12 proceedings under article 111 of the Criminal Code (Treason).
https://www.facebook.com/mvs.gov.ua
Ministry of Health of Ukraine
During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, 324 hospitals were damaged, 24 were completely destroyed. The list of destroyed medical institutions is replenished almost daily by new ruined hospitals. On the territories already liberated from the occupiers, work is underway to restore healthcare facilities. The Ministry has already started planning the rehabilitation and reconstruction of hospitals. The Ministry of Health is currently working on a comprehensive plan of where hospitals will be built, in what shape they will be restored and what services they will provide. While the reconstruction of medical facilities continues, mobile hospitals may be temporarily located in some settlements. Also in hospitals where the scale of destructions is low, minor repairs will be carried out as an intermediate stage.
The Ministry of Health is working systematically with international partners to rebuild every hospital needed to provide healthcare services to the population as soon as possible.
Humanitarian aid is also being actively supplied to healthcare facilities in the liberated territories. In particular, medicines, consumables and equipment.
Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine - Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine
9 humanitarian corridors were agreed for April 14.
POLICY
President of Ukraine
During the 50 days of this war, Ukraine became a hero for the whole free world - address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
We have withstood 50 days already. 50 days of Russian invasion, although the occupiers gave us a maximum of five. That's how they "know us". That's how they "make friends with reality."
Russia did not start the war against Ukraine on February 24. Russian troops came to us in 2014. They captured our Crimea. They turned it into a large military base. They made the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov one of the most dangerous seas on the planet. They started a terrible, absolutely cynical war in our Donbas. They have been killing our people for 8 years. 14 thousand were killed during this time!
How did the world respond to this? The question remained rhetorical. But that is why they decided they could afford a full-scale war.
Some are still debating the severity of sanctions against the Russian Federation. But what is there to discuss when Russian troops are already repeating on our land what Europe saw only during World War II?
During the 50 days of full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, they showed that Donbas is the main target for Russia. It is Donbas that Russia wants to destroy in the first place. It is the Luhansk and Donetsk regions that Russian troops are destroying as if they want only stones to be left. And no people to be left at all.
They forcibly recruit residents of these areas into their army. They throw them into the worst battles, literally in the frontal of our defense. They are destroying the cities and villages of Donbas. They burn everything that endured eight years of that war.
For 80 years, proud and tidy Kharkiv has not seen such torments that Russia has brought to it. Why do they destroy it? What can be achieved by burning Kharkiv?
What exactly can destruction on Saltivka or on Freedom Square give to Russia?
And these are no longer rhetorical questions. This is a question of how absurd this invasion of the Russian Federation is. How suicidal it is for everything that Russia allegedly "protects". For Russian culture, for relations with this nation, even for the Russian language. Russia is burning all this with its weapons. For decades at least. For generations.
Ancient Chernihiv. Which is over a thousand years old. Which saw so many wars and so many invaders that at least in the XXI century it deserved peace and tranquility. But... Russia came. Came with the worst that Chernihiv has experienced since the X century. Since the period of Rus’ relation to which Russia once claimed. Now this myth is also burned. Rus’ would not destroy itself. Strangers did that to it. Horde and other invaders. That's who came to our land today. And they are fighting in the same way - for the sake of looting and for the sake of torture.
Thank God, the Armed Forces of Ukraine and our people, we defended most of our country.
I remember the first day of the invasion of the Russian Federation. I remember what I was told on February 24. In particular, the strong of this world. To put it mildly, no one was sure that we would withstand it. Everyone sympathized. Many of them advised me to flee the country. Advised to actually surrender to tyranny.
But they didn't know us either. And they did not know how brave Ukrainians are, how much we value freedom. Our opportunity to live the way we want. Not the people who rule in such a way that their army sees toilets for the first time in their lives in the occupied territories and steals even ordinary household appliances.
The occupiers will be responsible for everything they have done in Ukraine. For everything they did to Ukrainians. They will be responsible for Bucha, Kramatorsk, Volnovakha, Okhtyrka. For Hostomel and Borodyanka. For Izyum, for Mariupol and all other cities and communities of Ukraine, which the Russian army pulled back to the period 80 years ago. To that terrible time, about which everyone in the world has always said: "Never again." Here it is again. Here it is now. And we will do everything to make it truly the last.
Because the question "How to guarantee security for Ukraine and for Europe?" will never be rhetorical again. We will not allow this.
I am grateful to everyone who supported our state. Who immediately asked how they could help. Who stood with us back to back and helped us get what is necessary for the defense of our state.
This period, these 50 days have shown me many world leaders in a different way. Different states. I have seen great generosity in those who are not rich themselves. I have seen the extraordinary determination of those who were not taken seriously by global leaders. I have seen that the democratic world does have those whose will is enough to protect freedom from the onslaught of tyranny.
I have seen politicians behaving as if they had no power. And I have seen non-politicians who did more in these 50 days than some statesmen who claimed leadership.
But all that is just an add-on. An add-on for how Ukraine is defended by our people, all our people. Those who stopped the advance of endless columns of Russian equipment. Those who rebuff constant attacks in Donbas. Those who heroically defend Mariupol, helping our entire state to withstand. Those who stopped the offensive from the south. And made our Chornobaivka famous. Those who drove the enemy out of the north.
Those who have shown that Russian aviation is defenseless, even though Russia has spent tens of billions of dollars on various systems to protect its aircraft.
Those who have shown that Russian ships can go... to the bottom only.
Those who help the army and society find everything they may need.
Those who save, heal, those who teach. Conduct mine clearance. Who provide us all with a stable connection.
Those who rebuilt supply chains for the whole country.
Those who maintain financial stability, who saved the business and continued to work.
Those who help the displaced persons.
Those who started the sowing campaign. Those who give Ukraine the correct information and the necessary emotions. All our journalists, all those who united for the national telethon.
50 days of our defense is an achievement. Achievement of millions of Ukrainians. Everyone who made the main decision in life on February 24 - to fight. To be human. Not to give up. And not to betray.
From time immemorial to the present day, mankind has been looking for heroes. People always appreciate heroes. They always support those who are brave. And always feel who is fighting for the good. During the 50 days of this war, Ukraine became a hero for the whole free world. For those who have the courage to call a spade a spade. For those who are not poisoned by propaganda. You have all become heroes. All Ukrainian men and women who withstood and do not give up. And who will win. Who will return peace to Ukraine. I'm sure of it.
I spoke today with our team, which will take part in the Invictus Games international sports competition. Among them are both veterans and servicemen who are currently defending our state. They are deeply concerned that they had to go to the competition. I assured them that we will wait for their return and will support them in the competition just as sincerely. I believe that our team will make us proud of it this year as well.
And traditionally, as every evening, I signed decrees on awarding those who excelled in the defense of the state. 221 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 34 of them posthumously. And two employees of the State Special Communications Service of Ukraine.
The title of Hero of Ukraine was awarded to Major Kukurba Oleksandr Vasyliovych, chief of intelligence of the 299th tactical aviation brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Thanks to his courageous actions, dozens of enemy equipment units and hundreds of occupiers were destroyed.
I also awarded those whose surnames cannot be told. But I awarded them for what is definitely good for everyone.
State Service for Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine
Enemy hackers are once again attacking Ukrainians using "hot" military themes. This time - about mobilization. The government team for responding to computer emergencies of Ukraine CERT-UA warns about the widespread distribution of dangerous XLS documents among the citizens of Ukraine called "Mobilization Register.xls". Opening the document will eventually launch the malicious program IcedID, also known as BankBot. It belongs to the class of "banking Trojans" and, among other things, provides theft of authentication data.
During the month and a half of the war, the number of hacker attacks tripled.
Fierce war continues not only on the battlefield, but also in cyberspace. According to the Government Emergency Response Team CERT-UA, Ukraine suffered 362 cyberattacks during the 1,5 months of the war. This is three times more than in the same period last year: 122 cyberattacks were recorded then. More than half of all attacks were carried out to gather information or spread malicious code. Main targets of enemy hackers include the Government and local authorities of Ukraine, the security and defense sector, commercial organizations.
Difficult work is underway to restore the networks damaged by the occupiers in the territories liberated from enemies.
The National Center for Operational and Technical Management of Telecommunications Networks (NCU) together with the operators have prepared a list of priority base stations in the Chernihiv region for restoring the power supply as soon as possible with the help of Chernihivoblenergo.
The NCU also informed the operators about the procedure for carrying out emergency and recovery works in the Kyiv region with the involvement of services that will inspect the area and - if necessary - demining it. This will allow operators to plan their work and reconnect as quickly as possible.
In the Donetsk region, Ukrtelecom specialists restored Internet services for subscribers of Toretsk, Kostiantynivka and the district, and other settlements. Work on restoration of services in some settlements of Kherson region has also been completed. Cable infrastructure in Sumy, Chernihiv and other oblasts is being restored.
ECONOMY
National Bank of Ukraine
NBU’s Comment on Current State and Prospects of the Economy of Ukraine
The NBU held a scheduled meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). The discussion focused on assessing the current economic situation and scenarios of further developments, while the decision on changing the key policy rate was postponed.
Under the current conditions, the impact of the key policy rate on the functioning of the money market and the FX market remains limited. With this in mind, the key policy rate will stay flat at 10% until monetary transmission channels are effective again.
Consequences of Russia’s massive attack will raise inflationary pressures, which will be partially offset by measures taken by the government and the NBU
In March 2022, consumer inflation accelerated in annual terms, to 13.7%, up from 10.7% in February. The rise in consumer prices was primarily driven by disruptions of supply chains and production processes, uneven demand, higher business costs, and the physical destruction of company assets due to Russia’s full-scale assault on Ukraine. Prices for food, pharmaceuticals, and fuel surged the most.
The NBU estimates inflationary pressures to persist due to the consequences of the full-scale war. At year-end 2022, inflation might exceed 20%, but it will remain under control. The reasons for the rise in the prices of goods and services will include:
- disruptions in production processes;
- logistical problems due to the temporary occupation of a part of the territory, destruction of the transport infrastructure, and, as a result, the uneven distribution of supply across some regions;
- pass-through effects from the weakening of the hryvnia in the run-up to the war;
- high global energy prices, which will put pressure on fuel prices and prices of goods and services with energy-heavy production costs.
At the same time, measures taken by the NBU and the Ukrainian government will restrain the price growth. These measures include:
- a temporary fixing of the hryvnia exchange rate, which will limit the probable deterioration in expectations and the rise in prices of imported goods;
- a decrease in taxes, including the indirect taxation of imports;
- locking in public utility rates;
- administrative regulation of prices for some foods and fuel.
Excessive supply of some agricultural crops will be an additional restraining factor due to limited exports.
Moreover, after the monetary transmission channels are restored, the NBU will resume to use its key policy rate and other monetary instruments to control inflation expectations and gradually reduce inflation.
Economic activity is reviving in the regions where it is relatively calm after a shock of the first weeks caused by Russia’s massive attack
Businesses are gradually reopening, overcoming the wartime challenges. Results of unscheduled surveys held by the NBU show a decrease in the number of companies that stopped their operations completely. While in the first weeks of March the share of these companies was above 30%, it dropped to 23% in early April. Consumption and production of electricity remains stable, while the number of open restaurants and their turnovers are increasing. The revival in economic activity is also evidenced by resumed sales of train tickets by Ukrainian Railways and the steady demand for them.
At the same time, active combat continues in many regions of Ukraine. Civilian casualties are rising, and infrastructure and production facilities continue to be destroyed. Russia’s large-scale assault on Ukraine has also broken production ties between regions and caused a major increase in forced migration. As a result, losses from the war will be significant.
According to the NBU’s baseline estimates, the Ukrainian economy will gradually recover. Despite that, real GDP could drop by at least one third in 2022.
All GDP components are expected to decline. More specifically, private consumption will contract on the back of the forced relocation of many Ukrainians to other countries, higher unemployment, lower income and decreased spending on non-essential goods. Investment activity will also decline markedly in the wake of considerable uncertainty and high risks.
Decreased consumption and investment could decrease imports compared to the pre-war period. Exports of goods will also drop significantly due to the shutdown of companies, a reduction in sown areas, and farmers’ inability to conduct agricultural work effectively because of fighting, blocked seaports and disrupted supplies of fuel and fertilizers. At the same time, the NBU expects an increase in stocks of goods, which companies will try to export later.
Exports of goods plunged in March 2022 after logistical pathways were severed and production facilities were destroyed. Imports of goods also slumped last month, dragged down by weaker domestic demand, disrupted logistics, and by imports being limited to critical goods.
The NBU expects that exports will gradually rise compared to those in March, thanks to logistical problems being partly resolved. Imports of goods and services will also grow moderately, fueled by gradually rebounding consumer and investment demand.
Financial assistance provided by Ukraine’s international partners will be an important source of FX inflows in the country. Workers’ remittances and the income generated by the IT industry will remain other relatively stable source of FX inflows.
While the economy and the financial system are recovering to normal functioning, the NBU will gradually return to inflation targeting with a floating exchange rate, and will stop financing the budget.
A fixed exchange rate and persisting administrative restrictions on FX transactions will remain important prerequisites for supporting macroeconomic stability in Ukraine. However, in the long-run these measures result in macroeconomic imbalances. Therefore, the NBU will strive to resume inflation targeting with a floating exchange rate as soon as the FX market recovers its capacity to self-balance.
The NBU’s financing of the budget deficit, which is being carried out in controlled volumes, is not putting any significant pressure on prices thanks to the fixed exchange rate and FX restrictions. In spite of that, with a view to minimizing risks to price and financial stability, avoiding difficulties with Ukraine’s European integration and preventing the loss of people’s trust in the central bank, the NBU will continue to maintain the stance that its monetary financing cannot be the main source of the budget’s revenues.
In contrast, the NBU will work closely together with the government in order to help the country raise financing from international organizations and partner countries. Among other things, this financing will be used to resolve humanitarian problems, restore destroyed infrastructure, and revive the Ukrainian economy. This financing will also help meet budgetary needs and maintain sufficient international reserves.
The full extent of the economic losses from Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine will mainly depend on the duration of the hostilities. Continued structural reforms, wide international support and Ukraine’s integration into the European Union will pave the way for the country’s rapid recovery.
Ministry of Economy of Ukraine
The government has allocated UAH 200 million in compensation to companies that employed internally displaced persons.
The program provides monthly reimbursement of salary costs in the amount of 6500 UAH for each employee for 2 months. Such state support is aimed at reducing unemployment and increasing the economic activity of Ukrainian business.
ENERGY
Ministry of energy of Ukraine
Operation of the power system of Ukraine on April 14.
Over the past 24 hours, power supply to more than 66,000 consumers has been restored.
In particular, in Luhansk region – 27,5 thousand consumers, Kharkiv - 15 thousand, Kyiv - 12 thousand, Donetsk – 6,1 thousand, Dnipropetrovsk – 4,5 thousand, Chernihiv - 600 consumers, Zaporizhzhia - 300 consumers.
Gas supply was restored to 6,000 consumers.
Ukrainian energy companies are doing their best to quickly restore energy supply to Ukrainian citizens.
However, in some areas, emergency recovery work is complicated or impossible due to the intensification of hostilities and the emergence of new damage.
As of April 14, about 880 settlements in Ukraine remain without electricity, in total about 684,4 thousand consumers.
More than 283 thousand subscribers remain without gas supply.
Ukrenergo
During the first two weeks of April, the repair crews of Ukrenergo repaired about 60% of the infrastructure of the main grids, which was destroyed during the fighting in Kyiv, Chernihiv regions, as well as in Mykolayiv region. As a result, the reliability of energy supply has been restored for 3 million consumers.
The repair works of the Company's repairmen have started after the approval of the Armed Forces and sappers. Over the last two weeks, Ukrenergo's repair crews have repaired more than 200 wire breaks on the lines and repaired 23 damaged pylons. More than 30 units of damaged equipment were replaced at two substations of voltage class 750 kV and 300 kV.
“The amount of work is large, but we try to work as fast as possible. As the three-week experience of autonomous operation of the power system in combat conditions has shown, the high reliability of the main networks is the key to its stable operation and sustainable energy supply to consumers. Ensuring this reliability is an unconditional priority for Ukrenergo. We plan to complete all major works in Kyiv and Chernihiv oblasts by the beginning of May,” - Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, Chairman of the Board of Ukrenergo said.
Repairs of 7 high-voltage lines of 750 kV and 330 kV have already been completed. Another 12 lines are under various stages of repair. The equipment of two high-voltage substations damaged by shelling is being restored.
