Featured Galleries USUBC COLLECTION OF OVER 160 UKRAINE HISTORIC NEWS PHOTOGRAPHS 1918-1997
Holodomor Posters
UKRAINE WAR BULLETIN - April 29, 2022 - 5 p.m. EDT
Embassy of Ukraine in the USA
Wash, D.C., Fri, April 29, 2022, 5 pm EDT
Distributed by U.S.-Ukraine Business Council www.USUBC.org
WAR ROOM
General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
The total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02 to 29.04 were approximately:
personnel - about 23000 (+200),
tanks ‒ 986 (+16),
APV ‒ 2418 (+29),
artillery systems – 435 (+4),
MLRS - 151 (+0),
Anti-aircraft warfare systems - 73 (+1),
aircraft – 189 (+2),
helicopters – 155 (+0),
vehicles - 1695 (+7),
boats - 8 (+0),
fuel tanks - 76 (+0),
UAV operational-tactical level - 229 (+14).
special equipment - 31 (+0).
mobile SRBM system - 4 (+0).
The sixty-fifth day of the resistance of the Ukrainian people to the Russian military invasion.
Russian continues to carry out offensive operations in the Eastern Operational Zone in order to defeat the Joint Forces, establish full control over the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and maintain the land route with the occupied Crimea.
In the Volyn and Polissya areas, Russian enemy did not take active action, no signs of the formation of offensive groups were found. Certain units of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus continue to perform tasks to strengthen the protection of the state border with Ukraine.
No changes in the activities and composition of Russian enemy group were detected in the Seversky direction.
In the Slobozhansky direction, Russian enemy continues to focus its efforts on maintaining its positions near the city of Kharkiv and is trying to carry out fire damage to units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in certain areas.
Russian enemy did not conduct active offensive operations in the Izyum direction. Its main efforts were focused on conducting reconnaissance, identifying the defensive positions of units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine and their destruction by artillery fire.
In the Donetsk and Tavriya directions, in order to prevent the regrouping of Ukrainian troops, Russian enemy fires at positions from artillery, mortars and rocket-propelled grenade launchers along the entire line of contact.
Russian occupiers continue to blockade Ukrainian units in Mariupol, near the Azovstal plant.
In the temporarily occupied territories, Russian occupation authorities continue to take measures to restrict the movement and detention of local residents and block humanitarian goods from the territory of Ukraine. In addition, Russian occupiers are robbing peasants. For example, more than 60 tons of wheat were stolen from an agricultural society in the town of Kamianka-Dniprovska together with a truck.
Fifteen air targets were hit by Ukrainian defenders the day before: one plane, five cruise missiles and nine operational-tactical drones.
Ukrainian defenders are actively manoeuvring defence, in some places counterattacks. In the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts alone, nine enemy attacks have been repulsed in the past 24 hours, six tanks, one artillery system, twelve armoured vehicles, one car and one anti-aircraft gun have been destroyed.
Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights
The occupiers issue birth certificates to the newborn Mariupol residents of the unrecognized pseudo-state formation "DPR".
On April 23, in Mariupol, the occupiers issued such a certificate to a newborn boy whose mother was unable to evacuate to the safe territory of Ukraine.
In fact, the issuance of this "paper" deprived the child of any citizenship.
Such actions of the Russian Federation violate the rights of children enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, in particular Article 8, which provides for the right of the child to preserve his or her identity, including citizenship, name and family ties.
I urge the citizens of Ukraine in the temporarily occupied Mariupol not to succumb to the shameful influence of Russian propaganda and to protect the right of their children to preserve their individuality and Ukrainian citizenship.
Puppet pseudo-state formations of the Russian Federation LDNR terrorize entrepreneurs and farmers. Last week, the district was visited by the «minister of agricultural policy of the Lughansk People's Republic”, who met with heads of agro-industrial enterprises and demanded mandatory "re-registration" of farmers in the pseudo-republic and sowing wheat instead of soybeans traditionally grown in these areas. Grain should be sold exclusively to the agroholding selected by the LPR gang.
In addition, information about the referendum on joining the Russian Federation on May 15, 2022 is being spread among the population of Troitsk district.
The occupying power of the Russian Federation in the temporarily occupied territory of Donetsk region resorted to planning and "legalization" of misappropriation of property of citizens of Ukraine.
The illegal pseudo-state formation "DPR" issued a "resolution of the State Defense Committee of the DPR" №27 of 21.04.2022 on "state regulation in the field of unfinished construction", which introduces a register of unfinished construction and appropriation of such facilities.
In addition, issued a resolution of the "State Committee for Defense of the DPR" №33 from 26.04.2022 on "settlement of registration of actions in the liberated territories, which were temporarily under the control of Ukraine." This document obliges enterprises to undergo mandatory registration with the occupying authorities, with further inspections of the occupiers of these enterprises.
The decree stipulates that the heads of enterprises had to submit all relevant documentation for inspection to the occupation authorities within a certain period of time.
If a person refuses to provide documents, register or make cash payments to the "budget", sanctions will be applied to him - a check to "protect the interests of the republic."
As of 10 a.m. on April 29, 2022, according to the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations, as well as other sources that need confirmation, 219 (+ 2 per day) children have died and 398 (+ 5 per day) children have been injured since the Russian invasion in Ukraine began.
It is impossible to establish the actual number of dead and wounded children due to the fact that the occupying forces are actively fighting in Ukrainian cities.
Yesterday a 10-year-old girl was wounded as a result of shelling by the enemy troops of the village of Tsyrkuny in Kharkiv region.
Chere shelling of the city of Zaporizhzhia wounded 5 people, including a child.
During the recording of war crimes committed in settlements in the Chernihiv region, it became known that a car exploded on a highway near the village of Krasne, killing children aged 2 and 14.
It was also found out that a 10-year-old boy was injured during the artillery shelling of the Romanov Bridge in the city of Irpin.
A 9-year-old boy was wounded in artillery shelling in Kharkiv.
Such actions by the occupation forces are a direct violation of the Hague and Geneva Conventions and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
POLICY
President of Ukraine
Address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
The 65th day of our defense is coming to an end. We are beating the occupiers in all directions where they are trying to advance.
The situation in the Kharkiv region is tough. But our military, our intelligence, have important tactical success.
In Donbas, the occupiers are doing everything to destroy any life in this area. Constant brutal bombings, constant Russian strikes at infrastructure and residential areas show that Russia wants to make this area uninhabited. Therefore, the defense of our land, the protection of our people is literally a struggle for life. For Lysychansk, Severodonetsk, Popasna, Kramatorsk, Slovyansk, Marinka and all other cities and communities of Donbas, which Russian troops want to turn into ruins, absolutely everything is being decided in this war.
Only if Ukraine withstands will they live. If the Russian invaders succeed in realizing their plans, at least in part, they will still have enough artillery and aircraft to destroy the entire Donbas. Just as they destroyed Mariupol.
The city, which was one of the most developed in the region, is simply a Russian concentration camp in the middle of ruins. And the order of the occupiers in that part of Mariupol which they unfortunately still control differs insignificantly from what the Nazis did in the occupied territory of Eastern Europe.
But the Russian troops manage to be even more cynical than the Nazis 80 years ago. At that time, the invaders did not say that it was the Mariupol residents and the defenders of the city who shelled and killed themselves.
I am grateful to the United States, President Biden and Congress for an analogue of the famous Lend-Lease program, which will be very helpful in the fight against Russia, against the Russian invaders. Which helped a lot in the fight against the Nazis during World War II.
I am sure that now the Lend-Lease will help Ukraine and the whole free world beat the ideological successors of the Nazis, who started a war against us on our land. Lend-Lease and other programs in support of Ukraine are concrete proof that freedom is still able to defend itself against tyranny.
Today, the Government of Ukraine considered the issue of eliminating the deficit in the fuel market. Queues and rising prices at gas stations are seen in many regions of our country. The occupiers are deliberately destroying the infrastructure for the production, supply and storage of fuel. Russia has also blocked our ports, so there are no immediate solutions to replenish the deficit. But government officials promise that within a week, maximum two, a system of fuel supply to Ukraine will be provided that will be able to prevent a deficit.
This is a difficult task after the Russian missile strike at the Kremenchuk refinery. But government officials along with fuel suppliers, traders and networks must fulfill this task no matter how difficult it may be. I'm sure they will. We must take from the European Union as much fuel as our citizens need now.
Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Ukraine Melinda Simmons returned to Kyiv today.
Currently, 27 foreign diplomatic missions operate in the capital of our country. And this is an extremely important gesture of support for Ukraine, for which we are grateful to all of them.
Such gestures, together with strong defensive, financial and political support from the free world, mean that the need to end the war is becoming more and more obvious to Russia. The defeat of the occupiers is unalterable.
In the temporarily occupied areas of the Kherson region, collaborators say that they are allegedly preparing for the transition to the "ruble zone". Any attempt to transfer our territory to Russia's administrative, monetary, or any other system will mean only one thing: Russia itself will suffer from that. Our responses, sanctions and other reactions of the free world to Russia's aggressive actions will not be delayed.
The dismantlement of debris in Kyiv, where Russian missiles hit yesterday during the visit of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, continues. Unfortunately, such a deliberate and brutal humiliation of the United Nations by Russia was left without a powerful response.
Today it became known that a journalist, an employee of Radio Liberty Vera Hyrych was killed by a Russian missile hitting a residential building in Kyiv. She became the 23rd media representative whose life was cut short as a result of the Russian invasion since February 24. My condolences to all relatives and friends. Eternal memory to all the victims of this war!
Today in the White Hall of Heroes of Ukraine in the Mariyinsky Palace, I presented awards to our defenders and members of the families of fallen warriors. The Order of the Golden Star was awarded to the Heroes of Ukraine: Lieutenant Colonel Serhiy Burkovsky, Captain Vitaliy Hural, Senior Lieutenant Dmytro Dozirchy, Lieutenant Colonel Oleksandr Zuhravy, Colonel Dmytro Kashchenko, Major Oleksandr Kukurba, Captain Oleh Pasichnyk, Lieutenant Colonel Vyacheslav Tsyhankov, Colonel of the Medical Service Oleksandr Sliesarenko, Lieutenant Colonel Leonid Khoda, Colonel Denys Chayuk and Lieutenant General Serhiy Nayev.
Also, three servicemen were posthumously awarded the Order of the Golden Star. I had the honor to hand them over to the relatives of our heroes - Sergeant Volodymyr Balyuk, Master Sergeant Oleksandr Tsyupak, Major Pavlo Sbytov.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented the Golden Star orders to servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine who were awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine and to family members of the warriors who were posthumously awarded this title.
The solemn ceremony took place in the White Hall of Heroes of Ukraine at the Mariyinsky Palace in Kyiv.
The Head of State stressed that it is a great honor for him to award the heroes who are in our history and always remain in our memory. After all, they are fighting for our lives and freedom, for an opportunity for millions of Ukrainians to be with their families in their homes.
"We will always be grateful to all those who stood up for our country in this war waged by Russia. And we will always remember each and every one who gave life for Ukraine and for each of us," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The President reminded that today is the 65th day of Ukraine's full-scale war for its land against Russia.
"Russia hoped that we would not withstand even five days. But thanks to the heroes who are here today among us, thanks to our unity and desire to live freely, we are fighting," he said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine will beat the occupiers until it liberates its land and its people.
The Head of State thanked all those who are now on the frontline, who are doing everything in their power to help Ukraine win.
"And Ukraine will definitely win," he said.
The President noted that on behalf of the entire Ukrainian people he bows his head to the relatives of the heroes who died for Ukraine.
"In this hall of the Mariyinsky Palace, where we met the highest guests of the state, we express our highest respect to our heroes. In this White Hall of Heroes of Ukraine, we award those thanks to whom Ukraine lives," said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Prime Minister of Ukraine
Statement by Denys Shmyhal at a session of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine
We have a lot of news this week pertaining to collaboration with our allies and international partners. Agreements on support for our state. Among major decisions are as follows:
- The European Union has adopted a decision to remove all tariffs and quotas on exports of Ukrainian products. Almost half of our exports falls to Europe, so this is a rather powerful step to support the Ukrainian economy. Thank you for that.
- Poland, Lithuania, Germany, Bulgaria, Romania. We have already agreed and at the same time are actively negotiating the use of port infrastructure of these countries for the export of Ukrainian products.
- The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a bill allowing for confiscation of Russian-linked assets. The proceeds from their sale will be directed to support and rebuild Ukraine.
- The U.S. lawmakers also passed the Lend-Lease Bill to provide military assistance for Ukraine. This is the second time in world history. Again to fight the aggressor in Europe, again to defeat the dictatorship.
- U.S. President Joe Biden has asked Congress for an additional $ 33 billion for Ukraine. I am convinced that this request will find a quick positive answer. After that, the russian army in Ukraine will face even more extremely unpleasant surprises, as most of this assistance is modern weapons.
That is just a small part of what has been achieved on the international front this week. All this brings us closer to victory.
Such strong international support is translated daily into even greater capacity of our army and the resilience of our economy. We adopt a number of decisions every week to restart the economy, provide the army, and support our people who need it most.
As always, the first and topmost priority is to satisfy the needs of our army. Today at the sitting of the Government we are allocating over UAH 119 billion to the Ministry of Defense. Wages, military equipment, fuel, food, protective equipment, weapons. We try to provide our defenders with everything necessary. We allocate more than UAH 28 billion to the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the same purposes.
The next priority is our economy. In the last week we have fixed certain difficulties and problems with fuel. The main reason is the destruction of part of our infrastructure by the enemy, including the shutdown of the Kremenchuk oil refinery plant. The Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Energy are engaged in constant consultation with fuel companies to address this issue. Today we adopt changes to the state regulation of oil prices, which will allow for solving the issue of fuel shortage at gas stations within 7 days. I will request the relevant ministers to communicate this decision in detail with the public.
Next. Today we will approve a specific plan to ensure food security in Ukraine. This plan provides for the continuation of the program of free distribution of food packages. The state support of agrarians is also taken into account, within the framework of the program "5-7-9" the agricultural sector has already received loans to the tune of about UAH 15 billion. Another important point is the measures to stimulate the processing of agricultural products in our country.
The launch of lending programs at 0% interest has helped not only farmers but also many other businesses to restart their activities. Today we are expanding the program, in particular to enterprises in the area of passenger and freight transportation. In addition, the state financial leasing program will now have the same conditions as the "5-7-9". That is, the most affordable leasing conditions. All these are needed for people and businesses to continue to work.
The following issue is stable operation of the energy sector. Today we take a decision that gas prices for people remain unchanged. No increase. UAH 8 per 1 cubic meter of gas, as it was. The preferential price will also apply to enterprises that perform vital functions to ensure the state's defense capabilities.
By a separate decision, the Government recommends that local authorities and public utilities not raise utility tariffs during the martial law and state of emergency in Ukraine. Tariffs for people should not grow. But we also urge Ukrainians to continue to pay for utilities so that businesses have an opportunity to conduct repair activities and pay wages to their staff.
We also have some critical decisions today in the social sphere. Programs to support IDPs prolong, and for these purposes there have already been transferred over UAH 2.6 billion. A separate issue is housing. Today, the Government will approve a document that will determine which families from among the displaced will be prioritized while providing with housing. These are multi-children families, pregnant women, families with children, people who have lost their ability to work, retirees. The state will purchase housing for temporary residence of such families. We will also renovate the housing stock to accommodate people.
In the Diia, Ukrainians have already registered more than 100,000 applications for compensation for destroyed property. And after the victory we will rebuild everything. Today we are going to expand such opportunities for legal entities. In the near future, they will also be eligible to submit applications through the Diia so that the Government could start compiling a detailed registry of damaged and destroyed property.
And finally. We are opening two new checkpoints on the border with Romania - Dyakivtsi and Krasnoilsk. This will help to further reduce the load on traffic across the border. Besides, Ukraine is negotiating with our European neighbors an issue of the launch of joint checkpoints and conducting joint customs controls, thereby allowing to speed up the customs clearance process.
https://www.kmu.gov.ua/en/news/promova-premyer-ministra-ukrayini-denisa-shmigalya
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
Comment of the MFA on the illegal export of grain by Russia from the temporarily occupied territories of Kherson region
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine strongly condemns the Russian Federation's criminal actions, including the alleged so-called expropriation of crops from farmers in the Kherson region. This decision of the Krasnoyarsk Region Legislative Assembly is nothing more than a direct continuation of the Soviet government's criminal policy, which was responsible for the mass artificial famine in Ukraine in 1921-1923, the Holodomor in 1932-1933, and the mass artificial famine in 1946-1947. Russia follows in the footsteps of the Stalinists and Nazis by stealing grain, which the invaders refer to as "expropriation."
The looting of grain from the Kherson region, as well as the blockade of shipments from Ukrainian ports and the mining of shipping routes, endangers global food security. In total, Ukraine feeds about 400 million people around the world, and Ukrainian grain is traditionally supplied to Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
Russia is, in fact, harming not only Ukraine, but also customers worldwide through its illegal actions. According to the United Nations, over 1.7 billion people may risk poverty and famine as a result of disruptions in the food production system caused by Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. Furthermore, Russia continues to intentionally block sowing in Ukraine, destroying agricultural machinery and launching missile strikes across the country.
The illegal export of Ukrainian grain is another example of Russia's destructive acts, which, in particular, contravene the fundamental principles of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) – achieving food security for all and overcoming hunger. The aggressor state's policy puts into doubt the relevance of its participation in FAO and other international organizations.
We demand that Russia stop illicit grain stealing, unblock Ukrainian ports, restore freedom of navigation, and allow trade ships to pass. We urge the international community to strengthen economic sanctions against Russia in order to stop its military aggression against Ukraine, to avert a humanitarian disaster and the world's food security crisis.
Minister of Economy of Ukraine
During the international conference "After the War: Rethinking the Future of Civil Society" First Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko presented the principles of Ukraine's economic recovery plan, which is being developed by the Government, Ministry of Economy, leading experts and business associations. The developers of this "roadmap" are ready to involve the public sector in the formation of the document.
The Minister of Economy named the principles that will form the basis of the recovery plan:
- Full access to the EU and G7 markets. This will help manufacturers integrate into global retail chains and increase exports. The United Kingdom and the European Union have already announced the abolition of import duties on Ukrainian goods. The Government expects similar actions from the governments of the United States, Japan and Canada.
- Obtaining a candidate status and then full membership in the EU. The status will provide Ukraine with access to the European Union's structural funds, which will serve a significant support.
- Building an economy on the principles of deregulation and liberalization. The declarative principle for businesses has been approved regarding the majority of licenses and permits.
- Establishment of logistics routes in the western direction. The Government is working to increase their capacity. The initial results are already in place - a memorandum has been signed between Ukraine and Poland.
- The transition from the export of raw materials to processing in those industries that provide the largest export revenue. Significant growth can be achieved in agriculture and metallurgy through processing.
- Development of the domestic military-industrial complex. It is not only about the purchase of weapons, but production as well, including through the transfer of military technology. This will allow us to establish production as quickly as possible in a wide range - from small arms to air defense systems. At that, military-tech will be a driver of development for the civilian sectors of the economy.
- Self-sufficiency in energy sector will be achieved by increasing domestic gas production and developing nuclear energy. In 3-5 years it is quite possible to gain energy independence.
- Climate modernization. The creation of new facilities in various industries must take into account the principles of the green economy.
- Localization of not less than 60%. Ukrainian companies and producers will be involved in the reconstruction of Ukraine. This will give a boost to the economy, create new jobs, revive entrepreneurial activity.
An important prerequisite is the maximum restoration of transport and social infrastructure of Ukraine in 24 months. The vast majority of Ukrainians who have gone abroad want to return home. And the Government is working to create the conditions for that.
