Ukraine Breaking News Today Live on 04-18-2024

Four checkpoints are blocked in total at present, though preliminary information has shown that the resumption would only last for two days and would not impede passenger bus and car traffic.

Polish farmers have resumed blockade at the Korczowa-Krakovets and Medyka-Shehyni checkpoints since 9:00 a.m. Thursday, April 18.

According to a Facebook announcement by the State Border Service of Ukraine, the blockade at the Korczowa-Krakovets checkpoint would affect in-bound cargo traffic to Ukraine and is expected to last until 9:00 a.m. on April 20.

The world in focus, as seen by a Canadian leading global affairs analyst, writer and speaker, in his review of international media.

Climate inaction will depress the world’s economy more than previously estimated, according to a new study that takes into account the impacts of weather extremes and variability such as temperature spikes and intense rainfall. A scenario in which global temperatures rise 3C on average will reduce the world’s gross domestic product by about 10 percent, doctoral researcher Paul Waidelich of ETH Zurich and colleagues write, with less developed countries paying the worst toll. By comparison, limiting global warming by 2050 to 1.5C – as sought by the Paris Agreement – will reduce that impact by about two-thirds – Bloomberg

House Speaker Mike Johnson is moving forward with a plan to vote on separate bills to provide assistance to Ukraine, Israel and US allies in the Indo-Pacific, despite growing criticism from within his conference and the looming threat of being ousted from his post. The plan is to introduce the three individual foreign aid bills; a fourth bill placing sanctions on Russia, China and Iran; and a fifth bill including border security measures, Johnson said in a message to House Republicans Wednesday, April 17. Bill text for the foreign aid bills was posted Wednesday afternoon. The addition of a border security bill comes after a number of House Republicans criticized Johnson for abandoning prior demands to tie Ukraine funding to border provisions. A Senate-passed package that included foreign aid with no border provisions has been languishing in the House. But the change may not be enough to assuage hardline conservatives, who swiftly came out in opposition of the plan – NPR

The incident took place at a manufacturing plant of BAE Systems, UK’s largest defense contractor, in Monmouthshire, South Wales - investigations are underway to establish the circumstances.

There was an explosion at a BAE Systems weapons manufacturing site in Glascoed, Monmouthshire in South Wales at around 10:49 a.m. local time on Wednesday, April 17.

BAE Systems is the UK’s largest arms manufacturer that supplies weapons, ammunition and defense equipment to militaries worldwide, including many of the NATO-standard artillery and air defense systems as well as infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) that Kyiv’s Western allies have donated to Ukraine.

Kyiv Post went through the draft legislation and talked to analysts.

The updated version of the bill that Kyiv Post read through on Thursday, April 18 is here. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson is set to move forward with the Ukraine bill after it's been stalled in Congress for months due to a split within the Republican party over Ukraine.

Mike Johnson, speaker of the US House of Representatives, said he would move forward with the Ukraine bill – now separate from other foreign aid – amid threats from hardline Republicans such as Marjorie Taylor Greene to oust him because of the bill’s support for Ukraine.

Following the latest development, the foreign aid would be broken down into four separate bills for Israel, Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific region, and a separate package for national security measures respectively.

On April 17, Kyiv struck the Dzhankoi airfield on the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula. Launchers of anti-missile and air defense systems, radar systems, and Russian army aircraft were destroyed.

Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) stated Thursday afternoon, April 18, that Kyiv “destroyed or critically damaged” four launchers of Russia’s most powerful air defense system – the S-400 – in its early Wednesday morning attack on Russia’s Dzhankoi military airfield in occupied Crimea.

The about 3:30 a.m. attack took out three radar stations, an air defense equipment control point, and “Fundament-M” airspace surveillance equipment, with casualties still being clarified, HUR said.

The main accused, Dieter S., is alleged to have scouted potential targets for attacks, "including facilities of the US armed forces" stationed in Germany.

Two German-Russian men have been arrested on suspicion of spying for Russia and planning attacks in Germany -- including on US army targets -- to undermine military support for Ukraine, prosecutors said Thursday.

The pair, identified only as Dieter S. and Alexander J., were arrested in Bayreuth in the southeastern state of Bavaria on Wednesday, federal prosecutors said in a statement.

The US Congress has no shortage of “Putin’s useful idiots” who are doing their best to abandon Ukraine. The only way to assure Ukraine’s survival is to offer Kyiv NATO membership.

“We understand that there’s concern about the safety, security and sovereignty of Ukraine, but the American people have those same concerns about our own domestic sovereignty.”

Words spoken by House Speaker Mike Johnson in response to a reporter’s inquiry as to why he was holding up aid for Ukraine, certainly, a challenge to both his political and Christian “bona fides.” I would submit that even a 100,000 Central American asylum seekers, including women and children, at America’s southern border do not measure up to 150,000 Russian soldiers armed to the teeth at Ukraine’s eastern border, as was the case on the eve of Russia’s vicious invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

Ukraine's foreign minister Kubela underlined the necessity of agreeing an aid package "that will literally, without exaggeration, help save Ukrainians from Russian missile slaughter".

Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed Thursday the "urgent" need for the US Congress to pass a new military aid package for Kyiv as he met Ukraine's foreign minister.

Blinken held talks with Dmytro Kuleba during a meeting of ministers from the Group of Seven countries -- Italy, France, Germany, the UK, the US, Japan and Canada -- in the Italian island of Capri.

Ukraine’s President warns the European Council of ongoing Russian radiation blackmail, citing safety concerns at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

During a special meeting of the European Council, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky disclosed Russia’s destruction of almost all thermal power generation in Ukraine, as reported in an official press release.

“Dams and equipment of hydroelectric power plants, as well as gas infrastructure, are under terrorist attacks,” he said.

The trip comes after Germany announced it was sending an additional Patriot air defense system to Ukraine after pleas from Kyiv for its Western backer to urgently help foil Russian attacks.

German Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck unexpectedly arrived in Kyiv Thursday to discuss post-war reconstruction and show support after Russian attacks on key Ukrainian infrastructure.

"This visit comes at a time when Ukraine needs all the support it can get in its fight for freedom," Habeck told reporters in the Ukrainian capital.

Russia is scaling up campaign activities in its regions to stop the decline in the number of people willing to enlist in the military by painting trains with militaristic prints.

Russia is scaling up propaganda activities in its regions, including the launch of propaganda trains, to stop the decline in the number of people willing to enlist in the military and join the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine.

Amid a drop in the volume of spring conscription, Russia is stepping up its propaganda work in the regions, according to Kyiv’s Main Intelligence Directorate (НUR).

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday called on Kyiv’s allies to dig deeper into their stockpiles to support Ukraine militarily.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday (17 April) called on Kyiv’s allies to dig deeper into their stockpiles to support Ukraine militarily, while three European leaders said they would look at the possibility of supplying missile defence systems.

So far, leaders have been reluctant to give everything they have, keeping some critical defence equipment on hand — except Denmark — to avoid jeopardising their national defence readiness.

The Forum sought to harness US public-private sector support for Ukraine’s recovery

From the Editors:  The following is a press release issued on April 17 by the US Chamber of Commerce

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today — in partnership with the Department of State, the Department of Commerce, and USAID—the U.S. Chamber of Commerce hosted the second U.S.-Ukraine Partnership Forum. The Forum convened top business executives, government officials, and thought leaders to explore avenues to help Ukraine recover and rebuild as the country stabilizes its economy and lays the foundation for revitalization and modernization. The Forum featured the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Restoration of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine’s Economic Recovery Penny Pritzker, and Chamber President and CEO Suzanne Clark, among other government and business leaders. 

The 71 st Separate Jaeger Brigade carried out the strikes using FPV drones.

Ukrainian Air Assault Forces are shown destroying a Russian tank and an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) using First Person View (FPV) drones in a video posted on Wednesday, April 17 on the Air Assault Forces Command Telegram channel.

US House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Monday that the House would consider the aid this week, but would do so as separate pieces of legislation.

US Democrats said on Tuesday (16 April) they would wait to decide how to respond to a proposal from the Republican-led House of Representatives to consider national security assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan separately, rather than as one bill.

More than two months after the Senate approved a $95 billion package of security assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and other US partners in the Indo-Pacific, House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Monday that the House would consider the aid this week, but would do so as separate pieces of legislation.

An 8-story civilian multi-purpose building was directly hit during the Russian missile strikes, according to the acting mayor of Chernihiv.

The State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported that as a result of a Russian missile attack on the social infrastructure of Chernihiv, 18 people died, and 77 were injured, including 4 children, as of Thursday morning, April 18.

Rescuers stated that three people were rescued from the rubble, and 58 individuals received psychological assistance. Additionally, 1,580 tons of construction debris were removed, and 71% of the destroyed building section was dismantled. Rescue operations are still ongoing.

Ukrainian singer DOROFEEVA and blogger Misha Lebiga debuted a collaborative song on Twitch, where they raised Hr. 5 million for FPV drones and aid to Chernihiv victims.

Misha Lebiga and DOROFEEVA were able to raise Hr. five million on the Twitch platform, thanks to the release of their new music video for a popular song. The clip became a real hit.

Nadia Dorofeeva and Lebiga teamed up for a charity collection for FPV drones

Russian state TV channel “Pervyi” aired a story that claimed Russian troops had recovered insignia belonging to Canadian mercenaries from Ukrainian military positions in occupied Donetsk.

A Sunday broadcast by the Russian propaganda channel Pervyi TV reported that Russian troops had proof that Canadian mercenaries were serving in the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU). The “evidence” was in the form of items of recovered uniform insignia which was held up for the camera by a Russian soldier who said he had recovered them from a former Ukrainian defensive position in the so-called Donetsk People's Republic (DNR).

Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.

Key Takeaways from the ISW:

• Ukrainian forces struck a Russian military airfield in occupied Dzhankoi, Crimea, overnight on April 16 to 17.
• Ukraine’s Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) reportedly targeted Russian aviation assets in the Republic of Mordovia, the Republic of Tatarstan, and Samara Oblast on April 17.
• Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov officially confirmed on April 17 that Russian peacekeeping forces began their anticipated withdrawal from Nagorno-Karabakh, as Russian sources largely blamed Armenian leadership for Azerbaijan’s seizure of Nagorno-Karabakh amid Armenia’s continued efforts to distance itself from political and security relations with Russia.
• The Georgian parliament approved a bill in its first reading similar to Russia’s “foreign agents” law on April 17, which Russian state media seized on to further Kremlin efforts to amplify reports of political discord in Western and former Soviet states.
• US President Joe Biden warned that Russia and its partners pose an increasing threat to NATO and stressed that US security assistance to Ukraine can address the Russian threat.
• The US House of Representatives filed a supplemental appropriations bill on April 17 that would provide roughly $60 billion of assistance to Ukraine, and will reportedly vote on the measure on April 20.
• Russian forces recently made confirmed advances near Avdiivka and Donetsk City.
• The Kremlin-controlled Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) is preparing a special training course for ROC clergy deployed to combat zones in Ukraine.