Ukraine Breaking News Today Live on 04-24-2024

Huge crowds of men could be seen gathering outside the passport service in Warsaw following the latest suspension of consular services for men, regardless of their military registration status.

Ukrainian men were protesting outside the Ukrainian passport service in Poland’s capital Warsaw Wednesday against the suspension of consular services – including the issuance of passports – for Ukrainian men of conscription age abroad.

The suspension was introduced yesterday after Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said services would be suspended until it introduces new procedures to comply with the new mobilization law, signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky on April 16, limiting consular services for Ukrainian men aged 18-60 abroad without military registration

Preliminary information said one died and three were injured. Russian authorities said “violation of the rules of the technological process” was to blame.

A fuel tank on the railway tracks was on fire in the village of Komsomolskoe in occupied Simferopol, Crimea, at around noon today, reported local authorities.

Russian media RBC reported that one person died and three were injured as a result of the incident, citing reports from local emergency services. 

Ukrainians are looking forward to reopening the blocked pipeline of military support from the US. Russians on social media are absolutely furious.

On Wednesday, US President Joe Biden signed a $95 billion aid package for allies, including Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.

This followed the Senate voting in favor of the aid on Tuesday and House of Representatives clearing the aid Saturday.

The aid package would bolster Ukraine’s defense amidst Kyiv’s repeated pleas for more weapons and munitions to defend itself against the Russian invasion.

US President Joe Biden signed a bill to send a long-awaited $61 billion aid package for Ukraine.

“It was a difficult path,” Biden said. “It should have been easier. It should have gotten there sooner. But in the end, we did what America always does: We rose to the moment, came together. We got it done.”

Serhiy Kolyada on the thinking behind the MAGA's retreat on funding for Ukraine.

Sunak hailed “a new chapter” in relations between Britain and Germany as they announced joint development of remote-controlled Howitzer artillery systems that will be fitted to Boxer armored vehicles.

The leaders of Britain and Germany pledged Wednesday to back Ukraine in its war with Russia for “as long as it takes,” but the German chancellor doubled down on his refusal to deliver long-range Taurus missiles to Kyiv.

UK Premier Rishi Sunak was on his first trip to the German capital since becoming prime minister 18 months ago, after visiting Poland on Tuesday where he pledged additional money for Kyiv and announced plans to boost UK defense spending.

An intelligence source said law enforcement detained Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov for bribery after an operation by HUR revealed huge number of secret documents, embarrassing the Kremlin.

Russian Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov was detained and faces up to 15 years in prison thanks to a Ukrainian secret operation, Kyiv Post sources in intelligence said Wednesday, April 24.

In March, Ukrainian Defense Intelligence (НUR) gained access to a huge amount of confidential information – including many of Ivanov’s own documents.

How can Ukraine build a future in the face of ominous population statistics? A forum in Kyiv talked strategies.

Ukraine’s population decline is “very alarming” Ukrainian Minister of Social Policy Oksana Zholnovych told a public forum in Kyiv where the Social Policy Ministry delivered a report with strategies for overcoming the problem.

Over the past few years, Ukraine’s population has dropped by millions, Zholnovych said, speaking at the Demographic Future of Ukraine forum on Monday, April 22 where she was among those that delivered the report to an audience including Ukrainian politicians and scientists.

The United States has been the chief military backer of Ukraine in its war against Russia, but Congress had not approved large-scale funding for its ally for nearly a year and a half.

US President Joe Biden vowed to send fresh weapons to Ukraine within days as he prepared to sign on Wednesday an aid package including $61 billion meant to help Kyiv's forces push back against Russia.

Congress approved on Tuesday the long-delayed legislation, which also contained a measure to ban TikTok in the United States if the popular social media app does not cut ties with its Chinese parent company.

The capture of Chasiv Yar could be both a strategic and symbolic victory for Moscow ahead of the May 9 Victory Day, but Ukraine stands defiant in its defense before Western supplies arrive.

Chasiv Yar, a city in the Donetsk region 17 kilometers (11 miles) west of Bakhmut and some 36 kilometers (22 miles) southeast of the Ukrainian stronghold of Kramatorsk is now the most intense hotspot in Russia’s war in Ukraine, following the Kremlin’s capture of Avdiivka in February.

Although taking Avdiivka, which became the graveyard for thousands of Russian troops, was very costly for the Kremlin, the lack of Western supplies to Kyiv has provided Russia with some tactical advantages in its march to capture Chasiv Yar. Despite the odds, Ukrainian troops are defiantly holding the city with the ammo they’ve got.

The Russian Deputy Defense Minister who oversaw the supposed restoration of occupied Mariupol after its destruction by Kremlin forces is suspected of taking a 1 million ruble bribe.

Russian Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov was detained on Tuesday evening, April 23, on suspicion of taking a bribe, Russian media outlet TASS reports.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu’s deputy was sent to a pre-trial detention center for two months until June 23, 2024. Russian prosecutors allege Ivanov took a bribe of at least 1 million rubles ($10,800), during contracting and subcontracting works for the Defense Ministry.

Airbus did not specify the nature or duration of these permits. Canadian authorities have not commented on the situation.

The Canadian government has permitted Airbus to utilize Russian titanium in its Canadian manufacturing, despite Ottawa’s sanctions against the Russian titanium manufacturer VSMPO-Avisma, Reuters reported.

“Airbus is aware of the Canadian government imposing sanctions on VSMPO and has obtained the necessary authorization to secure Airbus operations in compliance with the applicable sanctions,” Airbus Canada said in response to a Reuters query.

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

The US Senate has approved a $95bn (£76bn) foreign aid package that includes military support for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. President Joe Biden is expected to sign the legislation into law on Wednesday. The Senate on Tuesday evening backed the measure passed by the US House of Representatives on Saturday. It includes $61bn in military aid for Ukraine, which the Pentagon says can start being delivered to the war-torn nation "within days". It passed in a bipartisan vote of 79-18. - BBC

The Pentagon is poised to send $1 billion in new military aid to Ukraine, U.S. officials said Tuesday as the Senate moved ahead on long-awaited legislation to fund the weapons Kyiv desperately needs to stall gains being made by Russian forces in the war. The decision comes after months of frustration, as bitterly divided members of Congress deadlocked over the funding, forcing House Speaker Mike Johnson to cobble together a bipartisan coalition to pass the bill. The $95 billion foreign aid package, including billions for Israel and Taiwan, passed the House on Saturday, and the Senate approval was expected either Tuesday or Wednesday. The votes are the result of weeks of high-voltage debate, including threats from Johnson’s hard-right faction to oust him as speaker. About $61 billion of the aid is for Ukraine. The package includes an array of ammunition, including air defense munitions and large amounts of artillery rounds that are much in demand by Ukrainian forces, as well as armored vehicles and other weapons. The U.S. officials said some of the weapons will be delivered very quickly to the battlefront — at times within days — but it could take longer for other items to arrive. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the aid had not yet been publicly announced.

Patriarch Kirill, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, signed a decree banning priest Dmitry Safronov from giving blessings, carrying a cross or wearing the frock for three years.

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church has suspended a Russian priest who led a memorial service for Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

Patriarch Kirill, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, signed a decree banning priest Dmitry Safronov from giving blessings, carrying a cross or wearing the frock for three years.

Shoigu claimed that Russian forces had gained the upper hand along the 1,000 km battlefront, disproving the notion of the superiority of Western weapons.

Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday, April 23, that Moscow plans to escalate attacks on Ukrainian storage facilities housing Western-supplied weapons.

Shoigu claimed that Russian forces had gained the upper hand along the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, disproving the notion of the superiority of Western weapons.

The US move comes after it accused Moscow of developing an anti-satellite nuclear weapon to put in space, an allegation that Russia’s defense minister has flatly denied.

The United States and Russia are set to face off over nuclear weapons in space on Wednesday (24 April) at the United Nations Security Council, which is due to vote on a US-drafted resolution calling on countries to prevent an arms race in outer space.

Russia is expected to block the draft resolution, said some diplomats. The US move comes after it accused Moscow of developing an anti-satellite nuclear weapon to put in space, an allegation that Russia’s defense minister has flatly denied.

Reports of the duo’s death first surfaced on April 15; while both are proven to be alive and well, the fake news might offer a glimpse into the workings of Moscow’s propaganda machine.

Russian media alleged that Commanded-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) Oleksandr Syrsky and Defense Intelligence (HUR) Chief Kyrylo Budanov were killed in an April 15 missile strike on Chuhuiv, a town 38 km southeast of Kharkiv.

The report was picked up by various Russian outlets, including Gazeta, which then referenced a Telegram channel with some 110,000 followers called Voenndelo (Military Affairs).

Ukraine’s economy proves resilient.

The resilience of Ukraine’s economy to unprecedented external shocks remains beyond any doubt.

The economy continues to grow in 2024 at a reasonable pace and massive destruction of the country’s energy infrastructure will only slow, but not disrupt, the recovery. Ukraine’s largest economic achievement of the past quarters is the launch of a fully functioning Black Sea cargo corridor that made it possible to export a wide range of commodities.

It took far too long, but House Speaker Mike Johnson showed true leadership in bringing Ukraine aid to a vote. Now the Biden administration must ensure Ukrainian victory.

With the successful House of Representatives vote on Ukraine aid behind us, the Senate and the White House will move quickly to put the $61bn package into law. No doubt the US military has already been pre-positioning ammunition and equipment so it can deliver key elements of aid as soon as possible.

This was a key moment in ways that not everyone has grasped and reveals significant positives. Some 71% of House members voted in favor, reflecting resounding bipartisan US support for Ukraine at both the political and popular levels. Several congresspeople favoring passage highlighted the growing connections between Russia, Iran, and China, a new axis of authoritarians who are actively working together. This is a clear-eyed assessment of the threat facing the free world.  

Ukraine's foreign ministry "announced a temporary suspension of accepting new applications for consular services" for men between 18 and 60.

Ukraine on Tuesday suspended consular services for men of fighting age living abroad, after announcing measures to bring them home amid manpower shortages in the army fighting Russia.

The move, which will hinder the renewal of official documents abroad, drew criticism.

Locals reported hearing a series of explosions near the village of Razdorovo, 10 kilometers from the city of Smolensk, followed by a glow and smoke from the oil depot.

Sources within Ukrainian special services told Kyiv Post that early Wednesday, April 24, two fuel storage facilities in Yartsevo and Razdorovo, located in the Smolensk region of Russia, were hit by drones, allegedly operated by the SBU.

The attacks resulted in the destruction of 26,000 cubic meters of Russian fuel stored at these facilities.

Sunak said Britain was giving £500 million ($617 million) in additional military funding for Kyiv as he held talks with Polish premier Donald Tusk and NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Tuesday announced additional funding for Ukraine and pledged to increase Britain's own defence budget, during a visit to the Polish capital Warsaw.

Sunak said Britain was giving £500 million ($617 million) in additional military funding for Kyiv as he held talks with Polish premier Donald Tusk and NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg.

Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.

Key Takeaways from the ISW:

• Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu highlighted ongoing Russian offensive operations near Chasiv Yar, Avdiivka, and Donetsk City and announced Russia’s intent to intensify its strike campaign to disrupt Ukrainian logistics.
• Shoigu also discussed ongoing Russian military reforms during his April 23 MoD collegium address, cloaking ongoing expansion efforts in an information operation meant to falsely frame all Russian military activity as inherently defensive and responsive to supposed NATO aggression.
• Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Akbar Ahmadian traveled to St. Petersburg on April 23 to attend the 12th Russian International Security Summit.
• The Chechen Republic appears to be trying to align itself more closely with Iran over the backdrop of intensifying bilateral security cooperation between Russia and Iran.
• United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the UK’s largest ever package of military assistance to Ukraine valued at 500 million pounds (around $662 million) on April 23.
• Moldovan authorities confiscated over one million dollars from Kremlin-linked Moldovan opposition politicians at the Chisinau airport on the night of April 22 to 23, and the opposition politicians likely intended to use to bribe protestors and voters.
• Russian federal censor Roskomnadzor is blocking 150 virtual private network (VPN) services in Russia, another step in the Kremlin’s efforts to further censor and control the Russian information space.
• Ukrainian drone strikes and recent flooding in Russia have reportedly brought weekly Russian oil refining to an 11-month low, although the decrease in refining output has so far been marginal.
• Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Chasiv Yar (west of Bakhmut) and Russian forces recently advanced near Donetsk City.
• Prominent Russian milbloggers continue to complain about the ineffectiveness of Russian drones on the battlefield.

During a meeting in Brussels, the mayor of Mariupol presented plans for the reconstruction of the coastal city after its de-occupation. He appealed for support from EU representatives.

Vadym Boichenko, the Mayor of Mariupol now forced to live outside his city, presented the “Mariupol Reborn” plan to representatives of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) in Brussels on April 17 and appealed for support from Ukraine’s Western partners in its post-war reconstruction.

The “Mariupol Reborn” initiative is a detailed plan for the reconstruction of the city – located on the coast of the Sea of Azov now under Russian occupation – broken down into six main steps. The plan included various aspects of urban planning in its post-war reconstruction, including the formulation of new economic models “taking into account the capabilities and geographical location of the city.”

US Senate approves $61B for Kyiv; Kremlin keeps WSJ reporter in jail despite appeal; Moscow promises payback if frozen assets used to fund Kyiv; No further plans to deploy nukes, NATO says

The US Senate voted 79-18 on Tuesday night to pass a $95 billion foreign aid bill, including a long-awaited $61 billion for Ukraine.

The package, which also included funding for Israel and the Indo-Pacific, and contained a measure in its final version to ban Chinese-owned social media platform Tik Tok in the United States, had been stalled on Capitol Hill for almost six months.