Fierce fighting “unprecedented” in Bakhmut
Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesman for Ukraine’s eastern military command, said on April 15 that the Ukrainian and Russian troops had fought fiercely in the city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region, but Kyiv’s forces continued to hold on.
“The bloodiest battles not seen in recent decades are taking place right in the heart of the city… Our soldiers are doing everything in fierce and bloody skirmishes. aimed at weakening [the enemy’s] ability to fight and demoralizing them. Day by day, in every corner of this city, our forces have succeeded in that.” quoted Cherevatyi as telling 1+1 TV channel.
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Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that the Wagner mercenary group had occupied two more areas in Bakhmut, tightening the siege on the city. Bakhmut was the focal point of the long battle and caused the most casualties to date in the conflict.
Separatists accuse Kyiv of church attack
The leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), a pro-Russian separatist in eastern Ukraine, accused Kyiv of attacking a church in the city of Donetsk at dawn on April 16, the Easter holiday according to the Eastern Orthodox calendar. Winter.
TASS news agency quoted Denis Pushilin, acting leader of the DPR, on April 16 as saying that the attack with a total of 20 rockets left one civilian dead and six others injured.
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Pushilin also said the fire broke out when a Ukrainian rocket hit a kindergarten, while a market, shops and a pharmacy nearby were also damaged.
Ukraine did not immediately comment on the allegations.
Poland and Hungary ban imports of Ukrainian grain
The governments of Poland and Hungary on April 15 announced a ban on the import of cereals and other products from Ukraine, as goods from the war-torn country flooded neighboring Eastern European countries, causing local agricultural products to fall. serious prices, according to Reuters.
Kyiv expressed regret over Warsaw’s decision, saying that “resolving various problems with drastic actions unilaterally will not promote a positive resolution of the situation”.
Poland and Hungary ban Ukrainian grain imports, Kyiv unhappy
After Russia’s partial blockade of the Black Sea made it impossible for Ukraine to export grain from ports in the south, a large amount of Ukrainian grain, which is cheaper than grain produced in the European Union (EU), ended up stuck in several Eastern European countries due to logistical bottlenecks. The situation has caused agricultural products in these countries to drop in price, angering local farmers.
Russia and Ukraine exchange prisoners
Ukraine said on April 16 that the two sides had conducted the latest exchange of prisoners on the occasion of the “great Easter”, Reuters reported. According to Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to the president of Ukraine, Kyiv has taken back 130 Ukrainian citizens. The number of people returned to Russia was not immediately clear.
Mr. Yermak said the exchange of prisoners had taken place in several stages over the past few days. Those returned to Ukraine include military personnel, border guards, members of the National Guard, sailors and other non-military individuals.
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In a video of the incident released by Wagner forces on April 16, more than 100 men, some limping and some being carried by teammates on stretchers, walked in a line along a muddy road, while a man standing on a tank raising a white flag. The location of the exchange was not disclosed.
This is the second major prisoner exchange in the past week. On April 10, Russia and Ukraine said they had carried out a large prisoner exchange with 106 returned to Russia and 100 transferred to Ukraine.
