07:24 am – Russia, Moscow’s plan to exert influence over foreign countries
Russia plans to set up a fictitious scientific organization, with international participation, to exert influence, restore contacts with individual countries from which it has been subjected to sanctions following the war that moved Ukraine and, later, asserting one’s interests This is what an international journalistic investigation reveals, which has viewed a strategic document attributed to the Kremlin. In particular, it is the “Baltic Platform”, officially a scientific forum which should bring together experts from various states to deal with pollution in this sea. According to the document, drawn up in 2023, with the “Baltic Platform” Moscow intends to convey favorable messages to Western countries, influencing public opinion. The Kremlin document explicitly mentions Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as targets, also mentioning Germany and the Scandinavian countries. Operational since the autumn of 2023, the “Baltic Platform” should implement “a gradual transition in the discussion from non-political topics to current political content”, according to what can be read in the document of the Russian presidency.
05:24 am – Zelensy: over 2,000 Ukrainians freed from Russian captivity
Since the start of the Russian invasion, a total of 2,279 Ukrainian prisoners have been rescued and returned to their homes. This was stated, according to what the Kiev Independent portal writes on social media, by President Volodymyr Zelensky in a video speech.
04.40 am – The mayor of Mykolaiv: four strong explosions
“Around 1 a.m., residents of Mykolaiv heard 4 loud explosions,” city mayor Oleksandr Senkevych wrote in Telegram. “One of the missiles hit a skyscraper. Another hit a private house,” he explained, specifying that some houses in the city are without electricity. Vitaliy Kim, head of the military administration of the region, confirmed the initial data: “At the moment we are aware of 15 wounded and 1 dead”. Mykolaiv is located on the Black Sea, about 170 kilometers from the Crimea, the peninsula annexed by Moscow. Russian forces have repeatedly targeted it since the invasion began in February 2022. More than 8,000 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since then, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. UNHCR added that these figures, last updated in mid-March, are likely underreported. The new offensive comes 24 hours after another rocket attack that targeted a museum in Kupiansk, a city close to the front line in the north-east of the country. The attack left 2 dead and 10 injured, prompting once again President Volodymyr Zelensky to accuse Russia of wanting to erase the history and culture of Ukraine.
03:22 am – Image: «Kiev tried to kill Putin with a drone»
Last Sunday the Ukrainian secret services allegedly attempted to kill Vladimir Putin with an explosive drone. Although the ambush failed, the attempt was reportedly kept secret by the Russian authorities. He writes it there Bild. In the afternoon of April 23, a UJ-22 drone with a range of up to 800 km and carrying “30 blocks of C4 explosives, for a total weight of 17 kg” was allegedly launched from Ukraine. The target would have been the industrial park of Rudnevo, near Moscow, where there could have been a visit from Putin. However, the drone crashed 20 km earlier. It is not clear whether Putin’s visit to the site ever took place.
02:08 am – Biden, the USA and South Korea alongside the Ukrainian people
United States and South Korea together “in support of the people of Ukraine”. President Joe Biden writes this on his official Twitter account, commenting on President Yoon Suk Yeol’s visit to the White House. The two countries, Biden commented, “share the commitment alongside the people of Ukraine against the brutal assault on their democracy”. “The question – he added – of Russia’s flagrant violation of international law is important for countries everywhere, not just in Europe”.
02:01 am – Kiev, Russian missiles on Mykolaiv, one dead and 15 wounded
Russian forces launched an attack on Mykolaiv, killing one person and wounding five others. This was reported by the Kiev Independent, explaining that the region was hit by four S-300 missiles. At least one of these hit a multi-story residential building, while another a private residence.