Putin attends military meeting in Kherson
Russian president Vladimir Putin has attended a military command meeting in Ukraine’s southern Kherson region which is partly held by Russia, the Kremlin has said.
Putin heard reports from commanders of the airborne forces and the “Dnieper” army group as well as other senior officers who briefed him on the situation in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, both of which Moscow has proclaimed part of Russia, Reuters reported.
Russian troops retreated from Kherson, the regional capital, last November, and have been reinforcing their positions on the opposite bank of the Dnipro river in anticipation of the Ukrainian counteroffensive.
The Kremlin did not say when Putin attended the military command meeting.
Key events
Switzerland has condemned Russia’s war against Ukraine in the strongest terms, it is very much committed to humanitarian aid for Ukraine and is doing everything possible to seriously implement sanctions against Russia, its president has said today.
At a joint news conference with Olaf Scholz, the German Chancellor, Alain Berset said: “We adopted the (EU) sanctions and of course we take this completely seriously and we are simply doing everything that can be done in order to enforce them seriously”.
Romania’s ruling Social Democrat Party (PSD) has said that it will ask the coalition government to approve an emergency decree enforcing a temporary ban on Ukrainian grain imports, mirroring similar moves by countries in central and eastern Europe.
Reuters reports:
On Monday, Slovakia joined Poland and Hungary in banning grain imports from Ukraine as even Kyiv’s staunchest allies come under domestic pressure to shield their agriculture markets.
“PSD will ask the governing coalition to make a political decision to enable … the government to issue the decree,” the party, to which the agriculture minister belongs, said in a statement.
“At the same time, Romania must continue to support Ukraine by facilitating the transit of farm products to other European Union states or to Black Sea commercial routes.”
Summary of the day so far …
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Vladimir Putin has visited military headquarters in Russian-occupied areas Ukraine, the Kremlin has said. Putin was shown on Russian state television disembarking a military helicopter in Russian-held Ukraine and greeting senior military commanders. It was not stated when the visit took place.
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The Kremlin said Putin attended a military command meeting in the Kherson region. He heard reports from commanders of the airborne forces and the “Dnieper” army group and other senior officers on the situation in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, both of which Moscow has proclaimed part of Russia. The Russian president also visited national guard headquarters in Ukraine’s Luhansk region in the eastern Donbas, which Moscow also claims to have annexed along with adjacent Donetsk region.
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Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has appeared in court to appeal on Tuesday against his detention in Moscow on charges of espionage. The court will hear a complaint filed by Gershkovich against the decision to keep him in custody in Lefortovo prison while the case is being investigated. The hearing is essentially procedural covering how Gershkovich should be detained as he awaits trial, not about the substance of the charges.
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Poland and Ukraine will resume negotiations early on Tuesday to try to reopen the transit of food and grains, the Polish agriculture minister told public radio station PR1. The two countries held talks on Monday over bans by central eastern European countries seeking to shelter their farmers from the impact of an influx of cheaper Ukrainian grain.
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Russian forces are stepping up their use of heavy artillery and air strikes in the devastated eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, the commander of Ukraine’s ground forces said on Tuesday.
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Russia’s defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, told his Chinese counterpart on Tuesday that their countries’ military cooperation was a “stabilising” force in the world and helped to reduce the chances of conflict.
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The Belarusian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, held a meeting with the Russian-installed head of Ukraine’s occupied Donetsk region, Denis Pushilin, on Tuesday.
The FT’s Max Seddon has published some video from inside the court, noting that “media are allowed to take photos and videos of Evan [Gershkovich] in the cage, but not speak to him. He can’t say anything back either.”
Media are allowed to take photos and videos of Evan in the cage, but not speak to him. He can’t say anything back either.
At right, @usembru ambassador to Moscow Lynne Tracey, in the blue jacket. She visited Evan in prison yesterday. pic.twitter.com/Gn9jlwubb0
— max seddon (@maxseddon) April 18, 2023
Here is the first picture that has come through of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in court in Moscow.
US Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy is also present.
Max Seddon, the FT’s Moscow bureau chief, has tweeted:
The first proper picture of Evan Gershkovich, the WSJ reporter arrested in Russia on absurd charges, in court ahead of his appeal against his jailing today. So surreal to see Evan, who’s covered so many Kafkaesque hearings as a reporter, in the cage
Reuters has just snapped that Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has appeared in person in a Moscow court, where he is appealing against being detained while awaiting trial.
More details soon …
Russia’s defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, told his Chinese counterpart on Tuesday that their countries’ military cooperation was a “stabilising” force in the world and helped to reduce the chances of conflict. The Chinese defence minister, Li Shangfu, is in Moscow as the countries look to deepen their military cooperation.
Reuters cites Interfax quoting Shoigu saying: “The coordination of our efforts in the international arena has a stabilising effect on the global situation and helps to reduce the potential for conflict.”
Russia’s state-owned news agency Tass is carrying further details of the meeting between the Belarusian leader Alexander, Lukashenko, and the Russian-imposed leader of the occupied Donetsk People’s Republic, Denis Pushilin, in Minsk.
Tass quotes Lukashenko saying:
I would like, as they say, first-hand, to hear the situation in the Donetsk People’s Republic, if possible. How are we doing there at the front? There are very intense battles going on. Both to the north and to the south. Yes, and in the direction of Donetsk. Shelling, it’s hard for people. And in this situation, what can Belarus do for Donetsk, how can we help? There is a lot of work ahead. We need to recover, we need to revive industrial enterprises, agriculture. In the end, people will live there. This is 100{515baef3fee8ea94d67a98a2b336e0215adf67d225b0e21a4f5c9b13e8fbd502}. And people need to be fed.
Ukraine says Russian claim Black Sea grain shipments have resumed is untrue
Luke Harding
Luke Harding reports for the Guardian from Ukraine:
Ukraine says Russia’s claim that grain shipments in the Black Sea had resumed was “a lie” and said Moscow was continuing to block inspections.
Officials said a statement by Russia’s RIA news agency that the UN-brokered initiative was working were categorically untrue.
They said Russia, for the second time, stopped inspections yesterday of Ukrainian ships waiting to return to port. Inspections had not yet resumed today.
Under the deal signed by Ukraine, Russia and Turkey, Ukraine submits names of bulk carriers each day to be inspected. Last week, and again on Monday, Russia scrubbed up the names, meaning no inspections were carried out and the grain corridor didn’t function.
“It’s unacceptable,” one official told the Guardian on Tuesday
Here is some of the video released by the Kremlin of Vladimir Putin’s visit to occupied Ukraine.
A quick snap from Reuters, citing the state-run Belta news agency, reports that the Belarusian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, held a meeting with the Russian-installed head of Ukraine’s occupied Donetsk region, Denis Pushilin, on Tuesday.
Russia’s ministry of defence has posted to its official Telegram about Vladimir Putin’s visit to occupied Ukraine. It said:
The situation in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia directions was discussed during a meeting at the Dniepr group of forces headquarters. The president received reports from Col Gen Mikhail Teplinsky, the commander of the airborne troops, Col Gen Oleg Makarevich, the commander of the Dniepr group of forces, and other military commanders.
At the Vostok National Guard headquarters in Luhansk People’s Republic, Putin received reports from Col Gen Aleksandr Lapin and other high-ranking officers on the situation there.
Evan Gershkovich will appeal against arrest in Russian court today
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich will appeal on Tuesday against his arrest and detention in Moscow on charges of espionage, according to court documents, Reuters reports.
According to a public Russian judicial document, a Russian court will hear on Tuesday a complaint filed by Gershkovich against the decision to keep him in custody in Lefortovo prison while the case is being investigated.
The court documents gave nothing more than basic details about the case. The court said it was forbidden to publish some documents. A Russian lawyer for Gershkovich did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
The hearing is essentially procedural covering how Gershkovich should be detained as he awaits trial, not about the substance of the charges as investigators are still working on the details of the case.
Russia increases shelling, air strikes in Bakhmut – Ukrainian general
Russian forces are stepping up their use of heavy artillery and air strikes in the devastated eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, the commander of Ukraine’s ground forces said on Tuesday.
Fighting in and around Bakhmut has for months been the focus of the war in Ukraine.
“Currently, the enemy is increasing the activity of heavy artillery and the number of airstrikes, turning the city into ruins,” Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi said in a statement, Reuters reports.
He said Russia remained committed to taking Bakhmut “at any cost” but was suffering significant losses in the battle for the city.
It has been difficult to independently verify the battlefield situation on the ground. The head of the Wagner mercenary group, which has spearheaded Russia’s attempt to take Bakhmut, said this month that its fighters controlled more than 80{515baef3fee8ea94d67a98a2b336e0215adf67d225b0e21a4f5c9b13e8fbd502} of the city. Ukraine denied this, saying it still controlled considerably more than 20{515baef3fee8ea94d67a98a2b336e0215adf67d225b0e21a4f5c9b13e8fbd502} of the city.
Here are some of the images of Vladimir Putin visiting occupied Ukraine, which have come from a video released by the Kremlin this morning. They appear to show the Russian president in occupied Kherson and occupied Luhansk, two of the regions of Ukraine which the Russian Federation claims to have annexed.
Photograph: Kremlin/Reuters
Volodymyr Zelenskiy has posted on his official Telegram channel to state that since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, over 2,000 Ukrainian service personnel have been returned from captivity. Ukraine’s president posted:
Since 24 February, Ukraine has returned 2,235 Ukrainian men and women from Russian captivity. We remember everyone. We will bring back each and every one.
Here is a little more on what appears to have been a visit to occupied areas of Ukraine by Russian President Vladimir Putin, his second in two months.
Associated Press reports that the Kremlin video, broadcast by Russian state television showed Putin visiting the command post for Russian forces in the occupied southern Kherson region. It showed Putin arriving by helicopter to receive reports from the top military brass about the combat situation.
The Russian leader then moved by helicopter to the headquarters of the Russian National Guard of the occupied eastern Luhansk region to hear report from commanders.
In both locations, Putin congratulated the military on the Orthodox Easter that was celebrated Sunday, and presented them with icons.
The exact location and time the released footage of Putin in Ukraine was taken has not been independently verified.
Last month, Putin visited the Russian-held Sea of Azov port city of Mariupol, which was captured by Russian troops in May after two months of fierce fighting. It was interpreted as a show of defiance, coming days after the international criminal court issued an arrest warrant for him on war crimes charges.
Patrick Wintour
Patrick Wintour, the Guardian diplomatic editor, reports on the thorny issue of corruption in Ukraine:
A fierce debate has broken out in Ukraine over allegations that a clampdown on corruption is being used to frame high profile business advocates of state reform, raising wider doubts about Ukraine’s internal political trajectory – and its ability to absorb billions in European reconstruction funds once the war ends.
The concerns have been expressed to the US Department of State and UK Foreign Office, and are shared in part by Ukrainian anti-corruption campaigners.
The issue is diplomatically sensitive since critics are wary of playing into a Russian narrative that Ukraine is endemically corrupt, or suggesting that anti-corruption institutions, which western allies and Ukrainian civil society played a large part in establishing, have gone off the rails.
Katya Ryzhenko, from Transparency International Ukraine, called for a review of the anti-corruption authority of Ukraine (known by its Ukrainian acronym Nabu).
“It is a good sign that despite being in the middle of a war, Ukraine’s anti-corruption ecosystem is not afraid to go after the big names and to have these cases transparently adjudicated by independent judges.” But, she added “the cases have highlighted serious problems in how Ukraine’s anti-corruption bodies operate”.
A former Ukrainian official who was instrumental in campaigning for the establishment of Ukraine’s anti-corruption bodies said that officials appeared to be targeting people for corporate governance breaches, rather than overt corruption . “This is a tragedy in which there will be no winners,” the former official said.
Read more of Patrick Wintour’s report here: High stakes for Ukraine as clampdown on corruption comes under scrutiny
