This April 16 marks 52 days since the beginning of the Russian Invasion of Ukraine. Airstrikes and explosions returned to kyiv, which increased following the sinking of the Moskva, Russia’s flagship.
In the diplomatic field, Russia prohibited the entry to the country of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, and twelve senior officials due to the different sanctions imposed in response to the invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin also expelled 18 European Union (EU) officials in Moscow.
Russia bars entry to Boris Johnson and 12 other British officials; April 16, 6:00 a.m.
Russia banned this Saturday the entry into the country of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, and twelve other senior officials of that country for “las unprecedented hostile actions” taken once morest Moscow by the British Government.
The statement from the Russian diplomacy highlights that the British government “purposely aggravates the situation around Ukraine by loading the kyiv regime with lethal weapons and coordinating similar efforts by NATO.”
Besides Johnson, the ban affects nine members of his Cabinet, as well as the First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon; the Attorney General for England and Wales, Suella Braverman, and the former Prime Minister and Conservative MP Theresa May.
The US confirms that the Russian flagship was sunk by the Ukrainians; April 16, 5:30 a.m.
US Department of Defense sources confirmed that the Russian missile cruiser Moskva sank following being hit by two Ukrainian missilesas kyiv claims, but the Kremlin denies.
US media such as the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and the CNN network quoted anonymous Pentagon sources, according to which US Intelligence reports indicate that the attack caused several deaths among the crew of the Moskva .
Likewise, these sources also indicated that lifeboats were in charge of picking up the survivors in the Black Sea.
Russia expels 18 employees of the EU mission in Moscow; April 16, 5:20 a.m.
Russia has declared “persona non grata” to 18 employees of the European Union (EU) mission in Moscow, in response to a similar measure taken by Brussels, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported on Friday.
On April 5, the EU declared 19 members of the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the EU in Brussels persona non grata for carrying out “activities contrary” to their diplomatic status. According to the Russian portal RBC, so far this year they have been expelled from different countries more than 420 Russian diplomatsmost of them following the start of the Russian military campaign in Ukraine.
Zelensky speaks of between 2,500 and 3,000 Ukrainian soldiers killed since the beginning of the invasion; April 16, 5:00 a.m.
Ukrainian President Volodomir Zelensky said that since the beginning of the war there have been between 2,500 and 3,000 soldiers killed in their ranks and regarding 10,000 wounded. Of the injured, Zelensky said in an interview with CNN, it’s hard to say how many will survive.
The number of dead soldiers among the invaders estimated by the Ukrainians is 20,000 but the Russian side it has only recognized 1,350 soldiers fallen in combat.
Civilian deaths during the war, according to Zelensky, are more difficult to estimate due to the situation in some areas of the country where there are cities blockaded by the invaders.
Russia reports high-precision strikes once morest kyiv and Mykolaiv; April 16, 4:30 a.m.
The Russian Army used high-precision missiles to destroy targets in Kiev y Mykolaiv, the Russian Defense Ministry reported this Saturday.
“Long-range precision weapons mounted on aircraft destroyed the ships of a tank factory in kyiv and a heavy weapons repair shop in Mykolaiv,” defense spokesman General Igor Konashenkov said.
In his daily part, the military added that this Friday a total of 16 facilities of the Ukrainian Army in various regions of the country.
He specified that in the Mykolaiv region, in southern Ukraine, two rocket depots were hit.
Konashenkov added that in the Poltava region, in the north-east of the country, a warehouse of means of communication and radars, as well as a depot of anti-aircraft missiles of the Ukrainian Army were destroyed.
Along with the town of Gusarovka, also in northeastern Ukraine, an area where units of the 95th Airborne Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were stationed was attacked.
Russian artillery, he added, attacked 811 targetsincluding 43 command posts of Ukrainian units, eight fuel convoys and 760 troop emplacement sites.
In addition, according to the military spokesman, the Russian air defense shot down a Su-25 assault plane of the Ukrainian Air Force near the city of Izium, in northeastern Ukraine.
