The main information at midday
- NATO membership of Sweden and Finland would have consequences for these countries and European security, the Russian Foreign Ministry warned on Friday.
- In the aftermath of the sinking of its flagship in the Black Sea, Russia threatens to intensify its attacks on kyiv after accusing Ukraine of bombing villages on its territory.
- Moscow announced the destruction of a workshop for the production of surface-to-air missiles in the Vizar factory located in the suburbs of kyiv.
- Military setbacks in Ukraine could prompt President Putin to resort to a tactical or low-power nuclear weapon there, CIA chief William Burns believes.
- 11,220 Ukrainian students are currently accommodated in schools, colleges and high schools in France.
1:50 p.m .: Russia blocks the Russian site of the Moscow Times newspaper
Russia blocked the Russian version of the Moscow Times website, a respected independent media, on Friday, accusing it of having published “false information” on the conflict in Ukraine. This daily was launched 30 years ago, just after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The blockage illustrates the extent of the repression put in place by the Russian authorities since the outbreak of Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine.
12:50 p.m.: Seven civilians killed in Russian fire on evacuation buses
Russian fire aimed at evacuation buses killed seven civilians and injured 27 people on Thursday in Borova, in the Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainian prosecutor’s office announced. An investigation has been opened for “violation of the laws and customs of war, associated with premeditated murder”, he added.
Further south, in the region of Zaporizhia (south), one person was killed and five injured in Russian bombardments against the town of Vasylivka where several houses, a grocery store and a facility at the Tavriysk railway station were damaged, according to the regional military administration.
11:54 a.m .: Finland and Sweden joining NATO would have “consequences”, warns Moscow
NATO membership of Sweden and Finland would have consequences for these countries and European security, the Russian Foreign Ministry warned on Friday. These countries “must understand the consequences of such a step for our bilateral relations and for the European security architecture as a whole,” ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.
11:32 am: A Briton from the Ukrainian army captured by the Russians
A Briton, a member of the Ukrainian army, was captured by the Russians, his mother asking in the newspaper The Daily Telegraph that he be treated “humanely” and released. Russian public television broadcast images Thursday evening showing a young man handcuffed and with a cut on his forehead, claiming that it is Aiden Aslin. His mother Ang Wood confirmed to the Telegraph, which has devoted several articles to the 28-year-old, including before the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, that it was indeed her son, who notably has a tattoo. characteristic. The UK Foreign Office has yet to respond.
10:37 a.m .: Russia claims to have killed around thirty “Polish mercenaries”
Russia claimed on Friday to have killed around thirty “Polish mercenaries” in a strike carried out in northeastern Ukraine. “As a result of the strike, a detachment of mercenaries from a private Polish military company … was liquidated in the village of Iziumske, in the Kharkiv region. Up to 30 Polish mercenaries have been eliminated,” Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a statement.
9:33 a.m .: Russia to step up strikes on kyiv and announces that it has bombed an arms factory
Moscow announced on Friday morning that it had bombed an arms factory near kyiv and indicated that it wanted to intensify its strikes on kyiv in response to attacks on Russian territory.
8:37 a.m.: 11,220 Ukrainian students are welcomed into schools, colleges and high schools in France
11,220 Ukrainian students are currently accommodated in schools, colleges and high schools in France, indicates the Ministry of National Education, which sets the figures as of April 14, 2022.
8:09 am: Moscow accuses kyiv of having bombed two Russian villages
Russia on Thursday accused Ukraine of bombing two Russian border villages, including one with helicopters, and injuring eight people. Unverifiable claims that raise fears of a new escalation in the conflict. Ukraine has denied these accusations
6:19 am: CIA warns of nuclear risk posed by Putin facing setbacks
Military setbacks in Ukraine could prompt Russian President Vladimir Putin to resort to a tactical or low-power nuclear weapon there, CIA chief William Burns said Thursday.
None of us can take lightly the threat posed by the potential use of tactical nuclear weapons or low-power nuclear weapons.
5:58 am: Russian opponent Navalny calls for an “information front” against Moscow
Imprisoned opponent Alexei Navalny on Thursday called on Western tech giants to open an “information front” through advertising campaigns aimed at reaching Russians.
“I urge the President of the United States, Boris Johnson, the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, Mark Zuckerberg to urgently find a solution to crush Putin’s propaganda using the opportunities of social media advertising” , he wrote on Twitter. “We need publicity. Lots of publicity,” he added.
The French Embassy, transferred to Lviv, will soon return to kyiv
The French Embassy in Ukraine, transferred to Lviv for security reasons in early March at the start of the conflict, will “very soon” return to kyiv, the Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday. France, on the other hand, continues to advise its nationals against returning to Ukraine.
All the details in our article by clicking here.
5:48 a.m .: Loss of cruiser Moskva is a “hard blow” for the Russian fleet in the Black Sea, according to the Pentagon
The loss of the cruiser Moskva, flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, which sank on Thursday, is “a major blow” to the Russian fleet in the region, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said.
“This will have consequences for their combat capabilities, as the ship was a “key element in their efforts to establish naval dominance in the Black Sea”, added the American spokesman on the CNN channel.
Moskva cruiser sunk: why it is a very hard blow for Moscow
Russia has suffered one of its biggest material setbacks since the start of the conflict with Ukraine: its cruiser Moskva, flagship of the Black Sea fleet, “sunk” during a towing operation after an explosion of ammunition , according to Moscow.
A very harsh blow for Russia: read our decryption here.
5:46 am: A convoy of vehicles and emergency equipment will leave France this Friday
A convoy of 40 vehicles loaded with 50 tonnes of relief equipment will leave France this Friday morning for the border between Romania and Ukraine where this equipment will be handed over to Ukrainian rescuers, French Civil Security announced on Thursday.
One hundred firefighters will transport 12 fire vehicles and 12 personal rescue vehicles, detailed the spokesperson for Civil Security, Commander Alexandre Jouassard, during a press briefing on the logistics platform at Roissy airport. -Charles de Gaulle where the convoy will leave from.
Nearly 50 tonnes of equipment, including tools for locating victims in the rubble, lifting cushions or equipment for fighting hydrocarbon fires, will be handed over to Ukrainian civil security.
What to remember from Thursday
- • Explosions caused a fire on the Russian cruiser Moskva, flagship of the Russian Black Sea fleet. Ukraine claims to have hit the warship with missiles, which sank on Thursday evening. The Russian military says the ship sank during a tow after the ammunition exploded.
• The French embassy in Ukraine, which had been transferred to Lviv (in the west of the country) at the beginning of March after the start of the Russian offensive, will return to kyiv, French diplomacy announced on Thursday evening.
• According to the UN, there are now more than 4.7 million Ukrainian refugees, ie 79,962 more than the previous day’s tally on Wednesday. 45,000 passed through France, 25,000 are still staying there.
• Nine humanitarian evacuation corridors reopened on Thursday in eastern Ukraine, including in Mariupol, after being suspended on Wednesday due to “dangers” on the roads.
• Russian power warns: if Finland or Sweden joined NATO, the military arsenal could be reinforced on the border, with nuclear weapons near Scandinavia.
5:45 am: Hello everyone, welcome to this live where we will follow the situation around the conflict in Ukraine, this Friday, April 15, on the 51st day of the Russian invasion.