The day of the war at a glance
Steinmeier’s cancellation dominates debate – Selenskyj names desired weapons
4/13/2022, 9:56 p.m
In Mariupol, Ukrainian defenders are still fighting Russian troops. In Kyiv, investigations into the dead are in full swing. In Germany, Ukraine’s cancellation of the visit by Federal President Steinmeier continues to shape events. Many politicians have criticized Ukrainian President Zelensky for the decision. In a video link, Zelenskyj names the weapon systems that his country now needs for defense against Russia. The 49th day of the war at a glance.
Ukrainian fighters entrench themselves in Mariupol
The Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which has been contested for weeks, was again the target of Russian air raids during the night, according to Kiev sources. According to the Ukrainian military, Russian troops also attacked the city’s port and the Azovstal Steel Plant. Ukrainian soldiers have entrenched themselves in the sprawling industrial complex. Reports that more than 1,000 Ukrainian militants surrendered in the city have not been independently confirmed. The Russian Ministry of Defense had claimed this without providing any evidence. In the evening, the Russian side said that the city’s port was under the control of Russian soldiers. The commercial port was “liberated” by Ukrainian Azov fighters, said Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov.
Ukraine: Russian troops ready in east
According to the Ukrainian military, Russian forces are now ready to attack the Donetsk and Kherson regions east of Ukraine. The army referred to “available information” in a Facebook post. The cities of Kharkiv and Zaporizhia were also fired at with rockets. Due to the bad weather, the number of airstrikes by the Russian military has decreased, the Ukrainian General Staff said. Nevertheless, Ukrainian soldiers are said to have managed to shoot down a Russian Su-25 aircraft.
Investigations into war crimes in Kyiv continue
Meanwhile, 720 bodies have already been examined in the Kyiv region, according to the local police. Another 200 people are believed to be missing. Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova spoke in an interview on Sunday about 1,222 civilians killed in the Kyiv region. According to police chief Nebytov, 1,463 war crimes cases have been initiated.
Irritations about Steinmeier’s cancellation in Germany
In Germany, the uninviting of Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj continues to cause waves. Numerous politicians, including CDU leader Friedrich Merz, FDP deputy Wolfgang Kubicki and SPD faction leader Rolf Mützenich, expressed their displeasure with Kiev’s decision. Chancellor Olaf Scholz was also “irritated” by the move. However, Scholz, whose visit would be welcomed by Ukraine, declined. He was in Kyiv a few days before the war broke out. In addition, he often calls the Ukrainian President. “There is hardly a head of state or government who has such intensive contact with me.”
A majority of Germans have no understanding for the Ukrainian government’s cancellation of a visit by the German Federal President. As can be seen from an opinion poll by the Forsa Institute for RTL, 63 percent said when asked that they had no understanding. 33 percent said they could understand why Steinmeier is currently not welcome in Ukraine.
Finland’s entry into NATO could happen very quickly
Finland seems to be stepping up the pace when it comes to joining NATO. The government is to present a national security report to Parliament. On this basis, the formal debate of the MPs is planned, which is scheduled to begin next Wednesday. If parliament agrees, Finland could be a NATO member in a year. This was stated by the Finnish head of government, Sanna Marin, at a meeting with her Swedish counterpart, Magdalena Andersson.
Kremlin does not want to replace Medvedchuk
After the arrest of Putin friend Viktor Medvedchuk, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev made a verbal blunder: “Isolated freaks who call themselves the ‘Ukrainian government’ declare that they beat a confession out of Viktor Medvedchuk, ‘quickly and just’ and then want to exchange them for prisoners,” wrote Medvedev on his Telegram channel. However, an exchange of Ukrainian prisoners for Medvedchuk is out of the question for Russia. The businessman has “nothing to do with the special military operation,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. “He’s a foreign politician.” The 67-year-old has “never had any behind-the-scenes relations with Russia,” Peskov added.
Zelenskyi publishes heavy weapons wish list
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated calls for more arms supplies from the West. “We urgently need heavy artillery, heavy armored vehicles, air defense systems and aircraft,” emphasized the 44-year-old in a video message distributed in English. He did not leave it at that, but specifically listed which weapon systems allied states should now deliver to Ukraine.
Artillery systems with a caliber of 155 millimeters
Soviet caliber artillery ammunition of 152 millimeters
Soviet Grad, Smerch or US M142 HIMARS multiple rocket launchers
Soviet T-72 tanks or equivalent US or German models
Soviet-made S-300 or “BUK” anti-aircraft systems
Among other things, the United States is supplying hundreds of drones and anti-aircraft missiles
The United States wants to supply Ukraine with up to $800 million (€740 million) in additional arms and ammunition. Specifically, the following were mentioned: 300 Switchblade drones, 500 Javelin anti-aircraft missiles, 200 M113 armored personnel carriers, as well as several helicopters, all-terrain vehicles and a wide range of equipment.
The EU, meanwhile, will provide another 500 million euros to supply arms and equipment to the Ukrainian armed forces. This was announced by the Council of EU member states in Brussels. According to the announcement, the funds are to be used to finance personal protective equipment, first aid kits and fuel, as well as weapons for defense purposes. It remains to be seen whether these also include systems from Zelenskyj’s wish list.
China no help for Russia with credit cards
The sanctions passed so far are apparently having an increasing effect in Russia. China’s trade with Russia increased significantly in the first quarter. Total trade with Russia rose to 243.03 billion yuan ($38.18 billion) in January-March, Beijing customs said. That is an increase of 27.8 percent. However, China’s trade with Ukraine also increased by 10.6 percent (29.6 yuan) over the same period.
Elsewhere, however, China apparently cannot help Russia in the long term. According to media reports, Russia cannot compensate for the departure of Visa and Mastercard by switching to the Chinese credit card UnionPay. Foreign online shops have blocked payments for all cards issued in Russia, including UnionPay, Kommersant daily reported. According to the newspaper, there are 500,000 UnionPay credit cards in Russia. The number has increased tenfold within a month. Most of these cards are virtual and intended for purchase in Internet shops. But there are problems with this because most international online retailers and their banks generally no longer accept cards issued in Russia.
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