04/13/2022
Ukraine war in the live ticker
+++ Selenskyj: Still no clarity about the possible use of chemical weapons in Mariupol +++
It is also unclear whether Russian forces used chemical weapons in Mariupol. It is currently not possible to draw 100 percent certain conclusions about this, explains Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. At the moment it is not possible to carry out a proper investigation in the besieged city.
+++ 00:32 Selenskyj wants to exchange Medvedchuk for captured Ukrainians +++
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposes exchanging the arrested pro-Russian politician Viktor Medvedchuk for Ukrainians held in Russian captivity. Medvedchuk disguised himself with a uniform, so he should be treated under martial law, says Zelenskyy in his usual nightly video address. “I propose to the Russian Federation to exchange their boy for our boys and girls in Russian captivity”. The politician and oligarch Medvedchuk is considered the closest ally of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin in Ukraine. He is accused of high treason and embezzlement in Kyiv.
+++ 23:49 Biden indirectly accuses Putin of “genocide” +++
US President Joe Biden speaks for the first time of genocide in connection with the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Speaking in the state of Iowa, he spoke about high inflation in the US and said: “Your family budget, your ability to fill up the tank – none of this should depend on a dictator on the other side of the world declaring war and genocide commits.” The US government has already accused Russia of war crimes in Ukraine. So far, however, Washington has not raised any allegations of genocide.
+++ 23:05 “Increased observation”: Netherlands set 20 yachts +++
Dutch customs detain 20 yachts in connection with Russia sanctions. The ships are under “increased surveillance,” the agency said. “They may not be supplied, passed on or exported.” 14 of the yachts are still under construction, two are ready for delivery and four are currently being serviced. They are between 8.5 and 120 meters long. “Two of these yachts were found to be associated with a person on the EU sanctions list,” Customs said. Last week, Dutch authorities seized 14 yachts in Dutch shipyards that customs officials say were built for “Russian beneficiaries”.
+++ 22:27 concern after reports of possible use of chemical weapons +++
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has expressed “concern” at reports of a possible Russian chemical weapons attack in Ukraine. The OPCW is “closely monitoring” the situation in Ukraine, the organization said. In the past few weeks, the media have already reported on the shelling of chemical plants in Ukraine. Both sides have also accused each other of “possible misuse of toxic chemicals,” the statement said. The OPCW points out that Russia and Ukraine, as member states of the organization, have pledged “never to develop, manufacture, acquire, stockpile, transfer or use chemical weapons”. On Monday, Ukraine’s Azov regiment announced that a Russian drone had dropped a “poisonous substance” on Ukrainian soldiers and civilians in the port city of Mariupol, which had been under siege for weeks.
+++ 22:18 Habeck on weapon deliveries: “Now the stuff has to go down there” +++
Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck is stepping up the pace of German arms deliveries to Ukraine. “It’s no use saying: In nine months you’ll get something. Now the stuff has to go down there. And that’s how we act,” says Habeck on ProSieben and SAT.1. In view of the expected Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine, Ukraine is demanding heavy weapons such as battle tanks, artillery pieces and air defense systems from Germany. “We’re expecting the Russians to attack in the next few days. That means everything that’s helping the Ukrainian army now has to be delivered quickly,” said Habeck.
You can read about previous developments here.