Day 419 of the Invasion of Ukraine: Putin visited Russian-Controlled Ukrainian Regions

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Day 419 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

• Zelensky visited Ukrainian defenders in Avdiivka
• Putin has visited Russian-controlled Ukrainian regions
• Russia has warned Western diplomats of the risk of expulsion
• PMC Wagner has captured two districts in Bakhmut, the Russians are sending new forces there
• The G7 condemned Moscow, Beijing and countries that help Russia
• The American ambassador to Russia visited the arrested reporter Evan Gershkovich
• 'Shockingly severe': UN and EU condemn Russian opposition leader Kara-Murza's sentence
• Egypt planned to give missiles to Russia. After a conversation with Washington, they sold ammunition to Ukraine

Zelensky visited Ukrainian defenders in Avdiivka

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, visited the forward positions of the defenders in Avdiivka in the Donetsk region, UNIAN reported.

He has presented state awards to military personnel.

Earlier today, the Kremlin announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin was in the Kherson region, which has been partially under Russian control since the invasion of Ukraine.

If they were at the same time, as claimed, Putin and Zelensky were 400 kilometers apart - one in Genichesk, the other in Avdiivka.

"During a working trip to the Donetsk region, the president visited the forward positions of the Ukrainian defenders in Avdiivka. The head of state listened to a report by the commander of the operational-tactical group in Donetsk on the situation," Zelensky's press office said in a statement.

In addition, Zelensky spoke with the servicemen of the marine corps, assault-assault, mechanized and artillery units and thanked them for their service.

"I have the honor to be here today to thank you for your service, for protecting our land and our families. I congratulate you on the holidays, on Easter and I wish you only victory - what I wish every Ukrainian. I sincerely thank everyone Ukrainian for the long way you travel every day," he stated.

Zelensky also presented state awards to military personnel. In turn, the military presented him with a military coin, a chevron and a plaque with the symbols of the 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade.

Putin has visited Russian-controlled Ukrainian regions

Russian President Vladimir Putin attended a meeting of the military command in Ukraine's Kherson region, which is partly under Russian control, Reuters and BTA reported, citing information from the Kremlin.

Putin listened to the reports of the commanders of the airborne troops and the army group "Dnieper", as well as other senior officers, the statement said.

Putin reportedly visited Russian troops in occupied Kherson and Donbas areas. Can we start geolocation? pic.twitter.com/ketY4PB8pb

— NOËL ???????? ???????? (@NOELreports) April 18, 2023

The visits of the Russian president to the headquarters of the Dnipro group of troops in Kherson and to the headquarters of the Vostok National Guard in the Luhansk People's Republic were not prepared in advance, TASS reported, citing the press service of the Russian head of state. During the visits, Putin listened to the military commanders' reports on the situation in Kherson, Zaporizhzhia and Luhansk regions.

The Kremlin did not specify when Putin participated in the meetings.

This is the first visit of the Russian president to the Kherson region and the Luhansk People's Republic. His previous visit to the Ukrainian regions controlled by Russian forces was on March 19 in Mariupol.

"Reuters" recalls that Russian troops withdrew from Kherson, the capital of the region, last November and strengthened their positions on the opposite bank of the Dnieper River in anticipation of a Ukrainian counteroffensive.

Russia has warned Western diplomats of the risk of expulsion

Russia has accused the ambassadors of Great Britain, the United States and Canada of meddling in its internal affairs after they condemned the treason conviction of a prominent opposition politician and warned them of the risk of expulsion in the future, Reuters reported.

On Monday, a Moscow court sentenced Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza - who holds Russian and British citizenship - to 25 years in prison on treason charges in a trial he and the West said was politically motivated. It is the heaviest sentence of its kind since Russia invaded Ukraine.

Kara-Murza, 41, has for years successfully lobbied Western governments to impose sanctions on Russia and individual Russians for alleged human rights abuses.

He also condemned what Moscow called a "special military operation" in Ukraine.

The ambassadors of Great Britain, the United States and Canada appeared together before television cameras on the steps of a Moscow court after the verdict to condemn the decision and call for his release.

British Ambassador Deborah Bronnert delivered her words in Russian so that Russian-language television could possibly broadcast them.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said the behavior of the diplomats was unacceptable.
"This is direct interference in Russia's internal affairs," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, calling the move an attempt to put pressure on Russia's judiciary.
Citing human rights abuses in the three Western countries, Zakharova said it was cynical that the same nations would now demand the release of someone she called a Western-funded "agent of influence".

"Attempts to put pressure on the government of Russia and its independent judicial system are doomed to failure. The traitors... who are applauded in the West will get what they deserve," Zakharova emphasized.

Britain - which in 2020 imposed sanctions on the judge presiding over Kara-Murza's case for alleged human rights abuses - on Monday summoned the Russian ambassador in protest.

Kara-Murza himself compared his trial, which took place behind closed doors, to one of Joseph Stalin's show trials in the 1930s.

Zakharova warned Western diplomats to stay out of Russia's internal affairs or risk being sent home.

"Any actions by the United States, Great Britain and Canada... aimed at fomenting discord and enmity in our society will be dealt with in the most decisive manner and diplomats involved in this subversive work will be expelled from Russia," she said.

PMC Wagner has captured two districts in Bakhmut, the Russians are sending new forces there

There is a real possibility that the Russians have reduced their troop numbers and scaled back their offensive near Donetsk in order to divert resources to Bakhmut.

This is stated in a new report by British intelligence.

"In Bakhmut, the forces of the Russian Ministry of Defense and PMC Wagner continue to make slow progress. The front line in the center of the city runs mainly along the main railway line," the report said.

Meanwhile, according to British intelligence, the VSU is repelling Russian attacks from the south along Korsunsky Street, the old main road in the western part of the city.

"For both sides, any significant reduction in units around Bakhmut has become a critical issue, as Ukraine seeks to release offensive forces and the Russian Federation likely seeks to restore the operational reserve," the intelligence service concluded.

Fierce fighting in the city continues. The occupiers do not give up their attempts to take over the city entirely. To this end, PMC Wagner are currently supported by the regular Russian army.

Mercenaries have made some progress in Bakhmut, advancing north of the T0504 Kostiantinyvka - Chasov Yar - Bakhmut road along the town's main railway line, according to a new analysis of the fighting by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). It noted that, according to some reports, stormtroopers, possibly belonging to Wagner's forces, had captured two neighborhoods in the northwest and center of Bakhmut. However, as analysts note, it has not yet been established which these neighborhoods are.

The report notes that battles are currently taking place in central Bakhmut for control of the railway line. And cadres of the Russian army are fighting positional battles north of the city.

The head of the Wagner group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, tried to justify the slow progress of his mercenaries within Bakhmut, possibly in an attempt to pressure the Russian Ministry of Defense to increase the supply of artillery shells.

"He stated that at least 6,000 shells were needed over an unspecified period of time to advance more than 100-200m per day," the institute's summary said. Furthermore, Wagner's superior stated that his fighters would suffer fewer casualties if they received more shells.

The G7 condemned Moscow, Beijing and countries that help Russia

The Group of Seven (G-7) countries issued a joint statement on Tuesday expressing their opposition to Beijing's "militarizing activities" in the South China Sea. The group also condemned Russia's threat to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus and vowed to impose "severe sanctions" on countries aiding Russia in its military invasion of Ukraine.

"We will continue to help Ukraine rebuild and repair its critical energy and environmental infrastructure and reiterate our strong support for Ukraine's energy security," the G7 statement said, reaffirming the group's support for the effort Ukrainian President Zelensky for his peace plan for the country, Reuters reports.

"Today, we recommit ourselves to support Ukraine for as long as necessary and to provide sustained security, economic and institutional support to help Ukraine defend itself, secure its free and democratic future, and deter future Russian aggression. We remain determined to strengthen the sanctions against Russia, to coordinate them and to implement them in full," reads the declaration, which also contains a continued commitment to maximum support for Ukraine.

"The strength of solidarity among G7 foreign ministers is at a level never seen before," Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told a news conference after hosting a meeting of the group in the Japanese resort town of Karuizawa.

The statement came amid heightened tensions between China and several other countries, including the Philippines and Vietnam, over territorial disputes in the region.

The show of unity comes after French President Emmanuel Macron said earlier this month that the European Union should reduce its dependence on the United States and warned against being drawn into a crisis in Taiwan.

Beijing views Taiwan as Chinese territory and has not shied away from using force to seize the democratically-ruled island.

The G7 communique emphasized that questions about Russian military intervention in Ukraine and concerns about similar actions by China against Taiwan were at the center of the three-day meeting in Japan.

The group, which is made up of the US, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Canada, described Russia's threat to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus as "unacceptable". "Russia's irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and its threat to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus are unacceptable," the ministers said.

The G7 declaration said that any use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons in Ukraine "will be met with severe consequences".

The G7 ministers also agreed that peace and security in the Taiwan Strait is critical and opposed the militarization of the South China Sea. They urged Beijing to act as a responsible member of the international community.

The American ambassador to Russia visited the arrested reporter Evan Gershkovich

The American ambassador to Russia, Lynne Tracy, visited the arrested reporter of the "Wall Street Journal" Evan Gershkovich. He is the first American reporter accused of espionage by Russia since the Cold War, reported “The Times”.

This is the first access to American officials since the beginning of the arrest of the 31-year-old Gershkovich. He was arrested almost three weeks ago in Yekaterinburg, a city in the Urals region. If convicted of espionage for the United States, he faces up to 20 years in prison. Gershkovich, his friends and colleagues, and the White House have denied the allegation.

"He is in good health and remains strong," Lynne Tracy wrote on Twitter after visiting Gershkovich in Moscow's notorious Lefortovo prison. Last week, the United States described Gershkovich as "unlawfully detained."

Later in the day, a court in Moscow will consider an appeal against his arrest and detention. Gershkovic is expected to be brought to the Lefortovo District Court for the appeal hearing, although he may appear via video link.

More than 40 Western countries yesterday called on Russia to release Gershkovich and end its "draconian repression against freedom of expression, including against media representatives".

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, all independent and opposition media in Russia have been blocked or closed by the Kremlin.

In the statement, which was to be read at the United Nations by Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US envoy, the Kremlin also called on to release political prisoners.

"Let this statement send a clear message: Journalism is not a crime," she told the Wall Street Journal.

Some analysts believe the Kremlin captured Gershkovich to use as a bargaining chip in a prisoner swap with Washington. However, Moscow has said there can be no talk of an exchange until the trial against him is over.

We remind you that yesterday the journalist, public figure and critic of the Kremlin with dual citizenship - Vladimir Kara-Murza was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

'Shockingly severe': UN and EU condemn Russian opposition leader Kara-Murza's sentence

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, called for the "immediate" release of Russian opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was sentenced yesterday to 25 years in prison, AFP reported, quoted by BTA.

"No one should be imprisoned for exercising their human rights, and I call on the Russian authorities to release him immediately. While in detention, he must be treated humanely and with respect for his dignity," it said in a statement, sent to the media. The verdict against the opposition leader "is another blow to the rule of law and civil space in the Russian Federation," he added.

Turk accused Moscow of prosecuting Kara-Murza "on charges that appear to be related to the lawful exercise of his right to freedom of opinion, expression and association, including his public criticism of the Russian Federation's armed attack on Ukraine."

The European Union has condemned the "shockingly harsh" 25-year prison sentence handed down to Russian opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza after a trial that Brussels says is politically motivated.

"The scandalously heavy court decision once again demonstrates the abuse of judicial power to put pressure on activists, human rights defenders and any voice that opposes Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine," European diplomacy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement.

"The Council of Europe is in full solidarity with Mr. Kara-Murza and calls for his immediate release," said the Council's Secretary General Marija Pejčinović-Burić.

Kara-Murza is the victim of the Russian government's "stepped-up campaign of repression," US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said, calling the sentence "politically motivated." "We renew our call for the release of Kara-Murza, as well as the more than 400 political prisoners in Russia."

France is "alarmed" by the sentencing of Russian opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza to 25 years in prison, French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Anne-Claire Legendre said, regretting that Russia's judicial system "has become an instrument of Kremlin oppression."

The German government has demanded the immediate release of the opposition leader, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Andrea Sasse said. "The trial of Vladimir Kara-Murza shows how the Russian court is being used against him and many of his compatriots, and the extent to which repression in Russia has reached staggering proportions." Kara-Murza, 41, is a Russian-British opposition politician who has for years spoken out against President Vladimir Putin and lobbied Western governments to impose sanctions on Russia and Russian citizens for alleged human rights abuses.

Hours before he was arrested, Kara-Murza said Russia was ruled by a "regime of murderers". He accused Moscow of bombing civilian targets in Ukraine.

The sentence was handed down by a court in Moscow and is on various charges, including treason and defamation of the Russian military.

Egypt planned to give missiles to Russia. After a conversation with Washington, they sold ammunition to Ukraine

Egypt planned to secretly provide missiles to Russia. After a conversation with high-ranking American representatives, they decided to sell 155-millimeter shells to Ukraine instead. This is clear from leaked documents of the American special services, reported the "Washington Post".

Last week, the American newspaper reported, again based on a "leaked" document, that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi planned to deliver up to 40,000 missiles in February. The head of state ordered his subordinates to keep the deal secret to "avoid problems with the West," the document claims.

But new data available to The Washington Post indicate that in early March, Sisi refused to help Moscow. Sending missiles for the Russian campaign could seriously worsen relations with Cairo's most generous Western partner - the United States.

Despite being Russia's traditional partner in the Middle East, Egypt receives more than billion annually in military aid from the United States.

According to the information of the "Washington Post", Sisi not only postponed the deal with Moscow but also approved the sale of 152 mm and 155 mm artillery shells to the United States, which were subsequently handed over to Ukraine.

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