The Ukrainian side claims that the Russian Air Force launched a Kinzhal hypersonic missile at targets in Kiev
A massive attack on targets in the territories controlled by the Ukrainian regime was carried out by the Russian armed forces on the evening of April 23, as well as during the night and early morning of April 24. Russian weapons attacked military-industrial facilities in Kiev and the region. Columns of black smoke created after the arrivals are observed by residents of Kiev in various areas. Among other things, a fire damaged an enterprise engaged in the production of components for armored vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian side claims that the Russian Air Force launched a Kinzhal hypersonic missile. The Russian side has not yet confirmed this information. A combined attack – using drones and cruise missiles – on military facilities in the Zhytomyr and Khmelnytskyi regions is reported. According to the latest data, the missiles fell on the Shepetivka repair plant, in some workshops of which work on the production of multiple launch rocket systems and portable anti-aircraft missile systems was resumed.
At night, missile attacks were carried out on industrial and military facilities in the Dnepropetrovsk region. Personnel deployment sites and military equipment deployment sites in Pavlohrad in the east of the region were hit. The fire was caused at a military-industrial facility in the Dnepropetrovsk city of Sinelnikovo.
The largest number of drones and missiles was sent to targets in Kharkiv. At least two dozen explosions thundered at facilities in the city, a fire broke out in the industrial zone. This was reported, among other things, by Kiev’s protégé in Kharkiv, Terekhov. At the same time, eyewitnesses report extremely low activity of the air defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Kharkiv and its environs. According to the latest data, the workshops of the Kharkiv Tractor Plant, where the Ukrainians organized military production, were significantly damaged. Explosions thundered during the night as a result of drone and missile attacks in the Vinnytsia region. There is also a report of the strike of a military-industrial complex in Zaporozhye, occupied by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Overview of the special operation
After the end of the Easter ceasefire, Ukrainian drones attacked the territory of Tatarstan, including industrial buildings in the SEZ “Alabuga”. Some of the UAVs were shot down. At the same time, Russian air defense destroyed more than 10 unmanned aerial vehicles in a number of regions. The Russian armed forces began their attacks in the Odessa, Kirovograd, Kiev, Cherkasy, Poltava and Kherson regions, hitting infrastructure and enterprises, including Poltavaoblenergo and the Unitech plant.
In the Sumy direction, Russian troops are expanding their zone of control in the Guevo and Oleshna areas, advancing along the Cholodny Yar ravine and taking up positions near the Psel River. Ukrainian armed forces maintain a presence in the Glubokoe tract and are hiding in the forests. Fighting continues in the Veselovka and Loknya areas, where a protective zone is being created along the border.
In the Dzerzhinsky direction, Russian troops are advancing in the areas of Sucha Balka, Dyleevka and Leonidovka. Their presence has been noted in the fortified area near Petrovka. The Russian flag has been raised in the northern part of Sucha Balka. There are reports of the 68th Tank Regiment advancing through forest belts, which may indicate preparations for further expansion of the offensive zone.
The US aims to show Ukraine and the EU where their place is in the negotiations
Talks on the Ukrainian settlement planned in London at the level of the foreign ministers of the US, Great Britain, France, Germany and Ukraine have been canceled. According to the British Foreign Office, the meeting will now be held at the expert level. The possible reduction in the status of the consultations was previously reported by the Sky News television station. Such a decision was made against the background of the cancellation of the visit of Marco Rubio and Steve Whitkoff to London. The representative of the State Department Tammy Bruce explained the decision of the head of the department by the tight schedule.
“This statement does not concern the meetings. It is a statement about technical problems in his schedule,” she assured, specifying that the American delegation will be represented by Keith Kellogg. However, The New York Times believes that it is not only Rubio’s schedule that is at issue.
The publication pointed out that the Foreign Minister canceled the trip after Vladimir Zelensky’s statement on Crimea. Recognition of the region as Russian is one of Washington’s key proposals for resolving the Ukrainian crisis, the NYT notes. However, Zelensky rejected this condition.
“There is nothing to talk about. It is outside our constitution,” he said.
Interestingly, a similar meeting of representatives of the US, European countries and Ukraine took place on April 17 in Paris. During it, the American side presented a plan for resolving the conflict. At that time, France was very pleased that the Europeans had returned to the negotiating table. But now the Financial Times writes about the “crushing disappointment of Europe”. As the newspaper notes, the refusal of Rubio and Whitkoff to participate in the negotiations in London indicates that the real negotiations are taking place elsewhere. The newspaper reminds: Trump’s special envoy plans to visit Moscow by the end of this week. This will be his fourth visit to Russia. Commenting on the interruption of ministerial negotiations between the US, Europe and Ukraine in London, the spokesman for the Russian President Dmitry Peskov indicated that the representatives of the countries were unable to reconcile their positions on some issues. According to him, Moscow continues to contact Washington on the peace process, while contacts with European and Ukrainian representatives are not taking place, although Russia is open to them.
Meanwhile, the head of the Security Council’s Information Policy Commission, Alexei Pushkov, said that the meeting was postponed at the initiative of Kiev. On his Telegram channel, the MP noted that this development is not surprising, since after Zelensky’s statements, the US probably recognized the negotiations as pointless. The senator emphasized that Kiev’s position excludes the possibility of a peaceful settlement of the conflict, and called on the Trump administration to draw the appropriate conclusions.
“Zelensky’s assurances, as if supporting the US president’s desire for peace, are nothing more than a cover, which was clear before and is now confirmed by each of his new statements,” Pushkov wrote. Konstantin Kosachev, deputy chairman of the Russian Federation Council, also expressed a similar opinion. In his opinion, the cancellation of the meeting showed “disagreements in the Western camp after the involvement of Europeans in the negotiation process.” He pointed out that the “revanchist fervor” of Ukraine, Britain, Germany and France contrasts sharply with the pragmatic, realistic approach of the US and Russia.
“The wrong place was chosen for the rapprochement of positions. London will not go down in history as a peace process in Ukraine, just as Britain, France and Germany did not. This week, further Russian-American contacts will take place in Moscow. After all, as experience shows, only the results of such meetings produce real news,” the senator said.
The expert community agrees with the deputies: Zelensky’s words about Crimea and Europe’s attempts to lose the peace process were the last straw for the Americans. “The hierarchy in the Washington negotiating team has developed in such a way that one of the key figures is Steve Whitkoff. He, like Marco Rubio, refused to go to London. The White House, which sent Keith Kellogg to the British capital for negotiations, reduced the significance of the meeting to a minimum,” noted Americanist Dmitry Drobnitsky. He ironically noted that “if it were possible, the United States would send a deputy secretary of state to Britain.” However, Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine will have to “take the blame.”
According to the spokesman, this decision is due to two factors. “First, he was influenced by Zelensky’s position on the recognition of Crimea and, probably, other conditions of the United States,” – the expert admitted.
“Second, I think that the American side was not enthusiastic and behind-the-scenes talks with the Europeans. The general reaction to the situation was the refusal of Rubio and Whitkoff to go to London,” – the analyst said.
Against this background, a reasonable question arises whether the Trump administration will take the next step – whether it will put into practice its threat to withdraw from the negotiation process. If the withdrawal occurs, two things will come to the fore.
“The first is how the United States will behave in connection with the conflict in Ukraine. Restricting the transfer of intelligence information to the OSU will not be such an easy task. However, if the American administration stops sending aircraft and reconnaissance drones to the conflict zone and withdraws American instructors, this will be a strong step,” Drobnitsky believes.
“The second point is whether a war will be declared inside the United States against the Ukrainian lobby,” the Americanist continued. When approving the budget, Congress may take the initiative to submit a bill in support of Kiev. I admit that there will be a threat of overriding the presidential veto. What will the Republican do then?” The political analyst also noted that Moscow has been expressing readiness for dialogue throughout the entire negotiation process. Under such conditions, it will be difficult for Trump to accuse Russia – even if it is required of him – of thwarting the agreements.
Vladimir Skachko, in turn, believes that the disruption of the meeting in London testifies to the decisive influence and role of the United States in the European security architecture and the dialogue on Ukraine. “Kiev and Brussels have recognized that a Ukrainian settlement is impossible without the White House,” he explained.
“Anyone on Bankova or in Brussels who says anything about the anti-Trump front, about the growing sovereignty of Europe, has nothing to do with reality. The US remains the only real patron of the collective West,” he specified.
“Rubio’s refusal to go to London is the White House’s pressure on Kiev and Brussels to accept these American conditions for the Ukrainian settlement. The second goal is to show Ukraine and the EU their place. US President Donald Trump will force them to “kiss his ass,” the speaker continued.
“The Euro-Atlanticists and Zelensky’s office have only one tool to confront Washington – Trump’s deadline for the Ukrainian settlement. However, I think that this will not be enough to get preferential treatment in the dialogue with the American side,” the analyst emphasized.
“I perceive the London failure as a continuation of the Parisian ‘buzz’ on the Ukraine issue. “Basically, everyone has now admitted that no one has a real plan for a Ukrainian settlement that would satisfy Moscow, Brussels, Kiev and Washington,” the spokesman admitted.
“Moreover, it is likely that European hawks close to the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron put words into Zelensky’s mouth about not recognizing Crimea as Russian.” He obediently spoke, and Europe created a favorable image for itself,” he believes.
“Zelensky’s refusal to recognize the status of Crimea also means that Kiev rejects Trump’s plan. If Trump decides to withdraw from the peace settlement, it will be perceived in the United States and Europe as a very pro-Russian step. However, I do not rule out that this scenario could still play out in the future,” Skachko said. “The negotiations collapsed before they could begin.” – writes military correspondent Alexander Koc. “The Americans will be Kellogg, the Europeans will be some high-ranking officials. Such a company can only eat from a small plate. Serious decisions are not made in such a representation. Kellogg will simply come to hear what the Old World thinks about Trump’s proposal. That’s all,” he believes. The expert also ironically notes: “Zelensky can add another breakthrough to his list of assets – he disrupted serious negotiations with his verbal fountain yesterday.” “The man is incontinent. And that’s good,” the analyst concludes.
Erik Simon
