Ukraine Keeps Fighting (online)

(Updated) Major developments of the 53rd day of the war.

Ukraine has been fighting for its freedom for 53 days. Adviser to the Head of the President's Office Oleksiy Arestovych says that the group of Russian troops, which holds the blockade of Mariupol, has weakened. The occupiers are trying to win at least some kind of victory in the city.

According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the dissatisfaction of the personnel is growing in the units of the occupiers, the morale remains at a low level. Major complaints of the Russian servicemen concern the lack of rotation, equipment that constantly breaks down, and the quality of fuel and food.

Charter97.org is broadcasting online the 53rd day of the war. You can see the developments in Ukraine on April 16 in our previous online broadcast.

Ukraine 24 TV channel special broadcast

22:55 The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine published a video digest of the fifty-third day of the heroic resistance of the Ukrainian people to the Russian invaders.

22:33 Activists, public figures, diplomats from Ukraine, the United States and other countries held a symbolic rally in support of Ukraine by planting dozens of sunflowers under the Russian embassy in Washington.

22:18 The 14th Mechanized Brigade named after Prince Roman the Great showed how they spent Palm Sunday.

21:59 The Russian generals do not agree to offensive operations because they are afraid to die on the battlefield, — head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense Kirylo Budanov.

21:42 In the Kharkiv region, the Armed Forces of Ukraine made a successful counteroffensive, liberating the settlements of Bazalievka, Lebyazhe, part of Kutuzovka, and advanced to the east, — Head of the regional military administration Sinehubov.

21:13 This is how the Ukrainians, who were under occupation, meet the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

21:04 The plundered Russian army is arming its soldiers with wooden dummies.

20:47 In Russia, a passer-by was asked if he had relatives and acquaintances in Mariupol. The answer turned out quite unexpected.

20:14 The United States warned Putin that if he tries to reach for the red button, they will be the first to launch a massive nuclear strike.

This is told by Yuriy Shvets, a former KGB intelligence officer and analyst who now lives in America.

19:46 The Armed Forces of Ukraine eliminated the commander of the flamethrower department of the flamethrower platoon of the company, senior sergeant Vladimir Ryzhkov from Volgograd.

19:20 Everyone is fighting against the invaders:

See the enthusiasm with which the Ukrainian woman serves in the tank troops!

18:50 Zelensky congratulated Catholics on Easter.

18:31 During one of the clashes in the Izyum direction, the Russian military left the armored vehicles and disappeared. From now on, two T-80 tanks are fighting on the side of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

18:19 The Ukrainian military recorded an appeal to comedian Nurlan Saburov.

17:41 The Ukrainian marines demilitarized another batch of occupiers in the Mykolaiv region.

17:39 14 players and coaches of the Ukrainian football club of the First League Prykarpattya (Ivano-Frankivsk) joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

17:18 This is the Easter postcard from the British weekly The Times.

"President Putin's propaganda machine doesn't want to deliver bad news. But even the national TV channels of Russia could not ignore the sinking of the Moskva, a warship that was the pride and joy of the country's navy. However, viewers blinking their eyes could have missed the report," the edition signed the illustration.

17:00 The map of the Russian invasion from British intelligence for 17 April.

16:44 During the Easter mass in the Vatican, Pope Francis condemned the brutality of the war in Ukraine, and also said "Christ is Risen" in Ukrainian.

16:27 In the Russian Federation, the production of anti-aircraft missile systems was suspended due to the lack of components, employees are offered to go on vacation or go to war — Chief Intelligence Department.

16:10 The Ukrainian artillerymen shared the results of their work.

15:54 Heir to the British throne Prince Charles of Wales, in his Easter address to the nation, urged to remember the plight of people fleeing conflicts, and expressed gratitude to the people of the kingdom who give shelter to refugees from Ukraine.

15:44 The old man from Borodianka said that he fed the Chechens with Brynza cheese, poisoned with raticide.

15:25 The Russian military, while in Bucha near Kyiv, shot and killed a local 60-year-old resident, Ilya Navalny.

15:10 The Russian occupiers ordered the residents of Mariupol to issue passes for moving around the city and being on the street.

“There is information that this measures are not only for filtration, but also as a preparation for the certification of the remaining people. We are clarifying," said Petro Andriushchenko, the adviser to the Mayor.

14:56 According to Ukrainian intelligence, the production of Russian weapons is on pause, factory workers are sent on vacation or to the war.

14:40 What is happening in Khoyniki, where the equipment of the Russian occupiers comes from?

14:27 Ukrainians are starting to return to their country. More people entered the country than left the day before yesterday and yesterday, April 15 and 16, for the first time since the beginning of the war. We are talking about the border with Poland.

14:14 Putin's army, regularly humiliated by Ukrainian soldiers, continues direct deliveries of its armoured vehicles to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

14:01 Dmytro Komarov urged residents to evacuate from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

"Dmytro Komarov visited the Luhansk region and saw with his own eyes what the orcs did to our region. Explosions are heard every minute! It is impossible to live in such conditions! And what will happen after the Rushists' offensive? We will not be able to help you! “ said Governor of Luhansk Region Serhiy Haidai.

13:51 The Armed Forces of Ukraine carried out active tactical counter offensives in the area between Sviatohirsk and Kreminna in the zone of the Joint Forces Operation.

13:38 An old prophetic Soviet cartoon about the defeat of the Moskva cruiser was found on the Web.

13:25 Many people are fleeing the Crimean peninsula.

13:10 Forty-one dead bodies were extracted under the rubble in Borodianka in the Kyiv region. Since April 6, five destroyed multi-storey residential buildings have been demolished in the village and two more remain.

12:56 Bulgaria banned Russian ships from entering the ports of the country:

“All vessels registered under the Russian flag, as well as all vessels that after February 24 changed their Russian flag or registration in the maritime register to any other state, are prohibited from accessing Bulgarian sea and river ports,” the country’s Maritime Administration said in a statement.

12:45 The Rushists admit that they shoot Ukrainian women point-blank. They do this with particular cynicism, releasing several bullets even into the lifeless bodies of their victims.

The Security Service of Ukraine intercepts such conversations of the occupiers and records their crimes so that in the future not a single guilty person remains unpunished.

12:30 British Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed Ukrainians in his Easter speech. He wished the Ukrainian people to be strong and courageous.

12:19 New EU sanctions against Russia will affect the banking sector, in particular, the Sberbank of Russia, as well as restrictions on the purchase of Russian oil, according to President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.

"We are looking further into the banking sector, especially Sberbank. It accounts for 37% of the Russian banking sector. And, of course, there are issues of energy," she said.

12:05 German Chancellor Olaf Scholz mentioned Ukraine in his Easter greetings.

— I wish you and your families a happy Easter and a few days to get strength and hope. Because the war in the middle of Europe oppresses all of us. It's about peace and freedom, and that's why we all help Ukrainians and support them," Scholz wrote on his Twitter.

11:52 Deputy Defence Minister of Ukraine Hanna Maliar said that to date, the Russian Federation has not been able to launch an aggressive offensive in the Donbas because it is being held back by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

11:40 In the Kharkiv direction, soldiers of the assault troops struck a powerful blow to the occupier.

According to the Ukrainian State Border Service, as a result of the strike, 5 tanks, 10 armoured vehicles (infantry fighting vehicles and armoured personnel carriers), as well as a column of occupiers' marines were destroyed.

11:29 All the musicians of the Donetsk Philharmonic were fraudulently mobilised into the so-called “DPR” army.

11:15 In Trostianets, Sumy region, five children have already died because of the mines and tripwires left by the Russian invaders.

Also, the mayor of the city, Yuri Bova, said that a man who went out into the forest to walk his dog was also blown up by a tripwire. The dog ran out of the road and caught the wire. Fortunately, the man managed to survive.

11:03 The Ministry of Justice of Ukraine has simplified the procedure for marriage during martial law. Now, this can be done within one day after an application and even on Zoom.

10:50 The White House presented a souvenir coin dedicated to Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Its cost is 100 dollars. All money from the sale will be directed to humanitarian aid to Ukrainians, according to the official website of the White House.

10:35 Head of the Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv Vitaliy Kim spoke about the situation in the region:

10:20 In the video, the crater after the hit of the Russian high-explosive aerial bomb from 1000 and above. Such bombs are designed to destroy reinforced concrete structures. Russians used them in Chernihiv, Kharkov, Mykolaiv, and continue to bomb Mariupol in Ukraine.

10:05 Combat losses of Russians in Ukraine as of April 17:

09:54 The Leleka Ukrainian drone aimed artillery at the Russian occupiers. The enemy was destroyed.

09:42 Belarusian medics help Ukrainians during the war.

09:30 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle performed at the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games.

Meghan Markle greeted the Ukrainian team with the words "Glory to Ukraine", then Prince Harry took the floor. He said that representatives of Ukraine participate in the Invictus Games not only to show their strength but also to tell the whole world the truth.

09:19 A new shipment of US military aid arrives in Ukraine, a White House representative told CNN. An additional $800 million military aid package for Ukraine includes: 11 Mi-17 helicopters; 18 Howitzer cannons (155mm caliber), 300 Switchblade UAVs.

It is emphasised that the United States for the first time agreed to provide Kyiv with such types of powerful weapons.

09:07 The artillery of the Armed Forces of Ukraine trolled the occupiers on Palm Sunday and promised the Ukrainians victory.

08:55 Soldiers of the Belarusian Kastus Kalinouski Battalion received special gratitude from the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The Belarusians who helped defend Ukraine from the Russian invasion came to the aid of the Ukrainian soldiers at a difficult moment in a place where it is very difficult to get to.

08:42 The United States began to study the experience of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the war with the Russian Federation: the US military began exercises based on scenarios from Ukraine. The purpose of the exercises is to prepare the American army for the battle with serious opponents - such as Russia or China.

“The Russian-Ukrainian experience is a very convincing illustration for our army of how important the information sphere will be. We have been talking about it for about five years. But in fact, we see how incredibly strong Zelensky turned out to be. This is a world war that the real world can see and watch in real time,” said US Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth.

08:30 Lukashenka's regime is collapsing and we will have to act very soon. Dzmitry Bandarenka, the coordinator of the European Belarus civil campaign, said this in an interview with the website Charter97.org, commenting on the latest events of the war in Ukraine.

08:22 American media: Russia could start the next phase of its military campaign in Ukraine as early as this Sunday or early next week.

In this regard, the United States is persuading allies to provide Ukraine with new supplies of weapons as soon as possible.

08:16 During the Easter Mass, Pope Francis condemned the brutality of the war in Ukraine and also said in Ukrainian: "Christ is risen!

We all pray for you and with you. We pray because there was a lot of suffering. We can only offer you our community, our prayers and say to you: Take courage, we are together!"