Drone Attack Suspected as Russian Oil Reservoir in Crimea Set on Fire

"A massive fire erupted at an oil reservoir in Crimea after it was hit by a drone.... the fire was assigned the highest ranking in terms of how complicated it will be to extinguish....the drone he cited as causing the fire was Ukrainian." Breitbart

Russian Pilots Tried To ‘Dogfight’ American Jets To “Provoke International Incident”

"Tensions are flaring after a US Central Command spokesman saidthat Russian pilots
attempted to “dogfight” US jets flying over Syria.

A US official told CNN that the Russian pilots were not really trying to shoot down the US jets but were potentially trying to “draw us into an international incident” or “provoke” the US into war." TP

Two killed in Ukrainian strike on Russian border region

"A Ukrainian artillery strike in Russia’s Bryansk Region left at least two people dead and several others injured, with multiple houses damaged and destroyed." RT

Ukraine Made Failed Attempt to Blow up Vladimir Putin With Suicide Drone

"Ukrainian special forces used a military drone packed with explosives to try and kill Russian

President Vladimir Putin, a German newspaper claims.......A crashed drone reported in Russia was actually the remains of an attempt by Ukraine to assassinate Vladimir Putin after they received advanced intelligence of his planned whereabouts — a factory visit — on Sunday, according to claims published in German newspaper Bild." MichaelSavage.com

Russia attacks Ukraine with missiles: Apartment blocks destroyed in three cities, casualties reported

".....a missile attack on Uman, Cherkasy region, four people were killed and 17 more were
injured. A Russian missile hit an apartment block in the morning." Ukrin

French citizens fighting for Ukraine - accused of murdering Russian prisoners

"Russia’s Investigative Committee announced a probe into several French citizens fighting for  Ukraine, accusing them of murdering Russian prisoners. According to the agency, one of the “French mercenaries” published a photo that showed three Russian soldiers executed at point-blank range. Moscow has identified the alleged perpetrators as members of the 92nd Brigade of the Ukrainian military, as well as the infamous neo-Nazi Azov Battalion." RT

Russia and Ukraine hold fresh prisoner exchange

"The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that 40 servicemen have been returned from
captivity, in exchange for 44 Ukrainians. The four extra Ukrainians had especially serious injuries and were sent back as a humanitarian gesture...." RT

Argentina Shuns U.S. Dollar: Will Pay for China Imports in Yuan

"Argentina struck a deal with Beijing on Wednesday to stop using U.S. dollars to pay for
Chinese imports and embrace the yuan instead.

The measure, driven by Argentina’s leftist President Alberto Fernández, is designed to relieve the South American country’s dwindling dollar reserves........The deal further enhances China’s rise on the world stage and the diminished role of the U.S. on a host of fronts under President Joe Biden." Breitbart

Powell Makes Unexpected Admissions During Prank Call With Fake Zelensky

"Fed Chairman Jerome Powell made several bizarre, if not shocking, admissions during a
prank call with two Russians posing as Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky, where they discussed topics ranging from inflation, to the Russian central bank, to joking about having a 'printing press' in the basement and possibly setting up a federal reserve bank in Kiev. "The market is already pricing in two more quarter percentage point rate hikes. We'll look around after we make those two and we'll say should we do any more, and then the question will be how long do we keep rates at this level - and I think we'll keep them there for quite some time," said Powell.....Powell also said that the US economy will grow 'at a subdued level,' and that a recession is "almost as likely as very slow growth," and that it was because the Fed 'raised rates quite a bit,' which he defended as necessary to tame inflation." ZeroHedge

Rebranded KFC Opens in Russia Following Chicken Chain’s Departure Over Ukraine

"Rostic’s —the rebranded version of KFC reopened at its first location in central Moscow on Tuesday after the U.S. fast-food chain exited Russia’s market over the war in Ukraine." MT

Zelensky’s top adviser blames US for Ukraine conflict

“The House of Representatives’ resolution is unequivocal: The United States, unfortunately,
along with other Western countries, encouraged Ukraine to give up nuclear and other weapons to ensure security and stability in the region under safeguards. This was a wrong policy that was misinterpreted by the aggressor and led to a major war in Europe,” Podoliak tweeted." RT

Russia’s newest tanks enter battlefield in Ukraine

"Russia’s most advanced T-14 Armata main battle tanks have been deployed to fight Ukrainian troops...the T-14s were fitted with additional protection from anti-tank munitions." RT

Biohazard risk in Sudan as warring faction seizes lab

"The World Health Organization (WHO) warned of a potential biological hazard in Sudan on Tuesday, describing an armed faction’s seizure of a laboratory holding samples of pathogens including polio and measles as an “extremely dangerous” situation." RT

Russian Airborne Forces Crush Kiev Militants Attempting to Counterattack

"Russian airborne forces have quashed the counterattack attempt by Ukrainian militants in the

special military operation.

Ukrainian motorized infantry supported by tanks and artillery aimed to regain previously lost positions. However, Kiev troops found themselves under heavy fire. Russian forces unleashed massive firepower – grenade launchers, anti-tank weapons and artillery. A bulk of Ukrainian forces were eliminated in moments, while the rest of the Ukrainian militants had no other choice but to retreat." Sputnik

Ukraine shells Donetsk, killing multiple civilians

"Ukrainian forces subjected the city of Donetsk and its immediate vicinity to artillery and
multiple rocket launcher fire. The attacks left at least three civilians dead and damaged houses and infrastructure, according to local officials.

The westernmost Petrovsky District of the city, which is regularly targeted by Ukrainian troops, appears to have been worst-affected, with multiple hits registered in the area." RT

Ukraine’s Air Force eight times strikes Russian positions in past day

"Ukrainian war pilots eight times struck enemy positions along the front lines.

That’s according to a morning update by the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Ukrinform reports.

"An enemy Mi-24 helicopter and four enemy UAVs were shot down (two reconnaissance UAVs, Orlan-10 and Zala, as well as two kamikaze drones of the Lancet type). During the day, rocket and artillery units struck four enemy clusters, two ammunition depots, and two more important military objects," military reports." Ukrin

US, France evacuate embassy personnel amid ongoing fighting in Sudan

"US troops swooped in on helicopters to evacuate embassy staff from Sudan's battle-torn
capital as other nations sought to help their citizens escape deadly fighting between rival generals.

France also launched evacuation operations from the northeast African nation, where fighting has entered its second week.

Ferocious battles between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group -- which has seen fighter jets launch airstrikes and street fighting with tanks in densely populated Khartoum -- have killed more than 400 people and left thousands wounded." France24

Trump lays out timeline to end Ukraine conflict

"Former US president Donald Trump has promised to put a swift end to the bloodshed in
Ukraine should he be elected again in 2024. The Republican also trashed the incumbent Joe Biden’s foreign policy, claiming it has made the world a more dangerous place.

Trump said: “Before I even arrive at the Oval Office, shortly after we win the presidency, I will have the horrible war between Russia and Ukraine settled. I’ll get it settled very quickly.”

He went on to allege that other countries’ leaders have lost respect for the US under Biden’s leadership because of his allegedly poor handling of America’s foreign policy. To regain it, Trump argued, “you don’t need bullets, you don’t need tanks, you don’t need weapons of any kind, you just need some common sense.” RT

 

"Facebook censoring Seymour Hersh story

"Facebook is censoring a Seymour Hersh story which accuses the Ukrainian president of
embezzling funds by citing a pro-Ukraine ‘fact-checker’ which is partly funded by NATO. The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist’s article, which is headlined ‘Trading With the Enemy’, alleges that Volodymyr Zelensky’s government has been “skimming untold millions from the American dollars earmarked for diesel fuel payments.” NW

Russian warplane accidentally bombs own city

"A Russian Sukhoi-34 fighter-jet has accidentally bombed the Russian city of Belgorod,
around 25 miles from the border with Ukraine. The bomb left a 60ft crater and caused an explosion so large it blew a car on to the roof of a nearby shop. Regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said authorities had ordered the evacuation of a damaged nine-storey block of flats as a precaution." BBC

Ukraine Receives Its First Patriot Missile Defense Systems

"Kiev received the Patriot air defense system from the US and Germany, Ukrainian Defense
Minister Oleksiy Reznikov confirmed on Twitter. While Kiev will only receive a limited number of advanced interceptors." ZeroHedge

Pakistan places first order for Russian oil

"Pakistan has placed its first ever order for Russian crude as it seeks cheaper energy options in
the face of macroeconomic challenges, the country’s petroleum minister, Musadik Malik, announced." RT

US urged Ukraine to withdraw from Artyomovsk – Pentagon leaks

"The US has reportedly been warning Kiev since January that its forces would not be able to hold on to the key Donbass city of Artyomovsk, known in Ukrainian as Bakhmut, and has repeatedly urged a withdrawal, The Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing leaked US intelligence documents." RT

About 20 Republicans called on Biden to end aid to Ukraine

"A group of Republicans prepared a joint letter to US President Joe Biden, in which they call
for an end to aid to Ukraine in the current format." As the war enters its second year, there is no end in sight and no clear strategy to bring this war to close. A proxy war with Russia in Ukraine is not in the interests of the United States and risks an escalation that could spiral out of control," the authors of the letter write." Pravada

Heavy fighting is continuing in the western parts of the city of Artemovsk

"There [in the western parts of Artyomovsk] the fierce fighting is continuing, and the Wagner
Group is advancing both day and night.

He added that the city should be restored once completely taken by the Russian forces.

The hotly contested Artemovsk, located north of the city of Donetsk, has been the center of hostilities between Russia and Ukraine for months now." Sputnik

Russian forces hit village in Kherson Oblast

"Russian military struck the village of Kizomys in Kherson Oblast on the afternoon of 20
April, killing one person." Pravada

US military drone spotted UFO over Middle East – Pentagon

"The Pentagon declassified a video shot by a US MQ-9 Reaper drone after it encountered an
unidentified flying object zooming over the Middle East. ......the first such encounter by an unmanned aircraft with what the military has renamed Unexplained Anomalous Phenomena (UAP)." RT

Russian drone attack on Odesa region: Air defense forces shoot down 10 out of 12 drones

"Russian troops attacked the Odesa region with Shahed-136/131 kamikaze drones with
Ukrainian defenders destroying 10 out of 12 UAVs." Ukrin

North Korea touts new spy satellite

"North Korea says it has completed work on its first reconnaissance satellite and is preparing
for its maiden launch, stressing the need to bolster its military capabilities amid continued threats from the US and South Korea." RT

Chinese Agents Arrested for ‘Operating a Police Station in the Middle of New York City’

"The U.S. Department of Justice announced the arrest of two individuals accused of establishing and operating an illegal Chinese regime police station in New York City.

Dozens of others, mostly Chinese nationals currently believed to be in China, are also facing charges of engaging in “transnational repression” against anti-communist dissidents based in the United States, stemming from accusations that the charged established an online army of fake social media accounts to harass and threaten the dissidents.

The arrests are the first in America since the revelation in September by the NGO Safeguard Defenders that China has established dozens of illegal police stations around the world in America, Canada, Japan, Brazil, and Spain, among other locations. The police stations were reportedly used to intimidate and silence dissidents or threaten Chinese nationals considered to dissent from Communist Party orthodoxy to return to China and face the brutal repressive apparatus there." Breitbart

White House lashes out at Brazil over Ukraine

"Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is “parroting Russian and Chinese propaganda” by claiming that the West is not interested in ending the fighting in Ukraine, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby has stated. During his visit to China last week, Lula said that “the US needs to stop encouraging war and start talking about peace. The European Union needs to start talking about peace.” RT

Ukrainian troops stop offensive attempt, forcing Russians to flee in Kupyansk direction

"In Kupyansk direction, the enemy tried to go on the offensive but its units started to flee even
before reaching the boundaries of the transition to the attack thanks to the accurate fire of our artillery." Ukrin

Slovakia Temporarily Bans Grain Import from Ukraine

"Prime Minister of Slovakia, Eduard Heger, said that his country is suspending grain import and several other products from Ukraine. "Slovakia will temporarily stop the grain import and other products from Ukraine," Heger said on Facebook." Pravada

Russia and Belarus not allowed to compete in international hockey until war in Ukraine is over

"Russia and Belarus will not be allowed to participate in tournaments of the International Ice Hockey Federation while the war in Ukraine continues, the organisation's president Luke Tardif said." Pravada

Death toll grows in Sudan clashes

"Hospitals are running out of critical supplies amid the ongoing bloodshed.  The UN World
Food Programme said it was forced to halt its operations in the country after three of its employees were killed and two more injured, and a WFP-operated aircraft was “significantly damaged” during clashes at Khartoum International Airport......clashes broke out in the capital Khartoum and other cities between the SAF and the RSF, an independent security branch with roots in pro-government militias. Each side has accused the other of starting hostilities, while making conflicting claims on their gains. The exact power balance on the ground remains unclear, with the international community in unison calling for a ceasefire and negotiations." RT

EU Condemns 'Unilateral' Ban On Ukrainian Grain By Poland & Hungary

"Poland and Hungary both took the drastic step of banning Ukrainian grain and other food
product imports after cheap goods have flooded both countries.

In the wake of Ukrainian ports being blocked for many months prior to the UN-brokered rain export deal, Ukrainian grain to Africa and the Middle East was largely halted.

The European Union blasted the Polish and Hungarian measures." ZH

Ukraine shells Donetsk during Easter service

"Ukrainian forces targeted central Donetsk with a barrage of rockets with several landing near
the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral, forcing an evacuation and disrupting Orthodox Easter celebrations." RT

Prize-Winning Journalist Reveals How Ukraine President, Officials Allegedly Embezzled $400 Million

"Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Seymour Hersh, fresh off his allegations that
the U.S. was behind the Nord Stream pipeline explosions, has published a report that alleged the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is aware of widespread corruption in Ukraine and the embezzlement of US aid.

Hersh’s report accuses the Ukrainian government of using U.S. taxpayer money to purchase diesel from Russia to fuel its military. He further suggested that Ukrainian officials are “competing” to set up front companies for export contracts to private arms dealers around the world.

The issue of corruption was raised during a meeting between CIA Director William Burns and Zelensky in January, according to the report. An intelligence official with direct knowledge of the meeting reportedly told Hersh that Burns delivered a striking message to Zelensky.

Hersh remarkably claimed: “The senior generals and government officials in Kiev were angry at what they saw as Zelensky’s greed, so Burns told the Ukrainian president, because ‘he was taking a larger share of the skim money than was going to the generals.’”

The investigative journalist lays out the scheme that is reportedly being used to profit Zelensky and Ukrainian officials: Embezzlement of U.S. aid for energy funds.

“What also is unknown is that Zelensky has been buying the fuel from Russia, the country with which it, and Washington, are at war, and the Ukrainian president and many in his entourage have been skimming untold millions from the American dollars earmarked for diesel fuel payments,” Hersh reported. “One estimate by analysts from the Central Intelligence Agency put the embezzled funds at $400 million last year, at least; another expert compared the level of corruption in Kiev as approaching that of the Afghan war, ‘although there will be no professional audit reports emerging from the Ukraine’.”

“Zelensky’s been buying discount diesel from the Russians,” one knowledgeable American intelligence official told Hersh. “And who’s paying for the gas and oil? We are. Putin and his oligarchs are making millions” on it.

While much of Hersh’s report is difficult to independently corroborate, there are details that match verifiable reporting.

As Hersh reported, “Burns also presented Zelensky with a list of thirty-five generals and senior officials whose corruption was known to the CIA and others in the American government. Zelensky responded to the American pressure ten days later by publicly dismissing ten of the most ostentatious officials on the list and doing little else.”

In January, Zelensky had undertaken a purge in the Ukrainian government and military to root out endemic public corruption.

“A major effort to root out corruption is sweeping Ukraine,” Time reported. “In recent weeks, leaders have announced the results of several major investigations, as well as firings and resignations across its government.”

“On January 24, following several prominent corruption scandals, including two major investigations involving the embezzlement of funds, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced ‘personnel decisions’ across different government ministries and within Ukrainian law enforcement,” the report continued. “Zelensky also announced that state officials would be banned from traveling internationally for non-government purposes following a report that a now-former top prosecutor vacationed in Spain despite a martial law that bans Ukrainian men ages 18 to 60 from leaving the country without permission.”

“Most recently, the effort swept up Ihor Kolomoisky, a former owner of the largest Ukrainian bank, PrivatBank, and a powerful oligarch,” the report added. “As Reuters reported, Ukrainian security services (SBU), conducted a search at Kolomoisky’s home in connection to an embezzlement investigation of Ukraine’s largest oil company and refiner, Ukrnafta and Ukrtatnafta, of which Kolomoisky owned a major stake in before the companies were seized by the Ukrainian government in November.”

The anti-corruption effort came in response to “various reports of embezzlement,” the report noted, including “accusations of stolen money intended for troops.”

Ukraine has long struggled to fight public corruption. A 2016 report by the watchdog group Transparency International found that between 38 per cent to 42 per cent of Ukrainian households said they paid bribes to access basic public services such as education or healthcare, reported Time.

Al Jazeera noted that year Ukraine was the second most corrupt nation in Europe, with Russia being the most corrupt." TP

Russians advance on 4 fronts, fierce battles for Bakhmut and Mariinka continue

"Russian

troops are focusing their main efforts on conducting offensive operations on the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Mariinka fronts; the cities of Bakhmut and Mariinka remain in the epicentre of hostilities." Pravada

Russia strikes border area of Chernihiv Oblast with guided aerial bombs

"Russian aircraft launched an attack on an enterprise in the border area of Chernihiv

Oblast...Reportedly, at about 16:00, the Russians launched guided aerial bombs on the industrial enterprise in the Semenivka district." Pravada

21-Year-Old Suspect Jack Teixeira Arrested In Pentagon Leak

"21-year-old National Guardsman Jack Teixeira has been arrested in connection with the
leak of hundreds of classified documents....Teixeira was identified by the NY Times ahead of his arrest at his home in Dighton, Mass Thursday afternoon. Television footage appeared to show armed personnel leading a male wearing red shorts and a green short with his hands cuffed behind his back." ZH

Not enough weapons being received despite higher delivery pace

"Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Oleksiy Danilov, has
noted that, although Ukraine is increasingly receiving weapons from international partners, it is still not enough for the Ukrainian forces to fully cover their demand." Ukrin

Zelenskyy established Military Industrial Complex day and mentions Ukraine's missile that sank Moskva flagship

"Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a decree establishing 13 April as the
day of employees of the military industrial complex. "Today is an important day for us. On 13 April 2022, a Ukrainian missile helped restore order in the Ukrainian waters of the Black Sea. Thanks to our Neptune [subsonic anti-ship cruise missile – ed], the enemy flagship [Moskva - ed.] went exactly where it belonged, like everyone else other Russian warships"." Pravada

Poland sending another batch of MiG-29s to Ukraine

"Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki stated this in his speech to the Atlantic Council
in Washington, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "The transfer of the next batch (of MiG-29s - ed.) is underway," Morawiecki said." Ukrian

US smart bombs miss Russian targets – Pentagon leak

"Pentagon officials have reportedly expressed concern that US-produced smart bombs
provided to Ukraine are being electronically jammed by Russian forces, causing them to miss their targets....the JDAMs have missed their targets on multiple occasions. In other cases they failed to detonate because of a separate technical glitch, though Ukrainian forces have come up with a fix to ensure that the bombs arm correctly, according to the documents." RT

Zelensky on beheading of Ukrainian soldier

"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the whole world must see the video showing the beheading of a Ukrainian soldier, and no one will understand if world leaders do not react." Ukrin

US Bombs Targets In Eastern Syria After Rocket Attack Against Occupation Base

"The US launched a number of airstrikes on Syria’s eastern city of Deir Ezzor on Tuesday, targeting the areas of Hatla and Khasham, reports said. The airstrikes came in response to a rocket attack the day before on the US occupation base in Deir Ezzor’s Conoco gas field." ZH

Washington Post says Ukraine's counteroffensive delayed by slow arms deliveries and US document leaks

"The Washington Post has reported that the Ukrainian counteroffensive, expected to launch
this spring, has been delayed by poor weather conditions, slow supplies of weapons, equipment and ammunition from the West, and the Pentagon documents leak, which revealed the weak spots in Ukraine’s air defense." Pravada