An explosion occurred at an Iranian military base in Iraq

"Explosions occurred at a military base south of Baghdad in Iraq, according to reports.

The base is used by Harakat al Nujaba, an Iran-backed group.
It's unclear who is responsible for the explosion. The reports come a day after an Israeli strike against Iran." MS

Russian forces attack Pivdennyi seaport

"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at an extraordinary meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council
"This morning, our cities of Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, and Synelnykove were struck by Russian

missile attacks. In Dnipro, an ordinary residential building was destroyed, and people were trapped under the rubble. A railway and a bus station were damaged… This is just one morning in one city, yet Russian terrorists strike our country daily and nightly in various cities and communities. Such cities as Kharkiv, Odesa, Sumy, Chernihiv, Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Dnipro, among others, do not have a reliable defense against Russian terrorists," Zelenskyy said. Earlier, the Odesa Oblast Military Administration reported that Russian troops had attacked Odesa Oblast with missiles on the afternoon of 19 April, causing damage to port infrastructure." MS

Qatar ‘re-evaluating’ role as mediator in Israel-Gaza truce talks

"Qatar’s prime minister has said Doha is re-evaluating its role as a mediator in negotiations aimed at bringing about a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Israeli captives, adding that some parties have used the mediation for “narrow political interest”." AJ

'Russian spy' detained over 'plot to assassinate President Zelensky'

"A suspected Russian spy has been detained after a plot emerged to kill Ukraine's president in an air strike. Official sources in Kyiv said the woman was caught 'red-handed' attempting to pass Volodymyr Zelensky's travel plans to the Kremlin. She was intercepted the night before he was due to visit Mykolaiv province in southern Ukraine. If found guilty of espionage she faces a 12-year prison sentence. Based on the inside information she obtained, Russia apparently intended to launch a precision missile, with the objective of killing Mr Zelensky." MS

Germany arrests two dual nationals over alleged Russian sabotage plot

"Germany’s prosecutors are accusing the German-Russian nationals of being prepared to ‘carry out explosive and arson attacks’ on the country’s US military sites. Germany has arrested two German-Russian dual nationals on suspicions that they were plotting sabotage attacks on US military sites in the country to undermine Western military support for Ukraine.
German prosecutors said on Thursday that the two men, identified as Dieter S and Alexander J, were arrested a day earlier in the town of Bayreuth in the southeastern state of Bavaria after their homes and workplaces were searched on suspicion of “having worked for a foreign intelligence service”." AJ

Polish citizen detained for offering to help Russian secret services assassinate Zelensky

"Ukrainian law enforcement officers, jointly with their Polish counterparts, have detained a

Polish citizen on suspicion of being willing to act in favor of Russia’s secret services. The detainee proposed an assassination attempt on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The investigation revealed that the suspect, on his own initiative, established contact with representatives of Russia's Armed Forces Command and informed them of his willingness to work for Russia's military intelligence.
The detainee’s tasks included collecting and transmitting intelligence on the security of Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport in Poland to Russia. This was intended, among other things, to assist the Russian secret services in planning a possible assassination attempt on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his stay in Poland." Pravada

US to Allocate $40Mln in Defense Aid to Argentina Wishing to Be NATO's Partner

"The United States will allocate $40 million to support defense modernization of Argentina, which has declared its intention to become NATO's global partner, the US Embassy in Buenos Aires said.

Argentine Defense Minister Luis Alfonso Petri said that Buenos Aires wanted to become NATO's global partner and had already submitted a corresponding request. NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana welcomed the request, saying that closer political and practical cooperation could benefit both parties." Sputnik

Russia targets Ukraine's civilian rail, injuries reported as Dnipro station suspends services

"Russia attacked Ukraine's civilian railway in Dnipro on April 19, injuring railway workers and causing the station to suspend services, Ukraine's state railway Ukrzalizytsia (UZ) reported. Trains are not arriving at Dnipro station, instead being directed to the Nizhnyodniprovsk and Goryainove stations as final stops, UZ said." UP

Israel strikes Iran with a missile, U.S. officials say, as Tehran downplays Netanyahu's apparent retaliation

"Two U.S. officials told CBS News on Thursday night that an Israeli missile had struck Iran. The strike came less than a week after Iran's unprecedented retaliatory drone and missile attack on Israel, to which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had vowed to respond.

The U.S. officials did not provide any information about the location or extent of the Israeli strike, and the Israel Defense Forces would not comment on the attack when asked by CBS News." CBS

86 combat clashes in Ukraine in past day

"A total of 86 combat engagements were recorded along the frontline in Ukraine in the past 24 hours as the full-scale war with Russia rages on. Russians launched 11 missile attacks and 78 airstrikes, as well as 82 rocket salvos, on the Ukrainian positions and at populated areas. A number of residential buildings and civil infrastructure objects were affected and civilian casualties were reported. Over the past day, the following settlements have been targeted in Russian airstrikes: Orlivka, Sumy region; Vovchansk, Strelecha, and Borova of Kharkiv region; Nevske, Luhansk region; Yampolivka, New York, Novokalynove, Berdychi, Semenivka, Netailove, Selidove, Oleksandropil, Krasnohorivka, Vodiane, Vuhledar,

Urozhaine, and Staromaiorske of Donetsk region; Mala Tokmachka, Robotyne, Novodanylivka, and Orikhiv of Zaporizhzhia region; Krynky and Ivanivka, Kherson region.
More than 120 settlements in Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions came under Russian artillery fire.
Volyn and Polissia directions: the operational situation saw no significant changes.
Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna directions: the enemy maintains their military presence near the, conducting subversive activities to prevent the transfer of Ukrainian troops to other operational axes.
Kupiansk direction: the enemy ran no offensive (assault) missions.
Lyman direction: the Russians enemy attacked Ukrainian positions four times in the Torske and Yampolivka areas in Donetsk region.
Bakhmut direction: Ukraine repelled 25 attacks in the areas of Bilohorivka, Luhansk region; Verkhnokamianske, Vyimka, Kalynivka, Chasiv Yar, Nove, Ivanivske, and Klishchiivka of Donetsk region. Avdiivka direction: Ukraine’s defenders repelled 16 attacks in the areas of Novokalynove, Ocheretyne, Berdychi, Pervomaiske, and Nevelske of Donetsk region.
Novopavlivka direction: Ukraine’s Defense Forces continue to hold back the enemy in the areas of Heorhiivka, Pobieda, Novomykhailivka, and Urozhaine of Donetsk region, where the enemy tried to penetrate Ukraine’s defenses 20 times.
Orikhiv direction: the enemy attacked Ukraine’s positions four times in the area of Staromaiorske, Donetsk region, and Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia region.
Kherson direction: the Russians pursue their intention to dislodge Ukrainian units from their bridgeheads on the left bank of the Dnipro, where the latter repelled 11 enemy attacks.
At the same time, Ukraine’s troops continue to actively inflict losses on Russian manpower and equipment, exhausting the enemy along the entire line of contact.
During the past day, Ukraine’s Air Force hit nine enemy manpower clusters, while air defense forces took down two Kh-59 guided air missiles." Ukrin

Ukrainian Forces Target Tokmak City With MLRS

"The Ukrainian armed forces are using multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) against the Tokmak city in the Zaporozhye Region." Sputnik

At least nine killed in Ukraine strikes as Kyiv says it downed Russian warplane

"Russian strikes on Ukraine in the early hours of Friday killed at least nine people, including three children, as Kyiv said it shot down a Russian strategic bomber for the first time. Moscow said a military plane crashed over the south of the country while returning to base from a combat mission after suffering a technical malfunction.

The downing of a Russian bomber used to fire cruise missiles at Ukraine would be a highly symbolic win for Kyiv, which has been pounded by hundreds of overnight Russian aerial strikes since Moscow invaded more than two years ago.
The latest overnight Russian strikes on the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region killed at least nine people and injured more than a dozen, Ukrainian officials said Friday.
“A child who was heavily wounded during a massive enemy attack on the Dnipropetrovsk region today died in hospital. The death toll had now risen to nine, including three children,” the office of Ukraine’s Prosector General said in a statement on Telegram.
Strikes were recorded on the region’s Synelnykivsky area – where at least two children, aged six and eight, were among those killed – and the regional capital of Dnipro, the interior ministry said.
“Unfortunately, the number of victims is expected to rise. The rubble of the damaged buildings is being cleared,” Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said in a post on Telegram." France24

Ukrainian children ‘kidnapped’ by Moscow found in Germany

"Over 160 Ukrainian children allegedly “kidnapped by Russia” have been discovered living in Germany. The head of Ukrainian national police, Ivan Vygovsky, on Wednesday hailed the

discovery, telling national media that he had discussed the issue with Holger Munch, president of the BKA, during a meeting earlier in this week.
Allegations by Kiev that Moscow kidnapped Ukrainian children en masse have been exposed as a lie after some of the purported victims have been found in the EU, according to Russian children’s rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova. She is among the officials to have been accused of abducting youngsters from Ukraine amid the conflict between Moscow and Kiev.
When asked for clarification by RT Deutsch, the BKA said its officers had identified the children after they were flagged as “kidnapping” victims by Kiev. Their personal details were checked against German records.
The majority of the youngsters had entered Germany as refugees accompanied by their parents or legal guardians, the police said. In a handful of cases, suspicion of “unlawful transfer” remained, the statement added, without offering further details." RT