WAR IN UKRAINE: April 24, 2023
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: Day 425
Reports that the Ukrainian military has crossed the Dnipro River and established positions on the eastern side heightened expectations on April 23 that Kyiv is on the verge of its long-awaited counteroffensive.
The Group of Seven countries are considering banning almost all exports to Russia, in an extension of the sanctions regime against Moscow for its ongoing invasion of Ukraine, a Japanese government source said Friday. Japan is set to host the G-7 summit in May in Hiroshima, western Japan, where discussions will take place on measures to expand support to Ukraine and strengthen sanctions on Russia among other key topics. The G-7 countries have already stopped exporting a wide range of items to Russia, including products that can be used for military purposes and luxury goods. But the latest plan could expand the trade embargo to used cars, tires, cosmetic items and clothing, the source said - Kyodo
The son of Dmitry Peskov (Putin's press secretary) claims that he has been fighting in Ukraine with Wagner. However, the fact that his Tesla has been ringing up traffic tickets in Moscow (this is all publicly accessible in Russia) says otherwise. For some reason, traffic camera snapshots showing road violations are open source in Russia, so the VChK-OPGU Telegram channel found these for Peskov's kid's Tesla while he was supposedly fighting in Ukraine - Bellingcat
The agriculture ministers of Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia have inquired with the EU following import bans on Ukrainian grain announced by a handful of EU countries under pressure from domestic agricultural producers.
The Group of Seven (G7) leading economic powers called on April 23 for the "extension, full implementation, and expansion" of a critical deal to export Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea.
The shadow fleet of dozens of tankers, which transports Russian oil to Asia bypassing Western sanctions, was hit by the US sanctions. India-registered Gatik Ship Management, which became a major carrier of oil from Russia last year, has lost international insurance because of a violation of the "price cap" mechanism, Bloomberg reported, citing a source familiar with the situation. The Mumbai-headquartered company, which nobody knew about until last year, assembled a fleet of 48 tankers with a combined capacity of more than 30 million barrels and worth $1.4 billion. Almost all of the vessels entered Russian ports and exported oil or oil products, a Vortexa analysis showed - NEXTA
Anti-Kremlin protesters staged a rally in Paris on April 23, urging the EU to slap sanctions on the socialite wife of the Russian deputy defense minister, who they accuse of bypassing sanctions - RFE/RL
Ukraine’s armed forces are preparing for one of the most daunting undertakings any military can attempt: dislodging an entrenched enemy. Kyiv’s forces achieved that last fall, but haven’t advanced since. Now their challenge in attacking dug-in Russian forces is even greater because, given the pace of Western arms shipments, its troops are less well-armed than their leaders would like. “The stakes are high,” said Mark Kimmitt, a retired U.S. Army brigadier general who commanded artillery units. “With little battlefield progress and declining attention worldwide, the Ukrainians must break out of the current stalemate or face increased calls for a cease-fire and negotiations.” But if Ukraine’s army can beat back gains by Russia’s invasion forces and position itself for further advances, it will regain the initiative, boost civilian morale, and win further support and military assistance from the U.S. and its allies - WSJ