VIKTOR Yushchenko, who was the president of Ukraine from 2005 to 2010, has revealed exactly how, he believes, the world can crush Vladimir Putin.
Yushchenko has said that Putin has changed since he last ‘dealt’ with him during his Presidential reign.
Writing in the Guardian, he said: “The Putin I dealt with then no longer exists. He has since become a completely isolated and brutal despot who cannot stand any opposition.”
The former Ukrainian President has said that ‘international solidarity’ is now one of the ‘greatest weapons’ we have against Putin.
Yushchenko added: “One of the greatest weapons we now have against Putin is international solidarity and support.
“This is something that really bothers him.”
He also said that they cannot win the war ‘without external support’ and that this is now a battle not just between Russia and Ukraine but against ‘tyranny and imperialism’.
He added: “I strongly believe that victory for Ukraine is inevitable. When ordinary Ukrainians give everything up to fight for their freedom and dignity, victory is the only option.”
Follow our Russia-Ukraine live blog below for up-to-the-minute updates…
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Putin is not interested in peace talks
VLADIMIR Putin is not interested in diplomatic efforts to end the Ukraine war and wants to gain as much territory as possible, a new report claims.
Three people briefed on conversations with the Russian president told the Financial Times that Putin was seriously considering a peace deal with Ukraine last month.
One person briefed on the talks told the publication: “Putin sincerely believes in the nonsense he hears on [Russian] television and he wants to win big.”
His approach to the talks became harder after the sinking of Russian warship Moskva.
Another source added: “Putin was against signing anything… after the Moskva he doesn’t look like a winner, because it was humiliating.”
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Mission to examine Chernobyl nuclear power plant
According to reports the International Atomic Energy Authority has said it is launching a mission to Ukraine to examine the former Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
The Chernobyl nuclear power plant was the scene of fierce fighting earlier in the war and raised fears of a major radiation leak.
The team of safety experts are due to arrive on Tuesday at Chernobyl to deliver equipment, make assessments of radiation levels and help to restore safeguards and monitoring systems.
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Leaked pics show Russian submarine in Crimea loaded with nuke-capable Kalibr missiles
Leaked pictures have allegedly shown a Russian submarine in Crimea being loaded with nuke-capable Kalibr missiles to attack Ukraine.
The Veliky Novgorod diesel-electric submarine was in dock in Sevastopol, according to Ukraine Now Telegram channel.
“Russian Kalibr-type cruise missiles were loaded onto the Veliky Novgorod diesel-electric submarine – the very ones bombing the peaceful cities of Ukraine,” said the report.
The loading several days ago came ahead of a mission by the submarine in the Black Sea.
Ukraine’s Yug operation command said: “By blocking shipping, conducting surface situation detection and aerial reconnaissance, [the Russians] continue to carry the threat of a missile attack on almost the entire territory of Ukraine.”
Russian defence minister Sergey Shoigu has boasted that deployment in Syria from the Caspian Sea “confirmed a high effectiveness of the missiles at major distances of nearly 1500 km (932 miles).”
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Five dead in transport strikes
According to the regional prosecutor’s office at least five people have been killed after Russian rockets struck two towns in Ukraine’s central Vinnytsia region.
Currently there are 18 wounded following the strikes on transport infrastructure in Zhmerynka and Kozyatyn, officials said.
“The enemy is attempting to hit critical infrastructure,” the regional governor is quoted by Reuters news agency as saying.
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Ukraine accused of staging attacks
Russian media accused Ukrainian drones of staging the attacks in Russia – with two strikes on the tanks at the Druzhba plant at 1am.
Ukraine has previously been accused of staging attacks on Russian soil to disrupt Putin’s campaign.
Kyiv has however denied carrying out strikes across the border.
And it’s been warned Moscow may be attempting to use staged attacks on their soil as false flags to justify escalating the war in Ukraine.
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Russia rocked by explosions
Russia has been hit by huge explosions and a massive fire following a suspected missile strike by Ukraine.
The blaze erupted at the Druzhba oil depot in Bryansk with flames seen across the entire city.
Massive explosions also rang out and locals were evacuated from their homes close to the inferno.
The oil depot is likely to be vital for supplying Russia’s troops as they attempt to take control of the Donbas.
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Moscow says it will allow civilians to leave steel plant
A small group of Ukrainian soldiers and an unknown number of civilians are still barricaded within the Azovstal steel plant, as part of a desperate final bid to defend the besieged southeastern port city of Mariupol.
Moscow has announced it will suspend attacks on the plant, allowing civilians to leave.
However, Ukraine has demanded Russia provide written security guarantees to Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General.
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Russia has major losses
Ukraine’s military has claimed Russia has so far lost almost 22,000 troops in the conflict, which is set to enter its third month.
They also claim the invaders have also seen more than 2,200 armoured vehicles lost or destroyed, and 181 planes and 154 helicopters shot down.
Russian troops have been forced back from Kyiv, which has been a political disaster for Putin, who’s lost dozens of commanders.
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Exclusive – Mum of captured Brit hero Aiden Aslin slams Facebook
THE mum of captured British soldier Aiden Aslin slammed Facebook for refusing to take down disturbing video of him being taunted with the death penalty.
Aiden, 28, was taken prisoner during the siege of Mariupol after volunteering to fight alongside the Ukrainian Army.
British journalist Graham Phillips released a video showing PoW Aiden bruised and bloodied.
It has been removed by YouTube but is still available on Facebook and has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times.
Last night, Aiden’s mum Angie Wood pleaded with the social media giant to remove it.
She told TalkTV: “Facebook hasn’t responded to hundreds of people who’ve reported it. It shouldn’t be allowed. It’s a propaganda video.”
She described Phillips — who used to work for the Russia Today TV channel — as “sick” and said he should be prosecuted for war crimes when he returns to the UK.
She added: “He’s getting paid while promoting it on to Facebook — and making money out of people who are suffering.”
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Anonymous hacks over one MILLION Russian emails
Anonymous claims to have published over 1.1million emails taken from Russian fuel and energy industries.
The emails are said to have been ‘stolen’ from a Russian firm called ALET.
ALET works with Russian companies that specialize in fuel and energy.
These companies handle important things like exports of coal and oil.
Industries like this are crucial to the Russian economy.
Popular Twitter account Anonymous TV tweeted: “JUST IN: #Anonymous hacked nearly 1.1 million emails (1.1 TB ) from ALET, a Russian customs broker for companies in the fuel and energy industries, handling exports and customs declarations for coal, crude oil, liquefied gases and petroleum products. #OpRussia #DDoSecrets.”
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Rail facilities destroyed to block arms supply
Ukraine has said Russia was trying to disrupt supply lines for military equipment from foreign countries following the attacks on railway infrastructure.
Russia have now confirmed that this was the reason for the attacks, according to Reuters.
The news agency is citing a statement from the Russian defence ministry, saying its missiles destroyed six facilities powering the railways that were used to supply Ukrainian forces with weapons from abroad.
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Dramatic moment ‘Russian’ jet spirals to the ground in a flat spin and explodes
Incredible footage captures the moment a Russian fighter jet appears to spiral towards the ground after being struck by a Ukrainian missile.
The aircraft, believed to be a Sukhoi Su-34 supersonic bomber, was shot down in the Kharkiv region in eastern Ukraine, where much of Russia’s army is now concentrated in the latest stage of the conflict.
Remarkable footage shows the plane spinning in circles as it drops out of the sky.
It was reportedly shot down near the town of Balakliia, 46 miles southeast of Kharkiv, which is currently under Russian control.
Air Command East, a branch of the Ukrainian Air Force, is believed to have shot down the jet.
It isn’t known if the pilots were able to eject safely.
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‘Humiliated’ Putin desperate for ‘big victory’
“Humiliated” Vladimir Putin is desperate for a big victory in Ukraine and will not sue for peace, a report claims.
The increasing isolated Russian despot is no longer interested in negotiating with Ukraine and just wants to capture as much territory as possible.
Three insiders close to Putin has told the FT that the “humiliated” autocrat had initially been open to a peace deal after his troops failed to reach their military objectives in the first few weeks of the war.
But that was scuppered when Putin was left red-faced by the sinking of the flagship Moskva in the Black Sea by Ukrainian Neptune missiles.
“There was hope for a deal,” one insider told the FT. “Putin was going back and forth. He needs to find a way to come out of this a winner.
“After the Moskva, he doesn’t look like a winner because it was humiliating.”
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UK Defence Secretary has said around 15,000 Russian soldiers killed
The UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has given a new assessment of Russian losses on the battlefield.
He said the Ministry of Defence assessed that about 15,000 Russian military personnel had been killed.
An estimated 2,000 armoured vehicles have also been destroyed or captured.
That includes at least 530 tanks, 530 armoured personnel carriers and 560 infantry fighting vehicles, he said.
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Zelemsky calls for meeting with Putin
President Zelenskyy again called for a meeting with Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin, in an effort ‘to end the war’.
“I think that whoever started this war will be able to end it,” he told a news conference at a metro station in the heart of the Ukrainian capital.
He was “not afraid to meet” Putin if it would lead to a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, he added.
“From the beginning, I have insisted on talks with the Russian president,” said Zelensky. It’s not that I want (to meet him), it’s that I have to meet him so as to settle this conflict by diplomatic means. We have confidence in our partners, but we have no confidence in Russia,” he added.
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Putin is not interested in peace talks
VLADIMIR Putin is not interested in diplomatic efforts to end the Ukraine war and wants to gain as much territory as possible, a new report claims.
Three people briefed on conversations with the Russian president told the Financial Times that Putin was seriously considering a peace deal with Ukraine last month.
One person briefed on the talks told the publication: “Putin sincerely believes in the nonsense he hears on [Russian] television and he wants to win big.”
His approach to the talks became harder after the sinking of Russian warship Moskva.
Another source added: “Putin was against signing anything… after the Moskva he doesn’t look like a winner, because it was humiliating.”
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Leaked pics show Russian submarine in Crimea loaded with nuke-capable Kalibr missiles
Leaked pictures have allegedly shown a Russian submarine in Crimea being loaded with nuke-capable Kalibr missiles to attack Ukraine.
The Veliky Novgorod diesel-electric submarine was in dock in Sevastopol, according to Ukraine Now Telegram channel.
“Russian Kalibr-type cruise missiles were loaded onto the Veliky Novgorod diesel-electric submarine – the very ones bombing the peaceful cities of Ukraine,” said the report.
The loading several days ago came ahead of a mission by the submarine in the Black Sea.
Ukraine’s Yug operation command said: “By blocking shipping, conducting surface situation detection and aerial reconnaissance, [the Russians] continue to carry the threat of a missile attack on almost the entire territory of Ukraine.”
Russian defence minister Sergey Shoigu has boasted that deployment in Syria from the Caspian Sea “confirmed a high effectiveness of the missiles at major distances of nearly 1500 km (932 miles).”
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Five dead in transport strikes
According to the regional prosecutor’s office at least five people have been killed after Russian rockets struck two towns in Ukraine’s central Vinnytsia region.
Currently there are 18 wounded following the strikes on transport infrastructure in Zhmerynka and Kozyatyn, officials said.
“The enemy is attempting to hit critical infrastructure,” the regional governor is quoted by Reuters news agency as saying.
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Mission to examine Chernobyl nuclear power plant
According to reports the International Atomic Energy Authority has said it is launching a mission to Ukraine to examine the former Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
The Chernobyl nuclear power plant was the scene of fierce fighting earlier in the war and raised fears of a major radiation leak.
The team of safety experts are due to arrive on Tuesday at Chernobyl to deliver equipment, make assessments of radiation levels and help to restore safeguards and monitoring systems.
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Putin’s ‘tank graveyard’
Fresh drone images have shown the true scale of Vladimir Putin’s “tank graveyard” after it found more destroyed armour left behind by Russia’s “failing” troops in Ukraine.
More pictures have emerged of a massive Russian tank graveyard ten miles inside Russia – showing dozens more destroyed tanks, trucks and guns.
Ukrainian spy-drones spotted the graveyard in the village of Golvochino underlining the scale of Putin’s battlefield losses.
Reconnaissance flights carried out by a Ukrainian intelligence unit based in a secret bunker near the border filmed dozens of pieces of damaged military hardware dumped in a field.
A single image of the site showed 57 vehicles including at least 17 tanks.
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Blaze at oil depot
There has been a huge blaze at an oil depot in the Russian city of Bryansk.
There have been no current reports of any side linking the incident to the conflict.
Russia says it is investigating the cause of the fires, while Ukraine is yet to comment.
A video of Bryansk circulating on social media appears to show an oil tank exploding into flames.
The location is significant as it is along the Druzbha pipeline, a key artery bringing Russian oil to Europe.
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Ukraine says there is NO deal with Moscow on Mariupol plant humanitarian corridor
Ukraine on Monday said Moscow had not agreed to its request for a humanitarian corridor to let wounded soldiers and civilians leave the Azovstal steel plant in the besieged port city of Mariupol.
“Unfortunately, there are no agreements on humanitarian corridors from Azovstal today,” Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vershchuk said on Telegram.
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Trump on how he’d deal with Putin in Piers Morgan interview
DONALD Trump has revealed how he would deal with Vladimir Putin and the word he’d NEVER let the Russian leader use if he were still in charge.
The former US President told Piers Morgan in the exclusive TalkTV interview that he’d approach Putin very differently amid his brutal attack on Ukraine.
Trump said he believes Putin has been using nuclear threats during the war in Ukraine to frighten other nations – making the Russian leader think “no one will attack him.”
Read the article in full here.
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UN: almost 5.2 million Ukrainians flee war
The UN refugee agency said on Sunday the number of Ukrainians who have fled the country since Russia’s invasion two months ago is approaching 5.2 million.
The total figure of 5,186,744 is an increase of 23,058 over Saturday’s data, the UNHCR said. More than 1,151,000 Ukrainians have left during April so far, compared with 3.4 million in the month of March alone.
According to UNHCR, here is a breakdown of how many Ukrainian refugees have fled to neighbouring countries:
- Poland: 2,899,713
- Russia: 578,255
- Romania: 774,074
- Hungary: 489,754
- Moldova: 433,214
- Slovakia: 354,329
- Belarus: 24,084
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‘Putin has lost interest in talks to end the war’
According to a report in the Financial Times has stated that Vladimir Putin is no longer interested in diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict.
Instead, he wants to seize as much Ukrainian territory as possible.
One person briefed on the talks said: “Putin sincerely believes in the nonsense he hears on [Russian] television and he wants to win big.”
His approach hardened after the sinking of Russian warship Moskva, which Ukraine has claimed responsibility for.
A source said: “Putin was against signing anything… after the Moskva he doesn’t look like a winner, because it was humiliating.”
