7 p.m.: The EU Commission restricts Ukrainian agricultural imports for a month
In the dispute over cheap grain from Ukraine, the EU Commission has restricted the import of four Ukrainian products after pressure from several EU countries. The EU Commission announced in the evening that wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflowers may no longer be traded freely in Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia until June 5th. However, it is still possible that the products would be brought to other EU countries by the countries concerned.
The background to the conflict is, among other things, that farmers in countries particularly affected by imports had complained about the competition. In response, countries such as Poland and Hungary had independently restricted the import of certain goods. The EU Commission announced that these national measures would now be lifted.
6.50 p.m .: EU wants to boost ammunition production with one billion euros
The European Commission wants to boost ammunition production in Europe with one billion euros. This is good news for Ukraine – but it also strengthens European defense capabilities, said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Prague on Tuesday. “It’s all about speed, speed, speed,” she stressed after a meeting with the new Czech President Petr Pavel.
Von der Leyen announced that a corresponding legislative proposal would be presented to the College of EU Commissioners on Wednesday. This will support a rapid ramp-up of ammunition production. Rules and regulations would be freed from ballast and the approval procedures would be accelerated. 500 million euros in EU funds are to be used for financing. A further 500 million euros are to come as co-financing from the Member States.
6:37 p.m .: Russian defense minister demands twice as many missiles
Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has asked the tactical missile maker to double production. The state-owned company is delivering on time, Shoigu said at a meeting with top military officials on Tuesday. “But right now it is necessary to double the production of high-precision weapons in the shortest possible time.”
Before a possible counter-offensive by Ukrainian troops, both warring parties have to contend with ammunition shortages. Analysts are brooding over whether Russia is running out of targeted ammunition as attacks using such weapons become fewer and rarer.
5:32 p.m .: Italy’s foreign minister wants Giro to start in Ukraine in 2024
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani proposes starting the 2024 Giro d’Italia in Ukraine. “I would like it if the Giro could start in Ukraine next year, should circumstances allow it,” said the politician at an event for the traditional Tour of Italy in Rome. For him, sport is “a tool of foreign policy,” said Tajani.
4.30 p.m .: Kiev: Russia attacks residential buildings because of an upcoming counter-offensive
Shortly before its planned spring offensive, Ukraine accused Russia of targeting residential areas. “There is no doubt that they are carrying out direct attacks on civilian apartment buildings or places where there are many houses of the civilian population,” said Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podoliak on Tuesday night on Ukrainian television. He said the tactic was intended by Moscow provoke the Ukrainians.
Meanwhile, Kiev extended martial law and general mobilization until the summer.
4:16 p.m .: Denmark is supplying Ukraine with material for the upcoming offensive
Before Ukraine’s expected spring offensive, Denmark is making further military material available to the country attacked by Russia. The support package, worth 1.7 billion Danish kroner (around 228 million euros), is the largest Ukraine has received from the Scandinavian EU country to date.
According to the Danish Ministry of Defence, it includes mine clearance and armored recovery vehicles, ammunition and a financial contribution to air defense procurement. It is intended to strengthen Ukraine’s ability to conduct an offensive in the coming months. In addition, Denmark wants to offer NATO a battalion with 700 to 1,200 soldiers to defend the Baltic States from mid-2024.
3:52 p.m .: Ukraine extends martial law for another 90 days
More than 14 months after the Russian invasion, Ukraine has extended martial law and general mobilization for another 90 days – until August 18. Both were approved by a two-thirds majority in parliament in Kiev.
Shortly after the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022, martial law and mobilization were initially declared for 30 days. The war continued, so there were always extensions. For men of draft age between 18 and 60, this means they are only allowed to leave Ukriane in exceptional cases.
2 p.m .: Kremlin sees Germany more and more involved in war
From Russia’s point of view, Germany is becoming more and more involved in the Ukraine war by the day. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said in Moscow. In addition, Berlin has no means of ensuring that the weapons supplied by Germany to Ukraine are not used against Russian territory. According to Peskov, they are already being used in the Donbass region. Moscow has declared the Donbass to be Russian territory – an illegal process for Ukraine and the West.
1:10 p.m .: Russia puts Ukrainian losses in April at 15,000 soldiers
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Ukrainian military suffered heavy casualties in April. “In the past month alone, they have lost more than 15,000 men,” Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said, according to the agency’s Telegram channel. In addition, the Russian army managed to destroy 8 enemy aircraft, 277 drones, 430 tanks and armored vehicles, and 225 artillery pieces. In the past, the Russian Ministry of Defense has repeatedly made inflated claims about enemy casualties.
Shoigu also stated that Russian troops were active along the entire front. “Overall, the defense industry meets the needs of the army and navy,” he said. This statement may have been intended as a response to recent complaints by the head of the Wagner mercenaries, Yevgeny Prigozhin, about a lack of artillery ammunition supplies. The relationship between Prigozhin and Shoigu is considered tense.
1:05 p.m .: Metropolitan Hilarion – I didn’t talk about politics with the Pope
The Russian Orthodox Metropolitan of Hungary, Hilarion, said he did not discuss any political issues with Pope Francis in Budapest. In a YouTube video, the ex-foreign ministry chief of the Orthodox Moscow Patriarchate dismissed speculation that he had met with Francis to discuss secret initiatives. Francis and he did not discuss the relationship between the Roman Catholic and the Russian Orthodox Church, but spoke to each other like “two old acquaintances”.
Hilarion headed the foreign office of the Russian Orthodox Church from 2009 to June 2022 and was considered number two after Patriarch Cyril I. It is unclear why he lost this position almost a year ago and was appointed Metropolitan of Hungary. To this day, Hilarion refuses to publicly condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine put him on their sanctions list.
12:58 p.m .: Ukraine accuses Russia of targeted attacks on residential areas
Ukraine has accused Russia of changing tactics with targeted missile attacks on residential areas. “There is no doubt that they carry out direct attacks on civilian apartment buildings or on places where there are many houses of civilians,” adviser to the presidential office Mykhailo Podoliak told Ukrainian television. Among other things, Moscow wants to provoke a premature counter-offensive by Kiev. The Kremlin wants to test whether Ukraine is able to protect its own airspace.
In the past few days, there had been several Russian rocket attacks with civilian casualties. In Uman in particular, a rocket hit a residential building on Friday, claiming many lives. Russian cruise missiles also caused severe damage and killed at least two people in the city of Pavlohrad in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Kiev denies that military targets were hit.