Day 39 of Putin's war. Horrific details emerge of Russian army's massacre of Ukrainian civilians in Bucha, near Kyiv. Airstrikes on Odesa
A street in Bucha, Kyiv Oblast, after its liberation from Russian army occupation on April 1. (Photo:REUTERS/Oleksandr Ratushniak)
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has been going on for more than a month. Today, April 3, is the 39th day of Putin's war. Here, NV tracks the main events of the day.
UPDATE (1733): Tbilisi
will not impose economic sanctions against Russia, the prime minister of
Georgia has said that contradicting an earlier statement by Georgian President Salome
Zourabichvili.
“I want to clarify
again. There will be no economic sanctions imposed by Georgia on Russia. We,
our team, proceed from the national interests of our country, from the
interests of our people,” Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said.
UPDATE (1631): Ukrainian
air defenses shot down a Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber in Kharkiv Oblast, the
press service of the command of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
reported. They also published a video with an intercepted message from the Russian
invaders about the destruction of the aircraft.
Deputy Interior
Minister Anton Gerashchenko also announced the destruction of a Russian
aircraft near Izyum. However, according to him, it was a Su-35.
"Damage to the
orcs (Russians) - 50 million dollars!" he wrote.
According to
Gerashchenko, the pilot ejected and tried to escape, but was detained.
The deputy head of the
Ministry of Internal Affairs also published a photo from the crash site of the fighter
and the pilot's ejector seat.
UPDATE (1600): German
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has promised that Berlin will strengthen
sanctions against Russia and provide more military support for Ukraine.
“The photos from Bucha
are unbearable. Putin's rampant violence is destroying innocent families and
knows no borders... We will tighten sanctions against Russia and give Ukraine
even more support in its defense,” Baerbock wrote on Twitter.
UPDATE (1137): “A
new Srebrenica” A Ukrainian official has given horrifying details of the
massacre of Ukrainian civilians by the Russian army in Bucha, a town just
outside Kyiv. Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the head of the President's Office,
said that the killings of civilians in Kyiv Obast by invading Russian troops
was “a hell of the 21st century.”
"Kyiv Oblast.
A hell of the 21st century. Bodies of executed men and women with their hands
tied. The worst crimes of Nazism are again in Europe,” Podolyak wrote.
He said that
Russia did all this on purpose.
“Impose an
embargo on energy resources, close the ports. Stop the killing now,” he wrote.
After the
liberation of Bucha in Kyiv Oblast from the invaders, the bodies of 280 people have
been buried in mass graves.
The Ministry of
Defense of Ukraine was told that Russian invaders arbitrarily executed
civilians, some had their hands tied behind their backs; and called the
killings of Ukrainians "the new Srebrenica."
UPDATE (0910): Russia
carried out missile strikes on infrastructure in Odesa, the press service of
the Ukraine’s Operational Command South reported in a statement. Fires have
been reported in some areas of the city. Some of the missiles were shot down by
air defenses.
“Russia started
the 39th day of full-scale aggression with a missile strike,” the statement
reads. “Among the priority targets was Odesa Oblast. The enemy continued his
dastardly practice of hitting critical infrastructure."
Smoke is visible
in some areas of the city of Odesa, all relevant systems and services are
working to eliminate the consequences. According to preliminary data, there are
no casualties.
“We remind you that it is forbidden to publish the results of the attack, disclose geolocation data, and spread panic,” the military statement said.
Summary by Ukraine’s General Staff as of 0720 on April 3
· Over the previous day, the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine shot down two aircraft, one helicopter, one UAV and four cruise missiles. The Air Force continued to strike concentrations of enemy troops, columns of military equipment, and logistics centers.
· According to available information, the moral and psychological state of the enemy personnel and their level of motivation remain extremely low. Commanders at various levels of the 3rd motorized rifle division of the 20th combined-arms army of Russia’s Western Military District refuse to participate in hostilities. In addition, military personnel are writing letters of resignation en masse.
· The personnel of two battalion tactical groups of the 4th military base from the 58th combined arms army of Russia’s Southern Military District refused to participate in hostilities in Ukraine. Their return to the points of permanent deployment is planned.
· According to media reports, the Russian invaders continue to place weapons and military equipment in close proximity to the residential infrastructure of settlements, carry out filtration measures in temporarily occupied territories, commit violence against local residents, and engage in looting and robbery.
UPDATE (0600): Ukrainian national broadcaster Suspіlne reports that explosions have been heard in Odesa, and there is smoke over the city. The regional military administration has urged residents to stay in air raid shelters while sirens are sounding, and to wait for official information.
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