Ukraine war in Newsblog | Russia: “Intruder exploded on the mined protective line”

Day 418 since the beginning of the war: Brazil’s head of state Lula da Silva has received the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Kyiv has probably fended off dozens of attacks. All information in the news blog.

5 o’clock: The G7 countries are ready to tighten sanctions against Russia over the war of aggression against Ukraine. “We remain determined to intensify sanctions against Russia,” said a joint statement adopted on Tuesday at the conclusion of the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in Karuizawa, Japan. “Coordination will be strengthened to prevent third-party arms deliveries to Russia.” Action would be taken against those who materially support Russia’s war against Ukraine.

The Round of Seven again called on Russia to withdraw immediately and unconditionally from Ukraine. The country will continue to be helped to repair infrastructure damaged by Russian attacks. The G7 countries condemned “Russia’s irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and its threat to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus” as unacceptable. “Any use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons by Russia would have serious consequences,” the final statement said.

4 o’clock: Despite harsh criticism from the United States, Brazil continues to campaign for Russia to meet with an end to the Ukraine war. Brazilian Head of State Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva received Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday (local time). He thanked Brazil “for its contribution to the search for a solution to this conflict”. The White House said Brazil was “parroting Russian and Chinese propaganda” with its warnings against further military support for Ukraine.

Lula received Lavrov at the Presidential Palace in Brasília. An explanation of the conversation was not subsequently published. Lavrov had previously met the Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira and talked to him about trade and energy, but also about the Ukraine war. Lavrov thanked the host country for the “clear understanding” of the origin of this conflict.

“We are interested in resolving the conflict as soon as possible,” Lavrov said at a joint press conference with Vieira on Ukraine. At the same time, Lavrov reiterated his call for a “multipolar” world order. Lula urges an end to the Ukraine war, emphasizing US and EU co-responsibility.

10:08 p.m.: According to its own statements, Russia has once again prevented an “illegal” border crossing from Ukraine in the Bryansk region. “The intruder exploded on the mined protective line created by the Russian armed forces to prevent penetration into Russian territory and to ensure the safety of residents of border communities,” said the region’s governor Alexander Bogomas on Monday in the online service Telegram with.

According to Bogomas, border guards in Bryansk had already foiled an attempt by 20 Ukrainian “saboteurs” to cross the border into Russia on April 6.

In the past few weeks, Russia has repeatedly reported on attempts by Ukrainian “saboteurs” to penetrate Russian territory. The information could not be independently verified. The regions near the Ukrainian border are also regularly the target of artillery fire and drone strikes. Several pro-Russian officials have recently been killed in Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine.

Ukrainian authorities deny involvement in sabotage missions in Russia. Kyiv also dismissed Moscow’s accusation that it was responsible for last fall’s attack on the Crimean Bridge.

8:42 p.m.: According to their own statements, the Ukrainian armed forces repelled dozens of attacks by Russian troops in the east of the country on Monday. In its daily situation report, the General Staff in Kiev named the cities of Bakhmut and Marjinka as the “epicenter of the fighting”. In the course of the day, around 50 attacks from five different directions were repelled “with high enemy casualties”. The information could not be independently verified.