April 19, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news - CNN International

Video shows Ukrainian forces in Mariupol ambushing Russian military convoy. April19,2022Russia-UkrainenewsByAdrienneVogt,AditiSangal,MaureenChowdhury,AndrewRaine,TravisCaldwell,GeorgeRamsayandJackBantock,CNNUpdated12:01a.m.ET,April20,2022RussianforceshavestartedthebattleforDonbasineasternUkraine,UkrainianPresidentVolodymyrZelenskysaidMondayasheunderscoredthatthecountrywillcontinuetofightagainstaRussianincursion. Ukrainianforceshaverepelled"numerousattemptedadvances"byRussianforcesontheDonbaslineofcontrolasMoscow’sshellingandattacksinthearea"continuetoincrease,"UKdefenseintelligencesays.CiviliansinLuhanskhavebeenurgedtoevacuateafterUkrainianforces"lost"controlofthetownofKreminnaduringheavyfighting.Meanwhile,UkrainianforcesarecontinuingtoresistRussianattacksinthesoutheasternportcityofMariupol,withaUkrainiancommandertellingCNNthesituationattheAzovstalplant,oneofthecity’slastbastionsstillunderUkrainiancontrol,is"critical"asalargenumberoftroopsarewoundedandtimeislimited. Havingconnectionissues?BookmarkCNN'slitesiteforfastconnectivity.sharewithFacebooksharewithTwittersharewithemailsharelink6PostsSortbyLatestOldestDropdownarrowAframefromavideoshowsUkrainianforcesambushingaRussianconvoyinMariupol.(AzovBattalion)AnewvideopostedbytheAzovBattaliononMondayshowsUkrainianforcesinMariupolambushingaRussianmilitaryconvoy.CNNhasgeolocatedandverifiedtheauthenticityofthevideo,butit'sunclearwhentheambushoccurred.TheAzovBattalionisaunitthatbeganasanultra-nationalistmilitiabuthassinceintegratedintotheUkrainianarmedforces.Thevideo,takenbyadrone,showsaconvoyofsixvehiclesmovingsouthalongMetallurgistsAvenueinMariupol.Theconvoy pullsofftheroadandontoasidewalkjustoutsidetheAraratcafe.Asthedronezoomsout, itshowsatleast nine Ukrainiantroops creepingtoward theconvoy,whichhasstoppedmoving. Thevideothencutstosoldiersfiringinthedirectionoftheconvoy.Itthencutstoanotherscene, inwhichatleastthreeofthesixvehiclesareonfire.A"Z"--thesymboloftheRussianinvasion--canbeseenonatleasttwoofthevehicles.ThevideothenshowsUkrainiansoldiersthrowinggrenadesoverabrickwall,inthedirectionofRussiansoldiers who are takingcover betweenoneofthevehiclesand a wall.CNNisnotairingtheentirevideo,asitshowsgrenadesexplodingontopoftheRussiansoldiers. sharewithFacebooksharewithTwittersharewithemailsharelinkSmokerisesabovetheAzovstalIronandSteelWorkscompanyandbuildingsinMariupol,Ukraine,onMonday,April18.(AlexanderErmochenko/Reuters)InanaddressonMondaytoworldleaders,commanderoftheAzovRegiment,LieutenantColonelDenysProkopenko,saidRussianforcesarefiringonthe Azovstalsteelworksfactory“willingly”inMariupolashundredsofpeopleareshelteringinside. TheAzovRegiment,sometimesreferredtoastheAzovBattalion,isaunitthatbeganasanultra-nationalistvolunteermilitiabuthassinceintegratedintotheUkrainianarmedforces.Prokopenko,whoisthecommanderofoneofthe Ukrainianunitsdefendingtheportcity,saidinapostonTelegramaccountthatamongthoseshelteringare,“peopleofallages,women,children,andfamiliesofMariupoldefenders.Theyareshelteringinthebasementsandbunkersfromthe‘Russianworld.'"AccordingtoProkopenko,thosesheltering“foundtheironlyavailableshelternexttotheUkrainiansoldiers,whoarestilldefendingthecityfromRussianinvaders.”“RussianoccupationalforcesandtheirproxyfromLuhanskPeople’sRepublic/DonetskPeople'sRepublicsknowaboutciviliansandkeeptheirfireonthefactorywillingly.Theyusefree-fallbombs,rockets,bunker-busterbombs,andallvarietiesofartillery,bothgroundandnaval,forindiscriminateattacks,”Prokopenkosaid.Headded,“Citytheatre,maternityhospital,schools,kindergartens,andhousesweredestroyedbythosewhonowofferciviliansevacuationandsafety.Thesearethesamepeople.Andnobodybelieves.”Watch:DronefootageshowssmokerisingfromAzovstalplantsharewithFacebooksharewithTwittersharewithemailsharelink(FromSocialMedia)NewimagesemergedearlyMondayonsocialmediashowing Russia'sguided-missilecruiser, theMoskva,badlydamagedandonfireinthehoursbeforetheshipsankintheBlackSeaonThursday.ThesinkingoftheMoskva,theflagshipofRussia'sBlackSeafleet,wasthe biggestwartimeloss ofanavalshipin40years--andahugeembarrassmentforMoscow.TheimagesshowtheMoskvalistingtooneside,withblackholesfrompossiblemissilepuncturemarks,andsignificantscarringatandjustabovethewaterlineontheport(left)sideofthemiddleofthevessel.Alargeplumeofblacksmokecanbeseenbillowingupwards,partlyobscuringthefrontofthestrickenship.AnalyststoldCNNthewarshipintheimageslookedliketheMoskva,aSlavaClassguided-missiledestroyer.UkraineandRussiahaveprovidedconflictingaccountsofwhathappenedduringThursday'sincidentintheBlackSea.Readthefullstoryhere.sharewithFacebooksharewithTwittersharewithemailsharelinkUkrainianPresidentVolodymyrZelenskypushedbackagainstconcernsfromUSandNATOofficialsthathismilitarywouldneedsignificanttrainingbeforereceivingadvancedweaponsfromothercountries,tellingCNNhisforcesneedweaponsquickly–andcanlearntousethemjustasfast.“I’veheardthesetalltalesthatwewouldneedmonthstotrainourtroopstousenewtanks.OK,giveusaSoviet-eratank,”Zelenskysaidinan exclusiveinterview withCNN’sJakeTapperonFriday.“Wearepreparedtouseanytypeofequipment,butitneedstobedeliveredveryquickly.Andwehavetheabilitytolearnhowtousenewequipment.Butitneedstocomefast.”ZelenskysaidintheinterviewfromtheofficeofthepresidentinKyivthatweaponsprovidedbytheUSandothercountries,includingtheBidenadministration’snew$800millionsecurityassistancepackage,havehelpedhiscountryresistRussia’sinvasion.Buthesaidthatmorewouldbeneeded,andhiscountry’strainerswouldbeabletogethisforcesuptospeedquickly.RelatedCoverage:Exclusive:Zelenskyrejects'talltales'hisforcesneedmonthsoftrainingtooperateadvancedweapons|CNNPoliticssharewithFacebooksharewithTwittersharewithemailsharelinkUSCustomsandBorderProtectionofficialsencounteredjustmorethan5,000UkrainiansinMarch,including3,274alongtheUSsouthernborder,accordingtonewlyreleasedagencydata.ThechallengesomeUkrainiansfaceingettingtotheUSthroughanexistinglegalpathwayisreflectedinpartontheUS-Mexicoborder.There,hundredshavegatheredtoentertheUSthroughaportofentryandpotentiallybeparoledintotheUnitedStates."WhatwedoonanindividualizedbasisisevaluatewhetheraUkrainianfamilyandfranklyotherfamiliesfromothercountriesqualifyforourdiscretionaryauthorityofgrantinghumanitarianparole,"HomelandSecuritySecretaryAlejandroMayorkasrecentlytoldCBS.USCustomsandBorderProtectionhassentadditionalofficerstotheSanYsidroportofentry,neartheMexicanbordercityofTijuana,tohelpwithprocessing,accordingtotheagency.TheBidenadministrationisalsoplanningtorolloutaprogramthatwouldexpeditetheprocessforUkrainianstryingtocometotheUnitedStates.The3,274Ukrainiansmadeupasmallshareofthe221,303encountersattheUS-MexicoborderinMarch,whichmarkedyetanotherjumpinarrestsalongtheUS-Mexicoborder.CBPhasalreadyapprehendedmorethan1millionpeoplethisfiscalyear.Thatincludessomerepeatcrossers. sharewithFacebooksharewithTwittersharewithemailsharelink(AzovBattalion)Newvideoimagesofwomenandchildren,purportedlyshelteringinthebasementoftheAzovstalsteelplantinthebesiegedUkrainianportcityofMariupol,werepublishedMondayeveningonTelegram. ThevideowaspostedbytheAzovBattalion,aunitthatbeganasanultra-nationalistmilitiabuthassinceintegratedintotheUkrainianarmedforces. Thevideowaslatershared bytheUkrainianMinistryofForeignAffairs.ItappearstoshowdozensofchildrenandfamilieswhohavebeenshelteringforweeksinthebasementoftheplantwhereUkrainianforcesareholdingoutagainstRussianattacks.CNNcannotverifytheauthenticityofthevideo,orwhenitwastaken.However,afterreviewingthousandsofphotosandvideosoftheAzovstalsteelplant,thewallsoftheshelterappeartomatchthelime-greenpaintedwallsofthesteelplant'sbasements.Somecontext:CommanderoftheAzovRegiment,LieutenantColonelDenysProkopenko,inMariupolsaidinavideopostedMondayonTelegramthatRussianforceshavebeenfiring"willingly"ontheAzovstalsteelworksfactory,wherehundredsofciviliansareshelteringalongsideUkrainianforces.Prokopenkosaidthatamongthoseshelteringare,“peopleofallages,women,children,andfamiliesofMariupoldefenders.Theyareshelteringinthebasementsandbunkersfromthe‘Russianworld’." MyhailoVershynin,thechiefoftheMariupolPatrolPolice,alsotoldCNNthatwomen,childrenandtheelderlywereamongthoseshelteringinsidethesteelplant.sharewithFacebooksharewithTwittersharewithemailsharelink