Estonian PM visits Ukraine, detention of serviceman who tried to hijack Russian warplane: highlights of the day

Estonian prime minister visits Ukraine

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas visited Zhytomyr to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The joint declaration signed by the two leaders emphasizes that a strong, independent, and successful Ukraine as a member of the EU and NATO is important for European security.

Zelenskyy awarded Kallas the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, second class, for outstanding personal achievements in strengthening Ukrainian-Estonian interstate cooperation and support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The trip to Ukraine was the first foreign visit for Kallas as head of the new Estonian government.

Detention of Ukrainian serviceman

The Security Service of Ukraine detained Roman Chervinskyi, the former acting commander of a unit of the Special Operations Forces. According to the investigation, he tried to hijack a Russian plane, but this led to a missile attack on the airfield.

The court is to choose a pre-trial restriction on April 25. The prosecutor's office said that they would request detention.

The soldier was served a notice of suspicion of abuse of power on April 21. He faces up to 12 years in prison.

Defense spending

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimates that total global military spending has risen to a record high of $2.24 trillion. Europe's military investment has grown the most in the last 30 years.

In 2022, Ukraine's military spending reached $44 billion, 640% more than a year earlier. This is the largest annual increase that SIPRI has ever recorded.

The situation at the front

In the evening, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that on April 24, the Defense Forces repelled more than 30 Russian attacks on three axes — Bakhmut, Avdiyivka and Maryinka, where the occupiers are concentrating their main efforts. The fiercest fighting continues for Bakhmut and Maryinka.

According to the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff, Ukrainian troops killed 660 Russian occupiers on April 23. Russia's total losses during the full-scale invasion have already amounted to about 187,080 soldiers.

Strikes on Ukraine

According to the Ministry of Defense, Russian troops fired on nine oblasts of Ukraine on April 23. 98 settlements came under Russian fire, and 128 infrastructure facilities were confirmed to have been damaged. There are dead and wounded among the civilians. In particular, the Russians killed two residents of Donetsk and two residents of Kherson oblasts.

The Defense Forces say that the occupiers have intensified their activity in Kherson Oblast after statements about the progress of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The aggressor launched six UAVs at the settlements of Kherson district and sent 14 Lancet-type kamikaze drones.

Security guarantees for Ukraine

The prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia said they support providing Ukraine with security guarantees even before the country joins NATO. Officials believe that at the July summit in Vilnius, the Alliance will have to answer difficult but necessary questions about relations with Ukraine and the future strategy toward Russia.

"Now is the time for the alliance to lay out a clear and credible path for Ukraine’s membership, if and when Kyiv wishes and when conditions allow. And until then, we must be ready to provide security guarantees, beyond political assurances, that prevent Ukraine from becoming a gray zone once and for all. Gray zones create opportunities for authoritarian regimes to sow instability and heighten tensions," the prime ministers said.

Other important news

• On the night of April 24, a church in honor of St. Job of Pochayiv, which is subordinate to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church — Moscow Patriarchate, burned down in the village of Miliyeve, Chernivtsi Oblast. Law enforcement officers have preliminarily found that the cause was arson and detained a suspect;
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China assured that it respects the sovereignty of former Soviet countries. This statement came after a Chinese ambassador said that the countries of the former Soviet Union "do not have effective status under international law."
• The Council of the EU agreed to establish treaty relations with Ukraine under the Hague Convention on Foreign Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters. Now Ukraine and the EU member states will recognize and enforce each other's judgments;
• Minister of Education and Science Oksen Lisovyi said that his ministry does not currently plan to introduce a 12-year school in 2024. Among the reasons are the need for funds and a state standard, which are currently absent;
• the Diia app now allows Ukrainians to get a police clearance certificate;
• The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk took part in the annual conference of speakers of parliaments of the EU member states. This is the first time the Ukrainian Parliament is represented at the traditional EU parliamentary summit;
• More than 2,200 Ukrainians have been returned from Russian captivity. Ukraine and Russia are approaching an "all-for-all" exchange, Defense Intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov has said.