Execution of a Ukrainian soldier and the timing of the counteroffensive: last night's highlights
A new video of the execution of a Ukrainian soldier has been posted online, and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has revealed when a Ukrainian counteroffensive might begin. Here is what you might have missed from the previous night.
Execution of a Ukrainian soldier
On the evening of April 11, pro-Russian resources spread a video of a Ukrainian soldier being executed: a man's head was cut off with a knife. The faces of the people who tortured the man are hidden behind masks. The video shows green leaves, so this video could likely have been recorded some time ago.
Immediately after Ukrainian resources began reporting on the appearance of this video, the head of the President's Office, Andriy Yermak, wrote on his Telegram account: “There will be an answer and responsibility for everything.” We also asked Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, for comment.
When will the counteroffensive begin?
The Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal said that the Armed Forces of Ukraine may launch a new counteroffensive this summer instead of spring.
He noted that “all our friends and partners clearly understand that to launch a counteroffensive, we need to be 100 percent or even more prepared for it”. Shmyhal also emphasized that Ukraine needs more military assistance from its partners to be ready for a counteroffensive.
US looking for a source of leaked classified documents
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that the United States will investigate the recent alleged leak of classified Western intelligence documents until it determines who is responsible.
“We will continue to investigate and turn over every stone until we find the source of this [leak] and its extent,” Austin said, becoming the first senior U.S. official to comment on the leak.
Why are Ukrainian defenders not leaving Bakhmut?
Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Maliar explained that Russia is attacking in four directions simultaneously, with Bakhmut taking the brunt of the attack. Ukraine has to use a lot of force to defend itself.
Maliar emphasized that if Ukrainian defenders did not defend Bakhmut, the occupiers would have advanced deeper into Ukraine, and therefore “the importance of the defense of Bakhmut should be understood in this context”.
Blocking additional payments for the military
The Verkhovna Rada has registered a draft resolution blocking the signing of the bill on the return of a UAH 30,000 surcharge to military personnel by the Speaker of the Parliament and the President.
According to the rules of procedure, if MPs register a draft resolution to cancel a parliamentary decision, the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada cannot sign the law until the Rada cancels the resolution.
Europe's “strategic autonomy” from the United States
President of the European Council Charles Michel said that the leaders of the European Union are becoming increasingly supportive of French President Emmanuel Macron's idea of “strategic autonomy” from the United States.
Michel emphasized that he supports the development of closer relations between the EU and the United States, but not if this process implies that “we will blindly, systematically follow the position of the United States on all issues”.
Other news:
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy convened a meeting of the Stavka: “We reviewed what is working on the front and what should work”;
- The US Treasury assures that donor funds will be enough for Ukraine until the end of the year;
- Canada imposes sanctions on the financial sector of Belarus, including the National Bank of Belarus;
- Ukrainian defenders destroyed Russian command and control centers and ammunition in Kherson Oblast;
- Russians shelled 9 communities in Sumy Oblast: houses and an agricultural company's warehouse were damaged.