Lithuania to give away all its Stingers, EU states against Ukrainian meat and dairy: last night's highlights
Ukraine will receive all of Lithuania's Stinger air defense systems. Five EU countries propose to extend import bans on Ukrainian honey, sugar, eggs, meat, and dairy products. A Khmelnytskyi court imposed a pre—trial restraint on a UOC—MP clergyman suspected of beating a former military officer. Here is what you may have missed from the previous night.
Stingers from Lithuania
Latvian Defense Minister Ināra Mūrniece has said that her country would transfer all of its Stinger man-portable air defense systems to Ukraine. However, she did not specify the exact number of weapons in question.
Mūrniece also announced that Latvia would expand its training program for Ukrainian soldiers this year, training almost 3,000 defenders, three times more than in 2022.
Import ban
The agriculture ministers of five EU countries — Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria — propose that the European Commission expand the list of products from Ukraine banned from import.
In particular, they want to ban imports of sunflower oil, flour, honey, sugar, soft fruits, eggs, meat, milk, and dairy products.
The ministers argue that imports of agricultural products from Ukraine "cause serious market disturbances and damage to EU farmers."
UOC-MP subdeacon appears in court
The Khmelnytskyi City District Court has imposed a pre-trial restriction on Ihor Slobodian, a clergyman of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church — Moscow Patriarchate, who is suspected of beating a former military man in the Holy Protection Cathedral on April 2. The subdeacon appeared before the police and the court voluntarily.
Slobodian is suspected under Part 1 of Article 125 of the Criminal Code — intentional light bodily harm. He may face a fine of up to fifty tax-free minimum incomes (62,025 UAH or $1,680), community service of up to 200 hours, or correctional labor for up to one year.
Derussification of geographical names
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a law prohibiting the naming of geographical objects with names associated with Russia.
The authors of the law are convinced that the document will help clear the public space of imposed ideologemes, as well as establish historical justice and restore Ukrainian historical and national toponymy, supplementing it with the names of the latest heroes.
Other news
- President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to a petition that proposes to introduce life imprisonment for MPs and government officials for corruption during martial law.
- Starting April 24, Ukrzaliznytsia launches a route that will allow people to travel from Austria and Hungary to Ukraine without a stopover.
- The Cabinet of Ministers has banned the collection of utility bills from IDPs that were incurred after February 24, 2022. The government also proposed a mechanism for compensating losses to businesses from the territories that are temporarily occupied or where hostilities are ongoing.
- Former officials of the Ministry of Defense were notified of a new suspicion and had the previously filed suspicion amended in the case of purchasing food for the military for 2021.
- In the temporarily occupied city of Berdiansk, Russians seized the Roman Catholic Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.