Strike on Odesa and Ukraine's application to the Council of Europe on derogation from the Convention on Human Rights: highlights for April 29

Ukraine's application to the Council of Europe

The news that Ukraine has submitted to the Council of Europe an application for partial derogation from the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms due to the martial law in the country caused a stir online.

Minister of Justice Denys Maliuska explained that this document is related to the periodic review of notifications and possible restrictions on the part of Ukraine. According to him, in fact, in April, Ukraine reduced restrictions on a certain set of rights.

Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets also said that Ukraine has been submitting such a declaration of derogation from the obligations of the Human Rights Convention since 2015: “This step is just a necessity. And the topic has received much more attention than it deserves. This does not change anything for Ukrainian citizens.”

Strike on Odesa

On the evening of April 29, Russian troops launched a missile attack on Odesa. The attack killed 4 people and injured 29 others. Among the victims of the Russian attack is former Party of Regions member and president of the Odesa Law Academy Serhii Kivalov.

Videos of the aftermath of the attack were posted online. After the Russian strike, a fire broke out in the so-called “Harry Potter Castle”. This building belongs to the National University “Odesa Law Academy”.

TTemporary blocking of the GUR and SBU chatbots

On the evening of April 28, chatbots of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine and the Ministry of Digital Transformation, which could be used to report the movement of Russian equipment, disappeared from the messenger. On the morning of April 29, it became known that the bots were available again.

The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine called the blocking “unreasonable” and “contrary to the rules and public statements of Telegram's management”. And the head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Freedom of Speech, Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, linked the incident to the Russian Federal Security Service.

At the same time, a Telegram spokesperson said that the blocking of chatbots was allegedly due to a mistake.

Details of the murder of Ukrainian soldiers in Germany

Munich prosecutors said that the 57-year-old Russian suspected of killing two Ukrainian soldiers in the German city of Murnau was intoxicated.

German law enforcement officials do not rule out “political motives” for the murder, and the Bavarian Central Office for Combating Extremism and Terrorism has joined the investigation.

It also became known that one of the killed Ukrainian soldiers was a soldier of the 81st separate airmobile Slobozhanska brigade of the Air Assault Forces.

Visit of the NATO Secretary General

The NATO Secretary General arrived in Ukraine on an unannounced visit. He met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The politicians discussed the creation of a special fund for financial support of Ukrainian defense worth 100 billion euros for 5 years. Stoltenberg said that Ukraine has a rightful place in the Alliance and that when “the time is right”, Ukraine will immediately become a NATO member.

Other important news

• Polish farmers on the border unblocked the Rava-Ruska-Hrebenne checkpoint.
• Former head coach of the Ukrainian national football team Mykhailo Fomenko died.
• Suspilne appeals to the Verkhovna Rada over Bezuhla's “deputy reproach”.
• Deputy Minister Solskyi has already returned to Ukraine — he is also involved in the case of the land scheme.

• In two years, almost 11,000 cases against tax evaders have been opened in Ukraine, Prosecutor General's Office reported.