Murder of a police officer in Vinnytsia region and adoption of US aid bill for Ukraine: highlights for April 20

Murder of a police officer in Vinnytsia region

Around 2 a.m. on April 20, police officers stopped a dark-colored car in Vinnytsia region to check it.

There were two men in the car. They opened fire on the police officers. A 20-year-old private was killed and his partner was wounded.

The Ground Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces stated that both men were servicemen of one of their military units. However, they did not specify which unit.

The police announced an operation in Vinnytsia and Odesa regions. The prosecutor's office opened a criminal investigation into the fact of an attempt on the life of a law enforcement officer (Article 348 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The perpetrators face life imprisonment.

Approval of US aid to Ukraine

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill to provide more than $60 billion in aid to Ukraine. Even before the voting was over, the bill had reached the required number of votes.

310 congressmen voted in favor of the bill, while 112 opposed it. Now the document still needs to be approved by the Senate and the President.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the adoption of the bill a decision “that keeps history on the right track”. He thanked both parties of the House of Representatives and its Speaker Mike Johnson.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that the House's decision confirmed the United States' global leadership and that everyone who voted for it “made the right choice”.

Drone attacks on regions in Russia

The Russian Defense Ministry announced the downing of 50 drones allegedly launched by Ukraine. The ministry clarified that the drones were destroyed in the Belgorod, Bryansk, Tula, Kursk, Smolensk, Ryazan, Kaluga and Moscow regions.

In the Smolensk region, a fire was reported at a fuel and energy facility.

Later, a source in the special services told hromadske that the military personnel of the Security Service of Ukraine, the Main Intelligence Directorate and the Special Operations Forces were behind the large-scale drone attack on 8 regions of Russia. The target of the drone attack was the energy infrastructure that feeds the facilities of the Russian military-industrial complex.

An employee of the Territorial Recruitment Center in Bukovyna defended himself by shooting into the ground

In the village of Chornohuzy, Chernivtsi region, a serviceman of the Territorial Center for Recruitment and Social Support was forced to shoot into the ground to scare away a group of people who used force against him.

The Territorial Recruitment Center stated that it was investigating all the causes and circumstances of the incident and hoped for an “appropriate response from law enforcement agencies”.

Zelenskyy signs decree on gambling restrictions

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has put into effect the decision of the National Security and Defense Council to counteract the negative effects of online gambling.

Within a month, the government is to develop a procedure for restricting all forms of gambling advertising, including the use of electronic communications, symbols of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations.

More news for today

• In the Rotterdam+ case, two defendants were released from liability due to the statute of limitations.
• Vereshchuk denies rumors of plans to become head of the Ternopil Regional Military Administration or a diplomat.
• Ukraine is approaching the signing of a “powerful” security agreement with the United States, Zelenskyy said.
• Ukraine has received an L-39ZA Albatross light attack aircraft from Lithuania.
• Poles resume truck traffic at two checkpoints.