Zelenskyy in Avdiivka, beating of conscripts and spring flood: highlights of April 18

Russian shelling

Russian shelling on April 18 killed residents of Kherson and Sumy Oblasts.

In the morning, the occupiers shelled the Central Market area in Kherson with artillery. One person was killed and nine others were injured.

At noon, they shelled a border village in Sumy Oblast. As a result, a civilian woman was killed and another was wounded.

In addition, the Russians shelled the central market of Ukrainsk in the Selydove community of Donetsk Oblast. At least ten people were injured in the shelling.

Zelenskyy in Avdiivka

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the frontline positions of Ukrainian soldiers in Avdiivka, Donetsk Oblast.

Zelenskyy listened to a report from the commander of the Donetsk operational and tactical group on the situation in his area of responsibility, and also talked to soldiers of the marines, airborne assault, mechanized and artillery units.

In addition, Zelenskyy posted a video from the destroyed city.

Spring floods

A red level of danger has been declared in four regions of Ukraine due to spring flooding, and an orange level of danger has been declared in two more regions.

Thus, the orange level is in Kyiv and Chernihiv Oblasts, and the red level is in Cherkasy, Poltava, Dnipro and Kirovohrad Oblasts. The most difficult situation is on the Dnipro River.

The peak of the flood is expected on April 18-28. The last time a flood of this magnitude was observed was in 2013.

Officer beats conscript

A video has been posted online showing an officer allegedly beating a conscript.

The Western Territorial Directorate of the National Guard reported that their leadership was outraged by the officer's actions.

The directorate launched an internal investigation into the incident and also informed the Territorial Directorate of the State Bureau of Investigation in Lviv.

SBI investigators found additional facts of the officer's bullying of servicemen. He is currently being served a notice of suspicion under Part 5 of Art. 426-1 (abuse of power or authority by a military official) of the Criminal Code.

The tragedy of May 2

The Primorskyi Court of Odesa announced the verdict against the former chief of Odesa public security police, Dmytro Fuchedzhy, who was involved in the mass disorders of May 2, 2014.

The court found Fuchedzhy guilty of complicity in organizing mass riots by prior conspiracy of a group of persons; abuse of power; aiding and abetting the seizure of government buildings; and interference with the activities of a law enforcement officer.

In July 2017, hromadske journalists learned that Fuchedzhi had been granted Russian citizenship. Russia refused to extradite the former policeman.

Situation at the frontline

Russian occupation forces are focusing their main efforts on conducting offensive operations in the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Marinka directions.

Over the course of April 18, Ukrainian defenders repelled 30 attacks in these areas of the frontline. The fiercest fighting is taking place for Bakhmut and Marinka.

Former MP Oleh Barna was killed

A politician, public figure and former MP Oleh Barna was killed in the fighting on April 17. He would have turned 56 on April 18.

At the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he volunteered for the military enlistment office, and on February 25, he was already enlisted as a grenade launcher commander.

The scandal with fur seals

The UAnimals community of animal rights activists discovered that on April 17, a blogger with the account st.makeeva.family posted a video on TikTok from a hotel room in Odesa, where fur seals were staying.

The video is no longer available on the blogger's page, but it has spread in local Telegram channels.

Animal rights activists consider this cruelty to animals and criticize the blogger, as well as the dolphinarium staff who allowed the photo shoot with the seals.

The dolphinarium responded that fur seals are social creatures for whom “communication with people is not only a part of their normal life, but also a vital necessity”.

Other news of the day

• The European Commission is preparing additional assistance to countries affected by the influx of Ukrainian agricultural products.
• The Pentagon will receive the first opinions on the leak of classified documents and recommendations for the future protection of classified information within 45 days.
• The occupying head of the Zaporizhzhia NPP is notified of suspicion. He disconnected the plant from the Ukrainian power grid.
• The White Angel special forces evacuated a mother with six children, five of them minors, from the village of New York in Donetsk Oblast.
• Ukrainian law enforcement officers use artificial intelligence to identify 70 members of the illegal armed group Crimean Self-Defense who assisted the Russian armed forces during the occupation of Crimea.
• On April 18, the Cabinet of Ministers settled the issue of childbirth benefits for parents who have gone abroad due to the full-scale war.
• The pilots and employees of the Ukrainian airline SkyUp, who cannot leave Sudan, which is engulfed in unrest, are in relative safety. They will be evacuated when the opportunity arises, the company said.
• The High Anti-Corruption Court has extended the procedural obligations for former Naftogaz CEO Andrii Koboliev for another two months. Thus, he still has to wear an electronic bracelet.