VLADIMIR Putin was seen LIMPING whilst making a shock visit to eastern Ukraine close to the frontline.
Vlad was seen walking stiffly as he emerged from a helicopter in the Ukrainian city of Kherson and appeared to have a limp.
It isn't clear how recent the visit was, however, it is believed it took place several days ago ahead of the Orthodox Easter.
Following this shock visit, an advisor to President Zelensky slammed the brutal dictator for his "tour of mass murder" sites in Ukraine.
Mikhail Podolyak said: "There’s only a “special tour” of the mass murders authored in the occupied and ruined territories to enjoy the crimes of his minions for the last time.”
Read our Ukraine war blog below for the latest news…
Russia’s foreign minister has said the Kremlin wants peace in Ukraine “as soon as possible.”
Sergey Lavrov made the claim while on a visit to Brazil.
Despite these claims, Russia continues to bombard Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.
Moreover, Kyiv has made clear Ukraine must have all its territory, including Crimea, restored if peace is to be achieved.
“Real peace means restoring the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine. Real peace means a safe homeland for the targeted people in the Ukrainian Crimea,” Ukrainain Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.
Russia's Vladimir Putin is on a "special tour" of "mass murders" as he visits Kherson, a Ukrainian official has said.
Taking to Twitter, advisor to President Zelensky Mikhail Podolyak said: “Putin’s degradation is impressive. The world waited for his statement a year ago. Now they don’t.
"There’s no such political actor. There’s only a “special tour” of the mass murders author in the occupied and ruined territories to enjoy the crimes of his minions for the last time.”
Putin's degradation is impressive. The world waited for his statement a year ago. Now they don't. There's no such political actor. There's only a "special tour" of the mass murders author in the occupied and ruined territories to enjoy the crimes of his minions for the last time.
Russian officials have voted in favour of life sentences for those convicted of treason.
This comes as discontent among Russian soldiers continues to spread through Putin's army amid his brutal war in Ukraine.
The previous sentence for treason was a maximum of 20 years.
“The amendments are necessary to protect against the unprecedented threats that our country now faces from Ukraine and its Western sponsors,” lawmaker Vasily Piskarev said, reports Al Jazeera.
Russia is not currently planning on banning Wikipedia, a Kremlin official says.
“We are not blocking Wikipedia yet, there are no such plans for now,” Interfax news agency quotes Digital Affairs Minister Maksut Shadaev as saying.
This comes after the web-based encyclopedia was fined almost £8,000 by the Kremlin.
The British Ministry of Defence has shared a look at the current situation in Ukraine.
This comes President Zelensky visits troops on the frontline in Donetsk.
“The map below is the latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 17 April 2023,” The MoD said.
The illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine is continuing.
The map below is the latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 18 April 2023.
Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/Uw2On3pUXT
🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/eCEdIeH2QW
Ukraine’s foreign minister has dismissed the Kremlin’s claim it wants a peaceful solution to the war in Ukraine.
“Russia is seeking war. And this is the biggest impediment, the biggest hurdle on the way to peace,” Dmytro Kuleba said during a visit to Iraq.
“You don’t behave like this when you want peace. So whatever Russian officials are saying … today Russia wants war.
“We need Russia to agree with a very simple fact: it has to stop the war and withdraw from the territory of Ukraine. This will give space to diplomacy.”
President Zelensky visited troops in the frontline town of Avdiivka, Donetsk.
This comes as Putin has been pictured visiting the Ukrainian town of Kherson.
He reportedly made an appearance at the “Dnipro headquarters” in Kherson before going to the HQ of the Vostok National Guard in Luhansk.
A civilian has been killed as Russian forces continue to shell Kherson, regional officials report.
Governor Oleksandr Prokudin posted on Telegram: “The terrorist state launched an attack on peaceful Kherson residents.
“One person died. Nine people from Kherson are injured. Our heroic doctors are fighting for their lives and health.”
The UK’s Ministry of Defence has released its latest intelligence update on the war in Ukraine.
It claimed that there is a “realistic possibility” that Russia has reduced forces in the eastern Donbas area.
The ministry said: “Heavy fighting has continued along the Donbas front line. However, there is a realistic possibility that Russia has reduced troop numbers and is decreasing offensive action around Donetsk city, most likely to divert resources towards the Bakhmut sector.
“In Bakhmut, Russian MoD and Wagner Group forces continue to make creeping advances. The front line in the town centre largely follows the main railway line.
“Ukraine is generally holding Russia’s envelopment from the south along the line of Korsunskovo Street, the old main road west out of town.”
The US ambassador to Russia has said the charges brought against Evan Gershkovich are "baseless".
Lynne M Tracy said it was "troubling" to see him being held in these circumstances but claimed he was in "good health" during her visit to see him yesterday.
She said: "The charges against Evan are baseless and we call on the Russian Federation to immediately release him.
"We also call for the immediate release of Paul Whelan, who has been held for more than four years in Russia.
"Both men deserve to go home to their families now."
Today's court appearance was part of an appeal against his detention, although it appears to have been used by Russia as an excuse to parade him.
His appeal against his pre-trial detention was rejected by the court in Moscow on Tuesday.
This means he will be held until May 29 at the earliest before his case goes to trial.
If found guilty, he faces up to 20 years in jail.
Putin's use of Wagner mercenaries has been blamed for the violence that erupted in Sudan this weekend, with a retired British army officer claiming the country could be "the first victim" of Russia's influence on Africa.
Richard Kremp told the Telegraph: "Vladimir Putin, either by accident or design, has helped to unleash a wave of violence that could have disastrous consequences not just for Sudan and North Africa, but the world. His failed invasion of Ukraine has empowered the Wagner Group, which uses that clout to plunder African nations and stir up trouble."
According to Ukraine's armed forces a further 470 Russian soldiers were killed in the past 24 hours.
The total number of losses now sits at 183,130.
Putin faced more misery after another six UAV's and artillery systems were eliminated.
These are the indicative estimates of Russia’s combat losses as of April 18, according to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/JHFuU5upr1
The Royal Air Force has intercepted a Russian spy plane and two fighter jets flying close to Nato airspace.
The war planes were intercepted by RAF Typhoons from Operation Azotize who were protecting the eastern flank of Nato’s border, near Estonia.
A pilot involved in the operation said: “We often see Russian military aircraft flying over the Baltic Sea and so this was a routine intercept for us.
“Nevertheless, the importance of intercepting these aircraft and our commitment to the collective defence of Nato airspace remains steadfast and resolute.
“What this intercept has proven is that together with our German allies, we are able to act with speed and decisiveness to effectively ensure the Alliance’s security.”
Read the full story here.
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has appeared in a Russia courtroom for his appeal hearing today.
He is being held at the notorious Lefortovo prison in Moscow.
After being arrested and held in Russia, Evan Gershkovich has managed to send his first letter to his family in the US.
The Wall Street Journal published the handwritten letter in which the 31-year-old journalist remained positive and joked about prison food.
The two-page letter was dated April 5 and his family in Philadelphia received it on Friday.
The letter read: “I want to say that I am not losing hope. I read. I exercise. And I am trying to write. Maybe, finally, I am going to write something good.
“Mum, you unfortunately, for better or worse, prepared me well for jail food,” as he explained how he had hot creamed wheat, oatmeal cereal or “wheat gruel” for breakfast.
The Kremlin said of the latest visit: "The Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation visited the headquarters of the Dnipro grouping of troops in the Kherson direction and the headquarters of the Vostok National Guard in the Luhansk People's Republic."
If true, the visit would have been the first by Putin to both the Luhansk and Kherson regions of Ukraine which are both claimed by Russia.
It comes a month after Putin's shock visit to Mariupol in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine – his first to the country since the start of his brutal invasion in February last year.
It isn't clear how recent the visit was, however, it is believed it took place several days ago ahead of the Orthodox Easter.
The visit was only announced today by the Kremlin, which released heavily-edited footage of Putin's trip.
He reportedly made an appearance at the "Dnipro headquarters" in Kherson before going to the HQ of the Vostok National Guard in Luhansk.
Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter, will appeal against his arrest and detention in Moscow today.
He was arrested on charges of espionage, according to court documents.
According to a public Russian judicial document, a court will hear a complaint filed by Gershkovich against the decision to keep him in custody in Lefortovo prison.
The court documents gave nothing more than basic details about the case.
Putin has appeared to limp during his latest surprise visit to Ukraine.
The 70-year-old Russian president was seen walking stiffly as he emerged from a helicopter in the Ukrainian city of Kherson.
The UK's Ministry of Defence has released their latest intelligence update on the war in Ukraine.
They claimed that there is a "realistic possibility" that Russia has reduced forces in the eastern Donbas area.
The ministry said: "Heavy fighting has continued along the Donbas front line. However, there is a realistic possibility that Russia has reduced troop numbers and is decreasing offensive action around Donetsk city, most likely to divert resources towards the Bakhmut sector.
"In Bakhmut, Russian MoD and Wagner Group forces continue to make creeping advances. The front line in the town centre largely follows the main railway line.
"Ukraine is generally holding Russia’s envelopment from the south along the line of Korsunskovo Street, the old main road west out of town."
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 18 April 2023.
Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/STovWLVBpO
🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/TL7oXbxkov
Vladimir Kara-Murza was born in Moscow moved to Britain with his mother when he was a teenager and graduated from Cambridge University, where he studied history.
He has publicly opposed Putin since the tyrant came to power in 2000 and was also a friend and ally of Boris Nemtsov, and opposition leader shot dead near Red Square eight years ago.
He was abroad when the war broke out but returned to Russia to encourage anti-war protests but has been held in jail since his arrest.
He has three children, aged 11, 14 and 17.
The Kremlin has said that Vladimir Putin attended a military headquarters in the southern Kherson and eastern Luhansk regions.
The Russian leader was informed about the war by commanders and he spoke to other senior officers on the situation in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.
Putin then visited the national guard headquarters in the Luhansk region.
James Cleverly has condemned Russia's "lack of commitment to protecting fundamental human rights" after Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said: "Vladimir Kara-Murza bravely denounced Russia's invasion of Ukraine for what it was – a blatant violation of international law and the UN Charter.
"Russia's lack of commitment to protecting fundamental human rights, including freedom of expression, is alarming. We continue to urge Russia to adhere to its international obligations including Vladimir Kara-Murza's entitlement to proper healthcare."
According to Ukraine's armed forces, Putin's troops faced heavy losses as a further 590 soldiers were killed.
The total number of Russian losses since the start of the war in Ukraine sits at 182,660.
A further eight UAV and nine artillery systems were destroyed.
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