Russia is said to have resorted to one of their mega bombs for the first time. For the second day in a row, the energy infrastructure is under attack. More information in the news blog.
The most important things at a glance
Another massive power outage in large parts of Ukraine
9.30 p.m.: After massive Russian attacks on energy facilities in Ukraine, the state grid operator Ukrenergo temporarily switched off electricity in several regions on Saturday. The energy supplier DTEK announced “emergency power shutdowns” in the regions of Dnipropetrovsk in the south and Donetsk in the east of the country.
In the regions of Sumy in the northeast and Poltava in the center of the country, regional authorities announced the interruption of electricity supply. The energy supplier and the authorities did not provide any information about the number of households affected.
Russia recruits 30,000 soldiers per month
5:03 p.m.: According to British experts, the Russian military is recruiting around 30,000 people per month for its war of aggression in Ukraine. This emerged from the daily intelligence report from the Ministry of Defense in London.
Moscow will be able to continue to compensate for losses among its soldiers and continue attacks in the war of attrition against Ukraine, said the message distributed on X (formerly Twitter). As a result, Russia continues to have a quantitative advantage over the Ukrainians in terms of ammunition and equipment.
The Russians can therefore continue to advance gradually to the west of the town of Avdiivka, which was recently captured by the Russian attackers, the statement continued. At the end of March, the villages of Tonenke and Orlivka most likely also fell into Russian hands. Others are therefore contested. Despite numerous sustained attacks elsewhere on the front line, the British assess Russian progress in recent weeks as little.
Lindner: Putin wants power over us
1:38 p.m.: Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner has warned against easing up on supporting Ukraine in its defense against the Russian war of aggression. “Our peace and our freedom are threatened. Putin is not just concerned with Ukraine, he wants to change the order of peace and freedom in Europe,” the FDP leader told the “Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger”. “He wants power over us in order to control our way of life and our prosperity. Anyone who gets tired of supporting Ukraine because it is too strenuous or too expensive should consider the consequences. The danger of war would come closer to us. “
Lindner opposes considerations of freezing the war, as suggested by SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich. “Russia has committed war crimes. For Ukraine, it’s about existence as a state. And for the people, it’s often about survival. You can’t freeze a situation like this,” he says. Such considerations would not go down well in states that felt threatened by Putin, such as the Baltics. Lindner: “How would it affect us if the French National Assembly were to think about freezing a conflict if the enemy were in Chemnitz?” Putin is not allowed to achieve his war goals.
Ukraine reports rocket and drone attacks overnight
7:54 a.m.: According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia fired four missiles into the east of the country during the night. In addition, twelve Shahed drones were spotted in different regions. Nine were shot down.
Air strikes on Odessa reported
4.30 a.m.: The Ukrainian Air Force warned early Saturday morning of Russian air strikes on the Odessa region. Several missiles are heading towards Ukraine from the Black Sea. Initially there were no reports of possible damage or injuries.
