Geopolitical situation
The world briefly focused yesterday on the Coronation celebrations. As blood continues to spill freely in Ukraine and a sea of aggression and violence drowns human consciousness in all corners of the Earth, smiles and applause accompanied the moment of the crown's trampling.
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, also congratulated King Charles III and thanked him and the British people for their support in the war against Russia. He called the King and his wife Queen Camilla "true friends of Ukraine" and said his reign marked "the beginning of a new era of British monarchy".
"I wish King Charles III many years of successful reign, and the people of the United Kingdom prosperity and our shared victories," said Mr Zelensky in his nightly video address.
Earlier, Ukraine's defence ministry released a congratulatory video thanking "our British friends for their friendship. We are grateful for your unwavering support and partnership, especially over the past year!"
The minute-long video, which thanks London for arms and for training thousands of Ukrainian soldiers, shows meetings between Mr Zelensky and King Charles, Prime Minister Risha Sunak, Labour leader Keir Starmer and former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Zelensky's wife Olena and Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shymkhal are in London this week with a group of other heads of state to celebrate the coronation of King Charles, who ascended the throne last September after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth.
Significant milestones
The Ukrainian air force yesterday claimed to have shot down a Russian hypersonic missile over Kyiv using newly acquired American Patriot defence systems. This is the first known case where a country has managed to intercept one of Moscow's most advanced missiles.
Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk said in a Telegram message that the Kijal missile was intercepted during a night attack on the Ukrainian capital at the beginning of the week. "Yes, we shot down a 'unique' Kynjal," Oleshchuk wrote. He said the Kh-47 missile was launched from Russian territory by a MiG-31K aircraft and shot down by a Patriot missile.
"The Kizhal is one of Russia's newest and most advanced weapons. The Russian military claims that the air-launched missile has a range of up to 2 000 km and travels at 10 times the speed of sound, making it difficult to intercept. The combination of speed and a heavy warhead allows the Kijal to destroy well-fortified targets such as underground bunkers or mountain tunnels.
"They said Patriot is an obsolete American weapon and Russian weapons are the best in the world," air force spokesman Yuri Ikhnat told Ukraine's Channel 24 television. "Well, there is confirmation that it is effective even against a supersonic missile."
Overnight, Ukraine fired more than 10 drones at the Crimean peninsula, including three at the port of Sevastopol, a Russian-appointed official lamented early on Sunday, adding that air defence systems had repelled all the strikes. "No objects (in Sevastopol) were damaged," said Sevastopol's Moscow-appointed "governor" Mikhail Razvozzhayev.
However, the Ukrainians reported that at least a few drones hit targets and explosions were heard in Sevastopol and in Sakha, where Russia has an air base.
Over the last two weeks, we have seen an intensification of strikes against Russian-controlled targets, particularly in Crimea. It is very likely that the destruction of infrastructure is in preparation for a planned ground offensive.
The apartment thief Prigozhin said again yesterday that he has still not received additional ammunition from Moscow ahead of the planned withdrawal of his jets from Bakhmut. "As of today, no one has come to replenish the ammunition, to provide it in the necessary quantity," Putin's cook said. "There can be no offensive without a counter-offensive, without defeating the enemy's means".
He said the Vagner forces are out of ammunition and cannot continue further offensive operations near the town, which has been under Russian siege for about 10 months. "Because I will lead more men to certain death. From 10 May we will start withdrawing our troops", said the war criminal.
We hope that by 10 May there will be nothing left to withdraw.
Briefly
On Saturday, Russian propagandist and nationalist Zakhar Prilepin was injured in a car explosion that killed his driver. The attack came three days after Moscow claimed that Ukraine was trying to use drones to strike the Kremlin. The Russian Foreign Ministry blamed Ukraine and its Western supporters, in particular the United States, for the bombing.
Russian terrorists fired white phosphorus munitions at the ruins of Bakhmut.
Andriy Yermak, head of Zelensky's office, announced a new prisoner exchange. "45 of our people are coming home. They are 42 defenders and three Azovstal defenders. All of them are National Guard soldiers from the Azov unit established 9 years ago on the Azov coast. 35 privates and sergeants, 10 officers," Yermak said.
The Russian occupiers are burning documents and taking away equipment and machinery in Melitopol, the partisans report.
Lithuania
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki arrived in Vilnius with two Polish state awards in his pocket.
He gave one to the colourful Tomaševski and the other to his friend Peško, who abstained in the vote on restoring Lithuania's independence, along with five other losers. In fact, they voted 'against'.
It is difficult to say why Mr Mateusz decided to spit in the face of Lithuanian citizens. It could be seen as a mistake by his team, a misunderstanding or ignorance.
We believe that if our First Statesmen had not formally stood with the gentleman from Warsaw to pose for a photograph out of duty, but had sat down in the evening and had a drink, there would not have been such an inter-state clique.
Pictured here, Britain's King Charles III meets Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky at Buckingham Palace, London, on Wednesday 8 February 2023. Aaron Chown/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
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