2024-05-04 23:52:33
The head of the ANO movement, Andrej Babiš, stated that he is not criticizing the aid to Ukraine, but the lack of transparency of the current Czech ammunition initiative, which he perceives primarily as a giant PR event. He wrote this in response to a letter from Defense Minister Jana Černochová (ODS), in which she blamed the former prime minister for the attacks on the ammunition initiative.
Chairman of the ANO movement Andrej Babiš | Photo: CTK
Update the report
21:49
The Ukrainian army shot down a Russian Su-25 over the Donetsk region today. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced this on Saturday, the Russian authorities did not comment on it. “Special recognition goes to the fighters of the 110th Independent Mechanized Brigade for shooting down another Russian (aircraft) Su-25 today in the Donetsk region,” Zelenskyy said in a regular evening video speech. He did not provide further details, Reuters noted, saying his claim could not be immediately verified.
21:48
At least two people were killed on Saturday in Russian attacks on the Kharkiv region of southern Ukraine. Other people were injured in strikes on the Dnepropetrovsk region and the port city of Odessa. Ukrainian officials informed about it. Authorities in Russia’s Belgorod region, on the border with Ukraine, said an explosion in the regional capital injured five people. They did not say what caused the explosion, but the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that it had destroyed two drones over the city. Moscow claims it does not target civilian targets, but in and around Kharkiv it regularly attacks civilian infrastructure, according to local authorities.
16:12
Russian authorities have opened criminal proceedings against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and placed him on the wanted list. This was reported by the TASS agency on Saturday, referring to the official records of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The ministry’s database states that the Ukrainian president is wanted under an article of the Criminal Code, writes TASS. On the basis of which provision Zelenskyj was placed on the list of wanted persons, the file does not specify.
Russia has launched criminal proceedings against a number of Ukrainian and other European politicians since the start of its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In February, it included Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and dozens of other politicians and officials from the Baltic countries, including the head of the Estonian government office Taimar Peterkop and Lithuanian culture minister Simonas Kairys, on the list of wanted persons.
11:52
The head of the ANO movement, Andrej Babiš, responded to the letter of Defense Minister Jana Černochová (ODS), in which she blamed the former prime minister for the attacks on the Czech ammunition initiative. In his answer, he wrote that the ANO movement never questioned the aid to Ukraine. “Similarly, we have never disputed that Russia is a clear aggressor, and we have also repeatedly condemned this act of terrorism unequivocally,” he said.
However, he added that the movement considers the ammunition initiative to be non-transparent. “I see it primarily as a giant PR event,” he emphasized. If the main goal was really to help Ukraine, this activity would not have been discussed since February, but only after the aid was delivered, he added.
Po Černochová wants to know how much ammunition cost Czech taxpayers, or why the government does not make purchases through state-owned enterprises. “What was the gross margin on each artillery shell? How do you guarantee that arms dealers make a reasonable profit and don’t abuse martial law situations?” he asks. He is also interested in whether the ammunition will be refurbished in the Czech Republic and transported through Czech territory.
08:06
Ukraine eased some wartime capital controls for businesses. The central bank described the move as the biggest liberalization of the currency market since the Russian invasion in 2022. Referring to the central bank’s statement on Friday, the CNBC news server writes about it. Most of the measures come into force on Saturday.
The new measures include allowing companies to repatriate dividends received from January 1 in a maximum amount corresponding to one million euros (25 million crowns) per month. Companies can also now make payments of up to one million euros per quarter as part of interest payments on foreign loans granted before February 2022.
The Central Bank also eased restrictions on the purchase of foreign currency to repay loans received after June 2023. It also abolished foreign exchange restrictions on the import of services from representative offices to parent companies.
08:02
Ukraine’s air defense reported that it shot down all 13 drones sent by Russia over Ukraine on Saturday night. It eliminated five of them in the Dnepropetrovsk region, said its head, Serhij Lysak. The wreckage of the downed planes hit an unspecified object of critical infrastructure and three private houses. Two people were injured. They are in moderate condition.
The Russian army also shelled the surroundings of the city of Nikopol, located near the destroyed Kachovská dam, with heavy artillery or Grad rocket launchers. A number of public buildings were damaged, including a school or bank, as well as critical infrastructure objects. Nobody was injured.
07:58
Four people were injured in a Russian drone attack on Kharkiv, Ukraine, on the night of Saturday, Ukrainian media reports. One child is among the injured. The Russian army also attacked the Dnepropetrovsk region, from where two injuries are reported.
According to Oleh Synehubov, the head of the Kharkiv region, there were three fires in the second largest Ukrainian city, the largest of which was in warehouses. He stated that only civilian targets were hit. Two people ended up in the hospital, the other two injured were treated by paramedics on the spot.
21:25
Russia has temporarily banned the export of sugar from the country. Referring to the government regulation, Russian press agencies write about it. Thus, Moscow wants to ensure stability on the domestic food market, the TASS agency quoted from the decree. The ban applies until the end of August and concerns the export of cane or beet sugar and chemically pure sucrose.
16:54
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said today on the X network that he spoke with his Czech counterpart Jan Lipavsky about progress in the Czech initiative to provide Ukraine with artillery ammunition.
“We evaluated the progress of the Czech initiative and overall efforts to strengthen military aid to Ukraine. We also coordinated joint actions to make the peace summit a success. I am grateful to the Czech Republic for its friendly and continuous support,” he wrote Kuleba. The mentioned summit is to take place next month in Switzerland.
I spoke with @JanLipavsky to take stock of the Czech initiative’s progress and overall efforts to strengthen military assistance to Ukraine. We also coordinated joint steps to make the Peace Summit a success. I am grateful to Czechia for its friendly and continued support.
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) May 3, 2024
16:10
On Thursday, the Bavarian town of Murnau said goodbye to two murdered Ukrainian soldiers who were being treated for war injuries in Germany. A 57-year-old Russian suspected of murdering a pair of Ukrainians confessed to the crime.
16:09
Russia’s air defenses shot down a total of 41 Ukrainian drones overnight, the Russian Defense Ministry said, according to Reuters. Ukraine also faced a drone attack, with warning sirens sounding in a number of areas.
14:17
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marija Zakharova threatened the West with retaliation if Ukraine destroys the Kerch Bridge connecting occupied Crimea with Russia. The spokeswoman said that Kiev is preparing for such a step with the “direct support of Washington, London and Brussels”.
14:11
Dear readers,
welcome to the new online broadcast of events in Ukraine. All old information can be found here.
Zahraničí, Reuters, ČTK
Updated 14 hours ago
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