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Russian stuff blowing up: Prisoner exchange takes place while Putin declares Easter truce [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-04-19
A prisoner exchange brings home 277 Ukrainians.
x WELCOME HOME HEROES 🇺🇦❤️‍🔥 277 soldiers returned home from Russian captivity. We remember all those who are in captivity. We are looking for everyone who may be there. We must return everyone, - Zelensky
[image or embed] — MAKS 24 👀🇺🇦 (@maks23.bsky.social) April 19, 2025 at 10:08 AM
x 🥺🇺🇦 Emotional first words of a Ukrainian soldier to his mother after 3 years in Russian captivity… ❤️ "Mom, I love you so much, I can’t even express it. I endured everything, I held on!"
[image or embed] — Savchenko Volodymyr (@savchenkoua.bsky.social) April 19, 2025 at 11:46 AM
Putin declares a 30-hour Easter truce.
This is nothing but PR. Putin wants to be able to claim that Ukraine broke the truce.
x Putin has ordered an "Easter ceasefire" in Ukraine, according to the Kremlin's press service. "We’re assuming the Ukrainian side will follow our example,” Putin said, while adding that Russian forces “must be prepared to repel any possible violations."
meduza.io/en/news/2025...
[image or embed] — Meduza in English (@meduza.io) April 19, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Russia won’t be ready for a peace deal until its army is on the verge of defeat.
x ISW: Russia again rejects US-backed ceasefire, demands total Ukrainian surrender Russia demands Ukraine’s capitulation and regime change, rejecting all ceasefire plans that fall short of those preconditions.
euromaidanpress.com/2025/04/19/i...
[image or embed] — Euromaidan Press (@euromaidanpress.bsky.social) April 19, 2025 at 3:38 AM
Anonymous has released a massive load of information from Russia. Some experts are saying it’s no big deal.
Anonymous claims the leaked content reveals: Internal documents from companies still doing business with Russia despite sanctions.
Details about Kremlin-affiliated assets held in foreign countries.
Profiles of pro-Russian officials and entities supporting Russian activities.
Files allegedly connected to Donald Trump, though their credibility remains under scrutiny.
x Anonymous leaks terabytes of Russian intel to help Ukraine – Trump’s name shows up too The hacktivist group says it dropped 10TB of Russian data, including Trump files—but experts question its value. euromaidanpress.com/2025/04/19/a...
[image or embed] — Euromaidan Press (@euromaidanpress.bsky.social) April 19, 2025 at 10:38 AM
Nothing to see here. Just 100 soldiers with nothing to lose running amok.
Seven made it to freedom but 4 were later caught.
x ❗️Around 100 Russian soldiers tried to escape from a military unit in Krasnodar. Detained for going AWOL, the soldiers broke through a fence and made it onto the grounds of the military commandant’s office. It's unclear if anyone managed to flee. Streets nearby are blocked and vehicles are searched.
[image or embed] — NOELREPORTS (@noelreports.com) April 18, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Bavovna
Ukraine takes out a bridge in the Belgorod area.
Here is an optimistic analysis from Andrew Perpetua, who spends thousands of hours upon thousands of hours perusing combat videos and updating a map of who controls what.
x I see several things happening in Ukraine right now: 1: Ukraine has pivoted to a drone based defense. Most of the gains you see Russia making right now are coming as a result of one of two things. A: Inferior Ukrainian drone units or B: Overwhelming Numerical Superiority. — Andrew Perpetua (@andrewperpetua.bsky.social) April 19, 2025 at 8:11 AM
When I say an inferior drone unit, I do not mean the pilots are bad, or even necessarily that their construction is bad. It could be as simple as not having access to enough drones, or not having enough pilots. I simply mean the unit isn’t strong enough for the task. Where we see the strongest drone units, we see Russia struggling to advance, Usually only advancing with extreme numerical superiority and enormous casualties. Once Russians break through the defense, Ukraine doesn’t have many forces available to push Russia back out. They simply lack the infantry. In the short term, it means incremental Russian advances. In the long term, I do not think it matters in any real way. 2: Russian armor is gradually becoming more scarce. Russia often launches large attacks the moment they rotate into a new area. We’ve seen this over the past few days. But afterwards they typically resort back to light infantry tactics, which we already see. The armored pushes are becoming less and less intense over time. Fewer vehicles, fewer attacks, more losses. Russia still has the ability to do medium sized armor pushes. Meaning 15-20 vehicles attacking at a time. Maybe even more if they really are dedicated. …. 3: Ukraine is developing more and more weapons capable of reaching deeper into the Russian rear. We’re talking 30,40,50,60km behind the front. These areas are increasingly becoming targets, and the more frequently this happens the more strained Russia will be. Imagine the logistical nightmare of having to keep your resources 80km back. The number of trucks needed will skyrocket, but also the roads will fill with destroyed vehicles. What we see now where roads are clogged with wrecks in the final 10-20km will expand to 30-40km. …. 4: Ukraine is becoming increasingly self sufficient over time. Yes, they will retain need for air defense missiles in particular. But homemade drones, armor, and artillery platforms are reducing reliance on foreign aid packages. Although the packages are obviously needed. On the flip side, Russia is becoming increasingly reliant on foreign aid. Now the majority of Russian munitions come from abroad. They rely on foreign made artillery systems, foreign made missiles, and foreign made computers and other such parts. This fact is being lost on many, who are stuck in a rut believing Ukraine is completely dependent. obviously, Ukraine requires help in many ways, but they are on a positive trajectory. Russia is on the negative trajectory. Without North Korean ammo and American computer parts, who knows if Russia would even be able to wage war at this point.
Add walking tractor to the list of equipment the second best army in the world rides into battle, along with motorcycles, Scooby vans, Chinese golf carts, electric scooters and donkeys.
x "A kamikaze drone hit right near us. We tried to shoot it down, but it was useless. The walking tractor's out." Another example of Russian soldiers using 'advanced' equipment at the frontline - a walking tractor with a trailer.
[image or embed] — Anton Gerashchenko (@antongerashchenko.bsky.social) April 19, 2025 at 6:06 AM
Mines that look like logs won’t seem like such a good idea five or 10 or 50 years from now.
It probably hasn’t changed since Genghis Khan ruled over what is now Russia.
x 1/ Russian commanders are robbing and deliberately killing their men, forcing female subordinates into sex and engaging in corruption with impunity, due to attitudes in the Russian army that a Russian commentator says are unchanged since the 19th century. ⬇️
[image or embed] — ChrisO_wiki (@chriso-wiki.bsky.social) April 18, 2025 at 3:59 AM
2/ Over the past three years of war in Ukraine, abuses by Russian officers have frequently been reported. Dissent is often punished by sending the culprits to die in unsupported assaults (an approach nicknamed Puzikism, after one particularly notorious commander). 3/ Theft from subordinates is commonplace, with men imprisoned under false pretenses, made to pay bribes to be released, or sometimes even murdered. 4/ There have also been repeated reports of sexual exploitation of female soldiers, with commanders reviving the World War Two practice of taking "field wives".
Drones as thick as mosquitoes: A Russian soldier describes the situation in the Pokrovsk and Toretsk areas.
x 1/ Further updates on the situation on the ground in eastern Ukraine illustrate the relentless nature of the fighting. It's all "blood and rubble", says one Russian soldier, with so many Ukrainian drones that they are "like mosquitoes on a lake". ⬇️
bsky.app/profile/anto...
[image or embed] — ChrisO_wiki (@chriso-wiki.bsky.social) April 17, 2025 at 3:07 PM
2/ The Russian 'DONTSTOPWAR' Telegram channel has been posting more short updates from Russian soldiers fighting in ruined villages along the frontline in Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhanks regions (see below for previous updates): 3/ "Novopavlivka direction: We work between Solone and Volchya. Slowly, we press them to Kotliarivka. We're coming in from the east and south. The terrain is difficult, but we're moving. Kotliarivka is still holding, but it's almost empty with few living souls left. 4/ "They keep pulling up their reserves there, but we're still pushing, and they're having a hard time fighting back, dragging everything they have there. Preobrazhenka is under control. We went in and cleaned it up. 5/ "Now we are increasing pressure on Troitske and south-west of Bohdanivka. We are trying to enter through the fields where artillery and drones are working on us. 6/ "There are problems with evacuation, there are not enough vehicles, we have to deliver drinking water or candy bars to some positions using copters, which are also fucking nonexistent. They are meeting us head-on. 7/ "Kostiantynivka direction: In the north of Toretsk the fighting is constant. Our assault groups come in and fight to the last as well as [the Ukrainians]. We are trying to squeeze them out from the east through Dyliivka, but they are fighting to the last! 8/ "West of Toretsk they are constantly counterattacking, hitting us with everything they can.In short, brother, not everything is as sweet as many people think. Please show it to people so they know and don't forget! 9/ "Pokrovka: Good luck. We're sitting in the houses to the east. It's not just that we can't go any further, we can't get out. We're just being knocked out like rats. Every time we go out, we get a minus [a casualty]. 10/ "The infantry are pressed against the walls, moving through basements, drones round the clock.Shevchenko is hell. [The Ukrainians] have drones like mosquitoes on a lake. They fly in all the time. The agricultural firm near Kotlin is simply burned out.
Another 1,180 Russians plus 70 artillery systems and 208 other vehicles.
x Russian losses per 19/04/25 reported by the Ukrainian General Staff. +1180 men
+14 tanks
+9 AFVs
+70 artillery
+1 MLRS
+3 AD systems
+111 UAVs
+3 cruise missiles
[image or embed] — NOELREPORTS (@noelreports.com) April 19, 2025 at 1:57 AM
Trump is so desperate for a deal that he’ll give away whatever he can to get it.
x Bloomberg: The U.S. is reportedly open to recognizing Russia’s control of Crimea as part of a Ukraine peace deal. This would mean freezing current front lines, without immediate demands for Crimea’s return — a move raising alarm in Kyiv and among U.S. allies.
[image or embed] — Meanwhile in Ukraine (@meanwhileua.bsky.social) April 18, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Little Marco’s ongoing emasculation is painful to watch.
x Marco Rubio today suggested that the United States may have to “step back” from supporting Ukraine. But here's what he said earlier:
“If we allow Putin to win in Ukraine, he will not stop.”
“American security begins with ending Russian aggression.” What has changed, Mr. Secretary of State?
[image or embed] — Meanwhile in Ukraine (@meanwhileua.bsky.social) April 18, 2025 at 4:40 PM
He should encourage Trump to go to Ukraine, but Trump is too cowardly to do that.
x ⚡️Republican US Congressman Fitzpatrick visits Ukraine’s front line, signs a shell for Putin. "I encourage all my colleagues in Congress to come here," U.S. Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, a pro-Ukraine Republican representing Pennsylvania, said during his visit to the front line.
[image or embed] — The Kyiv Independent (@kyivindependent.com) April 19, 2025 at 5:28 AM
It’s not oil. It’s … um … black sand. Yeah. That’s it!
x Just in time for the tourist season: Under penalty of tea of window, the head of Rospotrebnadzor (RF Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare) stated that the beaches in Crimea are “free” from fuel oil and suitable for recreation, despite new emissions. #OSINT
[image or embed] — OSINT Intuit (@urikikaski.bsky.social) April 18, 2025 at 2:41 PM
I’ve never worn a pair of fictional shoes, but I hear they are rather uncomfortable.
Rest in peace.
x 🕯️🕯️ Svitlana Shtepa and Daria Loboda — two young medical students with dreams of saving lives — were tragically kiIIed in a Russian missile strike on Sumy on April 13. Their future was stolen by war.
We will never forget. We will never forgive.
Justice will come.
[image or embed] — Meanwhile in Ukraine (@meanwhileua.bsky.social) April 16, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Lard? Yum.
x Today is Velyka Subota in Ukraine, a day of quiet reflection before Easter. Streets fill with families carrying Easter baskets to be blessed. What’s in a Ukrainian Easter basket?
Paska (Easter bread), eggs, horseradish, red beet vinaigrette, salo (lard), cheese, salt, ham, butter, kovbasa (sausage)
[image or embed] — Euromaidan Press (@euromaidanpress.bsky.social) April 18, 2025 at 10:38 PM
Dad’s home.
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