Dispatches from Ukraine, provided by Forbes Ukraine’s editorial team.
As Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues and the war rages on, reliable sources of information are critical. Forbes Ukraine’s reporters gather information and provide updates on the situation.
Wednesday, April 20. Day 56. By Daryna Antoniuk
Mariupol. More than 120,000 people remain in the besieged Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky. Nearly 1,000 Ukrainian troops and civilians remain trapped in Mariupol's Azovstal steel plant under heavy Russian bombardment.
A humanitarian corridor to evacuate women, children and the elderly from Mariupol was agreed upon on Wednesday. Fewer buses than planned were able to reach the city, so not as many people were evacuated from Mariupol as authorities had hoped.
A Ukrainian commander in Mariupol, Serhiy Volyna, said that his forces were probably facing their “last days, if not hours.” According to Volyna, Ukrainians are outnumbered 10 to one and have 500 wounded soldiers.
Luhansk. Nearly 80% of Luhansk territory is under Russian control, regional military governor Serhii Haidai told CNN. According to Haidai, Ukrainians “are doing well” destroying Russian equipment.
He also warned of possible Russian attacks during upcoming Easter services and called for religious observations online. There are almost no surviving churches left in the Luhansk region.
Russia said it test-launched its intercontinental ballistic missile called “Sarmat” to “ensure the security of Russia from external threats.”
The U.S. was notified of the Russian missile test, tracked it, and was not concerned, the officials said. “Such testing is routine, and it was not a surprise,” according to Pentagon press secretary John Kirby.
A growing number of top Kremlin insiders are reportedly questioning Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine, according to Bloomberg. This number, however, is still relatively small.
Russia has lost three times more military equipment than Ukraine in the war, Oryx analytical project has reported.
According to its analysis, Russians lost 3,002 pieces of military equipment as of April 20, while Ukrainians lost 848 pieces. Oryx has only counted those war machines that could be seen in satellite images.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces have already liberated 919 towns and villages in Sumy, Chernihiv, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Zhytomyr and Zaporizhia oblasts, according to Deputy Head of Office of the President Kyrylo Tymoshenko.
Russian media published a list of Ukrainian celebrities and influencers allegedly banned from entering the country for 50 years. The list includes Ukrainian travel blogger Anton Ptushkin, singers Dmytro Monatik, Jamala and Svyatoslav Vakarchuk.
President of the European Council, Charles Michel, visited Kyiv today. Zelensky tweeted that they discussed sanctions against Russia, defense and financial support of Ukraine, and the country’s compliance with EU membership criteria.
Michel also visited the city of Borodianka near Kyiv, which was almost destroyed by Russia. “History will not forget the war crimes that have been committed here,” he said.
Russia's war has killed 205 Ukrainian children and wounded 373 others. The final numbers, once tallied in full, will be significantly higher.
Zelensky urged the European Union to impose a “full embargo” on Russian oil and gas. According to him, an oil embargo should be part of the sixth package of sanctions against Russia.
