Ukraine: realities | «The Weekly Five»: 22.04 – 28.04

Britain: Russian losses in the war amount to 450 thousand individuals

According to British agencies' estimates, since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, approximately 450 thousand personnel and over 10,000 units of armored vehicles have been killed or wounded.

Minister for Armed Forces Leo Docherty provided these estimates in response to a question from opposition Labour Party MP John Healey, who requested detailed agency assessments of Russian losses in Ukraine, both from regular army and private military companies.

"According to our estimates, around 450 thousand Russian military personnel have been killed or wounded, and tens of thousands have deserted since the beginning of the conflict," Docherty noted.

He added that the number of casualties among Russian private military company mercenaries is unknown.

Belgium to expedite delivery of F-16s to Ukraine by 2024

The Belgian government has decided to accelerate the delivery of its own F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine by the end of 2024, without waiting for the formation of a new cabinet of ministers.

This was announced by Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder. De Croo described the decision to supply F-16s as "a significant step for Ukraine's defense," reminding that Belgium had already been part of the coalition of fighter jets and had provided repair services for delivered aircraft and training for Ukrainian pilots.

"But now our country is joining a limited group of countries that will deliver aircraft to Ukraine," he emphasized.

The Belgian Defense Minister did not specify the exact timeline for the dispatch of F-16s to Ukraine but assured that it would happen as soon as possible.

«We will do everything possible to deliver the aircraft by the end of the year. I want to make it clear that our own security will not be compromised,” Dedonder emphasized.

Austin: US allocates $6 billion for weapon orders for Ukraine

Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin confirmed that the United States is allocating $6 billion for military assistance to Ukraine through the mechanism of ordering weapons from American manufacturers.

Austin announced this at a press conference following the 21st meeting of the Contact Group on Defense Issues for Ukraine on April 26.

Austin recalled the recently allocated $1 billion military aid package to Ukraine, which includes weapons supplied from US Army stocks.

"I am also pleased to announce today an additional commitment of $6 billion under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI). This will allow us to purchase additional assistance to Ukraine from the American defense industry," he added.

The Pentagon chief emphasized that this is the largest military aid package we have announced to date. He specified that the package will include interceptors for the Patriot and NASAMS systems, drone defense systems, a "significant quantity" of artillery ammunition, and anti-aircraft projectiles.

Russia produces more weapons than it needs for the war and is already filling warehouses - German Defense Minister

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated that Russia is manufacturing weapons in quantities exceeding its needs for the war - currently, the Russian military-industrial complex is already working to fill warehouses.

Pistorius emphasized that with the increase in defense spending and the restructuring of the military economy, "a significant portion or part of what is produced no longer goes to the front lines but ends up in warehouses."

«Now you can be I and say that Putin is doing this just out of caution. As a skeptical person, I would say in this case that he is doing it because he has plans or could have them,” he added.

Media: US Secretly Transferred ATACMS Missiles to Ukraine in March, Already Used Against Targets

The United States secretly sent long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine in March, before Congress approved aid, and in April, the Ukrainian military already used them against Russian targets. This was reported by Reuters. and AP.

According to the news agencies, the ATACMS was part of a $300 million military aid package to Ukraine approved by US President Joe Biden in March 2024. AP specifically notes that a "significant quantity" of ATACMS was included, but does not specify the exact number.

The Ukrainian side first used these missiles on the morning of April 17, hitting a Russian airbase in Crimea approximately 165 kilometers from the front line in Ukraine, Reuters and AP sources added. It is also claimed that ATACMS was used during strikes on the occupied city of Berdyansk in the Zaporizhzhia region (media reported explosions in the city on April 15).

The project «Ukraine: realities» is implemented by the News agency «Konkurent» together with the Civic Movement «SVIDOMI» in English for readers from other countries to tell to tell about current news and events in Ukraine.

Проєкт «Ukraine: realities» реалізовується Інформаційним агентством «Конкурент» спільно з Громадянським Рухом «СВІДОМІ» на англійській мові для читачів з інших країн аби розповісти про актуальні новини та події в Україні.