LIVE – War in Ukraine: Kiev and Moscow exchange more than 100 prisoners of war each

No Easter break

Orthodox Easter is scheduled for April 16 and Holy Week for Orthodox has just begun. According to the US think tank Institute for the Study of War, Russia could use this period to call for a ceasefire to delay Ukrainian counter-offensives. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined an analysis. He said the idea of ​​an Easter ceasefire “has not been proposed by anyone, it has not been put forward”, according to several Russian state media.

Prisoner exchange

Ukraine and Russia have announced a new exchange of prisoners of war involving more than 100 soldiers from both sides. The Russian Defense Ministry said in a press release that the 106 Russian soldiers were repatriated, saying they were “at risk of death” while in custody. Andriï Iermak, head of the Ukrainian presidential administration, announced the return of 100 soldiers to Ukraine.

It was the first such exchange in over a month. The last exchange of prisoners between Kew and Moscow began on March 7, with Ukraine returning 130 of its soldiers and Russia 90.

The FBI is recruiting… on Twitter

US intelligence services have issued a public call for applications to recruit Russian spies.

Leak of classified documents

US secret documents leaked on social media seem to reveal a lot of factual data. The point of what we know.

Ammo shortage in Ukraine?

This is the question that arises after the information found in secret US documents leaked on social media recently. At the LCI suite, experts gathered around Elizabeth Marticaux to discuss.

Ukrainian drone pilots

Among soldiers bent under the weight of their equipment and trained with deafening weapons at a Ukrainian training camp near Baghmouth, Oleksandr stands out with his light step and his slightly unattractive style (See the image below)

“My weapon is very discreet”, he explained to AFP journalists, pointing to a small pocket, “there, there are the eyes of the army”. The 30-year-old soldier is the commander of the air support division of the Fifth Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. His mission: flying drones over Baghmoud, the heartland of fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces in the east of the country and the longest and bloodiest battle of the war.

Russia: 19 years in prison for anti-war activity

A Russian court on Monday sentenced an ex-soldier and former rescuer to 19 years in prison for throwing Molotov cocktails at a town hall against mobilization to fight in Ukraine. It is the harshest punishment so far for this type of attack on official buildings, which has multiplied across Russia since the start of the invasion of Ukraine.

Two men, Roman Nasriev and Alexei Nureyev, were convicted by a military court in Yekaterinburg (Urals) specifically for “acts of terrorism” in an organized gang, the TASS agency pointed out. In mid-October, the duo broke a window at night on the ground floor of the town hall in Bakalin, a small town in the Chelyabinsk region. They hurled several Molotov cocktails into the building, which housed the Army Census Office, without causing any casualties or major damage.

Pushilin in Pakmut

Denis Pushilin, head of the Russian occupation of Ukraine’s Donetsk region, visited the central Baghmud region, the epicenter of months of fighting in Ukraine, where the Russians appeared to be advancing, according to a video posted on his Telegram account this morning that echoed This Ukrainian tweet.

The separatist leader accused Ukrainian forces of “demolishing the city” while the Russian military seeks to “liberate” it.

Situation in Pakmut

According to an American think tank Institute for War Studies (ISW), Russian forces continued their ground offensives in and around the city of Bakhmoud and along the Avdiivka-Donetsk axis.

COLOSIMO at LCI

Historian Jean-François Colosimo was the guest of Adrien Gindre at LCI, whose book, The crucifixion of Ukraine, places the current conflict in a thousand-year history. Watch their full interview below..

Maringa

According to British military intelligence, Russian forces have stepped up their offensive around the town of Maringa. The location, 20 km southwest of Donetsk, is important for controlling access roads to the Donbass capital.

Putin’s departure

Historian Jean-François Colosimo, guest of Adrien Gindre at LCI during his book launch, The Crucifixion of UkrainePutin’s exit is seen as the only key to ending the conflict.

Update on the situation

Nassums: A new weapon to defend Ukraine

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry has confirmed it is using the US-designed Nassams anti-aircraft system, at least two of which were delivered last fall. In LCI’s synopsis, journalist Matthew Garman describes the qualities of this advanced equipment, whose range is twice that of the Himars system.

ZELENSKY condemns strikes on civilians

Ukraine’s president has condemned Russia’s attacks on Zaporozhye in eastern Ukraine.

“This is how the terrorist state spent its Palm Sunday,” commented Volodymyr Zelensky, “and Russia further isolates itself from the world and humanity.”