Ukraine war until noon on April 14: Explosion on Russian flagship, US aid Ukraine with $800 million in weapons

The missile cruiser Moskva in Sevastopol, Crimea on April 7 reuters

Explosion on the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet

The Russian Defense Ministry announced that the missile cruiser Moskva, flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, was seriously damaged after its ammunition depot exploded on April 14.

The entire crew was evacuated. Ministry of Defense of Russia A fire broke out on board the ship, causing the ammunition depot to explode. Cause of the fire is under investigation.

Earlier, Mr. Maksym Marchenko, Governor of the area around the Ukrainian port of Odessa on the Black Sea, said that the cruiser Moskva was hit by two missiles from the Ukrainian forces, but did not provide relevant evidence.

Read more: Explosion on the most important warship of the Black Sea Fleet Russia, Ukraine say fired a missile

Mariupol is about to fall?

TASS news agency on April 14 quoted the spokesman of the Russian Defense Ministry Igor Konashenkov The commercial seaport at Mariupol has been “completely liberated” from fighters from the Azov regiment, Ukraine’s far-right volunteer infantry unit accused of neo-Nazi and extremist ideology, said on April 13. White skin.

Ukraine has not yet responded to this information. Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry on April 13 said more than 1,000 Ukrainian soldiers were entrenched in the industrial zone Azovstal in Mariupol surrendered. A spokesman for Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said he had no information on this.

If Russian forces take control of the Azovstal industrial zone, they will have full control of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol. This will help Russia strengthen the land corridor between the separatist-held eastern regions of Ukraine and the Crimean peninsula.

Read more: Mariupol on the brink of defeat?

Russia embargoes a series of Western MPs

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on April 13 that it would impose sanctions on 398 US congressmen and 87 Canadian senators after America and Canada took the same action against hundreds of Russian parliamentarians because of the campaign military of Moscow in Ukraine.

Reuters quoted the Russian Foreign Ministry’s announcement as saying that the new embargo was a response to the US embargo and that all US congressmen on the list would be banned from traveling to Russia.

Read more: Russia embargoes nearly 500 US and Canadian congressmen

US sends heavy weapons to Ukraine

US President Joe Biden on April 13 announced a new $800 million military support package for Ukraine, including many types of heavy weapons that have never been sent before.

This support package brings the total amount of military aid to Ukraine since Russia launched the military operation to more than 2.5 billion USD.

In the new support package, the US will send 11 Mi-17 helicopters to Ukraine. The US support package also includes 18 155mm howitzers, along with 40,000 rounds of artillery shells, anti-aircraft radars, 200 armored personnel carriers and an additional 300 Switchblade “suicide” UAVs.

Read more: The US sent $800 million worth of weapons to Ukraine, with heavy weapons

Russia threatens to shoot Kyiv if attacked

Russia’s Defense Ministry warned on April 14 that the country’s armed forces would launch attacks against key Ukrainian nerve centers, including Kyiv, if Ukraine continued its bombardment on Russian soil.

The Russian Defense Ministry’s announcement came after the Governor of Russia’s Kursk region, Roman Starovoit, said a border post was hit by artillery fire from Ukraine on April 9. The Russian side responded and neutralized the source of the attack.

Read more: Russia threatens to fire on Kyiv if Ukraine attacks Russian soil