Economically:

  • Russia’s Central Bank says that 39% of its foreign currency reserves is now either gold or Yuan.
  • Sri Lanka announces that it has defaulted on all its external debts.
  • German inflation in March was 7.3%, the highest rate in 40 years.
  • European Police Agency announces Operation Oscar, which is helping EU countries detect Russian assets that fall under sanctions.
  • Moldovagaz has sent a request to Gazprom to extend the audit period for Moldova’s historical debts. The previously agreed protocol must be signed before May 1st, or the natural gas supply to Moldova will be halted; they want an extension.
  • Four brands from India have signed agreements on the opening of shopping centers in Russia, and six more contracts are expected this week; selling clothing, household goods, etc. They will open 15-20 stores in the next 6 months.
  • Nokia withdraws from the Russian market.
  • White House warns of “extraordinarily elevated” inflation data.
  • The German Ministry of Economy has prepared a bill that provides for the possibility of nationalizing energy companies in an emergency.
  • Daily Mail (I’m sorry) reports that UK citizens' average energy bills could climb to £5000 per year in the worst case scenario if the war drags on - more than double what they are now, and that’s after recent massive hikes in prices to £2000 per year.
  • Getting a bit repetitive, but once again, OPEC tells the EU that it cannot replace Russian oil if it is sanctioned or cut off.
  • Eon rules out German nuclear power plant extension, as the Chief Executive says “There is no future for nuclear in Germany, period”.
  • Russian GDP could contract by 10% this year. Of course, as people here have explained already, GDP is not the be-all and end-all.
  • Small-business owners say inflation has become a bigger problem than the labor shortage
  • Biden is heading to Iowa hours after the release of a new inflation report that could show prices rising by as much as 8 percent relative to last year
  • Prices for natural gas in Europe pushed higher on Tuesday after seven sessions of declines, as Russian supplies via Ukraine are expected to drop.
  • The volume of yuan trading on the Moscow Exchange has reached a historical record. Yuan/Russian ruble transactions amounted to ₽25.18 billion, according to RBC.
  • The Russian management of German DIY retailer OBI have rebelled against the parent company over its decision to leave the country
  • Gas for Moldova will become twice as expensive.
  • Wine production in Italy has risen in price by 35%.
  • Airbus urged the West not to impose an embargo on the supply of Russian titanium, saying that it would damage the West much more than Russia. American airplane companies are looking for alternatives, such as in Japan, but continues to purchase from Russia for now.

Diplomatically and Politically:

  • The US and India have signed an agreement to jointly develop unmanned aerial vehicles, and by the end of 2022, they will launch active cooperation in the space sector between military departments. :both-sides:?
  • Pro-russian demonstrations continue, this time in Germany, where its Russian-speaking population demand an end to the discrimination they’re facing.
  • Another pro-Russian demonstration by Serbian fans at FC Crvena Zvezda.
  • Putin says there is “no doubt that the goals and objectives of the operation in Ukraine will be fulfilled”
  • Putin also says that Russia is resuming the lunar program (this was already evident based on their agreement with China on a joint lunar base in the 2030s), and also that to expand their cooperation with Belarus, that a Belarusian cosmonaut will go to space.
  • Georgian authorities will visit Kiev if and only if: the Ukrainian ambassador is sent back to Tbilisi; to stop accusing Georgia of smuggling weapons to Russia; and to exclude the presence of the leaders of the Georgian opposition in high positions in Ukraine.
  • The former Deputy Prime Minister of Georgia is fighting in Ukraine alongside 400 mercenaries from Georgia.
  • Ukraine nationalizes 8 Russian cargo ships and 2 Russian tankers in Odessa.
  • Antony Blinken says that the US is monitoring rise in human rights abuses in India. Not that India doesn’t have human rights abuses obviously, like jesus it’s bad, but it’s so fucking funny and predictable of the US at this point.
  • Footage during the Pakistan protests last night of the US flag being burned.
  • Zelensky gives Hero of Ukraine award to a captain of Right Sector.
  • A bill is submitted by the majority party in Russia (Putin’s party) authorizing the external management of foreign companies that announced their withdrawal from the Russian market.
  • Kenya has refused Ukraine’s request to organize a speech in front of parliament
  • Russia will continue working on next-gen transportation spacecraft and space nuclear technologies
  • Over 500,000 people in the DPR are without water, heating, telephone lines, or the internet due to Ukrainian destruction of infrastructure.
  • NATO military commanders are working on plans to transform the alliance’s presence on its eastern borders to a force capable of taking on an invading army.
  • Passionate statement by Clare Daly that I think we all agree with. There is a way to make peace with Russia - it would just involve things that the West are unwilling to compromise on (NATO expansion, not supporting neo-Nazi groups, etc) and so will bleed dry Ukraine in order to prolong a world order that is already on the brink of death.
  • American news networks covered the first month of the Ukraine/Russia war more than any other war in recent history, other than Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait and his subsequent removal - but those occurred when foreign news was covered at a rate ~3 times higher than today.
  • Nakedcapitalism: America Keeps Eyepoking India and China for Failing to Fall into Line on Russia; Arrogance Looking More and More Like Impotence
  • No surprise to us, but Moon of Alabama gives examples of recent US ‘diplomacy’.
  • Putin: “We are not going to seal ourselves off. In today’s world, it is completely impossible to fully isolate anyone, and totally impossible [to isolate] such an enormous country like Russia. Therefore, we will work with those of our partners who want to cooperate”
  • The German authorities are discussing the rejection of plans to invite Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the G7 summit, which is to be held in Bavaria in June.
  • Pro-russian cavalcade in Ireland.
  • Lukashenko calls the Bucha events a “British special operation”.
  • Russia and Kyrgyzstan will unite air defense, the draft agreement has been sent for domestic approval.
  • Kiev has moved away from the agreements reached in Istanbul and returned to an impasse, Putin says.
  • Russian Foreign Ministry: “The West needs to honestly and openly state that it wants to open humanitarian corridors in Ukraine to rescue militants they trained”
  • Macron said that at this stage he does not plan to visit Kiev, as he does not believe that such a visit will bring concrete results.
  • The German president confirmed that they do not want to see him in Kiev. lmao.
  • A Beijing representative writes: “What the United States is doing in Ukraine is just the tip of the iceberg of American hegemony and the policy of intimidation”

Militarily:

  • Russia opens up rehabilitation and education centers for Russian soldiers wounded during the invasion, for those who wish to continue to be soldiers after recovering.
  • Russia captures British armored personnel carriers, AT105s, decommissioned by the UK in 2008 and then delivered to Ukraine in 2015.
  • Ukrainian shell hits a field in Shabelskoye, which is across the Sea of Azov from Mariupol. No casualties.
  • Videos of the Russian military heading to the frontline.
  • Saboteurs blow up a railway bridge in Belgorod, Russia.
  • DPR says that they are using thermobaric flamethrowers, not chemical weapons, to clean out the Azovstal underground.
  • Spanish mercenary admits that he’s getting $300 from a US security company per Russian he kills
  • The Ukrainian military will arrive in Britain to be taught how to use 120 armored personnel carriers that the UK plans to give to Ukraine.
  • Putin: “I often hear questions, is it possible (to conduct a special operation) faster? Can. It depends on the intensity of the fighting. But the intensity of the fighting, unfortunately, is somehow connected with losses,”
  • The Pentagon “wants to achieve the victory of Ukraine and the restoration of its territorial integrity, but Zelensky must achieve this.” Literally saying “war to the last Ukrainian” but in diplomatic-speak.
  • On the 8th of April (I imagine people here already talked about this but I think I missed this) a cargo ship approached Mariupol and tried to rescue some neo-Nazis on the shore which had lit signal fires. It was shot at and then escorted to a different port. Must be some real valuable Western assets trapped in Mariupol.
  • POV footage of the incident with the tank firing on the Ukrainian soldiers as they stood there as if it was friendly. Or maybe it was friendly and it was friendly-fire? I don’t know. @SpookyVanguard64 has a post about it in the megathread. CW: implied death.
  • Russia reportedly begins deploying ‘heavy military equipment’ to the border of Finland

Eastern Ukraine:

  • Russians clear mines in Donbass.
  • DPR’s Basurin: “If they don’t surrender, Ukraine will lose its entire army and the issue of demilitarization would be resolved by 90%” due to the coming formation of the cauldron; there’s an estimated 100,000 Ukrainian troops on that front.

Southern Ukraine:

  • A hundred more Ukrainians surrender in Mariupol.
  • DPR announces the total capture of the Mariupol seaport.
  • Photos and videos of the DPR using artillery to fire on Azov, now that there are no civilians or residential areas at real risk.
  • An attempted Ukrainian breakthrough in Mariupol, where 1500 soldiers tried to leave the city. The attempt was blocked, and some were destroyed, others surrendered.
  • An intercepted phonecall between a British mercenary and his friend, as the mercenary states that he cannot escape, having already tried to escape in civilian clothes, and will probably be used for some “bullshit propaganda”. It’s very unfortunate that literally nothing could have stopped this person from joining up with Ukrainian neo-Nazis. Truly a situation where there were no right choices. How sad.
  • Azov claims that Russia used chemical weapons in Mariupol.
  • Russian navy destroying Ukrainian drones.
  • Mariupol’s (ex?) mayor claims that Russia is incinerating the bodies of thousands of civilians killed by shelling, with mobile cremato… hey, wait a second, you’ve already used that one! Get new material!

Dipshittery and Cope:

  • Zelensky’s photoshoots
  • NYT: How Do We Deal With a Superpower Led by a War Criminal?
  • CNN Opinion: Should scientists cut ties with Russian colleagues over Ukraine? No. But haven’t many scientific outlets already basically done so? idk.
  • In Uppsala, the concert of the Swedish band Södra bergens balalaikor, which plays the balalaika, was canceled. This is because the instrument is strongly associated with Russia by the European listener.
  • ABC News: “If Ukraine maintains its clever strategy, western support & military effectiveness, they may achieve one of the most stunning military victories of the modern era — and demonstrate to us all why democracy is worth defending.”

Also:

  • There was a shootout between Tajik and Kyrgyz border guards, after Tajik border guards entered 20 meters deep into the territory of Kyrgyzstan. And another incident where the Tajik military opened mortar fire.
  • Chile begins rationing water after a decades-long drought partially due to climate change.
  • Taiwan issues its first war survival handbook.
  • The Guardian is grappling with some extremely difficult questions, such as: is it okay to protest without a protesting loicense if it’s to prevent a mass extinction, global pollution, and the death of billions?