‘The confidence in these people is long gone’: Russia intensifies its offensive in Ukraine

“Then as usual a circus, both literally and figuratively, started”

Official representative of Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maria Zakharova has made a statement in an interview with Russia-24 channel regarding the talks between Moscow and Kyiv. According to her, Russia doesn’t trust Ukrainian negotiators anymore.

“Here it isn’t ‘trust but verify’ anymore but simply ‘verify’ because the confidence in these people is long gone,” she has said.

Zakharova says that from “a person who calls himself as the president of Ukraine and was given the corresponding authority” there was received a petition to hold talks Russia hasn’t rejected.

“Then as usual a circus of the Kyiv regime, both literally and figuratively, started: they either come or do not come, they either participate or don’t participate... Was Moscow ready for this? Yes, of course,” she has said and noted that this is a classical scheme saying that the regime is ruled from the outside, while the talks are used as a diversionary manoeuvre.”

President of Russia Vladimir Putin claimed as early as 12 April that Kyiv withdrew from the agreements reached during the talks in Istanbul and returned to a deadlock. Nothing is known about their continuation at the moment.

Generally speaking there is no need to talk about Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky’s indepence, has claimed Zakharova, supervisors are behind him.

“First of all, it is Washington and other NATO institutions that anyway have been managing this process for many years, therefore it is counterproductive to talk and reflect on Zelensky’s statements. Today he says one thing, tomorrow he does another,” the diplomat has noted.

According to her, the president of Ukraine doesn’t control the situation in the country, while his statements “are made by him in different physical states.”

“It is the state that alters his identity. It is obvious, it is the scenes the whole world has seen and sees quite regularly,” has added the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The offensive against Ukraine goes on

Meanwhile, Russia continues its offensive against Ukraine. According to the Ministry of Defence today, up to 40 militaries and seven pieces of military machinery have been destroyed as a result of a strike of high-precision missiles near Novovorontsovka and Kislyovka.

Over the last night, aviation has hit 73 military facilities of Ukraine, including four control posts, 57 areas where militaries and machinery are concentrated, seven strongpoints and four ammunition warehouses, six tanks, nine armoured machines and a battery of 152mm Msta-B howitzers.

Missile forces and artillery has stroke 1,053 facilities of Ukrainian military infrastructure, destroyed 31 control posts, six fuel and lubricant warehouses, 910 strongpoints, 106 artillery positions.

Anti-aircraft warfare has taken down six Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles and two tactical missiles Tochka-U in Donetsky and Skeliuvate.

140 planes, 496 unmanned aerial vehicles, 253 surface-to-air missile systems, 2,388 tanks and other military armoured machines, 256 multiple rocket launchers, 1,029 field artillery and mortars as well as 2,323 pieces of special military machinery have been destroyed in total since the beginning of the special military operation.

Realnoe Vremya continues staying tuned for the events. Read all the important information in the online newspaper’s special report.