A senior Russian general was killed in a car bombing near Moscow, authorities have announced, as Donald Trump’s special envoy reportedly arrived in the capital for talks with Vladimir Putin.
It named the officer as Yaroslav Moskalik, a top general in the Russian military, and said it had opened a criminal case into the incident.
“According to available data, the explosion occurred as a result of the detonation of a homemade explosive device filled with destructive elements,” the Investigative Committee said in a statement, without naming who might have been behind it.
Several high-ranking Russian military figures have been assassinated since the start of the war in Ukraine in operations blamed by Moscow on Kyiv.
It comes as Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff has reportedly arrived in Moscow for a critical meeting with Vladimir Putin, as the US president claims they are “very close” to a peace deal.
Mr Witkoff, who has emerged as Washington’s key representative in Ukraine peace talks, has already held three long meetings with the Russia autocrat. This meeting comes one day after Mr Trump demanded that Putin “STOP!” his bombardment of Ukraine.
Giving up territory a decision ‘for Ukraine’ insists No 10
The Independent’s Whitehall editor Kate Devlin writes:
No 10 has insisted that Keir Starmer believes it is “for Ukraine” to decide to give up territory in a bid to end the war with Russia.
The mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, has said Ukraine may have to give up land, amid growing pressure from President Donald Trump to accept territorial concessions.
Downing Street also said that all options remain “on the table” when it comes to potential peacekeeping support for Ukraine after any ceasefire.
Asked whether troops would only be deployed if the US offered a “backstop” to a peace deal, the PM’s spokesman said he would not give a running commentary on talks, but added: “As the Prime Minister has said in recent days, we’re working closely with the US. We’re all focused on ending the bloodshed and securing a lasting peace for Ukraine.”
Watch: Putin aide Lavrov accuses Europe of ‘reviving Nazi views’ over Ukraine
Who was the Russian general killed in a car bombing?
Yaroslav Moskalik was killed in a car bombing near eastern Moscow, Russian authorities have announced.
But who was the senior ranking military officer?
Mr Moskalik, who held the rank of major general, had participated in several high-level Russian delegations, according to defence ministry bulletins and media reports.
He joined the Russian contingent in a meeting in October 2015 of the Normandy Format, a group made up of teams from Germany, Russia, Ukraine and France who oversaw the Minsk agreements designed to end the war between Ukraine and Russian-backed separatist forces that broke out in 2014.
Moskalik represented the army’s General Staff at the negotiations alongside Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, according to the Kremlin website.
Russia’s RBC newspaper listed Moskalik as a participant in the security subgroup in the Minsk talks.
More than 100 drones launched by Russia overnight, says air force
Ukrainian air defences shot down 41 out of 103 Shahed-type drones and other drones launched by Russia overnight, the air force said.
Forty drones disappeared from radars without causing damage, the statement said according to The Kyiv Independent.
Drones which disappear from radars are often decoys, which Russia launches alongside real drones to confuse and overwhelm Ukraine’s air defenses.
Senior Russian military officer killed in car bombing, say Moscow authorities
A senior Russian military officer was killed in a car bombing near Moscow, Russia’s Investigative Committee said.
It named the officer as Yaroslav Moskalik, deputy head of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, and said it had opened a criminal case into the incident.
“According to available data, the explosion occurred as a result of the detonation of a homemade explosive device filled with destructive elements,” the Investigative Committee said in a statement.
The statement did not say who might be behind the incident. Several high-ranking Russian military figures have been assassinated since the start of the war in Ukraine in operations blamed by Moscow on Kyiv.
Sam Kiley | Why Crimea matters so much to Putin – and now Trump
The Independent’s world affairs editor Sam Kiley writes:
Crimea is footnoted in British history for the Earl of Cardigan and his disastrous leading of the Charge of the Light Brigade. To Vladimir Putin it’s where history itself must turn.
Donald Trump, taking an 18th-century might-is-right approach, has said that the peninsula was captured without a fight by Russia from Ukraine in 2014 and therefore should stay in Putin’s fist.
Of all the 20 per cent of Ukraine’s territory taken after Russia invaded Crimea 11 years ago and launched its wider Anschluss in 2022, Crimea is the greatest Russian prize.
Whoever controls Sevastopol is likely to dominate the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. Outside of Tartus, in Syria, which Russia lost recently, it is – or was – Russia’s only warm-weather port.
Pictured: Flowers and toys laid at site where children killed by Russian strike in Kyiv
In full: European and Ukrainian counterproposals to end war
Here are the counterproposals made by Ukraine and its European allies, after Washington put forward it’s initial proposals.
- Commit to a full and unconditional ceasefire in the sky, on land and at sea.
- Both sides immediately enter into negotiations on technical implementation with the participation of the US and European countries. This is in parallel to preparation of the agenda and modalities for a full peace deal.
- Ceasefire monitoring, led by the US and supported by third countries.
- Russia must unconditionally return all deported and illegally displaced Ukrainian children. Exchange of all prisoners of war (the principle of “all for all”). Russia must release all civilian prisoners.
Security guarantees for Ukraine:
- Ukraine receives robust security guarantees including from the US (Article 5-like agreement), while there is no consensus among Allies on NATO membership.
- No restrictions on the Ukrainian Defense Forces.
- The guarantor states will be an ad hoc group of European countries and willing non-European countries. No restrictions on the presence, weapons and operations of friendly foreign forces on the territory of Ukraine.
- Ukraine pursues accession to the EU.
Territory:
- Territorial issues will be discussed and resolved after a full and unconditional ceasefire.
- Territorial negotiations start from the basis of the line of control.
- Ukraine regains control of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant with US involvement, and also the Kakhovka Dam.
- Ukraine enjoys unhindered passages on the Dnieper River and control of the Kinburn Spit.
Economics:
- US and Ukraine implement economic cooperation/minerals agreement.
- Ukraine will be fully reconstructed and compensated financially, including through Russian sovereign assets that will remain frozen until Russia compensates damage to Ukraine.
- US sanctions imposed on Russia since 2014 may be subject to gradual easing after a sustainable peace is achieved and subject to resumption in the event of a breach of the peace agreement.
In full: US proposals to end war in Ukraine revealed
Here are the US proposals to end the war in full, as revealed by Reuters news agency:
- Permanent ceasefire
- Both sides immediately engage in technical implementation negotiations Ukraine security guarantee
- Ukraine receives robust security guarantee
- Guarantor states will be an ad hoc grouping of European states plus willing non-European states
- Ukraine will not seek to join NATO
- Ukraine may pursue EU membership Territory
- US provides de jure recognition of Russian control of Crimea
- US provides de facto recognition of Russian control of Luhansk
- US provides de facto recognition of Russian-controlled parts of Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Kherson
- Ukraine regains territory in Kharkiv Oblast
- Ukraine regains control of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant through US control and administration of the plant, with electricity distributed to both sides, and also the Kakhovka Dam
- Ukraine enjoys unhindered passage on Dnieper River and control of the Kinburn Spit Economics
- United States and Ukraine will implement economic cooperation/minerals agreement
Full text of European and US proposals to end war display clear differences
The divergence between European and US proposals to end the war in Ukraine has been revealed, after the full texts of both proposals have been revealed by Reuters.
The proposals were put forward in talks between US, European and Ukrainian officials in Paris on 17 April and in London on 23 April.
Territory, sanctions on Russia, security guarantees and the size of Ukraine’s military mark the main points of contention between the two documents.
The two documents were exchanged as a “broad framework” to identify the differences between the sides.
Source: independent.co.uk