(Image by NEIVANMADE)

Just a quick note: a Hag Pesach Sameach/Happy Passover to all celebrating this evening.

Russia hit Kharkiv again today.

#Ukraine: a 🇷🇺 strike destroyed the #Kharkiv TV tower this afternoon, temporarily suspending TV broadcasts in the city & region. RSF denounces this attack on a civilian infrastructure that constitutes a war crime. https://t.co/v7IINVx3WS pic.twitter.com/6Mxnda7mi5

— RSF (@RSF_inter) April 22, 2024

Kharkiv TV tower right now.

Russia is ruining the city and stays barely punished! pic.twitter.com/Ehhuuc5vEw

— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) April 22, 2024

Target disappeared on border of Kharkiv Oblast. Explosions in Kharkiv city.

— Euan MacDonald (@Euan_MacDonald) April 22, 2024

Russia explicitly aims to devastate critical infrastructure of the city of 1,3 million. Would you imagine the levelling of the Milan TV tower? Destruction of a power generation station in Munich or entire heating system in Prague? Russia does that all to Kharkiv
Photo AFP via KI pic.twitter.com/PlCjxeJNub

— Olena Halushka (@OlenaHalushka) April 22, 2024

Putin and Russia aren’t just trying to blow up all of Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, they’re also trying to take it down through cyberwarfare. The Computer Emergency Response Team Ukraine (CERT-UA) has the details:

General information

The government team of responding to computer emergencies of Ukraine CERT-UA in March 2024 revealed a malicious plan of the Sandworm group, aimed at disrupting the sustainable functioning of information and communication systems (ICS) of about twenty enterprises in the energy sector, water and heat supply (OKI) in ten regions of Ukraine.

During the urgent measures to respond to incidents, in addition to the well-known from 2022, the QUEUESEED backing (KNUCKLETOUCH, ICYWELL, WRONGSENS, KAPEKA), a new toolkit of attackers was discovered, namely, malware LOADGRIP and BIASBOAT (Linux variant QUEUESEED), which were installed on the EOM (Linux OS), designed to automate process management processes (ASUTP) using specialized software (SDR) of domestic production. It should be noted that BIASBOAT was presented as an encrypted file server, for which the attackers used a pre-received value of “machine-id”.

CERT-UA experts have confirmed the fact of compromising at least three “supply chains”, in connection with the circumstances of the initial unauthorized access or correlating with the establishment of SDRs, which contained software bookmarks and vulnerabilities, or caused by the full-time technical ability of the supplier’s employees to access the ICS organizations for support and technical support.

Due to the functioning of the EOM with SDRs within the ICS OCI, the attackers used them to move horizontally and develop cyberattacks in relation to corporate networks of enterprises. For example, on such EOMs in catalogs from SDRs was found pre-created PHP-webschell WEEVELY, PHP tunnel REGEORG.NEO or PIVOTNACCI.

In the period from 07.03.2024 to 15.03.2024, CERT-UA specialists took measures to inform all identified enterprises and research and counteract cyber threats in the relevant ICS, as part of which the circumstances of the initial compromise are established, malware was removed and analyzed, a chronology of incident events was built, server and active network equipment was assisted, and security technology was installed (at some LOADGRIP/ businesses)/BIASBOAT was established in 2023).

It should be emphasized that the EOM running Windows attackers used malware QUEUESEED and GOSSIPFLOW, which has been monitored since 2022 in the context of destructive cyberattacks of the group UAC-0133 on water supply facilities, in particular, using SDELETE. Thus, with a high level of confidence, UAC-0133 is a subcluster of UAC-0002 (Sandworm/APT44).

Note that the implementation of cyberattacks was facilitated by the following factors:

• incorrect segmentation (no isolation) of servers from SDRs of suppliers used as an element of ASUTP, in the context of both restrictions on access from / to the Internet network and ICs of the organizations themselves, within which they operate
• negligent attitude of suppliers to the security of software provided to consumers; in particular, the surface analysis of the source code will reveal banal vulnerabilities that allow remote code execution (RCE).

CERT-UA assumes that unauthorized access to ICS of a significant number of heat, water and energy supply facilities was to be used to enhance the effect of missile strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure in the spring of 2024.

More at the link.

Here is President Zelenskyy’s address from earlier today. Video below, English transcript after the jump.

The Four Priorities Are: Air Defense, Modern Artillery, Long-Range Capability, and Ensuring That the American Aid Arrives as Quickly as Possible – Address by the President

22 April 2024 – 22:40

I wish you health, fellow Ukrainians!

Today was a very long day, and most of it was spent on military issues.

I held a meeting of the Staff. In particular, there were reports on the performance of our defense industry – the long-term contracts that are already in place and being fulfilled, and the ones that still require special attention – greater attention. Everyone in the Government of Ukraine and in our Defense Forces clearly understands the tasks at hand. Of course, there was a report by the Commander-in-Chief on the situation at the front. There was also a separate military report today after the Staff’s meeting. The Chief of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine has just delivered a report. Obviously, now all our potential must work even more than one hundred percent to keep the situation under control and return the initiative to Ukraine. Especially since now we finally have a positive shift in terms of American assistance, and are working to ensure that the Ukrainian potential is backed up with exactly the kind of weapons that our warriors need. Not only to hold out, but also to act – to act vigorously in pursuit of Ukrainian goals, to protect our people. Today I spoke with President Biden about this very issue.

I am grateful to Mr. President, his team, everyone in the United States Congress, personally to Speaker Johnson, and all who support the active defense of freedom, for the decision that benefits our protection from Russian terror and our ability to end the war justly, with true peace for all Ukrainians.

Just before the conversation with President Biden began, Russian terrorists struck again at Kharkiv – at the TV tower. Obviously, this is an intimidation to make the terror noticeable to the whole city and to try to limit Kharkiv in terms of communication and access to information. Work is underway to restore the signal. And just like Kharkiv, different cities and communities need protection – they need “Patriots.” And at the same time, we need to inflict maximum damage on everything that Russia uses as a base for terror and for its military logistics. I am grateful to everyone in the world who is willing to help us in this regard, and we are working with our American partners to increase our capabilities. The four priorities are key: protection of the sky, modern artillery, long-range capability, and ensuring that the American support packages arrive as quickly as possible. And today’s result is that in the agreements on ATACMS for Ukraine, all the details have been finalized. Thank you, Mr. President, thank you, Congress, thank you, America!

It is also very important that our teams, from Ukraine and the United States, have started working on a bilateral security agreement. We can make our agreement a true paragon that will not only provide greater security for our people, but also help the entire course of European history proceed in the right direction and only in peace.

Today, I also met with a delegation of congressmen who are visiting Ukraine. Members of the House of Representatives, both parties. We discussed ways to make this year productive for Ukraine and the entire coalition of defenders of the international order. Today, with both the congressmen and President Biden, we also talked about the preparations for the first Global Peace Summit. It is equally important for all of us that the format of the Peace Summit and the Peace Formula become a success story for Ukraine and the world majority, for all those who want to live by the rules of international law and in peace.

Thank you! Thank you to everyone who helps us in Ukraine defeat the Russian terror! Thank you to everyone who protects lives and fights against the Russian occupier. Today I would like to highlight the results of the 35th separate marine brigade operating in the Prydniprovya direction, as well as the 58th separate motorized infantry brigade and the 72nd separate mechanized brigade fighting in the Donetsk region. Thank you, warriors! Thank you to everyone who stands with Ukraine!

Glory to Ukraine!

Chag Pesach Sameach to all Jewish communities in Ukraine and around the world.

For the third year in a row, Jewish families in Ukraine gather around festive tables during times of full-scale Russian aggression, while many Jews defend their families and country on the front…

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 22, 2024

Chag Pesach Sameach to all Jewish communities in Ukraine and around the world.

For the third year in a row, Jewish families in Ukraine gather around festive tables during times of full-scale Russian aggression, while many Jews defend their families and country on the front lines.

May this year’s Passover remind us all of the value of life and freedom, which must be protected from aggression and terror. May it renew hope for the inevitable triumph of good over evil.

Politico has reported that the Biden administration is building a larger than expected package of military aid for Ukraine.

The Biden administration is preparing a larger-than-normal package of military aid for Ukraine that will include armored vehicles, in addition to urgently needed artillery and air defenses, according to two U.S. officials.

Defense Department officials are still putting the finishing touches on the potential new tranche, but they want it to be ready to go soon after President Joe Biden signs off on a bill to provide tens of billions of dollars in additional aid for Kyiv, said the officials, who along with others were granted anonymity to speak ahead of an announcement. The Senate is expected to pass the legislation as early as Tuesday, sending it to Biden’s desk.

The package DOD is working on now will be significantly larger than the most recent tranche of $300 million, said one of the U.S. officials, along with a third U.S. official with knowledge of the discussions. The first two U.S. officials said it would include armored vehicles; a fourth person said additional Bradley Fighting Vehicles would be part of the shipment. Older Humvees and M113 armored personnel carriers, as well as missiles, are also expected to be in the package, one of the U.S. officials said.

The administration is preparing a “big package to help meet Ukraine’s battlefield needs,” said the second U.S. official, adding that it will also include artillery and air defenses.

A Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment.

DOD officials are working to finalize the details of the new package ahead of an expected Senate vote on House-passed legislation authorizing nearly $61 billion for Ukraine. That money will go toward replenishing Pentagon stocks provided to Kyiv, as well as sending new weapons and equipment.

Celeste Wallander, the Pentagon’s assistant secretary for international security affairs, told lawmakers recently that DOD is planning to transfer the aid “within a week or two” after it’s approved.

The Pentagon has sent only one package of aid to Ukraine since December, when it ran out of funding to send additional weapons from its stocks. In March, DOD officials cobbled together $300 million worth of savings from previous contracts to send an emergency package to Kyiv including desperately needed artillery, air defenses, and longer-range missiles.

In addition to the aid, POLITICO reported on Saturday that the U.S. is considering sending as many as 60 military advisers to Kyiv to facilitate the incoming weapons transfers while supporting the Ukrainian government. The advisers would be in a non-combat role.

Senator Schumer has scheduled the Senate to take up the four bills in one aid supplemental sometime tomorrow. The Politico Pro Morning Defense email I received this morning – a former client signed me up – reported the following about the process in the Senate:

The Senate will take two procedural votes Tuesday afternoon on the revised aid package — first to overcome a push by conservative Senate. Mike Lee to reopen the bill for amendments and a second vote to end debate on the legislation.

This four in one bill is subject to a cloture vote, so at least 9 Republicans will have to vote with the Democrats/Democratic aligned Independents to end debate and proceed to the simple majority vote.

Today, I shared with President Zelenskyy that my Administration is ready to quickly provide new security assistance to meet Ukraine's needs on the battlefield.

I urge the Senate to send the national security package to my desk so I can immediately sign it into law.

— President Biden (@POTUS) April 22, 2024

Following the vote in the US House of Representatives, I spoke with @POTUS Joe Biden, who assured me that he will sign the bill immediately as soon as it is approved by the Senate.

I appreciate President Biden's unwavering support for Ukraine and true global leadership.

I also… pic.twitter.com/liRv0iTf6O

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 22, 2024

Following the vote in the US House of Representatives, I spoke with @POTUS Joe Biden, who assured me that he will sign the bill immediately as soon as it is approved by the Senate.

I appreciate President Biden’s unwavering support for Ukraine and true global leadership.

I also noted the bill’s bipartisan support and the personal contributions of Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to its passage.

The House’s other decision to allow the confiscation of frozen Russian assets also sends a strong signal to all of our partners.

I also informed President Biden about Russia’s air terror using thousands of missiles, drones, and bombs, including the recent strike on the Kharkiv TV tower just minutes before we spoke. Russia clearly signals its intention to make the city uninhabitable.

We discussed the contents of the next U.S. military aid package. The President has assured me that the package will be approved quickly and that it will be powerful, strengthening our air defense as well as long-range and artillery capabilities.

We also discussed our work on a bilateral security agreement and the preparations for the upcoming Global Peace Summit in Switzerland.

Slovakia:

Shell-by-shell, Slovaks are bypassing Bratislava and pledging cash for military aid for Ukraine themselves.https://t.co/oRtroxuu0a

— POLITICOEurope (@POLITICOEurope) April 21, 2024

Politico Europe has the details:

Shell-by-shell, Slovaks are bypassing Bratislava and pledging cash for military aid for Ukraine themselves.

With the country’s Russia-friendly Prime Minister Robert Fico refusing to sanction the delivery of weapons to Kyiv, some 46,000 individual donors have raised nearly €2.9 million and counting to buy artillery ammunition on the world market for dispatch to the front line under a program set up by Prague this past winter.

“The first goal was €1 million, which seemed to be far away,” said Lucia Štasselová, a 65-year-old local councillor in Bratislava who helped set up the crowd-funding initiative Ammunition for Ukraine. “After seeing the huge solidarity from Slovaks, we dare to think bigger.”

Earlier this year, with Ukraine’s counteroffensive falling flat, Russia asserting dominance in artillery fire and U.S. aid to Kyiv mired in Washington politics, the Czech government set up a platform to gather donations from allied countries to co-finance the purchase of ammunition from producers around the world. In doing so, the aim was to side-step criticism from some EU countries such as France which only wanted to use public cash to support local stocks and raise billions for artillery.

While EU countries such as Germany and Belgium to the likes of Canada and Norway have since lined up to pay into the Czech program, Fico’s government has refused to sanction military help for Ukraine with the prime minister even claiming that Prague “has an interest in supporting the war in Ukraine.”

That prompted a group of politicians and campaigners in Bratislava to launch the crowd-funding initiative last Monday.

“We refuse to accept the denial of aid to a war-torn neighbor,” the Ammunition for Ukraine group says on its website, which lists donations in real time. “We will help Ukraine despite our pro-Russian government.”

The price of a shell varies, but industry experts pitch the price at around €3,500 per unit, meaning the campaign has already covered the cost of more than 800 rounds. The average contribution works out to roughly €62 and the plan, according to Štasselová, is to persuade donors to make regular contributions and also to push for international donations.

The pace of payments in under a week puts the crowd-funding drive ahead of some governments. For example, Slovenia pledged €1 million to the Czech platform, while Latvia has paid €7 million and Sweden €30 million.

“We plan to keep going with the [fund] raising until people are willing to donate,” said Štasselová. “Every euro will be used for purchasing ammunition and weapons for Ukraine.”

Tatarigami and his team have a new assessment of how Russian oligarchs play a major role in both sanction evasion and drone manufactring. From the Thread Reader App:

Russian Oligarchs’ Role in Drone Manufacturing and Sanction Evasion: Investigating sanctions evasion with exclusive documents and email correspondence.

🧵Thread exposing manipulation, cover-ups, and state aid to evade sanctions revealed through leaked documents and emails:

2/ Russian companies aiding military production may not be easily discernible. Consider RusAgro, which presents itself solely as a major agricultural player, owned by sanctioned oligarch Vadim Moshkovich. Another key figure is Maxim Basov – its CEO. Keep these names in mind 

3/ In addition to their association with RusAgro, Maxim Basov and Vadim Moshkovich co-founded a company called AssistAgro in 2021. Both RusAgro and AssistAgro have been subject to sanctions from both the US and Ukraine.

4/ When the invasion of Ukraine by Russia began and sanctions were imposed on oligarchs, some of them made attempts to alter the nominal ownership of companies.

5/ Public registries indicate that AssistAgro owners Maxim Basov and Vadim Moshkovich were replaced by new owners, including Ilya Voronkov, linked to Albatros. Albatros LLC is sanctioned by several countries for producing reconnaissance drones for Russia, as per Swiss SECO.

6/The drones produced by Albatros were delivered and utilized in Eastern Ukraine against Ukrainian forces during combat operations. Furthermore, this assertion can be independently confirmed through video evidence, which has been published by Russian sources themselves.

7/ The ties between these individuals and companies go beyond ownership changes. Through accessing hundreds of emails, we’ve uncovered correspondence among members deliberating on drone-related issues. Discussions involve representatives from RusAgro, AssistAgro, and Albatros.

8/ The discussion revolves around testing and issues related to UAVs, accompanied by photos, which further substantiates that these companies are not only linked by common founders but also by collaboration in drone production.

9/ With that information in mind, let’s revisit Maxim Basov. On 09.06.2022, Maxim Basov contacted Elvira Nabiullina, the Head of the Central Bank of Russia, asking for the transfer of financial assets from his Cyprus-based company to his own name to evade sanctions.

10/ The proposed scheme: The Cyprus company RIGPA LIMITED, owned by Maxim Basov, transfers 54M Rus AGRO depositary receipts, held at brokerage Renaissance Securities, to Basov himself, enabling their use in Russia and avoiding the risk of asset seizure in Cyprus.

11/ On the 22nd of August, he receives a rejection letter from the Central Bank, explaining why his requested actions are not applicable to his specific case.

12/ On October 26, 2022, Basov sent another request, reaching out to Minister of Agriculture Dmitry Patrushev. The name may sound familiar, as he is the son of Nikolai Patrushev, former FSB director and head of the Russian Security Council – one of Putin’s staunchest allies.

13/ The balance document issued by Renaissance Broker on February 10, 2023, indicates that the Rus Agro (Ros Agro PLC) depositary receipts are registered under his name – Maxim Basov. This suggests that he successfully transferred them from RIGPA Limited to himself

14/ In August 2022, Basov worked with UBS Bank (Switzerland) – specifically with Victoria Sokolova and Ruslan Katov. Victoria sought Basov’s input on a KYC statement regarding his connection to sanctioned Vadim Moshkovich. Basov claimed that he was not his business partner

15/It’s a clear fabrication, given that Basov served as CEO at RusAgro under Moshkovich until 2021 and co-founded another company, AssistAgro, with him. Furthermore, in a May 2022 letter to Nabiullina, Basov identified himself as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of RusAgro

16/ In another request addressed to the Deputy Minister of Finances, Alexey Moiseev, written in October of 2022, Basov asks to help with his efforts to mitigate the risk of sanctions being imposed on depositary receipts of Rus Agro, and he also links this to oligarch Moshkovich

17/ We also noted that Basov was corresponding with an employee of Russian origin to address this issue at UBS Bank. Upon conducting an additional check, we discovered interesting information. According to the Delta Executive Search post, Victoria Sokolova, to quote:

18/ …has over 20 years of experience in Corporate and Investment Banking… as a top ranked Equity Research analyst in London and more recently as part of the oligarch coverage team at Sberbank CIB 

19/ Based on UBS sale documents issued to Rigpa Limited – Maxim’s offshore company registered in Cyprus, it’s evident he continued operating via UBS in 2023. This suggests he likely passed the KYC process, despite affiliations and direct involvement with sanctioned entities.

20/ Documentary evidence unequivocally shows the involvement of Maxim Basov, Vadim Moshkovich, and Ilya Voronkov enterprise in drone manufacturing activities, concealed under the guise of existing agricultural enterprises. Not only have they taken proactive steps to evade potential asset seizures through associations, but it appears that Maxim Basov also lied during the KYC process, while UBS may have failed to conduct thorough due diligence. Their efforts to distance themselves from drone production by manipulating formal ownership and transferring assets amidst sanction risks suggest a clear awareness of their involvement in illicit activities, prompting preemptive measures to evade potential repercussions.

Through email correspondence, it has become evident that companies like RusAgro and AssistAgro are directly involved in the production of drones aiding the invasion of Ukraine. Consequently, despite their efforts to conceal their involvement in such activities, there should be a stronger stance from the international community against these companies and their affiliated entities. 

21/ If you have found this thread valuable, please consider liking and sharing the thread’s first message. Additionally, we kindly ask for your support, as we do not have any funding outside of your donations and subscriptions:

Tatarigami_UA is All Source Public IntelligenceSatellite imagery and other expenses http://buymeacoffee.com/frontelligence

The Avdiivka front:

47th Brigade repels Russian attacks on the Avdiivka front. https://t.co/6fQdEipyel pic.twitter.com/QHnjoxVVa7

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) April 22, 2024

Bradley IFV of the 47th Brigade of Ukraine performs a mission to evacuate Ukrainian soldiers from the front line. Avdiivka front. https://t.co/nhxeSpNgQ7 pic.twitter.com/BHpo7wwJkv

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) April 22, 2024

Chasiv Yar:

Following the AFU Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi, President Zelenskyy said that the Russian military leadership has set the task to take Chasiv Yar before May 9 (Victory Day in Russia).

By my assumptions, it is also about the date of May 7, which is the day of Putin's inauguration,… https://t.co/QGw6MmqcrV pic.twitter.com/HGsyytCgzw

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) April 22, 2024

Following the AFU Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi, President Zelenskyy said that the Russian military leadership has set the task to take Chasiv Yar before May 9 (Victory Day in Russia).

By my assumptions, it is also about the date of May 7, which is the day of Putin’s inauguration, and they need at least a small “victory” by the memorable date. Now, the Russian public channels often mention this date as the date of some special “event” that will allegedly hit Ukraine and its allies like a ton of bricks.

Therefore, the Russian Federation is concentrating its efforts on breaking through the defenses west of Bakhmut in order to reach the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas canal and capture Chasiv Yar. The Russian brigades in this direction have been reinforced with additional ammunition, drones, and electronic warfare equipment.

British intelligence believes that the Russian army is using the same tactics during the offensive at Chasiv Yar as it did during the capture of Avdiivka.

British intelligence agents refer to a report by the Khortytsia operational-strategic group that the enemy drops 20-30 aerial bombs a day in the area of Chasiv Yar.

There will be other “meat assaults,” and Chasiv Yar will be turned into another Avdiivka.

Not quite sure where this is in Ukraine:

Destruction of the Russian 2S4 Tyulpan 240 mm self-propelled heavy mortar.

P.S: I personally have the impression that in recent days there have been more HIMARS strikes on Russian artillery than there have been in recent months. I hope this is not just my feelings, but a real… pic.twitter.com/NJaWbCaEtX

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) April 22, 2024

Destruction of the Russian 2S4 Tyulpan 240 mm self-propelled heavy mortar.

P.S: I personally have the impression that in recent days there have been more HIMARS strikes on Russian artillery than there have been in recent months. I hope this is not just my feelings, but a real increase in strikes due to the imminent transfer of American military assistance.

https://t.me/tivaz_artillery/3782

Obligatory:

Voronezh, Russia:

Voronezh, Russia, 22 April: A huge fire engulfed the "ELMASH plant", the manufacturer of electric motors, electric generators, transformers, fans, hydraulic and pneumatic power equipment, electrical distribution and control equipment. pic.twitter.com/0uMIX6K6jh

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated) April 22, 2024

Russian media report that ELMASH electromechanical plant is on fire in Russian Voronezh.

Local media report that the fire has spread to around 3,000 square meters.

The plant produces gearboxes, gearmotors, brakes, industrial fans, supplies electric motors. pic.twitter.com/1TlmBwyVDM

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) April 22, 2024

That’s enough for tonight.

Your daily Patron!

First some adjacent material.

I’m pretty sure this violates at least one Geneva Convention!

Why be afraid of Goose?) pic.twitter.com/PXDRUAqdSI

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) April 22, 2024

When these people get the weapons they need, the future is safe. https://t.co/QGClE5ocKh pic.twitter.com/icu96QUUai

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) April 21, 2024

A new video from Patron’s official TikTok!

@patron__dsns

❤️

♬ original sound – ㅤ

Open thread!