Ukraine punishes conscientious objectors more severely and dismisses two ministers | War in Ukraine

The Ukrainian parliament has passed a law with stricter penalties for conscientious objectors. The fines for people who do not show up after a mobilization call will be significantly increased. Authorities can also give conscientious objectors a prison sentence of up to three days. President Volodymyr Zelensky has yet to sign the law.

Ukraine has been looking for ways to strengthen the army with new soldiers for several months. Many soldiers have been at the front for long periods, with too little leave in between.

But some Ukrainian citizens do not want to join the army. They do everything they can to avoid a mobilization call.

Earlier this week, parliament passed a law that allows voluntary mobilization of convicted criminals.

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Ukraine plans to import twice as much electricity on Thursday as the day before. According to the country, this is necessary because many power stations have been damaged by Russian air strikes.

According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy, additional energy was already imported from Romania, Poland and Slovakia on Thursday. The industry’s energy consumption is limited in the evenings to prevent the energy network from failing.

Since the end of March, Russia has been carrying out regular attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Three power stations suffered serious damage during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday. Earlier this week, two hydroelectric power stations also failed after an attack.

The Ukrainian parliament dismissed two ministers on Thursday. This concerns the Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov and Agriculture Minister Mykola Solsky.

Kubrakov must resign due to plans by parliament to split the large and influential Ministry of Infrastructure in two. The new ministers will probably be appointed in mid-May.

Solsky is under investigation for corruption. He is suspected of illegally purchasing a piece of land that used to belong to the Ukrainian state. Solsky denies the allegations.

The end of the Second World War was commemorated in Russia on Thursday. President Vladimir Putin spoke on Moscow’s Red Square before thousands of soldiers and other attendees, as happens every year on Victory Day. Several heads of government from Russia’s allies were also present, including Belarus, Kazakhstan, Cuba and Guinea-Bissau.

During his speech, Putin made statements that he has made many times in recent years. For example, he accused Western countries of taking risks that could lead to an international conflict.

On Victory Day, Russia commemorates the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. Just like every year, a military parade was also held.

Valerii Zaluzhnyi becomes the Ukrainian ambassador to the United Kingdom. Zaluzhnyi was replaced as commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army at the beginning of this year.

It is the second time in a short time that Zaluzhnyi has been given a new position. After his departure as commander-in-chief, Zaluzhnyi has held another position in the army leadership in recent months.

A Ukrainian drone has hit a Russian oil refinery more than 1,400 kilometers away. According to a source from the Ukrainian intelligence services, the drone flew about 1,500 kilometers. Never before has a drone managed to hit a target so deep in Russia.

Ukraine has not yet officially confirmed the attack. Russia does confirm that the refinery was hit. The factory is said to still be in operation after the attack.

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