Victorious news of 419th day of war: "sniper rifles on the wheels" for marines, Ukrainian Armed Forces advance near Bakhmut, Ukrainian woman's continental record

Ukrainian marines get "sniper rifles on the wheels"  

On April 18, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov showed the French AMX-10 armored vehicles received by Ukraine, which he called a "sniper rifle on the fast wheels."

"Ukrainian Marines welcome their new French-made cavalry, the AMX-10s!

We took it for a spin together with our warriors, and we agreed to call the AMX-10 the "sniper rifle on the fast wheels." Thank you to my colleague Sebastien Lecornu and to Emmanuel Macron with whom I had a chance to meet and to discuss our priorities and needs. And of course, thank you to all people of France for your strong support! These fast, modern machines with powerful guns will aid us in liberating our territory.

This is what Liberty, Equality, and Brotherhood look like," Reznikov wrote on Twitter.

Ukrainian Defense Forces recapture several positions near Bakhmut

Yaroslav Lysenko, a fighter with the Svoboda battalion, said on Espreso TV that the Ukrainian Defense Forces have recaptured several positions near Bakhmut and even managed to advance.

"The defense of Bakhmut requires a whole range of measures. To the north, south and west of Bakhmut, we have many positions that stretch for more than 80 kilometers. The road to Kostyantynivka has not been used for several months. The road is being shelled by both our artillery and the enemy's artillery. One of our unit's subdivisions is now performing its duties south of Bakhmut. I know that we have successfully recaptured several positions and advanced half a kilometer," emphasized Lysenko.

Ukrainian weightlifter sets continental record

In Yerevan, Ukrainian weightlifter Kamila Konotop set 3 European records at once – in the snatch (106 kg), clean and jerk (129 kg) and the sum of two exercises (235 kg).  This allowed the Ukrainian to win the gold medal at the 2023 European Championships. For 22-year-old Kamila Konotop, this is the second European Championship where she has won the championship title.

Another representative of Ukraine, Nadia Shpylka, won bronze with 207 kg. Belgian Nina Sterckx won silver with 209 kg. 

In total, the Ukrainian national team won 4 medals at the European Championships in Armenia. Earlier, Svitlana Samuliak won silver in the 55 kg category, and Anhelina Lomachynska was third in the 49 kg category. 

Cell phone communication between Ukraine and EU countries will become cheaper

The EU Council has approved a proposal to cancel additional fees for cell phone communications between Ukraine and the EU. This was announced by Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation and Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov on Telegram. 

"We are getting closer to mobile roaming with the EU. So that Ukrainians do not have to pay additional fees for communication in Europe, and Europeans – in Ukraine. The EU Council approved the proposal and gave the green light for a bilateral solution," Fedorov wrote. 

He explained that as a result, Ukrainians would pay less for calls to loved ones in Europe.

Ukrainian Defense Forces destroy a Russian electronic warfare station and a surface-to-air missile system

Over the past day, the aviation of the Ukrainian Defense Forces launched 3 strikes on concentrations of Russian personnel and a strike on their anti-aircraft missile system, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported.

Ukrainian missile and artillery units struck 2 concentrations of Russian manpower, weapons and military equipment, an electronic warfare station and another important military facility.