April 27, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

By Aditi Sangal, Maureen Chowdhury, Jessie Yeung, Seán Federico O'Murchú, Ben Morse, Jeevan Ravindran and Ed Upright, CNN

Updated 12:06 AM ET, Thu April 28, 2022
34 Posts
Sort byDropdown arrow
9:51 a.m. ET, April 27, 2022

More than 20,000 Ukrainians have been processed at the US-Mexico border since mid-March

From CNN's Priscilla Alvarez 

Ukrainian refugees fleeing war, camp inside a shelter in a gymnasium at the Unidad Deportiva Benito Juárez as they await processing of their applications along the border with the United States in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, on April 9.
Ukrainian refugees fleeing war, camp inside a shelter in a gymnasium at the Unidad Deportiva Benito Juárez as they await processing of their applications along the border with the United States in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, on April 9. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty Images)

The Department of Homeland Security processed more than 20,000 Ukrainians at the US-Mexico border and granted them humanitarian parole since March 11, when officials began exempting them on a case-by-case basis following Russia’s invasion, according to a newly filed court declaration.

Blas Nuñez-Neto, a top Homeland Security official, outlined the Biden administration’s plans for an influx of migrants at the US-Mexico border when a public health authority, known as Title 42, lifts in a court filing following a federal judge’s intent to temporarily block the wind down. 

DHS, Nunez-Neto said, will be “significantly curtailing” those exception, given the launch of Uniting for Ukraine, a streamlined process for Ukrainians seeking to come to the United States. 

“The Department strongly encourages all potential applicants to apply directly from Europe, where they will have greater support than if they apply from Mexico or elsewhere,” the filing reads. 

9:47 a.m. ET, April 27, 2022

Trevor Reed's release will not impact the US' approach to Russia's war in Ukraine, officials say

From CNN's Jennifer Hansler and Kylie Atwood

The weeks of negotiations that resulted in Trevor Reed’s release from detention in Russia will have no impact on the Biden administration’s approach to the Ukraine war.

“It represents no change – zero – to our approach to the appalling violence in Ukraine,” the first official said. The official said that the negotiations focused on “a discrete issue on which we were able to make an arrangement with the Russians.”

The officials said the negotiations did not involve additional “senior level of travel” to Russia but that the case had been raised at multiple levels, including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s meeting in Geneva with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov prior to the start of the war.

A second senior administration official noted this was done by the interagency, but also helped by media interest in Reed’s case.

9:16 a.m. ET, April 27, 2022

3 Norwegian diplomats have been expelled from Russia, Norway says

From Amy Cassidy in London

Russia has expelled three Norwegian diplomats, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs press office told CNN on Wednesday.

It comes after Norway granted the same number of Russian diplomats persona non grata earlier this month in response to the atrocities alleged to have been committed by Russian forces in the Ukrainian town of Bucha. 

It marks the latest retaliatory move from Russia amid a mass expulsion of diplomats across Europe in response to the war in Ukraine.

9:05 a.m. ET, April 27, 2022

American Trevor Reed has been exchanged for Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko

From CNN's Radina Gigova and Anna Chernova 

American Trevor Reed has been exchanged for Russian national Konstantin Yaroshenko, Russia's Foreign Ministry said Wednesday. 

Yaroshenko is a Russian pilot who had been detained in Liberia by undercover US Drug Enforcement Agency agents on May 28, 2010, and brought to the US, according to Russian state news agency TASS.

US Drug Enforcement Agency agents ostensibly obtained evidence Yaroshenko had criminal intent to transport a large batch of cocaine, according to TASS.

The Russian pilot has pled not guilty, describing his arrest as a provocation and all charges against him as fake, according to TASS.

"As a result of a lengthy negotiation process, on April 27, 2022, US citizen Trevor Rowdy Reed, previously convicted in the Russian Federation, was exchanged for Russian citizen Konstantin Yaroshenko, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison by an American court in 2010," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on her official Telegram channel Wednesday. 

9:55 a.m. ET, April 27, 2022

Trevor Reed has been released, but other Americans remain detained in Russia

From CNN's Veronica Stracqualursi and Jennifer Hansler

Brittney Griner #15 of the United States in action during the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games on August 4, in Tokyo, Japan
Brittney Griner #15 of the United States in action during the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games on August 4, in Tokyo, Japan (Tim Clayton/Corbis/Getty Images)

While US citizen Trevor Reed was released from Russian custody, at least two other Americans — basketball star Brittney Griner and former Marine Paul Whelan —remain detained in Russia.

Griner was arrested in Russia in mid-February on allegations of drug smuggling. A Moscow court recently extended her arrest until May 19, according to Russian state news agency TASS.

While her legal team has had access to her and was able to see her several times a week throughout her detention, a US official from the US embassy in Moscow was finally granted consular access to Griner in late March, and said they found her to be in “good condition.”

Paul Whelan, a former US Marine accused of spying and arrested in Russia stands inside a defendants' cage during a hearing at a court in Moscow, Russia, on August 23, 2019.
Paul Whelan, a former US Marine accused of spying and arrested in Russia stands inside a defendants' cage during a hearing at a court in Moscow, Russia, on August 23, 2019. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty Images)

Whelan, a US citizen, has been detained in Russia since 2018 after he was arrested on espionage charges, which he has consistently denied. He was convicted and sentenced in June 2020 to 16 years in prison in a trial US officials denounced as unfair. In a June, he told CNN of the grim conditions of the remote labor camp where he works in a clothing factory he called a “sweatshop” and said obtaining medical care is “very difficult.”

On Wednesday, Whelan's family expressed happiness at the release of Reed, but said it is a day of “varied emotions” and questions for them.

“It's the event that we hope for so much in our own lives. Hopefully, Trevor will now get the medical attention and care he needs deserves,” Whelan’s brother David Whelan said in a statement Wednesday. “He is reunited with his family.”

“Trevor is free. Paul remains a hostage,” David Whelan continued.

Both Whelan and Griner's families have been fighting for their freedom. The Biden administration has said it will continue to work for both of their releases.

“The case of Paul Whelan is one we continue to work day in, day out,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price told CNN Wednesday. “Paul Whelan is wrongfully detained in Russia."

“When it comes to Brittney Griner, we are working very closely with her team. Her case is a top priority for us,” Price continued. “We're in regular contact with her team."

8:52 a.m. ET, April 27, 2022

Family of Trevor Reed and US President Biden say he has been released

From CNN's Kevin Liptak and Betsy Klein

US ex-marine Trevor Reed, charged with attacking police, stands inside a defendants' cage during a court hearing in Moscow, Russia, on March 11, 2020.
US ex-marine Trevor Reed, charged with attacking police, stands inside a defendants' cage during a court hearing in Moscow, Russia, on March 11, 2020. (Alexander Nemenov/AFP/Getty Images)

The family of former US Marine Trevor Reed says he has been released from Russian custody.

"Our family has been living a nightmare. Today, our prayers have been answered and Trevor is safely on his way back to the United States," the family said in a statement.

"We’d respectfully ask for some privacy while we address the myriad of health issues brought on by the squalid conditions he was subjected to in his Russian gulag," the family continued, although they did not specify how many days Reed was detained.

They thanked US President Joe Biden "for his kindness, his consideration, and for making the decision to bring Trevor home," adding that Biden's action "may have saved Trevor's life."

Biden also confirmed Reed's release, saying he had shared the news with his family.

“Today, we welcome home Trevor Reed and celebrate his return to the family that missed him dearly. Trevor, a former U.S. Marine, is free from Russian detention," Biden said in a statement. "I heard in the voices of Trevor’s parents how much they’ve worried about his health and missed his presence. And I was delighted to be able to share with them the good news about Trevor’s freedom."

Reed’s release came due to a prisoner swap for Russian citizen Konstantin Yaroshenko, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on her official Telegram channel.

“The negotiations that allowed us to bring Trevor home required difficult decisions that I do not take lightly. His safe return is a testament to the priority my Administration places on bringing home Americans held hostage and wrongfully detained abroad,” Biden said.

He went on to call for the release of detained security director Paul Whelan, who was first arrested in 2018, saying he would not "stop until Paul Whelan and others join Trevor in the loving arms of family and friends."

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also welcomed the release of Reed in a statement Wednesday "while continuing to call for the release of wrongfully detained" Whelan.

"We also remain committed to securing the freedom of all U.S. nationals wrongfully detained abroad," he said.

8:16 a.m. ET, April 27, 2022

It's mid-afternoon in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know

A woman from Kherson region holds her child as her family is registered at an evacuation point in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine on April 22.
A woman from Kherson region holds her child as her family is registered at an evacuation point in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine on April 22. (Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Today's main developments in Russia's war in Ukraine center around accusations of gas "blackmail," after Moscow halted supplies to Poland and Bulgaria, well as heavy fighting on the ground.

Here's a look at the latest developments: 

  • Russia turns off oil tap: Russian energy giant Gazprom has shut off gas supplies to both Bulgaria and Poland's state-owned gas companies after the two countries refused to pay in rubles in a dramatic escalation of tensions with the West. The European Union has accused Russia of trying to “blackmail” the bloc with gas, accusation which Russia has denied.

  • Mystery explosions: Blasts were heard Wednesday in three Russian regions bordering Ukraine, local authorities and Russian state media reported. An adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made cryptic references in response to reports of the overnight explosions. Myhailo Podolyak said that "the Belgorod, Voronezh, and Kursk regions are now also beginning to actively study such a concept as 'demilitarization.'" 
  • Kherson's "sham referendum": Many civilians are fleeing Kherson, located in southern Ukraine, ahead of what Ukrainian leaders have called a sham referendum staged by Russia. Kherson and its surrounding areas were the first to be taken by advancing Russian forces early in the war, and Russia now plans to hold a vote in the region to try to show popular support for the creation of a new entity called the Kherson People's Republic.
  • Fighting intensifies: Ukraine has acknowledged the loss of several eastern towns and villages as Russia steps up its ground offensive. Russian forces have taken control of the town of Zarichne, and have started attacking nearby Yampil. Despite the loss of territory, Ukrainian authorities said nine enemy attacks were repulsed in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions alone, with Russian equipment destroyed --including nine tanks and 11 artillery systems.

  • Sending help: British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will urge Western allies to supply Ukraine with warplanes and other heavy weapons, according to a news release from the UK’s Foreign Office published Tuesday. It comes as NATO countries ramp up their military support for Ukraine. In a major policy U-turn on Tuesday, Germany announced it will supply Ukraine with anti-aircraft tanks. Canada and the UK also announced they would supply more heavy weapons on Tuesday.
8:52 a.m. ET, April 27, 2022

Russia says it will release former US Marine Trevor Reed in exchange for Russian prisoner

From CNN's Anna Chernova and Radina Gigova

Police officers escort former US Marine Trevor Reed to a courtroom prior to a hearing in Moscow, Russia in 2020.
Police officers escort former US Marine Trevor Reed to a courtroom prior to a hearing in Moscow, Russia in 2020. (Alexander Nemenov/AFP/Getty Images)

Russia said on Wednesday it will swap former US Marine Trevor Reed for a Russian prisoner held in the United States.

"As a result of a lengthy negotiation process, on April 27, 2022, US citizen Trevor Rowdy Reid, previously convicted in the Russian Federation, was exchanged for Russian citizen Konstantin Yaroshenko, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison by an American court in 2010," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on her official Telegram channel Wednesday. 

Russian state news agency RIA Novosti also reported the move. 

7:42 a.m. ET, April 27, 2022

European Union proposes to drop all tariffs on imports from Ukraine

From CNN’s James Frater in Brussels

Following a request from Ukraine, the European Commission proposed on Wednesday a series of temporary “trade-liberalizing measures” that would enable Ukraine “to maintain its trade position with the rest of the world and further deepen its trade relations” with the European Union.

“These temporary and exceptional measures will contribute to supporting and fostering the existing trade flows from Ukraine to the [European] Union” and “would add flexibility and certainty for Ukrainian producers," the Commission said in its proposal. 

The Commission said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “has had a profound negative impact on Ukraine’s ability to trade with the rest of the world.”

And to mitigate the economic impact of the aggression, the Commission explained it was “appropriate and necessary” to accelerate closer economic relations between the EU and Ukraine “in order to provide a quick support to the Ukrainian authorities and the population.”

The recommendation -- which would be valid for one year -- would include a “temporary suspension of all outstanding tariffs” and establish a “deep and comprehensive free trade area” between Ukraine and the EU. 

The Commission proposal would remove all tariffs, import duties on industrial products, fruit and vegetables as well as drop quotas on agricultural and processed agricultural products.

In this proposal the Commission hopes that these measures would “establish conditions for enhanced economic and trade relations” with the aim of “Ukraine's gradual integration in the EU Internal Market.”

In a statement, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said, “I have been in discussions with President [Volodymyr] Zelensky on ways of supporting the economy,” and that today’s proposal “will greatly facilitate the export of Ukrainian industrial and agricultural goods to the EU.” 

The proposal now needs to be signed off by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.