Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] Five members of a criminal group that had been operating for over 25 years were arrested in Nizhny Tagil, Sverdlovsk Oblast. The Russian Investigative Committee press service reported this on April 11.
According to investigators, in 1997, a resident of Nizhny Tagil formed a cohesive criminal group with a clear division of responsibilities among its members. The organized crime group engaged in extortion and organized prostitution (including with minors). The group operated until the arrest and detention of its leaders in November 2025.
Investigative actions are currently ongoing to gather and consolidate evidence, as well as identify other possible accomplices of this organized crime group. Criminal cases have been opened against those detained under Parts 1 and 2 of Article 210 of the Russian Criminal Code ("Creation of a criminal organization, participation in a criminal organization").
Furthermore, the investigation revealed that one of the gang members was also involved in the murder of two men and the attempted murder of a woman, which occurred in 1994 on the city beach of Nizhny Tagil Pond. The suspect was charged under paragraph "z" of Article 102 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR ("Intentional murder of two persons") and Article 15, paragraph "z" of Article 102 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR ("Attempted intentional murder").
Criminal cases against members of organized crime groups formed in the 1990s are not uncommon. For example, in September 2025, the Moscow Regional Court found crime boss Igor Kokunov, nicknamed Vasya the Bandit, guilty of occupying a high-ranking position in a criminal hierarchy and sentenced him to eight years and two months in a maximum-security prison colony. Kokunov was detained in Albania through Interpol. In 2022, he escaped house arrest and left Russia, after which he was placed on the international wanted list.
In Albania, Kokunov claimed that his life was under threat in Russia. However, his claims were not considered compelling, and in November 2023, the crime boss was extradited to Russia.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Korrespondent] 22.20 After 4:00 PM on Saturday, April 11, as of 10:00 PM, 469 cases of ceasefire violations were recorded. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this in its evening summary.
21:25 Russian war criminals shelled Kherson with artillery: four people were injured, including a 14-year-old teenager. This was reported by the Kherson regional and city military administrations.
20:33 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke about the Easter silence regime in an evening video address on Saturday, April 11. Easter should be a time of security and peace, and it would be right for the ceasefire to continue, the president said.
19.45 Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a journalist by profession, visited the advanced positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Zaporizhia region, and also spoke with anti-aircraft gunners from the Kyiv air defense. Together with British and Ukrainian journalists and a Ukrainian escort group, Johnson visited the village of Komyshuvakha and three other villages in Zaporizhia.
18.55 On the night of April 10-11, Ukrainian defenders struck an oil depot, an oil pumping station, three ammunition depots, and enemy manpower. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this on Saturday, April 11.
Oil infrastructure facilities involved in supplying the Russian occupation army were hit: the Krymskaya oil pumping station (Krymsk, Krasnodar Krai, Russia), as well as the Gvardiyskaya oil depot on the territorial sea of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Enemy ammunition depots were hit in the areas of the settlements of Makedonivka and Donetsk in the Donetsk region, as well as Osipenko in the Zaporizhia region.
Ukrainian fighters inflicted fire damage on drone control points in the Konovalov districts of Zaporizhia region and Hola Prystan in Kherson region.
The enemy's manpower concentration near the settlements of Stepove in the Dnipropetrovsk region, as well as Stepnohirske, Pryazovske and Rybne in Zaporizhia, was also hit.
18:30 The driver, who was seriously injured as a result of a Russian drone strike on a trolleybus, died in hospital, the head of the Kherson Regional Emergency Management Agency reported.
16.55 Since the beginning of the day on April 11, as of 16.00, the aggressor has attacked the positions of the Defense Forces 50 times. The hottest since the beginning of the day on April 11 was in the Kostyantynivske and Pokrovske directions, the General Staff reports.
16:30 In Kherson, Russian war criminals dropped an explosive device from a drone onto a trolleybus. This was reported on Saturday, April 11, by the head of the Kherson OVA, Oleksandr Prokudin. An ambulance took the driver to the hospital in extremely serious condition.
15.40 In the Shostka district of Sumy region, a young man blew himself up on a mine. This happened near the border village in the Khutir-Mykhailivska community, said the head of the Sumy OVA Oleg Grigorov. The 17-year-old boy, previously evacuated from this village, arrived there for Easter. He was riding a motorcycle and came across an explosive device.
14.55 Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi has assigned the Defense Forces of Ukraine the task of ensuring compliance with the ceasefire regime on land, at sea, and in the air during the Easter celebrations. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
14.10 Ukraine and Russia exchanged prisoners of war on the eve of Easter. 182 Ukrainians returned home - 175 defenders and 7 civilians, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported on Telegram.
13.43 On Saturday morning, Russian invaders carried out a massive airstrike on the city of Kramatorsk in Donetsk region. At least 10 people were injured, the National Police reported.
13.14 Ukraine has proposed to Russia to extend the ceasefire after Easter. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced this on Telegram.
The absence of Russian strikes in the sky, on the ground, and at sea will mean the absence of Ukrainian responses, the head of state assured.
12.22 The Russian occupation army is trying to turn the tide of hostilities in southern Ukraine. Our defenders are inflicting maximum losses on the enemy and exhausting the enemy, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Oleksandr Syrsky, reported on Telegram.
11.34 In Odessa, during a night attack, a Russian "Shahed" strike drone flew straight into an apartment window and did not explode. Local media reported this.
11.06 Brigadier General Serhiy Sirchenko was relieved of his position as commander of the 11th Army Corps. The unit's press service reported this.
Already after his release, Sirchenko admitted that he "was silent when he should have spoken."
10.38 Russian troops are building a base for launching Shahed attack drones near the border with Ukraine, the Atesh guerrilla movement reported.
10.13 On Saturday night, the Defense Forces attacked oil depots in the Russian city of Tver and an oil pipeline station in the Kuban. This was reported by Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation (CDC) of the National Security and Defense Council, on Telegram.
Monitoring channels released videos of powerful "arrivals" in Tver and videos of the attack on the Krymsk oil pipeline station.
09.22 Over the past 24 hours, 173 combat clashes between the Ukrainian army and Russian invaders were recorded on the front in 12 main directions. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this in its morning briefing.
08.45 On Saturday night, Russian aggressors launched 160 strike drones of various types over Ukraine. Air defense and electronic warfare units intercepted the vast majority of them, the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported.
08.22 Two people were killed and two more were injured as a result of another attack by Russian strike drones on Odessa. This was reported by the head of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Serhiy Lysak, on Telegram.
Dozens of private and apartment buildings, a dormitory, and a kindergarten building suffered significant damage. Infrastructure facilities were also hit.
08.01 Russia spread another fake as part of a disinformation campaign aimed at discrediting Ukraine's international cooperation in the field of defense technologies and the work of Ukrainian specialists in the Middle East. This was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation (CDC) under the National Security and Defense Council.
07.39 Over the past 24 hours, the Russian occupation army has lost 1,440 servicemen killed and wounded on the front in Ukraine. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this in an operational report.
The Ukrainian military destroyed more than 2,250 units of Russian equipment, including nine armored vehicles, 64 guns, three air defense systems, and two MLRS.
07.21 Over the past 24 hours, 33 attacks on 23 settlements from the territory of the Russian Federation were recorded in the Sumy region. 23 people were injured.
02.15 In Odessa, during a night attack, a UAV hit several houses and damaged the roof of a dormitory. Fires broke out. No information about casualties was previously available.
01.53 Russian invaders struck the Lubny district of Poltava region, killing one person and injuring another. An enemy drone damaged a shop and a coffee shop.
00.50 Russians attacked Sumy twice with drones in the evening. The first attack damaged the roof of a five-story building. The second attack seriously damaged another five-story building. 14 people were injured. Most of them were elderly.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[NewsFront] 20:39 Specialists from the Center for Unmanned and Robotic Systems of the 12th Engineering Brigade of the Center groupare being finalizedground-based robotic systems taking into account the specific tasks performed by units in the special operation zone. 16:43 UAV operators from the Severyan Airborne Forces units, as well as the RUBICON Center inflicted several targeted strikes on the expensive American MaxxPro armored fighting vehicle.
14:40 Assault units are improving their tactical skills.
Military personnel pass FPV drone control training.
Tank crews are improving their professional skills and teamwork in modern combat conditions.
13:54 Konstantinovskoye direction. Assault units have completed the clearing of Stepanovka and reached the northern outskirts of the village. MAP
12:42 Operational-tactical aviation, attack UAVs, missile forces and artillery of the Russian Armed Forces groups inflicted the destruction of industrial facilities, energy and transport infrastructure of Ukraine used in the interests of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, warehouses for storing unmanned boats and long-range UAVs, as well as temporary deployment points of Ukrainian armed forces and foreign mercenaries in 152 districts.
12:35 Summary of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of the Special Military Operation
Units of the "North" force group have improved their tactical position. They have defeated the personnel and equipment of two mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and a territorial defense brigade near the settlements of Myropillia, Novodmitrivka, and Khoten in Sumy Oblast.
In the Khar'kov region, units of two mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a territorial defense brigade, and a National Guard brigade were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Staritsa, Pokalyanoye, Vovchanskie Khutora, Veterinarnoye, Zybino, and Zemlyanki in the Khar'kov region.
The enemy lost more than 180 service members, two armored combat vehicles, nine vehicles, and four electronic warfare stations. An ammunition depot and two supply depots were destroyed.
Units of the "West" force grouping have improved their position along the forward edge. Formations of two mechanized brigades, an assault brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and a territorial defense brigade were defeated near the settlements of Chervony Oskol, Shiykovka, Kutkovka, and Borovaya in the Khar'kov region, and Stary Karavan, Krasny Liman, and Svyatogorsk in the Donetsk People's Republic.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost over 190 service members, an armored combat vehicle, 28 vehicles, four field artillery pieces, a Grad multiple launch rocket system, and an electronic warfare station. Three ammunition depots and four supply depots were destroyed.
Units of the Southern Group of Forces have occupied more advantageous positions and lines. They have defeated the personnel and equipment of three mechanized brigades, an airmobile brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and a territorial defense brigade near the settlements of Konstantinovka, Ilyinovka, Krivaya Luka, Nikolaevka, Artema, and Slavyansk in the Donetsk People's Republic.
The enemy lost up to 160 troops, a US-made M113 armored personnel carrier, a Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, five armored combat vehicles, 21 vehicles, and a field artillery gun. Two electronic warfare stations, three ammunition depots, and four supply depots were destroyed.
Units of the Center Forces Group have improved their tactical position. They have inflicted losses on the personnel and equipment of two mechanized brigades, an airmobile brigade, an airborne brigade, an assault regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a naval infantry brigade, and two National Guard brigades near the settlements of Rubizhne, Belitskoye, Priyut, Ivanovka, Sergeyevka, and Grishino in the Donetsk People's Republic, and Novopidgorodne and Novopavlivka in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
Ukrainian armed forces suffered losses of more than 345 servicemen, five armored combat vehicles, eight cars, an electronic warfare station, and two field artillery pieces, including a US-made 155mm M777 howitzer.
Units of the "East" force group advanced deep into the enemy's defenses. Formations of two mechanized brigades, an airborne assault brigade, an assault brigade, and two assault regiments of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were defeated near the settlements of Pokrovskoe and Kolomiytsy in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, and Novoselivka, Vozdvizhevka, and Verkhnyaya Tersa in Zaporizhia Oblast.
The enemy lost over 285 servicemen, four armored combat vehicles and six cars.
Units of the Dnepr group of forces inflicted losses on the manpower and equipment of the mechanized, mountain assault brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the territorial defense brigade in the areas of the settlements of Zaporozhets, Orekhov and Novoandriyevka in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Up to 40 military personnel, 11 vehicles and four electronic warfare stations were destroyed.
11:21 Sappers from the West and Dnepr groups are conducting demining liberated territories in the LPR and Kherson region.
Sappers are especially busy during offensive operations. When abandoning their positions, Ukrainian Armed Forces units deliberately leave explosive devices, tripwires, and traps in the most unexpected places. These are usually destroyed on the spot by detonation.
10:35 The Russian Armed Forces improved their positions in the Sumy direction –MAP
08:17 During the past night, in the period from 20:00 Moscow time on April 10 to 7:00 Moscow time on April 11, air defense systems on duty intercepted anddestroyed99 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the aircraft type over the territories of the Krasnodar Territory, the Republic of Crimea, Belgorod, Bryansk, Rostov, Kaluga, Kursk regions and over the waters of the Azov and Black Seas.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has declassified archival materials on German engineers involved in the construction of crematoria and gas chambers for Nazi concentration camps. The documents were published on April 11 on the agency's website.
The materials document the work of the German engineering company Topf & Sons, which designed and built crematoria and gas chambers at the Auschwitz, Dachau, and Buchenwald death camps. The publication is timed to coincide with International Day of the Liberation of Nazi Concentration Camp Prisoners.
The documents include special reports and reports from the 8th Guards Army's SMERSH counterintelligence agency regarding the detention of company employees in the spring of 1946, as well as their interrogation reports. The materials document the engineers' involvement in the design, construction, commissioning, and maintenance of equipment designed for mass extermination.
Declassified documents indicate that employees were aware of what was happening in the camps. For example, engineer Karl Schulze testified during interrogation that he personally witnessed prisoners being sent to the gas chambers and then observed the bodies of the dead in the crematorium. He also admitted to staying in Auschwitz to inspect the ovens after the arrival of those slated for extermination.
Other company employees took a similar position.
“I, as a German engineer and employee of the Topf company, considered myself obliged to use all my best knowledge to help Nazi Germany achieve victory, just like any aircraft engineer, even if it involved the destruction of people,” says the testimony of chief engineer Fritz Sander.
The FSB noted that the presented materials reveal the role of specialists and industry representatives in implementing Nazi extermination policies. The documents also demonstrate how Soviet state security agencies established their involvement and knowledge of crimes.
On April 19, Russia will commemorate Genocide Remembrance Day. On this day in 1943, the USSR issued a decree that for the first time formalized the Nazi policy of exterminating civilians in occupied territories.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly emphasized the importance of preserving the historical memory of the Great Patriotic War and the heroism of the Soviet people. On April 9, he signed a law criminalizing the denial or approval of genocide, as well as insulting the memory of its victims. Such actions carry penalties of up to three years in prison and a fine of up to 3 million rubles. A more severe penalty of up to five years in prison is introduced for the destruction and desecration of graves and memorials to genocide victims, including outside of Russia.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
