[Korrespondent] 23:44 Zelensky said that the authorities continue to work on diplomatic options for rescuing the Ukrainian military, who remain at Azovstal. "Influential mediators, influential states have been involved," the president said.
23:33 The air defense of the Air Force and the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine today destroyed at least 14 enemy Orlan-10 drones, the command reported.
23:29 Residents of the Kherson region will have the right to obtain Russian citizenship, said "deputy head of administration" Kirill Stremousov. He also said that Ukrainian banks "began to curtail work" in the Kherson region: "We will build the work of banks that are directly connected with the Russian Federation." According to him, in the coming months the region will completely switch to mutual settlements in rubles.
23:26 Zelensky, in an address to Ukrainians, called on all citizens - "and especially these days" - not to ignore air raid signals: "Please, this is your life, the life of your children." The President also asks to strictly observe the orders on public order and curfew and bans on visiting forests in the area that was occupied.
23:23 Johnson, in a telephone conversation with Macron, urged him to refrain from "any negotiations with Russia on terms that confirm the Kremlin's false version of the invasion." According to the British government, Johnson and Macron unanimously condemned "Putin's deadly stupidity" in unleashing the war and agreed to coordinate security and assistance to Ukraine, as well as measures to isolate the Russian Federation.
23:19 The Pentagon ordered SwitchBlade drones for Ukraine, the contract amounted to $ 17.8 million, writes CNN.
23:17 The Berlin authorities have banned the display of both Russian and Ukrainian flags near city memorials this weekend, when the 77th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe will be celebrated. "Respect for memorials and monuments must be maintained against the backdrop of Russia's current aggressive war in Ukraine. The war must not result in conflicts or disputes in Berlin that go beyond democratic discourse," the Berlin police said in a statement.
22:44 The Armed Forces of Ukraine are moving forward in the north of Kharkov, while in the Luhansk region the situation, on the contrary, has become more complicated - the Russians will try to take it by May 9, Arestovich said. According to him, the Russian army transferred some of its units from the Kharkov direction to the Lugansk region, as it realized that they would not be able to take Kharkov.
22:41 The UN Security Council for the first time since the beginning of the war unanimously voted for a statement on the situation in Ukraine. In a statement drafted by Norway and Mexico, the UN Security Council expressed support for the Secretary General's efforts to settle in Ukraine.
The statement does not mention "war" or "conflict" or "invasion" or "special military operation", but only "expresses deep concern about maintaining the peace and security of Ukraine" and recalls that "all Member States have taken undertake, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, to settle their international disputes by peaceful means".
22:27 The Russian Defense Ministry said that "the Ukrainian military and national battalions, on the instructions of curators from the United States and Britain, are equipping fortified areas at large chemical enterprises, planning provocations." In particular, the Ukrainians are allegedly planning provocations at chemical facilities in the area of Severodonetsk, Lysichansk and Rubizhne, where more than 30 enterprises are concentrated.
Moscow claims that the Ukrainian military allegedly deployed heavy weapons at the Azot plant in Severodonetsk, and more than a thousand people are being held as human shields. Also, "neo-Nazis" mined containers with chemical substances, including ammonia, "to blow them up in the event of leaving their positions, this could lead to contamination of the Seversky Donets River."
According to "operational data" of the RF Ministry of Defense, the SBU is planning "provocations with the use of chemical weapons in order to further accuse the RF Armed Forces" in a number of settlements.
22:23 Arestovich said that there is no official information about the Russian ship Admiral Makarov, and "it may well turn out that no one was drowned or knocked out."
22:20 The United States has no information confirming Ukraine's strike on the Russian frigate Admiral Makarov, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said. He stressed that in Washington "watched this all day."
22:18 In Odessa and the region, a round-the-clock curfew was announced on May 9: it will last from 22:00 Sunday, May 8, until 5:00 Tuesday, May 10.
22:16 Ukrainian troops have achieved tactical successes on the front near Kharkov and near Kherson, Arestovich said: “Our troops have advanced somewhat in the Kharkov and Kherson directions, as we see from the reports of the General Staff. We have tactical success there and have a vivid example of the liberation of our land from enemy. This tactical success, under certain conditions, can develop into an operational success and help our troops who are fighting to the south. "
22:02 In the occupied territory of the Kherson region, the Russians are holding captive about 500 people - activists and participants in the ATO, Tamila Tasheva, the permanent representative of the President of Ukraine in Crimea, said. These people, according to her, "are in fact in the basements", they are tortured.
Tasheva said that in Kherson and on the administrative border with Crimea - in Novoalekseevka, Genichesk - the Russian military has lists of activists who participated in the civil blockade of Crimea in 2015, or those who served in the ATO. These people are being kidnapped.
21:37 The Interdepartmental Coordination Headquarters of the Russian Federation for Humanitarian Response also reported that 50 civilians, including 11 children, were taken out of Azovstal. All rescued civilians have been handed over to UN and ICRC representatives "for delivery to selected places of temporary accommodation," Moscow said, adding that the humanitarian operation would continue on May 7.
21:35 Occupiers fired missiles at Odesa region tonight, but air defense went off, OVA speaker Serhiy Bratchuk said. In addition, the Russians stepped up aerial reconnaissance.
21:33 The last of the 20 Bushmaster armored personnel carriers donated by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, along with several M777 howitzers, departed from Australia, Ambassador Bruce Edwards said.
21:29 Today, 50 people were evacuated from Azovstal - women, children and the elderly, Vereshchuk said. She said that on the way back it was planned to pick up people near Port City in Mariupol, but the convoy stood all day at Azovstal, where the enemy constantly violated the ceasefire and staged provocations.
On Saturday, May 7, the evacuation operation will continue. If everything goes according to plan, then at 17:00 there will be buses in Port City that will take people to Nameless. There, people from Port City will join the convoy from Azovstal, which will leave for Zaporozhye the next day, Vereshchuk said.
21:24 Reuters correspondents confirmed the evacuation of 25 people, including children, from the territory of the Azovstal plant to the village of Bezymennoye under the control of Russian invaders.
20:57 Biden will sign a new military aid package for Ukraine worth at least $100 million in the coming days, Reuters reports, citing three US officials.
20:42 The UN Security Council will meet for an unscheduled meeting on Ukraine today at 22:00 , TASS reports.
20:38 The White House, speaking about the possibility of writing off Ukraine's external debt, said that the United States is open to discussing various steps that will help Kiev in the current wartime.
20:36 The leader of the "PMR" Vadim Krasnoselsky said that Pridnestrovie adheres to neutrality on the situation in Ukraine, "it is not dangerous for its neighbors" - neither for Ukraine, nor for Moldova.
20:30 Zelensky addressed the people and politicians of Iceland and thanked the country for imposing sanctions against Russia and for "the support you provide to our state at various levels."
20:28 Zelensky during the Chatham House conference called three main challenges associated with the Russian invasion of Ukraine:
- the extreme cruelty of the Russian troops and the extreme disregard of all international conventions, the entire system of international law, human rights, the inviolability of borders and the integrity of states in Europe by the Russian state;
- nuclear blackmail for the first time in decades;
- the world is a few steps away from political chaos in dozens of countries, which could be the result of food and inflationary crises.
20:19 The European Union will certainly approve the sixth package of sanctions against Russia, even if it takes a little longer, assured the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
20:17 Ukraine has sown almost half of the planned areas with agricultural crops. According to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, the sowing campaign took place on 7.1 million hectares of land - this is 49.3% of the planned (14.4 million hectares).
20:16 The German Federal Office for Criminal Affairs will provide logistical support to the investigation of Russian war crimes in Ukraine, the country's Interior Ministry said. Part of the necessary equipment has already been sent, it will soon arrive at its destinations.
20:10 Zelensky presented the first combat awards based in independent Ukraine - the Military Merit Cross. Zaluzhny became the first recipient of the Combat Merit Cross. Together with him, this distinction was awarded to:
- captain Vladislav Kalievsky - deputy commander of the mechanized battalion of the 72nd OMB OK Pivnich SV APU,
- sergeant Daria Mazurenko - combat medic of the mechanized company of the mechanized battalion of the 72nd OMB OK Pivnich SV APU,
- Lieutenant General Yevgeny Moysyuk - Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,
- Colonel Alexander Okhrimenko - commander of the 14th OMB OK Zahid SV APU.
20:06 Lukashenka, following Peskov and Medvedev, also saw the "Polish threat" to Ukraine: "It seems to me that if, for example, Poland and other countries continue to behave like this, then we - Belarus, Russia and Ukraine - will fight together against you". Lukashenko said that in Poland, allegedly, "certain figures and politicians are sharpening sabers and sabers and see Western Ukraine as part of Poland."
“They themselves, Ukrainians, cannot resist the so-called current allies. Therefore, I do not exclude that we, the three Slavic peoples, including Ukrainians, will have to defend the integrity of Ukraine. For me, the destruction of Ukraine and the loss of its integrity, independence are unacceptable. And I I will do everything so that Ukraine remains within its borders. Zelensky sees this too. Therefore, such an opinion flashed that we would together resist the Poles or someone else," Lukashenka said.
20:00 Estonia will help Ukraine to restore the Zhytomyr region, the country's Foreign Minister Eva-Maria Liimets said at a press conference in Kiev.
19:43 Russian media report that the second bus took 13 more civilians from Azovstal, including one child.
19:41 Biden will sign the lend-lease law for Ukraine on May 9, Psaki said.
19:39 From the very beginning of the Russian invasion, US intelligence has been providing Ukraine with an unprecedented amount of intelligence. More about this in the material How else the United States is helping to fight .
19:36 The head of the Kyiv OVA Oleksandr Pavlyuk does not rule out a second attempt to attack Kyiv: "The probability always remains, because without the capture of the capital there will never be a complete victory over Ukraine. Therefore, if Russia's plans remain the complete destruction of Ukraine, and it has always been, and as long as Russia exists, the heart of Ukraine - Kiev - will be under the gun."
At the same time, he assured that the authorities are considering such options and are preparing for various possible scenarios for the actions of the Russian occupiers.
19:31 The chiefs of the general staffs of Ukraine, Finland and Sweden will take part in a meeting of the NATO Military Committee - the supreme military body of the alliance. One of the working sessions of the meeting will be fully devoted to the situation in Ukraine. The meeting will be held on May 19 in Brussels, the press service of the alliance reported.
19:27 According to the government of the Russian Federation, over the past three months, 3.8 million people have left Russia. From 2000 to 2021, 5 million people left the country.
19:24 Only three people have been evacuated from Severodonetsk today, said the head of the Luhansk OVA Serhiy Gaidai. According to him, more than 15 thousand people remain in the city, but there are almost no people who want to leave.
19:23 Zelensky sees no signs of an imminent end to the Russian-Ukrainian war: "Today is the 72nd day of a full-scale war, and we do not see the end of the war yet. We do not feel and do not see any desire on the Russian side to end it. And we do not we see satisfactory solutions to the challenges that Russia has provoked by this war.Since February 24, there has not been a single day that we have not been negotiating on providing us with weapons, tightening sanctions against Russia, etc. And there has not been a single day when we would did not negotiate a safe exit and a green corridor for people who are under siege in Mariupol."
19:18 The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry condemned the appointment of the so-called "ambassadors" of the pseudo-republics of the "LPR" and "DPR" in Moscow and is convinced that they will face criminal punishment for high treason, spokesman of the department Oleg Nikolenko said.
19:16 Zelensky signed a law on simplifying the registration of the unemployed and additional incentives for employers in the employment of internally displaced persons. Now internally displaced persons and persons from the territories of active hostilities are granted the status of unemployed from the first day of registration at the employment center and are assigned assistance. It is also no longer necessary to visit the employment center to confirm the status in person.
19:11 Some Chinese companies are suspending supplies to Russia due to sanctions and pressure from American suppliers, without making official statements, The Wall Street Journal writes, citing its sources. Among such companies, in particular, Lenovo and Xiaomi.
18:59 Russian troops are trying to cross the Seversky Donets near Kremennaya. As the head of the Lugansk OVA, Sergei Gaidai, said, the captured city is filled with Russian equipment, and fighting is going on in the vicinity. More than 3.5 thousand citizens are currently under occupation. The Russians terrorize the population in every possible way: from checking phones to the disappearance of Ukrainian patriots. Almost every house suffered from looting. There is a difficult humanitarian situation in the city, there are no food, no electricity, no mobile communications.
18:53 At least ten Russian generals were killed in Ukraine, ex-CIA director David Petraeus said in an interview with Ukrinform: "At least ten or eleven Russian generals were killed. This is an incredible figure, especially considering that the entire US army lost one general during decades of hostilities in Iraq and Afghanistan. This means that this is a powerful blow to the command and control system of the Russian forces. And you can imagine that the number of battalion and brigade commanders is many times greater than the number of dead generals."
18:51 About 420 thousand unemployed people are registered in Ukraine. According to the Federation of Employers of Ukraine, the real rate of unemployed may be up to 500,000. A month ago, there were 270,000 unemployed in the country, said Ruslan Ilyichev, general director of the Federation of Employers. According to him, the number of vacancies has now fallen by 20 times compared to pre-war times.
18:45 According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, there are up to 800 wounded and 200 bodies of dead enemy servicemen in the psychiatric hospital of the village of Malotokmatsky, Rostov Region, partially transferred to the use of the armed forces of the Russian Federation.
18:43 In the Kharkiv region, the Russian army is blocking individual remote settlements, conducting systematic shelling of high intensity, including with the use of multiple launch rocket systems, in areas where Ukrainian troops are concentrated. The enemy also launched an offensive in the direction of the settlement of Novaya Dmitrovka, but was not successful.
As a result of the offensive, the Armed Forces of Ukraine restored control over the settlements of Aleksandrovka, Fedorovka, Ukrainka, Shestakovo, Peremoga and part of the village of Cherkassky Tishki , the General Staff said.
18:34 Russian media write that a bus with civilians left the territory of Azovstal, there were 12 people in it, including children.
18:29 Medvedev, following Peskov, spoke about Poland allegedly claiming the territory of Western Ukraine: "Western Ukraine will be a welcome acquisition for Poland, which is hungry for the return of the lands ... We are talking about the actual annexation of the territories of Western Ukraine by Poland. The soil is being probed slowly but surely."
Podolyak reacted to this: “The spirit of Zhirinovsky has moved into Medvedev and dances fakes on the keyboard about Poland’s imperial plans. The civilized world works differently. Poland is a great friend, ally and partner of Ukraine. Warsaw does not stick a knife in the back, like Russia, but serves helping hand. Not everyone is as barbaric as Russia."
18:24 Kuleba called Russian supporters in Europe "Trojan horses": "For those who are still trying to play the role of a Trojan horse in the EU for the sake of relations with Russia and hide behind their economic interests, I can only say one thing: history will judge everyone. Anyone who thinks they are on the right side of history will find that they are not."
18:07 In the Rivne region, the curfew has been reduced by two hours - from May 10 it will operate from 23:00 to 5:00 (now - from 22:00 to 6:00). Also, from May 7, the time for the sale of alcohol in shops and catering establishments has been extended from 11:00 to 21:00.
17:53 Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov urged residents of the city not to go to the Memorial of Glory on May 9: "I want to ask you not to go to the memorial on May 9. I know that this tradition has always been with us in Kharkov and the country." He urged to remember relatives-veterans at home, and to lay flowers on them only after the end of hostilities.
17:51 Another exchange of prisoners took place: the Ukrainian side returned 41 people, including 11 women. 28 military and 13 civilians are returning home, Vereshchuk said.
17:30 Zelensky invited Scholz to come to Ukraine on May 9. He stated this during a discussion at the Royal Institute of International Relations: "He was invited to come to Ukraine, he can make this very powerful political step and come here, to Kyiv, on May 9."
17:18 From June 2 to 4, a conference in support of Ukraine will be held in Slovakia, said the president of the GLOBSEC organization, Robert Vaasch. The purpose of the event is to mobilize military, humanitarian, economic and financial support for Ukraine. Prime ministers and presidents have been invited to the conference, and Ukraine has been offered the chairmanship.
16:59 2,100 people evacuated from the front-line villages of the Kherson region on their own. The occupiers do not give a green corridor, so the local population on foot and, if possible, by vehicles themselves got out in the direction of the Dnipropetrovsk region, said the head of the Kherson regional police department Gennady Laguta.
16:51 The second most powerful ship of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation after Moscow caught fire after being hit by Neptunes near Snake Island, media write. In detail about what is known at the moment, the frigate Admiral Makarov was shot down in the material of the Armed Forces of Ukraine .
16:42 Ukraine can completely stop negotiations with Russia, Zelensky said during a discussion at the Royal Institute of International Relations: "If Russia kills civilians or soldiers who could be released, we cannot conduct diplomatic negotiations with them."
16:26 In Kiev, they will not impose a long curfew on May 8-9, but they will increase patrols, Klitschko said.
16:22 In Nikolaev and the region, problems with mobile communications began for users of the Lifecell operator, a similar situation in Kherson, Suspіlne reported.
16:21 Ukraine has already received $5 billion out of $11 billion that are being negotiated with international partners, Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said.
16:12 A "delegation" arrived in Kherson, which included the leader of the "DPR" Denis Pushilin and deputy chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, one of the leaders of United Russia Andrey Turchak, Russian media report. In Kherson, they met with the newly appointed "head" of the region, collaborator Volodymyr Saldo. At the meeting, Turchak said that "Russia is here forever."
16:07 Zelensky signed a law on the de-Sovietization of Ukrainian legislation. According to the document, changes will be made to existing laws and those that are no longer applied will be repealed. Among other things, Soviet terminology will be replaced, new Housing and Labor Codes will be developed.
16:05 Russia plans to simplify the procedure for registering orphans and children deprived of parental care. Corresponding amendments to the legislation have already been submitted to the State Duma, according to Russian media. The bill is aimed at enabling Russian citizens to adopt Ukrainian children, because the current legislation prohibits the placement of foreign children in Russian families.
16:01 Since the beginning of the war, the SBU has eliminated more than 140 enemy DRGs and exposed 4,000 collaborators. Also, 11 Russian snipers who fired at Ukrainian positions were captured in the Kharkiv region, the Security Service reported.
15:47 Zelensky will take part in the G7 online conference on Sunday, May 8, the German government said. The meeting will be dedicated to the "historical date marking the end of the Second World War." They will discuss, in particular, the current situation in Ukraine.
15:45 The leader of the "LPR" Pasechnik also appointed an "ambassador" to Russia, his adviser Rodion Miroshnik became it.
15:43 Peskov said that "wide celebration" of Victory Day in Mariupol is not yet possible: "The time will come, and there will be a wide celebration." According to him, he does not know anything about sending any official delegation from the Russian Federation to the city to celebrate May 9th.
15:40 Putin continues to send conscripts to war in Ukraine, according to Ukrainian intelligence. So, as part of the 217th airborne regiment of the 98th airborne division (Ivanovo), conscripts are actively involved in military operations on the territory of Ukraine. Currently, the 98th division of the occupier is taking part in the battles on the territory of the Kharkov region.
And the recruits of the 8th Army of the Southern Military District of the RF Armed Forces undergo a four-day training course, after which they are sent to resupply motorized rifle units on the territory of Ukraine.
Also, the Russian authorities, on a voluntary-compulsory basis, send up to 40 Crimean medical workers on a free business trip to the occupied territories of the Donetsk region. The duration of the business trip is up to two weeks, the stated purpose is "providing assistance."
At the same time, cases of desertion by the invaders are becoming more frequent. So, in the village of Rybalche, Kherson region, the Russians are looking for 15 of their servicemen who did not want to fight and fled.
15:30 The Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation recognized the activities of the Crimean Human Rights Group as "undesirable", since "the activities of the Ukrainian organization pose a threat to the constitutional order and security of the Russian Federation."
15:27 Scholz said that Putin should not win the war against Ukraine and will not win it, because this will create "the risk of international arbitrariness." Speaking at a public event in Hamburg, he stressed that "many smart heads" would find such an escalation impossible due to close international ties after 1989. However, any "rational cost-benefit logic" is shattered when "irrational actors, out of ideological blindness, throw the idea of cooperation into the wind."
15:19 The dead Russian soldiers are being shipped from Kharkiv in wagons. According to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the Russians refuse to even negotiate about their dead fellow citizens. Moreover, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation ordered to bury the Russian military in mass graves, and when this is not possible, to destroy the bodies in any way possible.
The Cabinet of Ministers has established a procedure for the implementation of their search, exhumation and storage until the transfer of the remains to representatives of the "opposing belligerent side."
15:17 Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, about a thousand Ukrainian citizens have lost limbs, Health Minister Viktor Lyashko said. According to him, the main issue remains the production of high-quality prostheses for the victims, with which European partners are helping.
15:15 In April, Russia's revenues from the sale of energy resources decreased by 133 billion rubles from the plan, and in May the decline should accelerate. According to the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation, according to the results of the month, it was planned to receive additional oil and gas revenues in the amount of 798.4 billion rubles, but the revenues amounted to 665 billion rubles.
15:13 Due to problems with infrastructure and blocked ports, Ukraine cannot export 25 million tons of grain, said Josef Schmidhuber, a representative of the UN Food Agency.
15:08 The leader of the "DNR" Pushilin has appointed an "ambassador" to Russia, Olga Makeeva has become it.
15:04 In Bucha and several other towns and villages northwest of Kiev, Amnesty International documented 22 cases of unlawful killings by Russian forces, most of which were "obvious extrajudicial executions."
In Borodianka, Amnesty International found that at least 40 civilians had died in "disproportionate and indiscriminate attacks."
15:00 Russian aviation has not been included in the Ukrainian air defense zone for several weeks, Yuriy Ignat, spokesman for the command of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said. According to him, enemy combat aviation operates only in the occupied territories, where the Russians have established their air defense.
14:58 The Azov regiment reported that during the ceasefire on the territory of Azovstal, the Russians knocked out a car from the ATGM that was moving towards civilians in order to evacuate them from the plant. As a result of the shelling, one fighter was killed and six were wounded.
14:56 Kyiv City State Administration stated that in Kiev it is strictly forbidden to visit forests and forest park areas, as well as to drive there by any means of transport. There is a strict ban on making fires and burning dry grass.
14:53 The head of the Kharkiv OVA, Oleg Sinegubov, said that the occupiers fired three times from the MLRS and two times from artillery in the Kiev and Shevchenkovsky districts of Kharkov in a day. At night and in the morning, the enemy struck two MLRS and artillery strikes on Severnaya Saltovka. Zolochev, Chuguev, Lozovaya, Dergachi were attacked in the region.
14:47 The Ministry of Economy has set the average price of a liter of gasoline at UAH 31.19, and diesel fuel at UAH 35.63. Taking into account the trade margin, gas stations can sell gasoline to Ukrainians at UAH 37.69/l, and diesel at UAH 42.63/l.
14:42 Half of the territory of Ukraine - more than 300 thousand square kilometers - is contaminated with unexploded mines or shells, Shmyhal said.
14:33 In Brovary, following Konotop, local authorities announced a ban on the activities of the UOC-MP in the city. According to Mayor Igor Sapozhko, during the martial law, the Brovary City Council introduced a special regime for the operation of UOC facilities: meetings, rallies and other mass events are prohibited.
14:26 Peskov called "an obvious fact" that "a threat to the territorial integrity of Ukraine from Poland may come."
14:21 The Taiwan Air Force was put on alert to intercept 18 Chinese aircraft that massively entered their air defense zone, the Taiwan Defense Ministry said.
14:15 The head of the Severodonetsk VGA Alexander Stryuk said that Russian troops are near Severodonetsk and are preparing to storm the city. According to him, 15 thousand civilians remained in the city, 80% of infrastructure facilities were destroyed.
14:02 Ukraine and Poland have agreed on the abolition of permits for the passage of cars that carry fuel. According to Ukrtransbezpeka, carriers need to register a day before crossing the border.
13:59 In Berlin, they are preparing to prevent clashes on May 8-9 at Soviet war memorials. The city authorities will ban motorcades from honking and limit the number of Russian flags. In addition, the display of the letter Z is prohibited.
13:54 The NATO military committee at the level of chiefs of staff will meet on May 19 to discuss the situation in Ukraine.
13:24 Peskov, after Lukashenka's statements that the "special operation" in Ukraine "was dragged out," said that it "is on schedule."
13:22 The head of the Luhansk OVA Serhiy Gaidai said that the situation in the region is "difficult, but controlled." The hottest spots are Voevodovka and Popasnaya. He also urged not to believe Russian fakes - Popasna was not completely captured.
13:17 The Center for Counteracting Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council calls on May 8 and 9 to be especially attentive to air raid signals - the likelihood of shelling and missile strikes is high. This applies to all of Ukraine.
13:15 The invaders began to actively launch rocket and air strikes on the Zaporozhye region, in particular on the cities of Huliaipole and Orekhov, they also fire from artillery, the IVA reported.
13:14 In Lvov, two citizens of Ukraine were detained, who illegally sold military equipment received as humanitarian aid, and also embezzled donations, the prosecutor's office said. They were detained while selling a batch of body armor and military helmets for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for a total of UAH 535,000.
According to media reports, the detainees are the president of the International Investment Office, the former head of the Investment Policy Department of the Lviv Regional State Administration, Roman Matis, and the editor-in-chief of the Mind UA publication Yevhen Shpitko.
13:06 Finland in March reduced the import of Russian oil by 70%, replacing it with a resource from Norway, writes Bloomberg.
12:47 Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis announced that she was visiting Kiev together with her colleagues from Latvia Edgars Rinkevics and Estonia Eva-Maria Liimets. According to her, "the construction, restoration and status of the country - a candidate for EU membership for Ukraine" will be discussed.
12:43 There will be no festive events in Kyiv on May 9. The Kyiv City State Administration reminded that mass gatherings are prohibited during martial law, and if someone wants to lay flowers, then this can be done. On Monday, May 9, there will be increased patrols in the capital, the authorities said.
12:41 Ukraine calls on the international medical organization Doctors Without Borders to form an evacuation mission to withdraw the military from the territory of Azovstal, the Ministry of Reintegration reports.
12:36 Russia allowed counterfeit products from Apple, Microsoft, Playstation, Renault, Nissan, General Motors and others, which decided to stop deliveries to the aggressor.
12:32 Great Britain and Japan have signed a military agreement providing for mutual access of armed forces to each other's territory for conducting exercises and eliminating emergencies. Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Fumio Kishida stressed that "the democracies of the world must stand together against authoritarian regimes."
Japan is also working to join the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, in which the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand share classified intelligence.
12:27 Russian Foreign Ministry said that Russia does not intend to use nuclear weapons during the "special military operation" in Ukraine.
12:19 In the Chernivtsi region, the general director of the hospital appropriated five ambulances provided as humanitarian aid, the Office of the Prosecutor General said.
12:17 The European Parliament adopted a special resolution demanding that the Russian Federation return the stolen planes.
12:15 A delegation from Belarus is ready to go to Donetsk and Luhansk to recognize the "LDNR", Channel 24 reports, citing sources in Ukrainian intelligence. According to them, Putin agreed with Lukashenka on the recognition of the "republics".
12:14 People's Deputy Goncharenko reports that the frigate Admiral Makarov was shot down by the Ukrainian Neptune.
12:13 Destruction at the Kremenchug refinery "reaches large proportions", he will not be able to resume work at least until the end of the year, said the head of the Poltava OVA Dmitry Lunin.
12:11 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the enemy on May 6. The enemy suffered the greatest losses in the Limansky and Kurakhovsky directions. The summary contains plus one ship (boat):
- personnel - about 24,900 (+200) people liquidated,
- tanks - 1110 (+8),
- armored combat vehicles - 2686 (+35),
- artillery systems - 502 (+3),
- MLRS - 171 (+2),
- air defense systems - 83 (+0),
- aircraft - 199 (+3),
- helicopters - 155 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tankers - 1926 (+19),
- ships/boats - 11 (+1),
- UAV operational-tactical level - 324 (+12),
- special equipment - 38 (+0),
- cruise missiles - 90 (+1).
12:02 Ukrainians are forced to accept the citizenship of pseudo-republics, and in case of refusal they are threatened with reprisals. According to Ukrainian intelligence, in the occupied city of Sorokino, Luhansk region, the issuance of "LPR" passports to Ukrainian citizens displaced from the recently occupied territories has begun. People have no houses, property and money, so they are forced to agree to the conditions of the occupiers - this is the only way to receive payments in rubles, food packages and medical assistance.
Intelligence also reports that most of the employees of the so-called "law enforcement agencies of the LPR" were sent to the combat zone, therefore, from May 1, patrol units of the "LPR people's militia" were forced to stop checking private vehicles and personal documents at checkpoints near Sorokino.
11:48 Russian telegram channels that publish information about the allegedly killed Ukrainian military use the documents of civilians stolen during the robbery of apartments in Mariupol, Andryushchenko reports.
11:44 Russian-Ukrainian negotiations "are in stagnation," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
11:41 Negotiations to resolve the situation in Ukraine should also be held with Belarus, including on security guarantees, said Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei.
11:30 Russia has intentions to declare a full-fledged war on Ukraine on May 9, Shmyhal said: "According to partner intelligence services, Russia has such intentions - to declare a full-fledged war on May 9. There are such conversations, such possibilities are being discussed in the top political leadership ... It will happen whether it is - we'll see."
At the same time, the Prime Minister stressed that "in any case, we will fight until complete victory over the occupier."
11:18 Ukraine expects to receive a number of grants and loans in May. Finance Minister Sergei Marchenko told how they plan to finance the budget during the war .
11:17 The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation announced that air-launched missiles destroyed "a large ammunition depot" located on the territory of the Energomashspetsstal plant in Kramatorsk. Also near Novotavrichesky in the Zaporozhye region, the Tochka-U missile system of the Ukrainian troops was allegedly destroyed.
11:14 In the Belgorod-Dniester region, Ukrainian air defense forces destroyed a missile that the Russians tried to hit on the infrastructure of the Odessa region, the Operational Command Pivden reported.
11:12 Russians smashed cars on Ukrainian license plates in the Netherlands. According to the adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, Petr Andryushchenko, at night they smashed cars that were parked at the liner in the port of Rotterdam. It was this liner that managed to evacuate women and children from Mariupol.
11:09 The UN recorded 3280 deaths of civilians in Ukraine during the Russian invasion. 3451 people were also confirmed injured.
10:50 The European Commission has proposed to postpone the introduction of an embargo on oil for three months, writes Reuters. She softened her demands after two days of unsuccessful negotiations with the EU countries.
10:38 A complete embargo on Russian oil will be introduced by the European Union after nine months, said European Commissioner for Economic Affairs Paolo Gentiloni. A shorter timeframe, he said, "would lead to a negative impact on world oil prices, which is contrary to our goals."
10:27 Hungary is demanding a five-year delay on the Russian oil embargo, Orban said.
10:16 The soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are fighting so well that after the war they will be able to train British soldiers, said British Secretary of Defense Ben Wallace. He noted that the lessons learned during the "hunt" for tanks and planes of Russia with the help of Western weapons would be useful to the British.
10:14 Germany is handing over seven PzH 2000 self-propelled artillery mounts to Ukraine, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said during a visit to Slovakia. According to her, Ukraine will receive cars that are currently being repaired. Lambrecht also promised that Germany would teach the Ukrainian military to use these self-propelled guns.
In turn, Die Welt writes that due to a lack of ammunition, the delivery of German Cheetahs to Ukraine is delayed.
10:11 The hotline of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine has already received more than 20,000 unofficial appeals and about 12,000 calls from relatives of Russian soldiers looking for their loved ones via telegram bots. According to Viktor Andrusiv, adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs, there are also official requests from the Russian Ombudsman.
10:07 Dmitry Shkrebets, the father of conscript Yegor Shkrebets, who served on the cruiser Moskva and was declared missing, published a response from the prosecutor's office. The letter says that his son "has been declared missing from the military unit," and the cruiser Moskva did not participate in the war against Ukraine.
10:04 Podolyak also spoke about the “parade of prisoners” being prepared for May 9 in Mariupol: “On August 24, 2014, a “parade of prisoners” took place in Donetsk. "performance" on May 9 in Mariupol. For this, in addition to prisoners of war, they plan to change into civilian uniforms. This is a demonstrative mockery by Russia of the Geneva Convention. Ukraine fixes everyone who is engaged in the humiliation and torture of our prisoners. Now the Book of Executioners is being updated, but one day the names from it will begin to be crossed out. These crimes will not have a statute of limitations."
10:01 The road from Energodar to Zaporozhye is blocked due to constant shelling, said the mayor of the city Dmitry Orlov.
09:53 Russia is preparing a major offensive in the Luhansk region, it is expected in the next three to four days, said the head of the Lugansk VGA Sergei Gaidai. The worst option, according to him, is if the Lugansk region is in the ring. Gaidai said that now the Russian troops want to surround Popasnaya - there are intense battles, "there is nowhere to gain a foothold in the city."
09:37 Blinken: "May 8, 1945 was the day when justice triumphed over Nazi oppression in Europe. In 2022, 77 years later, we must once again defend justice and democracy in the face of aggression. The people of Ukraine glorify their democratic values, and We stand for unity with Ukraine."
09:21 In Kherson on May 9, residents of the city will go to a rally for Ukraine. The action is planned to be held by the public organization Yellow Ribbon.
09:20 Yermak said that "in these minutes" the next stage of rescuing Ukrainians from Azovstal is underway.
09:19 Hungary will not support the inclusion of Patriarch Kirill in the EU sanctions list, Orban said.
09:17 Yermak said that during the next stage of the operation to evacuate people from Mariupol and Azovstal, almost 500 civilians were taken out.
09:09 The Central Bank of Estonia plans to issue a 2 euro coin dedicated to Ukraine. The design of the coin has already been approved by the Supervisory Board of the Central Bank, but it still needs to be approved by the European Commission and the EU countries.
The design was created by a Ukrainian student Daria Titova, who left Kharkov because of the "Russian world" and is now studying at the Estonian Academy of Arts. In total, they plan to issue 2 million of these coins.
The Central Bank of Estonia plans to issue a 2 euro coin dedicated to Ukraine
09:07 Internal troops of Belarus will be allowed to use military equipment at protests. The corresponding amendments to the legislation were supported by the upper house of parliament, BelTA informs.
09:04 One of the Ukrainian fighters from Azovstal gave an interview to a journalist of the German publication Bild. Some quotes from his interview:
"The enemy has already broken into the factory premises. <...> I think they want to capture a few of us alive by May 9 to send them to the parade in cages."
"Ever since the Russians entered Mariupol, there have been fierce battles here. Today we were heavily shelled by artillery, three of my friends were gone."
"I think we can hold out for another week. But after that, no one will be able to get in here. Forget us, we can't get out of here."
08:47 Russia deliberately terrorizes and kills civilians in Ukraine, said British representative to the UN Barbara Woodward. She cited the examples of Bucha and Irpen, where the Russian military "killed and dismembered civilians." Woodward stressed that Russia's actions are "an undeniable violation of international humanitarian law."
08:41 The NSDC apparatus has developed a web resource called the Anti-War Coalition. The site provides information about acts of support for Ukraine, restrictions on cooperation with the Russian Federation, about entities that bring Ukraine's victory closer.
08:37 The occupiers fired a cruise missile at the Dnepropetrovsk region this morning, the head of the regional council Nikolai Lukashuk said. According to him, the hit fell on the territory of the Pokrovskaya community in the Sinelnikovsky district of the region. The power line was damaged, but there were no power outages in nearby villages, and there were no casualties either.
The Russians also fired on the outskirts of Velikaya Kostromka and Gears in the Krivoy Rog region of the region, there were no casualties.
08:34 British intelligence notes that the Russians continue the ground assault on Azovstal for the second day already - this is probably due to the upcoming Victory Day celebrations on May 9 and Putin's desire to achieve a symbolic success in Ukraine. The storming of the plant costs Russia considerable losses and fetters part of its forces in the south of Ukraine.
08:32 The invaders bombed the railway facilities of the Severodonetsk Azot plant, and the shells also hit one of the last working gas stations in the region, said the head of the Luhansk OVA Serhiy Gaidai.
08:31 The UN Secretary General said that with the support of the Red Cross, about 500 civilians were evacuated from Azovstal and adjacent areas.
08:28 The American Institute for the Study of War commented on Zaluzhny's words about the transition of Ukrainian troops to the offensive: "Ukrainian forces have not launched any confirmed offensives over the past 24 hours." At the same time, Russia reports "insignificant progress" and the successful repulsion of attacks by Ukraine, which in the future may become a condition for a counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region.
Analysts also believe that the occupiers "in the coming days" are likely to seize the territory of the Azovstal plant.
08:11 Zaporizhzhya OVA reported that in Chernigovka, Russians are forcing residents to fill out paperwork on land ownership - in this way they want to take away land from people.
07:35 Russian troops do not stop offensive operations in the Eastern Operational Zone, the blocking of Ukrainian forces in the Azovstal area continues, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in the morning report . In some areas, with the support of aviation, the enemy resumed assault operations in order to take control of the territory of the plant.
07:20 Most of the Russian troops withdrew from Mariupol and moved north of the city, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said: "In general, we would estimate that the majority of Russian forces, ground forces that were sent to Mariupol, withdrew and moved north of Mariupol ... A small number, roughly equivalent to a couple of battalion groups, are still in Mariupol and its environs."
05:12 The United States provided Ukraine with intelligence that helped hit the Russian cruiser Moskva, writes NYT.
04:59 Biden intends to discuss potential new sanctions against Russia with G7 leaders. The White House is currently working on arranging a video call that will likely take place "in the coming days," Psaki said.
03:51 George W. Bush called Zelensky "the Winston Churchill of our time."
02:45 The Ministry of Internal Affairs appealed to the Ukrainians and urged in the coming days, May 8-9, not to organize mass events. Residents of the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions were warned against hiking in the forest and other trips to nature. It is also necessary to avoid crowds, not to hold mass events and not to visit cemeteries on memorial days.
01:22 Zelensky said that the healthcare system in Ukraine faced very serious problems due to Russia's military aggression. In particular, now there is no treatment of cancer patients in our country. In addition, there are problems with access to insulin in Ukraine, and there is a shortage of antibiotics.
00:14 China's Permanent Representative to the UN Zhang Jun criticized the supply of weapons to Ukraine, saying that they "do not contribute to peace."