[Korrespondent] 23:48 The EU has finally come close to an embargo on Russian oil. It could be introduced as early as next week. However, a number of obstacles still remain. Read more about this in the article Russia's oil ban: the EU is ready for a solution .
23:46 Russia has developed clear plans for the invasion of Moldova in the near future to open a second front against Ukraine. More details - in the material of the Russian Federation is preparing the capture of Moldova .
23:43 Ukraine will receive another five thousand Javelins by Friday, May 6, said Pentagon Speaker John Kirby.
23:41 The Swedish embassy will resume work in Kiev on May 4, said Foreign Minister Ann Linde.
23:35 The United States currently does not see China providing assistance to Russia in the war against Ukraine, said Permanent Representative to the OSCE Michael Carpenter.
23:33 Another 5,000 Javelin anti-tank missiles will be delivered to Ukraine by Friday, May 6, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said.
23:28 Arestovich said that the first Russian soldier today surrendered to the Legion of Freedom of Russia - Russian volunteers fighting for Ukraine against the Putin regime. Also, the adviser to the head of the OP said that the man who today threw a Molotov cocktail into a paddy wagon on Red Square in Moscow did it with the words "Legion of Freedom of Russia."
23:25 A column of people from Azovstal, released on May 1, today could not get to Zaporozhye, Suspilny was told in the Zaporizhia OVA. It is only known that the column stays on the territory of the region.
23:23 Zelensky said in an evening address that "Russia does things every day that simply exclude any adequacy." This is how he commented on Lavrov's anti-Semitic statement:
“How could such a thing be said on the eve of the anniversary of the victory over Nazism? These words mean that the top diplomat of Russia is transferring the blame for the crimes of the Nazis to the Jewish people. There are no words.
Of course, today there is a big scandal in Israel about these words. However, no one hears objections or excuses from Moscow. They are silent there. So, we agree with what their foreign minister said. After the Russian missile attack on Babi Yar in Kyiv, after the Menorah damaged by shelling at the site of mass executions in Drobitsky Yar near Kharkov, after the death from Russian shelling of ordinary people who survived the Nazi occupation and Nazi concentration camps, such an anti-Semitic attack by their minister means that Russia has forgotten all the lessons of World War II. Or maybe they never learned those lessons.
Therefore, the question is - will the Israeli ambassador stay in Moscow, knowing such a new position of theirs? Will relations with Russia continue as usual? Because this is no coincidence. Not accidental words of the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs - "a great connoisseur of Hitlerism."
23:10 Slovakia will insist on exemption from the embargo on the purchase of Russian oil, said Minister of Economy Richard Sulik. Slovakia is 100% dependent on oil imports from the Russian Federation, therefore, according to Sulik, the preparation of a replacement will take several years.
22:37 The US has "extremely credible" intelligence that Russia will attempt to annex the Donetsk and Lugansk regions "somewhere in mid-May" and create a "Kherson People's Republic," US Ambassador to the OSCE Michael Carpenter said.
22:33 Zelensky in an evening address: "In the near future we expect a new sanctions package from the European Union. This package should contain clear steps to block Russia's income from energy resources. So that a billion euros every day for fossil fuels are not transferred to a terrorist state. But also already Now we should prepare for the next sanctions steps. In any case, we will have to block all export-import operations with Russia. Because without this, Moscow will never understand that international law and peace in Europe must be respected."
22:30 Danilov said that Putin warned Hungary in advance about the attack on Ukraine, and she thought she could "take" part of the Ukrainian territory. "This will never happen, the victory will definitely be ours. And as for Hungary, which behaved this way, we will see what the consequences of this war will be for this country," the NSDC Secretary stressed.
22:28 In the Donetsk and Lugansk directions, the military JFO repelled 12 enemy attacks in a day, and also destroyed dozens of pieces of equipment of the occupiers - six tanks, five artillery systems, 22 units of military armored vehicles and eight vehicles.
22:17 The progress of the Russian offensive in the Donbas is minimal, a Pentagon spokesman said, according to NBC News. According to a US Department of Defense spokesman, although Russian troops advance into some areas to declare victory, they then leave and allow the Ukrainians to take them back.
22:09 The Mariupol City Council announced that, with the support of the UN and the Red Cross, on Tuesday, May 3, the evacuation of the civilian population was agreed. Collection point - Lunacharsky ring near Berdyansk, beginning at 7:00.
22:07 The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation stated that 11,550 people, including 1,847 children, were "evacuated" to Russia from "dangerous regions of the DPR and LPR, Ukraine" in a day. Also, 101 people allegedly left the territory of the Azovstal plant between April 30 and May 1, 32 of them decided to stay in the "DPR". 69 civilians decided to leave for the territory controlled by Ukraine, who were handed over to representatives of the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
22:03 The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation stated that "nationalists" in Ukraine have equipped a stronghold in Barvenkovo, Kharkiv region, in the building of a psychiatric hospital, and in the basement "civilians are forcibly kept." Also, the Ukrainian troops allegedly "equipped firing positions and placed armored vehicles, artillery and MLRS in the schools of Dnipro, Nikolaev, Kramatorsk and Slavyansk."
21:59 The head of Ukrainian intelligence, Kirill Budanov, said in an interview with NV that the Russians have a very strong personnel shortage, so those potential collaborators on whom they staked before the war in many cases did not justify themselves at all.
As for Kherson, according to the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, the Russian leadership has two ideas: the re-establishment of the Taurida province, which existed for a short time in the Russian Empire (this is the territory of Crimea, Kherson, partly Nikolayevshchina and a little Donetsk and Zaporozhye regions with an administrative center in Simferopol) , as well as the so-called Heavenly City (Odessa, Kherson, part of the Nikolaev region, Dnieper and part of the Donetsk region). "There was such a concept. I say it again: this is a sick mind," Budanov said.
21:37 After a partial evacuation of civilians from Azovstal, the enemy continues to shell the plant's territory, including buildings where civilians hide from danger. Also, as the Azov Regiment reported, the enemy inflicts air strikes, fires using naval artillery and tanks. However, the fighters of the Azov regiment managed to destroy five invaders.
21:11 Germany said it was ready to support an immediate EU embargo on Russian oil, which could allow Europe to impose such a ban within a few days, writes Reuters.
21:05 As a result of an evening missile attack on Odessa, a 15-year-old teenager was killed, another child was injured and is in the hospital, OK Pivden specified. A residential building, in which there were five people, came under fire.
21:02 The CIA urges Russians dissatisfied with the authorities to get in touch via the darknet, writes Sky News. Instructions on how to access the CIA dark web site surfaced on its social media today. The dark web site has the same functionality as a regular home page, but can only be accessed through the Tor internet browser. The CIA is hoping that Russians living abroad will share instructions with their domestic contacts.
20:59 Danilov said that there are trophies in the apparatus of the National Security and Defense Council - maps that Russian troops were supposed to use. According to him, these are old maps of the Kyiv region of 1977, which the Ukrainian military does not use.
20:53 The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Defense Ministry, Kirill Budanov, believes that if Russia uses tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine, there are only two options for ending the war - the collapse of the Russian Federation into three or more parts or a change in the Russian leadership.
20:50 According to some reports, the chief of the Russian general staff personally arrived in Izyum. Why did Putin send him to the front? All the details - in the material Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation in Ukraine - what does it mean .
20:46 Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Danilov specified in the national telethon that as a result of a missile attack on Odessa, the Moscow Patriarchate church was damaged, its roof was "torn down."
20:44 Scholz urged Putin to stop the invasion of Ukraine and negotiate peace with Kiev. Speaking at a press conference in Berlin with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Scholz said that "it is important to achieve a better future together, not to wage war against each other, but to enable economic development and common development." The chancellor also called on Putin to "withdraw his troops from Ukraine," adding that "borders should not be changed with violence."
20:38 The European Commission considers payment for gas in rubles a violation of sanctions and will provide explanations to EU companies on possible actions in the coming days, European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson said at an extraordinary meeting of EU energy ministers.
20:36 Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Alexei Danilov said on the air of the telethon that there can be no peace treaty with Russia - only its surrender is possible. He is also convinced that the war will not end quickly. In his opinion, the turning point in the war has not yet come, but it will definitely happen, given the amount of aid that comes to Ukraine.
20:34 Podolyak: "The mayor of Berdyansk, appointed by the occupying forces, was previously convicted of pedophilia. A janitor was appointed as the" deputy mayor. "The head" of the registry office is a cleaning lady. world".
20:32 Servicemen of the 12th operational brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine named after. Dmitry Vishnevetsky, who are now at Azovstal, appealed to the Ukrainian authorities and the world community with a request to do everything possible to evacuate civilians, wounded soldiers, pick up the bodies of the dead, and evacuate the entire military garrison. They stated that they were without light, water and food, in complete surroundings.
20:25 UEFA suspended the Russian national team and football clubs from participating in the Nations League and European competitions of the 2022/23 season. The application of the Russian Federation to host the Euro 2028 and Euro 2032 championships in the country has also been cancelled.
20:20 There are enough mobilized in Ukraine today, they are being trained, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov said on the air of the telethon, answering a question about the possibility of a new wave of mobilization.
20:18 The head of Ukrainian military intelligence, Kirill Budanov, said in an interview with NV that the so-called "MRT" is not a big threat to Ukraine, but this territory remains a factor of destabilization in the entire region: "Transnistria is a huge problem for them militarily. There is a territory ", which they completely control. However, they have no approach to it. The border is on one side with Moldova, on the other - with Ukraine. And no matter how they shout there, they cannot do anything serious there."
20:14 Lavrov spoke about Zelensky's Jewish roots and went so far as to say that Hitler also had Jewish roots, and in general, Jews are the most ardent anti-Semites. The words of the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry caused a wave of indignation both in Israel and in Ukraine. Details about the reaction of the world - in the material Lavrov drowned in anti-Semitism .
20:09 Eight mass graves were found in the Kiev region, said the deputy head of the regional police Maxim Ocheretyany. According to him, 148 people were found in these eight burials. All the dead have physical injuries. At the same time, 280 out of 1202 people found in the Kyiv region still remain unidentified.
20:03 Donetsk telegram channels report that a huge column of smoke is rising over Azovstal. Meanwhile, the Russian media write with reference to the "authorities of the DPR" that the Ukrainian side allegedly broke the silence regime at Azovstal.
20:00 The European Commission urged the EU countries to prepare action plans in case of interruption of gas supplies from Russia, European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson said before an extraordinary meeting of EU energy ministers.
19:54 As a result of a rocket attack on Odessa, according to preliminary data, a 13-year-old child was killed and a 17-year-old girl was seriously injured. There are other dead, said people's deputy Alexei Goncharenko.
19:52 The occupiers have built a pontoon bridge across the Seversky Donets River, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports. In the Donetsk direction, the main efforts of the enemy are concentrated on establishing full control over the settlement. Rubizhnoe and Popasnaya and moving in the directions of N. p. Liman and Seversk.
19:50 According to the General Staff of Ukraine, the situation in Transnistria remains tense. Russia, through its controlled media, continues to spread provocative messages about the increased threat to the population of Transnistria from Ukraine.
19:47 Zelensky said that Ukrainians are not ready to give up part of the territory of Ukraine in favor of Russia, especially after the death of thousands of military and civilian Ukrainians: "Give them a little rest before they start a new aggression in 2-3 years? We are not ready go for it".
19:39 The enemy launched a missile attack on one of the infrastructure facilities of Odessa, there are dead and wounded , said the head of the OVA Maxim Marchenko.
OK Pivden reported that a religious building was also damaged.
19:34 The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Kirill Budanov, said in an interview with NV that Russia is preparing to announce mobilization on May 9: "Now the Rosrezerv has begun to check what they have in stock and calculate what they can issue according to mobilization orders. This is absolutely necessary step before the real mobilization."
Asked if the Kremlin plans to win in the Donbas by May 9, the head of Ukrainian intelligence said: "That's their goal, but it won't happen, they don't make it. They don't make it in time in any way." He also said that the Russian army is "completely demotivated", but there is a military vertical - "they receive orders, and they will be forced to carry them out."
19:20 The movement of the column from Mariupol to Zaporozhye is delayed, said the head of the Zaporizhzhya OVA Alexander Starukh. Also, on the air of the national telethon, it was reported that the convoy was stopped in the Mangush region.
19:17 Zelensky does not know anything about whether Ukrainian special operations took place on the territory of Russia: "If we take the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, then I believe that we have every right to carry out certain steps on our land. All within the framework of internationally recognized borders. Other actions are unknown to me."
19:12 A member of the Hungarian government, Zoltan Kovacs, has denied Western media reports that Hungary has withdrawn its veto on the oil embargo against Russia.
18:59 Ukraine will continue to cooperate with Moldova and maintain its territorial integrity amid the escalation in the unrecognized Transnistria, Kuleba said: "We need to work with Moldova and maintain the territorial integrity and sovereignty of this state. We will do this even though, let's be frank , we expected a better response from Moldova to our requests for support at the start of the Russian invasion."
18:37 Deliveries of Russian gas through Ukraine have reached a five-month high, writes Reuters. According to the data of the Slovak operator TSO Eustream, the transit of Russian gas through the territory of Ukraine to Europe through the Velké-Kapushany border checkpoint (Slovakia) on May 2 amounted to about 994,407 MWh, which is the highest figure since November 30.
18:35 Johnson on Tuesday, May 3, will address the Ukrainian Parliament.
18:23 Podolyak recalled that 27 civilians died in Donbas in 2019, eight in 2020, and 15 in 2021. there is so much pain for the residents of Donbass as Russia has since 2014 and especially today," the adviser to the head of the Presidential Office wrote.
18:15 The Hungarian embassy has returned to Kiev, Hungarian media report, citing Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó.
18:14 The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, Jeppe Kofod, promised to take patronage over Nikolaev in the issue of restoring the city after the war with Russia.
18:10 Ukraine's victory in the war with Russia depends on three factors - sanctions, arms assistance and getting closer to EU membership, Kuleba said at a press conference in Kiev with Danish counterpart Jeppe Kofod.
18:04 The Azeri Times reported that Azerbaijan closed the airspace for Russian military aircraft. This is due to the intention to disrupt the transportation of military cargo between the Russian Federation and Armenia. Now Russian planes carrying military supplies from Armenia to Russia are forced to fly over Iran and the Caspian Sea on their way to Rostov-on-Don. There are no official statements about this yet.
18:02 The United States intends to ensure that the situation around Ukraine turned into a "strategic failure" for the Russian Federation, said Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Celeste Wallander.
17:54 One of the largest metallurgical companies in the world, Tata Steel, has refused coal from Russia. Previously, this company was India's largest importer of Russian coal, writes the Financial Times.
17:51 The occupiers carried out five artillery shellings in Kharkiv in a day, the Saltovka and KhTZ districts suffered. In the region, Bogodukhov, Zolochev, Malaya Danilovka, Chuguev were shelled. Three people were killed, eight civilians were injured, said Oleg Sinegubov, head of the Kharkiv OVA.
According to him, the fighting continues in the Izyum region, the enemy is trying to attack in the direction of Barvenkovo, but has no success. The Russian invaders are demoralized and refuse to go into battle. The number of attacks has decreased, but residents are asked not to lose vigilance.
Sinegubov also said that in Kharkiv today, a curfew is in effect from 21:00 to 6:00.
17:40 The "DPR" reported that another 214 people were "evacuated" from Mariupol to Bezymennoye, including 33 children.
17:38 In Mariupol, the invaders do not have time to exhume the bodies of the killed residents of the city. According to the mayor of Mariupol Vadim Boychenko, the city has an ultra-high mortality due to a lack of drinking water, food and medicine: “Now in Mariupol, medieval living conditions. The infrastructure is completely destroyed. So far, we do not see any progress in establishing human conditions for the population. there is almost no chance for people with oncology and chronic diseases to completely lack quality medical care. The number of victims of Russian aggression is constantly growing. Therefore, now only evacuation will help save people."
17:19 Russia is preparing for a cholera epidemic in the regions bordering Ukraine. According to Ukrainian intelligence, Anna Popova, chief medical officer of the Russian Federation, signed a decree on additional measures to prevent cholera, in which special attention is paid to the regions bordering Ukraine: Bryansk, Kursk, Belgorod, Voronezh, Rostov regions, Krasnodar Territory and Crimea.
Probably, in late May - early June, the leadership of the Russian Federation may resort to provocations in the areas bordering Ukraine. Traditionally, they will try to transfer responsibility for this to Ukraine, accusing it of "using biological weapons," the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense notes.
17:14 Mariupol is predominantly under the control of Russian troops, Defense Ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said: "The situation in Mariupol is extremely difficult. The invaders continue to block our units in the area of the Azovstal plant, blocking humanitarian corridors. The only thing is that there are certain agreements on organizing an evacuation corridor today." .
16:56 There are currently three Russian carriers of Caliber-type sea-launched cruise missiles with a total missile salvo of up to 20 missiles in the Black Sea, while a week ago there were eight carriers with a missile salvo of 58 missiles, Defense Ministry spokesman Alexander Motuzyanik said.
16:31 In Russia, on the territory of the Perm Powder Plant on the evening of May 1, a strong explosion thundered, killing two employees. According to Ekho Perm, initially the company's management said that they were undergoing planned tests and there was no reason to panic. However, the editors found a person who claims that her relative died there.
16:24 In the Kiev region, law enforcement officers have already found 1202 bodies of Ukrainian citizens who died at the hands of Russian invaders, the National Police reported.
16:23 The unprecedented loss of Russian officers was the result of "surprising incompetence" of the Russian military, said James Stavridis, former commander of the NATO allied forces in Europe.
16:21 An ammunition depot has been destroyed in Chernobaevka, Arestovich said. "Chernobaevka-18", - wrote the adviser to the head of the OP.
16:18 Ukraine has received an additional grant of 495 million euros from the World Bank trust fund, Finance Minister Sergei Marchenko said. Funding was provided by the United States, Norway and Austria. Marchenko added that work continues on obtaining a $500 million grant from the United States.
15:57 Radio Liberty correspondent Rikard Jozwiak reports that the EU will announce the sixth package of sanctions against Russia by May 9.
15:46 The first suspect in the murders in Bucha has been identified - the commander of the National Guard of the Russian Federation Sergey Kolotsey, Prosecutor General Irina Venediktova said. She published a photo, one of which depicts the bodies of civilians who were shot with their hands tied behind their backs, the other shows Kolotsey, who sends the loot from the Ukrainians at the Belarusian post office with fellow soldiers. His "gift" from Ukraine to Ulyanovsk is the hood of a car trunk.
Bucha prosecutors and the police determined that it was this soldier who killed four unarmed men on March 18 in Bucha. On March 29, he tortured another civilian, forcing him to confess to subversive activities against the Russian army.
15:33 Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod arrived in Ukraine and began his visit with a trip to Irpin.
15:16 The US Embassy resumes work in Ukraine. Chargé d'Affaires of the United States Christina Quinn visited Lviv and said that the embassy employees plan to travel from Poland to Ukraine for some time, then they will stay in Lviv, and by the end of May they intend to return to Kyiv.
15:02 Yesterday, those evacuated from Mariupol safely arrived in Zaporozhye, writes Anton Gerashchenko.
14:59 Verkhovna Rada Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk said that a bill has been registered in Parliament, which proposes to approve the appeal of the Verkhovna Rada to the House of Representatives and the Senate of the US Congress on recognizing the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism.
14:48 In Ukraine, they can extend the general mobilization, said the head of the personnel department of the headquarters of the command of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Roman Gorbach. Zelensky's order on general mobilization was signed on February 24, according to him, the mobilization should end on May 24. According to Gorbach, the further situation with the mobilization will depend on the situation at the time of the end of the general mobilization.
14:44 In Russia, a campaign to recruit "volunteers" for military service under a contract is intensifying, which should make up for the losses of personnel suffered in Ukraine. It is also planned to form several new divisions.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, the military leadership of the Russian Federation has set clear "recruitment standards": for the Far Eastern and Siberian federal districts - 200 "volunteers" weekly, while in Moscow recruitment is not carried out at all.
To motivate "volunteers" campaign events are held: they are told about the "collective West" and "non-existent Ukraine", they are also promised increased material support and benefits.
14:39 The Verkhovna Rada presented a plan for the post-war restoration of Ukraine developed by the government and the Office of the President. It has nine core principles:
- full access to the markets of the EU and G7 countries;
- the status of a candidate for accession to the European Union, and subsequently full membership;
- economy based on the principles of deregulation and liberalization;
- logistics routes to Western countries;
- transition from the export of raw materials to its processing and sale of finished products;
- development of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex;
- production of own gas and expansion of nuclear energy;
- climate modernization;
- localization of production in Ukraine at a level of at least 60%.
14:37 Russia illegally deported or transported 181,000 Ukrainian children to the occupied territories, said Daria Gerasimchuk, Commissioner of the President of Ukraine for Children's Rights and Child Rehabilitation.
14:33 The SBU has identified almost 900 Russian invaders who committed crimes against the civilian population in the Kiev region. The invaders have all the information, as well as evidence of their atrocities. More than 2,500 Russians, whose units were based in the Kyiv region, are currently being checked for involvement in crimes.
The SBU also exposed about 100 collaborators who helped the enemy in the Kyiv region.
14:10 The Cabinet of Ministers has fixed tariffs for utilities at the current level until the end of the war with Russia.
14:08 Odessans heard explosions again - it was Ukrainian air defense that destroyed an enemy drone, OK Pivden reported.
13:55 Zelensky does not think that Putin has gone mad by declaring war on Ukraine. According to Zelensky, the President of the Russian Federation deliberately created an informational basis for hatred towards Ukrainians and continues to instill in Russians views about Russia's opposition to the whole world.
13:53 Denmark reopens its embassy in Kiev, Ritzau reports.
13:48 Kuleba commented on Lavrov's anti-Semitic speech: "Minister Lavrov could not hide the deep-rooted anti-Semitism of the Russian elites. His disgusting comments are offensive to President Zelensky, Ukraine, Israel and the Jewish people. In a broader sense, his words demonstrate that modern Russia is full of hatred for other nations."
Yermak, in turn, wrote: "Russia's anti-Semitism is becoming more and more obvious. They are no longer hiding and openly show it to the world. First, they hit the territory where the Babi Yar memorial complex is located with rockets."
13:44 The invaders are taking out the corpses from Mariupol in trucks of "humanitarian cargo". "That is, the same trucks that deliver "humanitarian handouts" to Mariupol are loaded with the bodies of the dead on the way back," said Petr Andryushchenko, an adviser to the mayor. He stressed that this is not an isolated case - this is how the bodies of thousands of the dead are taken out on a regular basis.
13:38 The Finnish company Fennovoima terminates the contract with the Russian Federation for the construction of the Hanhikivi-1 nuclear power plant. This decision was called "absolutely incomprehensible" in Rosatom, because this project "progressed".
13:36 Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, more than 5.5 million people have left Ukraine, according to the UN. More than half of the Ukrainians left for Poland, but some of the refugees have already returned home to those regions where the fighting has stopped.
13:27 The UN reported that 2,000 emergency housing kits with basic building materials such as tarpaulins, wooden beams and nails were delivered to Ukraine. They are intended for people in Irpin, Bucha, Borodyanka and Makarov whose houses were damaged by the war.
13:21 The war in Ukraine is in a decisive phase, said the former commander of the US Army in Europe, General Ben Hodges. According to him, a lot depends on whether the allies manage to deliver the necessary weapons to the Ukrainian fighters in time. The challenge is the need to find systems that can shoot down such weapons as, for example, Caliber.
13:19 The SBI announces the detention of proxies of ex-People's Deputy Ilya Kiva, who were supposed to organize provocative actions involving "titushki" and destabilize the situation in the Odessa region on May 2.
13:14 In Mariupol, the invaders staged an information blockade, completely blocking all information flows to and from the city. “You may be surprised, but the people of Mariupol are now in the city sure that Russian soldiers are marching along Khreshchatyk, Kharkov is under Russian control, and every man from Mariupol is sent to the front when leaving,” wrote Petr Andryushchenko, an adviser to the mayor of Mariupol.
He also said that in order to maintain this blockade, the occupiers strictly control all photography and video filming: people cannot even take a selfie without the permission of the soldiers. Only propagandists and “volunteers” from the FSB can shoot in the city - hence all these shots of “grateful Mariupol residents”. When leaving for filtering, all content that can show the truth of life is also deleted.
13:07 To mask the losses in the war in Ukraine, the Russians take out the corpses in small batches and only at night, the SBU reports with reference to the interception of the conversation of the invaders. This significantly prolongs the delivery time, so sometimes the relatives of the occupiers receive "half-decomposed cargo 200", which has to be additionally identified.
12:55 The evacuation from Mariupol continues. The buses have not yet reached the place, but Mariupol residents are asked to stay near the Port City shopping center, the city council said.
12:52 Three rockets were fired at the Odesa region, OK Pivden said.
12:41 Russian troops again fired at the bridge across the Dniester Estuary, said the speaker of the Odesa OVA Bratchuk.
11:31 In Odessa, on the eve of the anniversary of the tragedy on May 2, the SBI together with the police detained 12 saboteurs. They found an arsenal of weapons and explosives, flags with communist symbols, medals, anti-Ukrainian books and campaign brochures. According to the plans of the enemy, they had to implement their criminal plan on the anniversary of the tragic events of May 2.
11:30 Israel summoned the Russian ambassador because of Lavrov's words about the Jews and Zelensky in an interview with the Italian TV channel Mediaset, reports the BBC. Lavrov was asked how the accusations of Nazism against Ukraine fit in with the fact that Zelensky was a Jew, to which the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry replied: “He puts forward an argument: what kind of Nazism can they have if he is a Jew. I could be wrong, but Hitler also had "Jewish blood. It means absolutely nothing. The wise Jewish people say that the most ardent anti-Semites, as a rule, are Jews. The family has its black sheep, as we say."
The Israeli Foreign Ministry responded to this statement: "The statements of Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov are not only inexcusable and outrageous - they are also a terrible historical mistake. Jews did not kill themselves during the Holocaust. Accusing the Jews themselves of anti-Semitism is the lowest level of racism against Jews" .
11:26 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the enemy on the morning of May 2:
- personnel - about 23,800 (+300) people liquidated,
- tanks - 1048 (+22),
- armored combat vehicles - 2519 (+48),
- artillery systems - 459 (+8),
- MLRS - 152 (+1),
- air defense systems - 80 (+0),
- aircraft - 194 (+2),
- helicopters -155 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tankers - 1824 (+28),
- ships/boats - 8 (+0),
- UAVs of the operational-tactical level - 271 (+26),
- special equipment - 38 (+6),
- cruise missiles - 84 (+0).
11:21 Zelensky about ten attempts on his life: "It's not so much, because only ten people want it. I think that the President of the Russian Federation has many more problems, judging by the attitude of the whole world towards his policies. That which everyone has experienced we are experiencing now, when Ukrainians are sitting in basements and being tortured, and then they are found in wells - this is scary. I'm scared for our people, especially for those who have lost loved ones. I think that while you have a family and you If you haven’t lost loved ones, then everything can be fixed.”
10:56 Internet is turned off for Belarusians in order to hide information about the movement of Russian troops on the territory of the Republic of Belarus. According to Ukrainian intelligence, for the first time the restriction of Belarusian mobile subscribers to the Internet was recorded on April 1. Within a month, access to the network was limited in entire regions of the country.
According to the estimates of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the disconnection of users from the Internet was coordinated by special services. Thus, the KGB of Belarus and the FSB of Russia are trying to limit the communication of patriotic citizens and prevent the dissemination of information about the movement of Russian military equipment through the territory of the Republic of Belarus.
Anomalies in network access in certain areas south and southeast of Minsk indicate a corridor for the movement of military equipment, which is confirmed by information from other sources.
10:49 In Ukraine, the ability to buy and sell real estate has been resumed, the Ministry of Justice said.
10:46 Between the Nikolaev and Kherson regions in the combat zone, Internet communications are disrupted, the head of the Nikolaev region Vitaliy Kim said: "We have identified a point, today we will try to figure it out, if they have not specifically turned it off. If there is an opportunity and accessibility, we will fix it, not Let's leave the people of Kherson without communication."
10:43 In Ukraine, US citizens who have undergone military training are fighting against Russia. According to Politico, the Task Force Yankee group, which includes about 190 volunteers, is fighting on the side of Ukraine. Most of them are involved in the delivery of food and medicine to the battle lines, but some are directly involved in hostilities.
10:36 The Zaporizhzhya OVA reported that with the support of the UN and the Red Cross, the green corridor Mariupol-Zaporozhye was agreed today. The columns of buses will go through Tokmak and Vasilievka.
10:33 Zelensky, in an interview with the Australian TV channel Nine Network, assessed the possibility of Russia using nuclear weapons against Ukraine: "You cannot expect from these people, from the leadership of the Russian Federation, both political and military, that they will not use nuclear weapons, or will. .. I can’t say for 100% that no, they won’t, or they will.<...> Sometimes it seems to me that they use something without even understanding the result, or they understand the result, but they don’t care. Well, you know perfectly well, the worst people who don't care. They're the worst. It's not even an enemy."
10:28 The Kremlin forced Oleg Tinkov to sell his stake in Tinkoff Bank. As the businessman himself told in an interview with The New York Times, the day after his post condemning the war in Ukraine and criticizing the Russian army, he was contacted by the Putin administration and threatened to nationalize the bank if he did not sell his stake. Therefore, he sold his 35% stake to Vladimir Potanin. He could not discuss the price, as well as conduct any negotiations. The deal amounted to about 3% of the market value.
Tinkov also said that he had to hire security because he was afraid of being killed.
10:23 Czech President Milos Zeman said in an interview with CNN that Russia now looks ridiculous: "Putin was under the illusion that Russia is omnipotent and, in particular, that the Russian army is the second most powerful army in the world. Today it looks ridiculous. It turned out that the Russian the army is much weaker than all the experts thought."
He also spoke about Moscow's demand to pay for gas in rubles: "I don't think Russia will stop deliveries, but ... I once publicly said that the Russians are not crazy to attack Ukraine, but they turned out to be crazy."
10:20 German Minister for Economy and Climate Protection Robert Haback said that dependence on Russian oil has decreased from last year's 35% to 12%, gas - from 55% to 35%, coal - from 50% to 8%. According to him, the process of reducing energy dependence on Russia is difficult, but these efforts are worth it in order to deprive Moscow of the opportunity to blackmail its counterparties.
10:16 In the area of the village of Yampol, Donetsk region, Ukrainian paratroopers destroyed a special forces group of invaders from Siberia, the Command of the Airborne Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports. The group of invaders was identified as the 24th Separate Special Purpose Brigade of the Main Directorate (formerly known as the GRU) of the General Staff of the Russian Federation.
10:13 Russia's plans to quickly seize the Donetsk region have been thwarted, said the head of the UVA Pavel Kirilenko: "The situation is difficult, but remains under control. The enemy cannot advance even in those directions that he was forced to change, adjusting his plans for a rapid advance deep into the Donetsk region and capturing the main key cities in the Donetsk region. But I can say for sure that their plans for the month of May, the celebration of May 9, are actually broken."
10:10 Today, at dawn, two Russian Raptor-type boats were destroyed near Zmeiny Island with the help of Bayraktars, Zaluzhny said.
09:45 The petition to introduce a visa regime with Russia has gained more than 25 thousand votes, now it will be submitted to Zelensky for consideration.
09:43 The office of the Prosecutor General announced suspicion to the commander of the eastern military district of the Russian Federation, Alexander Chaiko, for trying to capture Kiev. The investigators established that he was in the village of Zdvizhevka, Buchansky district, for two weeks in March 2022. There, in a kindergarten, he set up a headquarters, from which he led the military operations to capture the capital. And at the stadium in the village of Katyuzhanka, he presented state awards to his subordinate military.
09:41 Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban got into the database of the Peacemaker website with the note "an accomplice of Russian war criminals."
09:40 As a result of the shelling of Orekhovo, Zaporizhia region, two people were killed, four were injured, the OVA reported.
09:37 In Mariupol, enemy naval artillery hit Azovstal, but by morning it became quieter, said the commander of the 12th operational brigade of the National Guard Denis Shlega on the air of the telethon. He also said that about 200 people remained on the territory of the enterprise, of which almost 20 were children, the exact timing of their evacuation is still unknown. Also, there are more than 500 wounded soldiers at Azovstal, and they receive medical care in very difficult conditions.
09:35 The EU will stop importing Russian coal in the summer, and will refuse Russian oil by the end of the year, Scholz said in an interview with Indian Express.
09:06 Zelensky, in an interview with the Greek ERT, criticized Greece and Turkey for accepting Russian tourists who "earn on blood, and then take this money": "This is unfair ... I think that this cannot be, because that you have to make a choice - are you for the truth or not.
09:04 Erdogan said that decisions on Ukraine will be made in Turkey: "Probably this week we will have negotiations with Putin ... We want us to gather leaders in Istanbul or Ankara. The decision point is the steps to be taken in relation to the east of Ukraine, will be Turkey".
09:01 In the Lugansk region over the past day, cities and villages were subjected to enemy shelling 18 times, only the destruction of 28 houses was officially recorded. Three people were killed and three others were injured, including a child. In Lisichansk, the building of the gymnasium burned down, said the head of the OVA, Sergei Gaidai.
08:55 Russia is constantly recruiting new saboteurs, so their work to identify them will never be completed, even after the end of the war, said adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Rostislav Smirnov.
08:52 Head of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov was near Izyum, but managed to escape, writes The New York Times, citing two American officials. According to them, Ukraine learned about the visit and struck at the position where Gerasimov was. However, he managed to escape.
US sources describe the arrival of a high-ranking army official at the front lines as an unusual event: "Our working assumption is that he was there, as they admit that they have not resolved all their problems."
08:46 South Korean Ambassador Kim Hyung Te returned to Kiev, along with some of the department's employees. The rest of the staff will return in stages.
08:34 British intelligence reports that Russia has deployed 65% of all its ground armed forces in Ukraine - more than 120 battalion tactical groups. It is likely that more than a quarter of these units have now become incapacitated. Some of the most elite units, including the Airborne Forces, "experienced the most attrition." It may take years for Russia to rebuild these forces.
08:32 The Russians again struck at the Dnepropetrovsk region - a rocket hit the elevator, destroying the warehouse with grain. According to preliminary data, there were no casualties, said the head of the OVA, Valentin Reznichenko.
08:30 The Russians stole $5 million worth of agricultural equipment from a dealership in Melitopol and sent it to Chechnya, but could not use it because it was blocked remotely, writes CNN. Now the only way to make money on the stolen is to dismantle it for parts.
08:28 US First Lady Jill Biden will travel to Slovakia and Romania to meet with Ukrainian refugees. She plans to fly out of Washington on Thursday, May 5, writes The New York Times.
08:26 The head of the US House Intelligence Committee, Adam Schiff, believes that Biden's visit to Ukraine is only a matter of time: "The only question is how soon this will become possible."
08:25 Three EU countries have withdrawn the veto on the introduction of an oil embargo against Russia - these are Hungary, Austria and Slovakia, writes ZDF.
08:23 Turkey plans to launch gas production in the Black Sea in 2023, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fatih Donmez said. We are talking about two wells in the Sakarya region. The total potential volume of gas deposits is 540 billion cubic meters.
08:21 The head of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Samantha Power said that the consequences of Russia's invasion of Ukraine are comparable to the consequences of a world war. According to her, the consequences of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict extend not only to Kyiv, but to the whole of Europe: in particular, food prices have increased in a number of countries.
Power stressed that it is the war in Ukraine, not the sanctions, that is driving up food prices, although Russia may argue otherwise.
08:10 Mariupol City Council reported that with the support of the UN and the Red Cross, two additional locations have been agreed today for landing people in an evacuation convoy that will leave Mariupol - Mangush and the Lunachar ring near Berdyansk. It will be possible to join the evacuation convoy by personal transport.
07:55 The American Institute for the Study of War notes that the Russian forces continue to gradually move southwest in the direction of Liman. They made limited progress south and west of Yampol. There are no successes in other areas.
The Russian Federation also creates conditions for permanent control over the occupied territories of southern Ukraine. The ruble began to circulate there. Moscow sees these regions either as nominally independent "people's republics" or wants to join Russia.
07:36 Russian troops have focused their efforts on taking Rubizhne under full control and preparing for an offensive on Severodonetsk, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in the morning report .
06:57 Denmark and Sweden summon Russian ambassadors after a Russian plane violated their airspace.
03:04 Almost 4.5 million tons of grain are blocked in the ports of Ukraine - so far it is impossible to export them, because sea routes are closed because of the war, Martin Frick, a representative of the UN World Food Program, said.
02:55 The governor of the Belgorod region reported "two strong gaps", there were no casualties and no damage.
00:31 Ukraine will get access to the liquefied gas terminals of Poland and Lithuania, said the director of the gas transmission system operator of Ukraine Serhiy Makogon: “In the coming days, a tanker with a cargo of liquefied gas LNG for Poland will arrive at the LNG terminal in Klaipeda. Slovakia will also have access to LNG terminals in Poland and the Baltic countries this summer."