Ukraine updates: Russia orders partial evacuation near front line
All the updates from May 5, as they happened.
This live blog is now closed, thank you for joining us. These were the updates on the Russia-Ukraine war on Friday, May 5:
This live blog is now closed, thank you for joining us. These were the updates on the Russia-Ukraine war on Friday, May 5:
- The Russian-installed head of occupied Zaporizhzhia calls for evacuations near the frontline, saying Ukrainian shelling has increased.
- Ukraine’s Kherson prepares for a weekend curfew beginning on Friday evening; regional head Oleksandr Prokudin urges residents to stock up on food and water.
- Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin threatens to withdraw his mercenary fighters from the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, again blaming Russia for a lack of ammunition.
- A drone attack on Russia’s Ilsky oil refinery, the second in two days, has caused a fire, the TASS state news agency reports.
Binance faces US justice dept probe of Russian sanctions violations
The US Justice Department is investigating whether Binance Holdings was illegally used to let Russians skirt US sanctions and move money through the cryptocurrency exchange, Bloomberg News reports.
Regulators globally have long called for tighter controls on crypto exchanges, including Binance, the world’s largest, to prevent illegal activities — from money laundering to the financing of terrorism.
The inquiry by the Justice Department’s national security division is looking at whether Binance or company officials ran afoul of sanctions related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the report said.
Video: Head of Russia’s Wagner group berates army chiefs for ‘tens of thousands’ of casualties
We won ‘powerful reinforcement of weapons’, Zelenskyy says upon return from visits to allies
Speaking on return from visits to Helsinki and The Hague, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said in an address he had won “a powerful reinforcement of weapons for our soldiers – on land, in the air and at sea” as a result of talks with allies there.
Today, we kept the pace and strength of international work – the whole week gives Ukraine the results it needs.
In a week: the United States and Bahrain, the Netherlands and Belgium, Finland and Sweden, Norway and Denmark, and Iceland. Canada. New Zealand. The African Union and… pic.twitter.com/S5OJKh3Di1
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 5, 2023
Wagner, Russian ministry of defence public rift is dangerous: Pro-Kremlin voices
Pro-Kremlin bloggers say that the precedent of making the conflict between Wagner and the Russian Ministry of Defence so public is much more dangerous than the fighting in Bakhmut, because this internal conflict can cause a lot of panic and mutual distrust, Al Jazeera’s Yulia Shapovalova reports from Moscow.
Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said earlier on Friday that his fighters would leave Bakhmut after accusing the Ministry of Defence of denying him the ammunition and support his fighters need.
“According to pro-Kremlin commentators, before Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the general staff took the reins of the special operation in Ukraine, Wagner used to receive more shells and munitions than the rest of the regular army fighting in Bakhmut and that also contributed to Wagner’s success and was part of the advances on the battlefield,” Shapovalova said.
Ukrainian military: 18 of 24 drones launched by Russia shot down
The Ukrainian military command has said 18 of 24 drones launched by Russian forces were shot down. It said the Russian military had launched 10 missile attacks on the cities of Kramatorsk and Zaporizhzhia, and also carried out 75 air raids and dozens of rocket attacks.
Nearly 50 Russian attacks were repelled along the main sectors of the front line in eastern and southern Ukraine, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said.
Russia finds safe haven in group founded as counterweight to US
For Russia, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) remains one of the few international groups where it can still comfortably engage with members and further ties.
Foreign ministers from the group of nations led by China and Russia have criticised the ability of world institutions to resolve geopolitical problems.
Russia and China founded the group in 2001 as a counterweight to US alliances across East Asia to the Indian Ocean.
Russia’s war in Ukraine was not mentioned at the meeting, and analysts said Moscow was unlikely to face a backlash over its invasion from the SCO and would instead use the meeting to flex its influence in the region.
56-hour curfew to begin on Friday in Kherson
Residents of the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson are stocking up on groceries and water before a 56-hour curfew due to begin on Friday evening.
The announcement of the curfew, to last from Friday evening to Monday morning, has prompted speculation in Kherson that the city is about to be used as a launch point for the counterattack.
Pro-Russian hackers claim responsibility for cyberattack on France senate
The French senate’s website went offline after pro-Russian hackers claimed to have taken it down, in the latest cyberattack since Russia invaded Ukraine last year.
“Access to the site has been disrupted since this morning,” the upper house of parliament said on Twitter shortly before midday, saying a team was busy fixing the problem.
A group calling itself NoName on Telegram claimed responsibility, saying it had acted because “France is working with Ukraine on a new ‘id’ package, which may include weapons”.
The same group said it had taken the website of France’s lower-house National Assembly offline for several hours in March.
It also claimed it was behind the disruption of Canadian government websites last month as the Ukrainian prime minister, Denys Shmyhal, visited the country.
Russian-appointed Zaporizhia governor cites increase in shelling as reason for evacuation
Yevgeny Balitsky, the Russian-appointed governor of Zaporizhia, has cited an increased shelling of villages and towns near the front tline.
AFP reports him writing on social media: “In the past few days, the enemy has stepped up shelling of settlements close to the frontline.
“I have therefore made a decision to evacuate first of all children and parents, elderly people, disabled people and hospital patients.
“There will be a temporary evacuation.”
This includes the town of Energodar, which is where the region’s nuclear power station, the biggest in Europe, is.
Ukrainian athletes absent from World Judo Championships
The World Judo Championships, which open in Doha on Sunday, will be the first major international competition to welcome back Russian and Belarusian athletes, who have been excluded from most sporting events since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Ukrainian athletes will be absent, however, after boycotting the event when the International Judo Federation (IJF) gave the green light for the reinstatement of Russians and Belarusians on the condition that they do so individually and as neutral athletes.
That decision followed a recommendation of the International Olympic Committee but provoked the anger of the Ukrainian federation which claimed that some of the judokas are also active soldiers in the Russian army.
Russian court orders arrest of theatre director as crackdown on dissent continues
A Moscow court has ordered the arrest of theatre director Yevgeniya Berkovich on charges of “justifying terrorism” over an award-winning play about Russian women recruited online to marry ISIL (ISIS) fighters in Syria.
Moscow has launched an unprecedented crackdown on dissent at home as troops fight in Ukraine and as much of the Russian arts community has fled the country.
The RIA Novosti news agency said the court ordered the 38-year-old to remain in custody until July 4.
The charges carry a maximum penalty of seven years in prison.
The women-only performance about Russian women who went to marry men in Syria won two prestigious Golden Mask theatre awards last year.
No agreement on new vessels carrying grain exports: UN
Russia, Turkey and the United Nations have failed to reach an agreement to authorise any new vessels to carry Black Sea grain exports, deputy UN spokesperson Farhan Haq says.
Haq said daily inspections of previously authorised ships continue.
Ukraine thanks UK for support during conflict
Ahead of King Charles‘s coronation on Saturday, the Ukrainian defence ministry put together a video thanking Britain for aiding Kyiv with weapons and training during the war.
On the eve of the historic coronation, we'd like to thank our British friends for your friendship. We are grateful for your unwavering support and partnership, especially in the past year! pic.twitter.com/bJgg4Qfsr5
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) May 5, 2023
Putin discusses Victory Day parade with Security Council
Putin has discussed preparations for Tuesday’s Victory Day parade in a meeting with his Security Council, the RIA Novosti news agency reports.
Moscow has said the parade will go on as planned despite saying Ukraine targeted Putin in a drone attack against the Kremlin early on Wednesday.
Kyiv has denied any involvement in the incident.
Zelenskyy meets Bahrain’s foreign minister
Bahraini Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani has met with Zelenskyy during a state visit to Kyiv, Ukraine’s presidential office says.
The trip was the first time Bahraini officials had visited Kyiv since establishing diplomatic ties with Ukraine in 1992.
Zelenskyy thanked Bahrain for its unwavering support and said, “This is an important signal of cooperation and support between our countries.”
The president added that Bahraini humanitarian aid to Ukraine was also vital “because our struggle is not only on the front line – our people, our society are also on the battlefield. Their [Bahrain’s] work helps our army to de-occupy our territory.”
President Zelensky: "The visit of Bahrain's Minister of Foreign Affirs Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani to Ukraine is an important signal of cooperation and support between our countries. Ukraine strives for peace, and that is why I proposed the Ukrainian Peace Formula to the… pic.twitter.com/BZwloN6kB0
— Dénes Törteli 🇪🇺🇭🇺🇺🇦 (@DenesTorteli) May 5, 2023
Poland summons Russian ambassador
Poland has summoned the Russian ambassador regarding a statement by Russia’s former ombudsman for children calling for the murder of a Polish official, a Polish foreign ministry spokesman says.
“On May 5, Ambassador Sergey Andreyev was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The representative of the Russian Federation was provided with a protest note regarding the statement of the former ombudsman for children of the Russian Federation, Pavel Astakhov, calling for the murder of the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland,” Lukasz Jasina said.
W dniu 5 maja do MSZ wezwany został ambasador Siergiej Andrejew. Przedstawicielowi Federacji Rosyjskiej przekazano notę protestacyjną dotyczącą wypowiedzi byłego rzecznika praw dziecka Federacji Rosyjskiej, Pawła Astachowa, nawołującego do zabójstwa Ambasadora Rzeczpospolitej
— Łukasz Jasina (@RzecznikMSZ) May 5, 2023
Russian military leaders responsible for deaths of Wagner fighters: Prigozhin
Prigozhin says Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov must be responsible for “tens of thousands of Wagner dead and injured”.
He made the statement in a video posted online by his press service.
The Wagner Group chief said earlier on Friday that his fighters would leave Bakhmut after accusing the Ministry of Defence of denying him the ammunition and support his fighters need.
Russian-installed head of Zaphorizhzhia calls for evacuation
The Russian-installed governor of the Zaporizhzhia region, Yevgeny Balitsky, has ordered the evacuation of villages close to the front line, saying that Ukrainian shelling has intensified in recent days.
The southeastern region, around 80 percent of which is held by Russian forces, is rumoured to be the target of a widely expected Ukrainian counteroffensive.
Who is responsible for the drone attack on the Kremlin?
The Kremlin has reported a drone attack on its headquarters on Wednesday morning, blaming Ukraine and the United States for an attempt on Putin’s life.
But Kyiv and Washington have both denied any involvement in the incident.
According to Ukraine, it was either the work of “local resistance forces”, Russians opposed to the war, or it could have been a false-flag operation staged by Moscow.
Al Jazeera’s Inside Story speaks to experts on who benefits the most from the drone attack on the Kremlin.
Wagner fighters are being moved from front line to Bakhmut: Ukraine
A senior Ukrainian official says Russia is bringing Wagner fighters from along the front line to Bakhmut and that Moscow wants to capture the city in time for Victory Day celebrations on May 9.
“The Russians are inclined towards symbolism and their key historic myth is May 9 and they really have set the objective of taking control of Bakhmut by this date,” Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said on Ukrainian television.
“We are now seeing them pulling [fighters] from the entire offensive line where the Wagner fighters were, they are pulling [them] to the Bakhmut direction,” she said.
High water levels could damage Zaporizhzhia plant: Russia
Record high water levels could overwhelm a dam in southern Ukraine and damage parts of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, a Russian official told the TASS news agency.
Renat Karchaa, an adviser to the general director of nuclear energy firm Rosenergoatom, said if the Nova Kakhovka dam did break, the power cable line for the Zaporizhzhia plant’s pumping stations would be flooded.
“This [would create] functional problems for the operation of the plant and risks for nuclear safety,” he said.
Karchaa’s comments contradict those by Ukrainian officials, who said they feared the plant could face a water shortage to cool reactors because Russian forces had let water out of a reservoir that supplied the plant.
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 436
Click here for a roundup of the war’s key events from day 436.
Keep reading:
Former Russian deputy reportedly joins Wagner group
Former Russian deputy defence minister Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev has joined the Wagner Group as a deputy commander, Russian pro-war social media channels reported on Thursday.
In two videos posted by war correspondent Alexander Simonov on Telegram, Mizintsev, wearing Wagner-branded combat gear, was shown visiting a training camp and touring Russian positions in Bakhmut.
On April 29, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s press service said he had offered to take on Mizintsev the day after he was reportedly sacked by the Ministry of Defence.
The Grey Zone Telegram channel, affiliated with Wagner, said Mizintsev had become “not the first and obviously not the last general who was out of place amid the bureaucracy and sycophancy”.
Mizintsev orchestrated the siege of Mariupol in the early months of the war last year.
Ukrainian delegate punches Russian at Black Sea meeting
A Ukrainian delegate punched a Russian delegate during a gathering of Black Sea nations after his flag was snatched away to stop him from photobombing a video interview with Russia’s lead delegate.
On Thursday, Olesandr Marikovski posted a video of the incident on his Facebook page, which occurred in a hallway of the parliament building, where the Organisation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) assembly was being held in Ankara, Turkey.
Pictures of the disturbance were posted by the Turkish parliament on its website, and Mustafa Sentop, the parliament’s head, said, “I condemn this behaviour that disrupts the peaceful environment that Turkey is trying to establish.”
EU accuses Russia of escalating the conflict after drone attacks
The European Union has accused Russia of escalating the war this week following drone attacks on Odesa and Kyiv.
“This week marked another escalation in Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine with increasingly indiscriminate and bloody shelling of civilian areas,” a spokesman for EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said in Brussels.
He cited missile and drone attacks on Odesa and Kyiv and the attack on a supermarket, a railway station and a petrol station in the Kherson region.
“The latest of these Russia’s barbarities killed over 20 people and injured almost 50 in Kherson – all of them civilians,” the spokesman said.
“This reckless killing of civilians and destruction of civilian infrastructure must stop immediately,” he added.