Ukraine updates: Russia targets C Asians to serve in war – UK
UK says recruiting migrants is part of Russia’s plan to fulfil its target of 400,000 volunteers to fight in Ukraine.
This blog is now closed, thanks for joining us. These were the updates on the Russia-Ukraine war on Monday, May 8.
This blog is now closed, thanks for joining us. These were the updates on the Russia-Ukraine war on Monday, May 8.
- The United Kingdom’s defence ministry says that Russia has begun targeting Central Asians to serve in the war in Ukraine.
- Four people have been killed in Russian overnight drone raids across Ukraine.
- Ukraine says its forces destroyed 35 Iranian-made Shahed drones that Russia launched over Kyiv.
- Safety concerns are mounting at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant amid new Russian drone attacks.
- Moscow intensifies the shelling of the ruined city of Bakhmut, as it hopes to lock in gains before May 9 — a major Russian holiday that marks the anniversary of its defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
- The head of the Wagner Group of mercenaries, Yevgeny Prigozhin, says Russia has promised his fighters enough ammunition to stay in Bakhmut after a threat to pull out.
Breakaway Moldovan region suggests Russia deploy more peacekeepers: RIA
Moldova’s unrecognised breakaway region of Transnistria says it wants Moscow to bulk up its small contingent of peacekeepers because of what it called growing security risks, Russia’s state-owned RIA news agency reported.
Though Moldova does not allow Russia to deploy new troops in Transnistria, Russia has had hundreds of peacekeepers in the region since a bloody war between pro-Russian separatists and Moldovan government forces after the 1991 Soviet breakup.
“As long as Russia’s peacekeeping mission continues, Moldova is constrained in any military plans and preparations against Transnistria,” Leonid Manakov, the region’s envoy to Moscow, was cited as saying by RIA.
“Transnistria has repeatedly applied for an increase in the number of Russian peacekeepers … There is such an option, and it is justified in terms of the worsening security risks,” he was quoted as saying.
Moldova’s ties with Russia are currently badly strained and have deteriorated rapidly over the course of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of neighbouring Ukraine, which Chisinau has repeatedly condemned.
Italy calls on its nationals to leave Ukraine
Italy says it “strongly” recommends any of its citizens still in Ukraine to leave the country by any means.
The country’s foreign ministry issued an alert in the wake of “ever heavier missile attacks on Kyiv and across all Ukrainian territory”.
“All travel to Ukraine, in any capacity, is strongly discouraged,” the ministry said, urging anyone going for work to take “appropriate risk prevention and mitigation measures” and exercise “maximum caution”.
Russia launched its biggest swarm of drone attacks for months against Ukraine on Monday, and Kyiv says it will soon launch a counteroffensive to try to reclaim territory from Moscow’s invasion forces.
World Athletics offers funding to help Ukraine train for championships
World Athletics, the governing body for track and field, says dozens of Ukrainian athletes and officials preparing for their world championships in August can get funding for training camps.
The body will invest $190,000 and prioritise replacing equipment for pole vaulters — the event of Ukrainian great Sergey Bubka — destroyed in Russian missile attacks.
A college in Bakhmut named after Bubka, who is now senior vice president of World Athletics, was part of a sports complex including a track stadium and indoor arena destroyed during fierce fighting there in recent months, the national track federation said.
“It was the only centre where athletes could conduct training camps at any time of the year. Now there is nothing left in Bakhmut,” Ukrainian officials wrote in a letter, World Athletics said.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe pledged ahead of the August 19-27 championships in Budapest, Hungary, to do “whatever we can to help athletics survive and recover in Ukraine”.
Ukrainian steel giant asks staff to work remotely amid May 9 attack fears
Ukraine’s largest steel producer, ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, says it has told employees to take Tuesday off or work remotely because of the threat of Russian air raids.
The company, which employs about 20,000 people, is located in the central city of Kryvyi Rih — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s hometown — and has often been the target of Russian drone and missile attacks.
A spokesperson said the measure reflected the escalation of enemy attacks nationwide and the downing of a reconnaissance drone in Kryvyi Rih on Saturday.
Moscow has intensified air raids this month as Ukraine prepares to launch a counteroffensive against Russia’s invasion. It has also promised to retaliate after blaming Kyiv for an apparent drone attack on Moscow’s Kremlin citadel, for which Ukraine denied responsibility.
On Tuesday, Russia will commemorate the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, a major state holiday, with a Victory Day military parade across Moscow’s Red Square.
The Wagner Group explained | Start Here
The Wagner Group and its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin provide guns for hire in a murky global operation with links to Putin and the Russian state.
Al Jazeera’s Sandra Gathmann explains who they are, what they do, and why the war in Ukraine has shifted things.
Wagner chief says group’s fighters starting to get ammunition
The head of Russia’s mercenary Wagner group says his troops have started to receive the ammunition they needed and reported heavy fighting in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.
“Today, the groups advanced a maximum of 130 metres (400 feet) … Fierce fighting is going on, but the groups are continuing to advance,” Yevgeny Prigozhin said in an audio message posted on social media.
“According to preliminary data, we are starting to receive ammunition. We have not (yet) seen it in practice.”
Lithuania buys military trucks from Germany to bolster defences
Lithuania says it is buying 371 military trucks from Germany to strengthen its defence capabilities.
The Lithuanian military is buying the trucks from the manufacturer Daimler for 216 million euros ($238 million), the country’s defence ministry said, adding that they will be delivered between 2023 and 2030.
“Modern military equipment allows our troops to be better prepared for logistic operations and to ensure the necessary mobility,” Defence Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said in a press release.
“We know from the lessons of the war in Ukraine how important it is to have high-quality equipment capable of transporting the necessary equipment and ammunition to any point,” he added.
Lithuania borders Russia’s Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad as well as Moscow’s ally Belarus.
Russia bans jet skis, ride-hailing ahead of WWII tributes
Russia has enacted a major security clampdown ahead of Tuesday’s annual commemorations marking the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, curbing the use of drones and ride-sharing services in its largest cities — even jet skis on the canals of St Petersburg.
At least 21 Russian cities cancelled May 9 military parades, the staple of Victory Day celebrations across Russia, for the first time in years, Russian media said.
Regional officials blamed unspecified “security concerns” or vaguely referred to “the current situation” for the restrictions and cancellations.
It was not clear whether their decisions were taken in coordination with the Kremlin.
War in Ukraine cannot be ended with ‘piecemeal gains’: Turkey’s presidential office
Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin says the war in Ukraine cannot be ended with “piecemeal gains”.
“Thirty years after the end of the Cold War, Russia tells the West: ‘Let’s make a new agreement, make a new bargaining and build a new global security architecture. Let me be in it, (where I) feel safe. Let the West, Ukraine, Europe and NATO be in it as well,'” Kalin told the Haberturk news channel.
Without bargaining for such an agreement at the strategic level, Kalin said, he “does not believe that the Ukraine war can be ended with piecemeal gains” by either side.
“This is the impression I got during my meeting with Putin,” he added.
NATO air policing units on high alert after Russian jet narrowly missed Polish plane
NATO says its air policing units have been put on a higher state of readiness after a near-miss between a Russian fighter jet and a Polish aircraft on patrol for the EU’s border agency, Frontex, on Friday.
“NATO air policing detachments were put on higher readiness in response to the dangerous behaviour of a Russian military plane in the vicinity of a Polish Frontex aircraft over the Black Sea near Romania,” a NATO official speaking on the condition of anonymity told the Reuters news agency.
The official said NATO “remains vigilant” and referred further questions to Polish authorities.
Germany bans Russian flags at memorials on WWII anniversary
A Berlin court banned Russian flags and symbols from being displayed around three Soviet memorials in the German capital during World War II commemorations.
The higher administrative court said it agreed with police who feared Russian flags and Saint George ribbons could be interpreted as symbols of support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“In the current context, they could be understood as a declaration of sympathy for the war” and “convey a willingness to use violence”, the court said in a statement.
Police had originally prohibited both Ukrainian and Russian flags at the memorials on May 8 and 9 when the end of World War II is commemorated each year. They had argued that “respect for these memorials and monuments must be preserved against the backdrop of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war”.
Ukrainian drone enthusiasts train troops to repel Russian attacks
Drones are playing a major role on the battlefield in Ukraine. Both sides are using expensive unmanned weapons to lethal effect.
Ukrainian civilian enthusiasts are increasingly getting involved, providing training to soldiers on the front lines.
Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford reports from Kyiv.
Russia says it will develop military facilities in Kyrgyzstan
Russia will develop its military installations in Central Asian ally Kyrgyzstan, the Kremlin says after talks between the two countries’ leaders in Moscow.
“The heads of state emphasised the importance of strengthening the Kyrgyz Republic’s armed forces and developing Russian military facilities on its territory,” the Kremlin said in a statement.
Russia has a military base in Kyrgyzstan with an airfield, a naval installation on Lake Issyk-Kul and several other sites.
President Sadyr Japarov met Putin on Monday on the eve of Victory Day, a holiday that is marked with a military parade through Red Square.
Operations suspended at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant: Moscow-installed official
Yevgeny Balitsky, the Moscow-installed governor of the Russia-controlled part of Ukraine’s Zaporizhia region says that operations have been suspended at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, according to a report by the Russian state news agency TASS.
Balitsky said the suspension was undertaken to “avoid provocations by the Armed Forces of Ukraine”.
Russia begins forced mobilisation of residents in occupied Mariupol: Exiled City Council
Russia has begun mobilising residents in occupied Mariupol to serve in its army, according to the exiled Mariupol City Council.
The council said it received this information from residents of the southeastern Ukrainian city, which was occupied by Russia in May last year.
“Conscript commissions have started working in Mariupol. The occupiers are already looking for citizens who do not fulfil their ‘military obligations’. The enemy plans to draft men by August,” the council said in a statement on Telegram.
Russia prepares for Victory Day military parade, but 21 cities cancel events
Moscow is preparing for a military parade, the staple of Victory Day celebrations across Russia, but at least 21 cities have cancelled such events.
Regional officials vaguely referred to “the current situation” as a reason why these celebrations will no longer be held on Tuesday. They said they could be targeted by pro-Ukrainian saboteurs.
Moscow has blamed Ukraine for a series of attacks targeting fuel depots and freight trains over the past week as well as an attack on the Kremlin citadel.
But celebrations, including fireworks, will continue as planned in the Russian capital on Tuesday.
According to the Russian state news agency TASS, Kremlin spokesperson Dimitry Peskov said, “All the necessary measures are being taken to ensure security, especially when it comes to the presence of foreign guests, the presence of our head of state.”
Ukraine targeted by Russia’s largest barrage of attacks in weeks: AJ correspondent
Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford, reporting from Kyiv, says Russia’s overnight strikes across Ukraine were one of the “largest barrage of attacks in recent weeks”.
“These attacks come a day before a very symbolic and important day for Russia, their commemoration of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany,” Stratford said.
“We understand there is a lot of pressure on Wagner forces and Russian forces in and around the besieged city of Bakhmut to take full control of Bakhmut before tomorrow,” Stratford added, saying this would certainly give Putin a reason to celebrate on Victory Day.
European Commission proposes sanctioning Chinese companies helping Russia
The latest sanctions package proposed by the European Commission against Russia includes targeting Chinese companies that are helping the Kremlin in its war in Ukraine.
While EU leaders have yet to discuss and adopt the new round of sanctions, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said China was urging the EU not to take the “wrong path”.
China has not yet condemned Russia for its actions in Ukraine but has set out a peace proposal to end the war.
Four people killed in Russian drone attacks in Ukraine
Ukraine says overnight Russian drone attacks across the country have killed four people.
“Unfortunately, evil has returned,” Zelenskyy said in an address commemorating the World War II victory over Nazi Germany. “Just as evil rushed into our towns and villages then, so it does now. As it killed our people then, so it does now.”
“And all the old evil that modern Russia is bringing back will be defeated, just as Nazism was defeated,” the president said.
Russian shelling intensifies in Kherson Oblast
Russia struck Kherson Oblast’s village of Stanislav, injuring six people, including a nine-year-old boy, according to Kherson Governor Oleksandr Prokudin.
“The boy received mine-explosive injuries and head injuries. Now the child’s life is not in danger,” Prokudin said in a statement on Telegram.
Kherson was captured by Russian troops in the first days of the February 2022 invasion and remained under Russian occupation until November 2022.
Since then, Russian forces withdrew from the city, crossing to the eastern side of the Dnipro River, which now delineates part of the front line in southern Ukraine.
Nearly 1,700 people evacuated from Zaporizhzhia plant area
An evacuation of 1,679 people, including 660 children, has been carried out near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, a Russia-installed official says.
“[The evacuees] have already been placed in the temporary accommodation centre for residents of the front-line territories of the Zaporizhzhia region in Berdiansk,” Yevgeny Balitsky, the Moscow-appointed governor of the Zaporizhia region, said on Telegram.
Russia effectively stopped Black Sea grain deal: Ukraine ministry
Ukraine’s reconstruction ministry says Russia has effectively stopped the Black Sea grain deal by refusing to register incoming vessels and carry out their inspections.
“This approach contradicts the terms of the current agreement,” the ministry said in a statement.
The Black Sea grain deal signed by Russia and Ukraine last July to allow Ukraine to resume grain exports from its Black Sea ports is due to expire on May 18.
Russia says it will not renew the deal unless its agricultural demands are met.
European Commission proposes 11th round of sanctions against Russia
The European Commission proposes a new round of sanctions against Russia over its actions in Ukraine.
European Commission spokesperson Eric Mamer told reporters in Brussels that the package – the 11th during the war from the bloc – will focus on ensuring sanctions are implemented, are effective and cannot be evaded.
While the 27-member bloc has yet to adopt the measures, Andriy Yermak, the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff, welcomed the news.
“We expect surprises for the propagandists of the Russians as well as their economy,” he said in a statement on Telegram.
Russia targets Central Asians to serve in war: UK defence ministry
Russian military recruiters are targeting people from Central Asia to serve in the war against Ukraine, according to the United Kingdom’s defence ministry.
“Recruiters have visited mosques and immigration offices to recruit,” the ministry said in a Twitter post, adding, “Staff who speak Tajik and Uzbek routinely try to recruit migrants.”
There was no immediate comment by Russia.
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine – 8 May 2023.
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Ukraine says it shot down 35 Russian drones launched over Kyiv
Ukraine says its air defence systems shot down 35 Russian Iranian-made Shahed drones that Russia launched in overnight attacks over Kyiv.
Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko said although the drones over the city have been destroyed, at least five people were injured.
He added that Russia had fired 60 Iranian-made kamikaze drones across the country as a part of its overnight offensive.