Russia-Ukraine War: Ukraine accuses Russian forces of stealing grain from farmers

Ukraine has accused Russian forces of stealing Ukrainian grain. According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russian armed forces have been either consuming the stolen grain or trying to sell it in international markets. The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned the Russian action of "disposing of" the grain that they had illegally taken from Ukrainian farmers. 

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk has said that Ukraine has offered to exchange Russian prisoners of war for injured soldiers at Azovstal, The Kyiv Independent reported. She said that they have not reached an agreement and "negoitations are ongoing."

Ukraine has claimed that Russia has launched a missile attack on Poltava, The Kyiv Independent reported. Governor Dmitry Lunin has said that the missile attack on Poltava Oblast was carried out by Russian military aircraft. Details regarding casualties and damages caused by the attack are awaited. 
 

Russia has claimed that a person was killed and three people have been injured after Ukraine's shelling in Solokhi village of Belgorod region, Nexta reported. Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov that a person was killed and three people were wounded after shelling from Ukrainian forces. 

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Valentyn Reznichenko has claimed that Russian forces continue to constantly fire at Zelenodolsk, 50 kilometres south of Kryvyi Rih, The Kyiv Independent reported. According to Valentyn Reznichenko, Russian troops shelled Dnipropetrovsk Oblast three times and caused damage to the infrastructure. No casualty has been reported in the incident. 
 

European Union (EU) Ambassador Ugo Astuto on Wednesday said it is important that the international community comes together and makes it clear to Russia that its aggression against Ukraine must stop. He was speaking to reporters after delivering a keynote address at the 'EU-India: A green, digital and resilient future' event organised at the Savitribai Phule Pune University here on the occasion of 60 years of EU-India partnership.

Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Defence Hanna Maliar on Wednesday said that after a victorious first stage, Ukraine is now entering into its "next phase" of the war after "the enemy failed to reach its goals", the Associated Press reported. 

In video footage from the Ukraine Media Center Hanna Maliar said that Russia has been "forced to establish a different set of goals and implement different tactics and strategy in the war with Ukraine."  During the message she also also spoke about the importance of the western military aid, saying the Ukrainian government was "working to increase and accelerate the tempo of assistance because the lives of our soldiers depend on it."

Russian Defence Ministry on Wednesday categorically held accountable leaders of the US President Joe Biden's Democratic Party, whom it labelled the "main ideologues" of US military-biological activities in Ukraine. Points raised by Russia's MoD in a Telegram post against US were:

◽️ Funds for military biomedical research were raised by US Democratic Party under state guarantees from NGOs controlled by the Democratic Party leadership, including the investment funds of the Clintons, Rockefellers, Soros and Biden.

◽️ The scheme involves major pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, Moderna, Merck and the US military-affiliated company Gilead. 

◽️ US experts have been involved in working to test new medicines that circumvent international safety standards inside the biolabs that they set up in Ukraine.

◽️ The involvement of controlled nongovernmental and biotechnological organisations, and the increase in their revenues, allowed the leaders of the US Democratic Party to generate additional campaign finance and hide its distribution.

Moscow said that as a result of its 'special military operation' on the territory of Ukraine, facts of work with the specified pathogens, which are potential agents of biological weapons, have been discovered by its military forces. At the same time, it was noted that Ukraine had sent a request to the manufacturing company regarding the possibility of equipping the Bayraktar drones with aerosol equipment, Russian MoD said. 

Documents obtained also show the involvement of Poland in Ukrainian biolaboratories, said Russian ministry of defense. Polish Institute of Veterinary Medicine in research was involved in assessing the epidemiological threats and spread of the rabies virus in Ukraine, it said. US, and Ukraine intentionally used multidrug-resistant tuberculosis pathogen in 2020 to infect the pro-Russian population of the Slavyanoserbsky district of the LPR.

Counterfeit currency notes were infected with the tuberculosis agent and distributed to minors in Stepovoe village, said Russia's MoD. Potentially dangerous biological drugs were tested by the US on patients of the Kharkov Regional Clinical Psychiatric Hospital No 3.

Credit: Russia's Ministry of Defense 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Oman's Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi hold a joint press conference following talks in Muscat. Lavrov had arrived for talks with the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Sputnik radio station on Wednesday. "The Russian foreign minister’s car has arrived, he is getting out of the vehicle and is on his way for talks," Zakharova had informed.

She had added that ahead of the meeting with the Sultan, Lavrov held negotiations with Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Bin Hamad Bin Hamood Al Busaidi.

Lavrov was welcomed by Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Al Busaidi at the Muscat International Airport during his one -day visit. he spoke about the war in Ukraine and praised "the Omani wisdom in dealing with various regional and international issues" during speech at capital's Al Barakah Palace. 

Sultan Haitham "stressed the need to adhere to the rules of international law and to intensify efforts to reach political and diplomatic solutions through dialogue," Oman's state news agency reported on Wednesday. 

Russia on Wednesday asserted that it is "outraged by the boundless disgrace" of Latvia's Riga City Council after the forklift crushed the WWII Victory Day memorial flowers "like old garbage." 

"We are outraged by the boundless rudeness of the Riga Duma," Moscow's foreign ministry wrote in a Telegram statement.

It further explained that at dawn, fresh flowers were raked by a tractor like old garbage by the Latvian authroties. "The local latvian authorities have shown that they are afraid that it would be visible how many inhabitants of Riga remember the Warriors-Liberators of Red Army [Soviet troops] and express gratitude to them," said Russia's MFA. 

"Many people bought these flowers with their last money, carried them in their hands along the streets of the Latvian capital for a long time, since parking and driveways near the monument were blocked," it added. 

Credit: Russia's MFA/Telegram

Credit: Russia's MFA/Telegram

Credit: Russia's MFA/Telegram

At least three Russian prisoners of war [POW] accused of murdering civilians in a series of war crimes in the towns of Ukraine are set to go on a trial, Ukrainian prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova said in a Telegram statement. A Russian soldier among them had allegedly killed a man and then raped his wife. He will be in the dock in the first war crimes trials of the Ukraine conflict, according to Ukraine's prosecutor general.

A 21-year-old Russian commander of the Kantemirovskaya Tank Division, Vadim Shysimarin, faces murder charge for killing 68-year-old man in village of Chupakhivka, Sumy region in north-east Ukraine. He is accused of stealing car with four other soldiers then trying to flee city while shooting an unarmed man famously seen in the photographs lying near his bicycle.

Russian soldier was ordered “to kill a civilian so he would not report them to Ukrainian defenders”, Ukraine's prosecutors said. More than 10,700 crimes have been registered against Russian forces since invasion. 

Ukrainian servicemen attach a cable to the body of a civilian while checking for booby traps in the formerly Russian-occupied Kyiv suburb of Bucha, Ukraine. Credit: AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda

Russia on Wednesday accused US of "looking for ways to recover the money it has poured into the country" by moving out Ukraine's grain and stoking a famine within the war torn country. State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said on his Telegram channel that Washington "has no confidence that Ukraine will win" and therefore, it is trying to recover the funds it invested in weaponry and military assistance by "setting the stage for a famine in Ukraine." 

"Washington has no confidence that Kiev will win. They have been thinking up ways of recovering their funds, while setting the stage for a famine in Ukraine," Volodin said on Telegram channel. He stressed that the US has been looking for ways to move out grain of Ukraine as US President Joe Biden has said that it is needed "to lower the price of the resource."

State Duma Speaker further claimed that US has "already driven Ukraine into debt, with $40 billion in aid having been provided under Lend-Lease to supply weapons and other assistance to Kiev with deferred payment." 

Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday that the West should stop its attempts to undermine the international law, halt its blunt violations of the UN Charter provisions, respect principle of the sovereign rights of other countries, and "stop promoting the so-called unipolar world dominated by the United States and its allies."

During the meeting with Foreign Minister of Oman Sayyid Badr Albusaidi in Oman capital city of Muscat, Lavrov asseretd that Russian authorities have "informed in great detail" the authorities of Oman about developments in Ukraine, and the details regarding country’s ‘geopolitical fraction,' Tass reported. 

"We have informed in detail our partners from Oman on the developments [in Ukraine] in the context of the Russia’s special military operation and about the geopolitical fracture regarding this situation," Russia's foreign minister said.

"We believe that in regard to the ongoing situation in Ukraine, Oman assumed a weighted and balanced position, which, first of all, rests on national interests of their people’s interests," he added. 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Credit: Associated Press

Russia on Wednesday summoned the Polish Ambassador to Russia Krzysztof Krajewski to the Russian Foreign Ministry and demanded that Warsaw apologises for the digraceful attack on Russian Ambassador to Poland Sergey Andreyev with red pain on May 9. The incident occured as Andreyev was commemorating Soviet troops' defeat of the Nazi forces in Poland on WWII Victory Day. 

"Krajewski was notified that the Russian side expects official apologies from the Polish leadership in connection with the incident and demands to ensure the safety of the Russian ambassador and all employees of the Russian foreign missions in Poland," Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement. 

Moscow’s "decision on the further moves will depend on the reaction of Warsaw," asserted Russia's MFA. 

Protesters opposed to the war in Ukraine threw red paint on Russia’s ambassador to Poland Sergey Andreev as he arrived at a cemetery in Warsaw to pay respects to Red Army soldiers who died during World War II.

At a press conference in Vienna alongside Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer and Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg, UN Secretary-General António Guterres justified his trip to Moscow, saying that it "makes full sense to talk to the leader of the Russian Federation [Putin]." He stressed that it was the right decision to visit Russian President Vladimir Putin as there was an urgent need to “deal with those that cause the problem or that can solve the problem” to find solutions.

“It makes full sense to talk to the leader of the Russian Federation; it makes full sense to talk to any other relevant actors in the present crisis," UN Secretary-General António Guterres said at the press conference in Vienna. 

“I think the lives that were rescued of civilians that were in the bunkers of Mariupol deserve that I meet anybody in any part of the world without having any doubt that that is the right thing to do,” Guterres added. 

Credit: AP

British military says Ukraine’s targeting of Russian forces on Snake Island in the Black Sea is helping disrupt Moscow’s attempts to expand its influence in the Black Sea. In a daily intelligence briefing posted to Twitter the British Defense Ministry also said  that is Russia repeatedly (is) trying to reinforce its exposed garrison located there.

It added: “Ukraine has successfully struck Russian air defenses and resupply vessels with Bayraktar drones. Russia’s resupply vessels have minimum protection in the western Black Sea, following the Russian Navy’s retreat to Crimea after the loss of the Moskva.”

Russia’s foreign minister has made a surprise visit to the Gulf Arab state of Oman for meetings with officials about Moscow’s war on Ukraine. Sergey Lavrov briefed Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said on the war Wednesday in Muscat, Oman’s state-run news agency reported.

Sultan Haitham stressed the need to adhere to international law and intensify efforts to achieve a diplomatic solution to the crisis “in a manner that preserves the independence, sovereignty and coexistence of countries and peoples,” the statement added.

Oman, a country of 4.6 million on the Arabian Peninsula, has long served as an island of neutrality in a region torn by sectarian and political conflicts. Sultan Haitham has continued the policies of his predecessor in pursuing quiet diplomacy to help resolve international crises.

Source: Associated Press Report

A Russia-installed official in Ukraine’s Kherson region has asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to "annex the region." The deputy head of the Russia-installed administration in Kherson, Kirill Stremousov, said that there are no plans to create a self-proclaimed “Kherson People’s Republic,” akin to the ones in Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine. But, he said, there are plans to ask Putin to annex it, according to an Associated Press. 

“The city of Kherson is Russia,” Stremousov was quoted as saying by the state RIA Novosti news agency.

“There will be no (Kherson People’s Republic) on the territory of the Kherson region, there will be no referendums. It will be a decree based on an appeal from the Kherson regional leadership to the Russian president, and there will be a request to include the region into a proper region of the Russian Federation.”

Russia was preparing to seize the entire territory of Ukraine, the State Bureau of Investigations (DBR) claimed citing the documents of the Russian military that they found in Trostianets city in the Sumy Oblast. DBR Director Alexei Sukhachev said that Ukraine's Bureau of Investigation inspected more than 2,000 hectares of the Sumy oblast destroyed by Russian forces. At the key combat locations of Russia's military units Ukrainian authorities seized documents and personal belongings of Russian troops. 

"Investigating the consequences of artillery and mortar shelling of the infrastructure of the city of the Russian Federation, DBR investigators found intentionally damaged 322 residential buildings and civilian objects in Trostyanets."

"DBR investigators have found important documents of the Russian military, which clearly show that Russia was preparing to seize the entire territory of Ukraine. All this information will be studied and attached to the case file, "said DBR Director Oleksiy Sukhachev.

Credit: AP

In a first, a 21-year-old Russian solider will stand trial for an alleged war crime, Interfax Ukraine reported citing the country's prosecutor-general's statement. Iryna Venediktova said that the Russian soldier was taken into custody, and that he would be put on trial for the death of a civilian in the Sumy region. 

Pro-Russian self-proclaimed republics of Luhansk and Donetsk in eastern Ukraine on Wednesday announced that they completely blocked access to Facebook and Instagram, citing Russian policy towards the US social networks.

“Access to the information resources of the American company Meta, which allows calls for violence against Russian-speaking users on its social networks, has already been blocked,” the DNR’s communications ministry said in a statement as cited by the agencies read on Wednesday.  “In light of this, access to the Facebook and Instagram social networks is blocked on the republic’s territory," the document went on to add. 

UK will assist and support Sweden for its NATO membership, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said at the joint press conference with Swedish prime minister Magdalena Andersson. Whatever Sweden decides around its decision of joining NATO Alliance, UK will lend active support to the EU country, British leader said during his trip to the neutral state whom Russia has recently threatened against bolstering ties with EU. 

Johnson signed a security assurance pact with Sweden on Wednesday. He stressed that Sweden's membership to NATO "is a separate conversation" which is “a matter for Sweden”.

"What we are saying emphatically is that in the event of a disaster or the event of an attack upon Sweden, then the UK would come to the assistance of Sweden with whatever Sweden requested," said UK PM Boris Johnson. 

He added, "I think there’s a separate issue about Nato, which I think Sweden is going to be addressing in the course of the next few days.That’s not for me to comment upon except of course to say that I’m sure the UK will support whatever course of action Sweden decides to embark upon and will be as useful and supportive as we can." 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, left, is welcomed by Sweden's Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson in Harpsund, the country retreat of Swedish prime ministers, Wednesday, May 11, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Frank Augstein, Pool.

Sweden’s prime minister, Magdalena Andersson on Wednesday said that the UK and Sweden will address the  future conflicts and threats together. She underscored UK PM's bilateral political declaration of solidarity signed by her and Boris Johnson.

Andersson said that the UK prime minister and Swedish governent have “agreed to face challenges in peace, crisis and conflict together. If either country should suffer a disaster or an attack, the United Kingdom and Sweden will assist each other in a variety of ways." 

She further added, that the support would include the military resources and that the agreement that the two nations nations signed serves a “crucial purpose” regardless whether or not Sweden joins NATO. 

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that Britain will come to assistance of Sweden if it was attacked. Johnson was responding to the questio whether when “faced with the obvious threat to liberal democracies”, both countries would “come to each other’s support” in an event of a military threat like that the Ukraine is currently facing. 

"What we’re saying today is that upon request from the other party, we would come to the other party’s assistance," UK PM assured. 

As many as 4.8 million people in Ukraine have lost their jobs since the Russian invasion in Ukraine, the International Labour Organization (ILO), a UN agency said on Wednesday.  "If hostilities were to escalate, employment losses would increase to seven million," the report estimated, emphasizing that "if the fighting were to cease immediately, then a rapid recovery would be possible, with the return of 3.4 million jobs. This would reduce employment losses to 8.9 percent,' read the report.

Of the total 4.8 million people who lost their jobs, an estimated 1.2 million of them are refugees, said the International Labour Organization (ILO). 

As UK PM Boris Johnson is visiting Sweden and Finland, Sweden’s ruling Social Democrats has decided to conduct the parliamentary debate over the prospects of NATO membership in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Both the neutral states of Sweden and Finland are expected to submit a formal application to join NATO in the coming days in the month of May. 

As the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited Sweden and Finland today, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Russia is "closely watching" any development that can alter NATO defensive Alliance's configuration on its borders.

Since its brutal invasion of Ukraine, Russian forces have fired as many as 2,154 missiles, of those 25 missiles were targetted at civilian facilities in Odessa, Ukraine's President Zelenskyy informed in an address. "Since the beginning of the war, Russia has fired 2,154 missiles at Ukraine, said Volodymyr Zelensky, as per Nexta.. According to him, on May 8 and 9, when the whole world celebrated anniversary of the victory over the Nazi regime, Russian army fired 25 missiles at civilian facilities in Odessa.

United Nations chief says that while it is clear that “at the present moment there are no immediate chances of a peace agreement or immediate chances for local cease fire” in Ukraine, the organization is still working on improving the difficult circumstances of the people suffering from the war.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Wednesday during a visit to Vienna that the U.N. has concentrated all its diplomatic efforts on improving the civilians’ living conditions and is helping with the evacuations of Ukrainians from war zones in cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Guterres told reporters after a meeting with the Austrian President Alexander van der Bellen that “there is still a lot we can do in diplomacy to save lives and to improve the humanitarian situation in the conflict.”

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres stands on the side of a mass grave in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine. Credit: AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky

Ukraine's deputy defense minister, Hanna Maliar, has informed that the Ukrainian soldiers are already using 155 mm American howitzers at the frontline. In a Telegram post, Maliar said that the foreign weapons supplied to Kyiv by the US and other countries have already been deployed to the front lines. 

"Apart from the Javelins and Stingers, 155 mm American howitzers are already being used at the front," Maliar said in a briefing on Wednesday. "We are working to accelerate the pace of aid, as this is the life of our soldiers."

Credit: Associated Press

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has asserted that the prospects of negotiation with Russia diminish as its troops' war crimes on the Ukrainian territory accelerate. Zelenskyy warned that "Kyiv’s patience is running out" and that he might stall the negotiations over the mounting evidence of war atrocities committed by the Russian army. 

“We are ready to conduct these negotiations, these talks, as long as it is not too late,” Zelensky said addressing the French University. 

“With each new Bucha, with each new Mariupol, with each new city where there are dozens of dead people, cases of rape, with each new atrocity, the desire and the possibility to negotiate disappears, as well as the possibility of resolving this issue in a diplomatic manner,” he added.

Credit: AP

If Finland joins the NATO Alliance it will be "for the security" of its citizens, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said Wednesday at a press conference alongside Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo. She informed that she held discussions with the Japanese Prime Minister about Finland's "plans to possibly apply for NATO membership."

"If Finland makes this historical step, it is for the security of our own citizens. Joining NATO would strengthen the whole international community that stands for our common values," Marin said.

Credit: Twitter/@valtioneuvosto

As the Russians attempted to reinforce their garrison on Snake Island, Ukrainian military launched Bayraktar drones targetting the Russian air defenses and resupply vessels, Ukraine's ministry of defense informed on Twitter. Ukraine has hit the Russian resupply vessels that have had "minimum protection" in the Black Sea after the Russian Navy retreated to Crimea having lost its powerful missile cruiser Moskva of the Black Sea fleet.

“If Russia consolidates its position on (Snake) Island with strategic air defense and coastal defense cruise missiles, they could dominate the northwestern Black Sea," UK's MoD warned on Wednesday. 

Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press show that a Russian ship believed to be carrying stolen Ukrainian grain has docked in Syria. The photo taken Tuesday by Planet Labs PBC showed the Russian-flagged Matros Pozynich at dockside in Latakia, Syria.

The ship seen in the photo matched known characteristics of the bulk carrier, as well as its dimensions. The ship turned off its transponders nearly a week ago off the island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea. Samir Madani, the co-founder of the online research firm TankerTrackers.com, also told the AP that he believed the ship docked in Latakia was the Matros Pozynich, based on its dimensions and last-known position.

Ukraine has alleged that the ship had 27,000 tons of grains Russia stole from the country. It alleged Russia initially tried to ship the grains to Egypt, which refused to take the cargo. Ukrainian diplomats had been asking nations not to accept the grain.

This satellite image from Planet Labs PBC shows the Russian-flagged ship Matros Pozynich, center, inside the harbor of Latakia, Syria believed to be carrying stolen Ukrainian grain in Latakia, Syria. Credit: Planet Labs PBC via AP

Source: Associated Press

Ukraine has stopped the flow of Russian natural gas to EU through a hub that feeds European homes and stoves, while Kyiv’s military claimed it made some gains in grinding battles near a key northeastern city.

In 11 weeks, the war has played out on battlefields in Ukrainian towns and cities but also in energy and financial markets, as Ukraine’s allies in the West have sought to deprive Russia of money needed to fund the war with sanctions and energy embargoes.

The practical impact of Wednesday’s gas cutoff for European households was not immediately clear: Ukraine’s pipeline operator said it would switch supply to another hub, and an analyst said transit should not be affected. But Russia’s state-owned giant Gazprom indicated some falloff: It said it was sending gas supplies to Europe through Ukraine in the amount of 72 million cubic meters, apparently down 25% from the day before.

Source: Associated Press

Russia has summoned Poland's ambassador to the foreign ministry in Moscow, the state-run news agency PAP reported, citing the Polish foreign minister Zbigniew Rau as saying. The move came after tensions remained at all time high between the two nations after Poland imposed sanctions on 50 Russian oligarchs over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. 

"As far as our relations with the Russian federation are concerned, we know that the Polish ambassador to Moscow has been summoned to the Russian foreign ministry," Rau told a news conference.

Russia's ambassador to Poland, Sergei Andreyev was also recently assaulted in Poland as Ukrainians hurtled red paint at him which symbolised the blood of Ukrainians during Russia's war. Victory Day celebrations were also cancelled by the Polish authorities over Russia's military offensives in Kyiv. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova had condemned Polish leaders for the attack on Russian ambassador. "But as I have said before, we cannot be intimidated," she said according to news agency Interfax.

Regions and towns in the southern Ukraine “liberated” by Moscow’s troops will go on to "become part of Russia" a pro-Putin representative from the occupied region of Crimea said on Wednesday, Russia's state-owned RIA news reported. “This, as we assess from our communication with the inhabitants of the region, is the will of the people themselves, most of whom lived for eight years under conditions of repression and bullying by the Ukronazis," Georgy Muradov asserted. 

“Military-civilian administrations are being formed in these territories, Russian TV channels have come here, Russian textbooks have appeared in schools, the Russian ruble is successfully entering the economic life of the region,” Muradov added, according to RIA.

Russia’s resupply vessels have minimum protection in the western Black Sea after the dramatic sinking of its Black Sea fleet's powerful flagship Moskva, UK's ministry of Defense said in its latest intelligence update. It also said that Russians were trying to “reinforce its exposed garrison" in the Snake Island also known as Zmiinyi Island. 

“If Russia consolidates its position on Zmiinyi Island with strategic air defence and coastal defence cruise missiles, they could dominate the north-western Black Sea,” UK's MoD said.

Russia has opened at least nine temporary accommodation centers to receive the Ukrainians from the self-declared republics and other parts as the war continues to rage across several Ukrainian cities,  Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported.  "There are 523 temporary accommodation centers functioning in 53 regions of Russia, they house 34,140 thousand people, including 11,790 thousand children," RIA Novosti quoted emergency services as saying.

A senior US Department of Defense official has said that the Russian soldiers are lagging behind by two weeks in accomplishing their military goals in the eastern Donbass region as well as Southern Ukraine. At a closed briefing for journalists on May 10, the official who spoke on condition of anonymity said  that Russia is about two weeks behind the schedule of “what [Putin] would like to see,” RFE/RL reported. Russia’s military is also suffering heavy losses of its troops and military equipment Putin has failed to acheive his major goals by the deadlines, the official informed. 

An elderly man in Kharkiv leaves a note on the door of his house, informing others that he has survived another day of the war as intense fighting continues in Ukraine's second-largest city,  Kharkiv. However, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy informed in his nightly address that the Ukrainian forces have managed to push out the invading troops of Moscow taking back control in several villages in the northeastern city.

Ukrainian General Staff has said that Russian forces have left behind "deadly traps" in the area that could hurt civilians as they were driven out by Ukrainian military from at least four villages to the north and northeast of Kharkiv. Region's governor Oleg Synegubov took to Telegram to inform that retreating Russian forces left behind "deadly traps." As the "fierce fighting" continued Synegubov asked the civilians to remain indoor as it was risky to be out on the streets. 

"The enemy is insidious and is doing everything to hurt as many civilian Ukrainians as possible," he said.

"Fierce fighting continues in the Kharkiv region. Fighters of the armed forces continue their offensive, destroying the occupiers and expelling them from our land."

The United Nations General Assembly has elected the Czech Republic to the Human Rights Council to replace Russia that was suspended last month over its invasion of Ukraine. The Czech Republic was elected with 157 votes in favor, with 23 countries abstaining.

Hungarian foreign minister on Wednesday labelled European Union's rampant oil embargo 'unacceptable' stressing that it would destroy Hungary's economy. In a video posted on Facebook, Peter Szijjarto said that the European Commission does not have a solution to huge problems that would come as repercussions due to its latest move of cutting off the Russian energy completely in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.  Most of the EU nations are heavily reliant on Russian oil with no immediate alternatives in sight. 

Georgian breakaway region of South Ossetia has been awaiting Russia's signal before holding a referendum to join Moscow,  new leader of the Georgian breakaway territory Alan Glagoev told Tass. He said that the South Ossetia needed for Russia to be on board with a referendum for Georgian territory to join Moscow. Both South Ossetia and the coastal region of Abkhazia were declared independent after Russian war with Georgia in 2008.

Belarusian authorities have deployed troops to the border of Ukraine to counter the "Westen military presence" in the region.Chief of the general staff of the armed forces of Belarus, Viktor Gulevich, has said that Ukraine had sent around 20,000 forces close to the Belarusian border that prompted a "response" from Minsk. 

"The group created over the past six months has more than doubled both in quantity and quality," said Gulevich in a statement on Telegram. 

"The appearance in the waters of the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas of a group carrying sea and air-based cruise missiles, an increase in the aviation group in the countries of Poland and the Baltic states indicate a growing threat to the Republic of Belarus."

"The grouping created by the armed forces of Ukraine in the southern operational direction with a total number of up to 20,000 people also requires a response from us," he added.  "In order to ensure the security of the Republic of Belarus in the southern direction, the forces of the units of the special operations forces are deployed in three tactical directions."

UK prime minister Boris Johnson has arrived in Sweden and will also visit Finland to discuss the Nordic countries’ application into NATO alliance. Johnson is scheduled to meet the leaders of both countries during the one day trip. He will discuss Russia's war and the threat to the European security. In a statement Number 10 Downing Street informed that during his visit to Stockholm and Helsinki, Johnson will discuss the “security of Europe more broadly." 

"We understand the positions of Sweden and Finland and that is why the prime minister is going to discuss these broader security issues," said 10 Downing Street. 

Ex-Russian president Dmitry Medvedev on wednesday warned America's 'Russophobic authorities'  that their tactics of supplying weaponry to Ukraine to wage a “proxy war” against Russia in order to politically and economically defeat Moscow "won't work." Responding to reports of US' latest $40bn aid package for Ukraine, Medvedev asserted that American leaders were making desperate attempts aiming to seriously defeat Russia and limit its economic development and political influence in the world.

“It won’t work. The printing press by which America is constantly increasing its already inflated government debt will break faster,” Ex-Russian president Dmitry Medvedev wrote on Telegram. 

The United States Senate took its first major step to confirm an American ambassador to Ukraine on Tuesday as it scheduled a hearing in its Foreign Relations Committee for President Joe Biden's nominee, Bridget Brink. The current US ambassador to Slovakia acknowledged that while the her position will be ripe with many challenges, it will be an "honour" for her to serve in the role. 

"We face the biggest threat to peace and security in Europe in decades," Brink said during her opening statements. "If confirmed, I pledge to work with you to continue our commitment to a sovereign, democratic and independent Ukraine -- free to choose its own future."

In a telegram post on Wednesday, Ukraine's Azov battalion informed that Russian forces carried out 38 air raids on the Azovstal steelworks in the beseiged port city of Mariupol in the past 24 hours. “The enemy does not stop trying to capture the Ukrainian fortress and continues to carry out daily assaults with the support of infantry,” Azov battalion said on Telegram.

The armed forces of Ukraine have liberated a number of settlements in Kharkiv, taking back control from the Russian forces and it now "relatively quiet," governor of Kharkiv, Oleh Synyehubov informed in a Telegram update. "Still it is impossible to lose vigilance. You need to be very careful and not be on the street unnecessarily. It is also dangerous to return to the recently liberated settlements. The enemy completely mined everything, including schools, kindergartens and private homes," he said. 

Ukrainian soldiers handle equipment outside Kharkiv, Ukraine. Credit: AP Photo/Andrew Marienko

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday thanked US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other US officials whom he called "friends" after the US House of Representatives approved a $40 billion worth of aid to Ukraine with bipartisan support of 368 to 57.

Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has accused the US of waging a “proxy war” in Ukraine against Moscow in an elaborate post on the messenger app Telegram. Dmitry Medvedev lambasted the United States of flowing in more weaponry inside Kyiv after the recent approval of $40 billion aid package. 

The bill approved by the United States on Tuesday was a bid “to deal a serious defeat to our country and limit its economic development and political influence in the world," said Medvedev. “It won’t work. The printing press by which America is constantly increasing its already inflated government debt will break faster," he reportedly said in a Telegram post. 

UK Defense Ministry's latest intelligence has revealed that Russia has been trying to augment its forces on Zmiinyi Island (Snake Island) in the Black Sea. This has led to the Ukrainian forces to “engage Russian troops and attrit materiel.” However, if Russia “consolidates its position on Zmiinyi Island with strategic air defense and coastal defense cruise missiles, it could dominate the north-western Black Sea,” the update reads.

Russian authorities have allegedly abducted Crimean human rights activist and nurse Iryna Danylovich. According to Danylovich's lawyer, Aider Azamatov, she disappeared on her way home from work in the Russian-annexed peninsula over a week ago. Speaking to CNN, Azamatov said, "We assume that she is still in jail."

Poland PM Mateusz Morawiecki on Tuesday warned that Moscow's onslaught is evidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin is more dangerous than German dictator Adolf Hitler or Former President of the Soviet Union Joseph Stalin. In a piece for the Daily Telegraph, he further added that Putin has  "deadlier weapons at his disposal" than the 20th-century dictators and accused him of using the internet for spreading his propaganda. 

The list of sanctions include Igor Konashenkov, spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry; Igor Kostyukov, head of the Main Directorate of the General Staff, as well as other representatives of the military and propagandists, according to NEXTA.

"The House took a critical step today in sending a clear, bipartisan message to Ukraine, to Russia, and to the world that the United States stands with the people of Ukraine as they defend their democracy against Russian aggression. We thank House leadership and members of the Appropriations Committee for working across the aisle to get this done and appreciate the strong bipartisan support for the President’s proposal to provide much-needed security, economic, humanitarian, and food assistance to Ukraine, across the region, and around the world," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement after US House passed the $40 billion aid package for Ukraine in the majority.

Deputy Head of the Russian Lower House of Parliament State Duma Committee on Information Policy, Anton Gorelkin, on Wednesday informed that the work on the restoration of the Russian video streaming platform Rutube is in its final stage. The site will be back online today, Nexta reported. 

As the Russian war entered day 77, Russian airstrikes escalated in east Ukraine. According to Sloviansk Mayor Vadym Lyakh, the missiles hit two districts in Donetsk Oblast on May 11. However, he added, there are no casualties, Kyiv Independent reported.

Ukraine's office of the Prosecutor General on Tuesday in its latest update stated that at least 226 children were killed in Ukraine since the Russian onslaught began on February 24. In addition, as many as 417 have been wounded in the ongoing conflict. However, the figures are expected to be higher since they do not include casualties in the areas where hostilities are ongoing and in the Russian-occupied areas. Kyiv Independent reported. 

Ukrainian Armed Forces in its latest operational report claimed that defenders have killed over 26,300 Russian soldiers in Ukraine since the all-out war began on February 24. 

"The exercises this month will see tanks, tracked artillery guns and armoured fighting vehicles deploy across Europe from Finland to North Macedonia, demonstrating British forces’ ability to integrate with NATO allies and preserve peace across the continent," UK MoD said.

In a Twitter post, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, "I thank  US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and all friends of in House of Representatives for the quick approval of the law on additional financial support for our state initiated by @POTUS. We are looking forward to the consideration of this important document for us by the Senate."

As the war in Ukraine enters day 77, US intelligence director Avril Haines on Tuesday stated that she believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing for a "prolonged conflict"  in its ex-Soviet neighbour. Addressing the US Senate Armed Committee, Haines mapped that Putin is assembling resources for eyeing expansive goals. She added Putin is now targetting a lot beyond east Ukraine, more specifically the construction of a land bridge across the Black Sea coast in Ukraine. 

"We assess President Putin is preparing for a prolonged conflict in Ukraine during which he still intends to achieve goals beyond the Donbass region," US Intelligence director Avril Haines said, as quoted by Washington Post.  

As the war in Eastern Europe continues unabated, with Russian forces relentlessly shelling cities of strategic significance in Ukraine, two United States senators have introduced a resolution on Tuesday demanding the Joe Biden-led administration to recognise Russia as a 'state sponsor of terrorism' for its actions in Ukraine and abroad under President Vladimir Putin. Along with Senator Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican - Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said as he unveiled the resolution, “Putin is a thug and a bully, and he will continue being an increasing threat to Europe and the world unless he is stopped,” CNBC reported.  

During a press conference, Blumenthal asserted, “If there is anybody who embodies terrorism, and totalitarianism and tyranny, it is Putin”.  

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Russia consolidates its position on Zmiinyi Island with strategic air defence and coastal defence cruise missiles, they could dominate the north-western Black Sea, the UK Ministry of Defence said in its latest intelligence report. 

Amid the ongoing Russia Ukraine war, Belarus's Chief of the General Staff, Viktor Gulevich said that the Armed Forces of the nation would send special operations troops to the Ukrainian border since "the United States and its allies" continue to enhance their military presence at state frontiers. As per a statement released on Tuesday, "In order to ensure the security of the Republic of Belarus in the southern direction, the forces of the units of the special operations forces are deployed in three tactical directions," CNN reported. It is pertinent to note that Belarus has pledged support to Russia since the start of the war.

As the Russia Ukraine war entered its 76th day with no signs of cessation in sight, Republic on Tuesday reported from the Northern part of Donetsk. Despite Donetsk being occupied by Russia, the Ukrainian military informed that its soldiers are still holding the frontline. Furthermore, the military has informed that the city was currently under continuous bombardment from the attacking Russian troops.

Republic on Tuesday reported just 6km away from the Russian occupied city of Donetsk which was facing continuous bombardment from Russian forces. Speaking exclusively to the Republic, the Chief of the military administration in Avdiivka, Vitaliy Barabash said that the Ukrainian soldiers were still holding on to the frontline. Furthermore, he stated that it was significant for the country to close its airspace to avoid further aerial bombardment.

“The situation is hard. We are 6km away from Donetsk. The soldiers are still holding the frontline. But we need to close the sky to avoid bombardment,” the Chief of the military administration in Avdiivka, Vitaliy Barabash told Republic while speaking about the war situation in the area.

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In an online survey, Kyiv residents have favoured renaming the 'Minsk' metro station into 'Warsaw' station. The final decison on the same will be taken by the City Council. 

Problems in Syria have become even worse than before due to the war in Ukraine, the UN's high commissioner for refugees has told the BBC. Filippo Grandi, while speaking to the World Service's Newshour programme, said the humanitarian situation inside Syria had become "quite catastrophic". He added that food insecurity caused by the Ukraine conflict has had a "terrible impact" not only on Syria but also on its neighbours. It is to mention that Ukraine is one of the world's top exporters of wheat.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv's military has made small gains in the east, pushing Russian forces out of four villages near Kharkiv, APTN News reported. 

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis on Tuesday stated that the current Russian regime is a threat to its neighbouring nations. 

"From our point of view, as long as the current regime is in power, neighboring countries will be in some degree in danger. "Not only Putin, but the whole regime, because, you know, you can change Putin and his immediate entourage, but another" Putin "can take his place," the minister said, as quoted by Ukrinform. 

The Kalush Orchestra from Ukraine qualified for the finals of the Eurovision Song Contest after they staged a vibrant performance at the semi-finals in Turin, Italy. The group is expected to win the contest after its members were praised energetic performance - which featured classic eccentric Eurovision outfits. Russia was excluded from participating in the contest over its war in Ukraine.

US believes that Russia has used about 10 to 12 of its hypersonic weapons since the start of the war in Ukraine, according to a senior defence official. As per CNN while speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the official said the US does not have "a perfect count" of the deployment of the weapon.

According to Russia, Kinzhal missile, which can strike a target up to 2,000km (1,240 miles) away and can fly faster than 6,000 km/h, was first fired at a target in Ukraine in March. It is to mention that recently, Ukraine claimed that the weapon was fired at targets in Odesa over the weekend. However, the US official added that he doesn't "have anything to indicate" that they were used against targets in the city.

Russia pummeled the vital port of Odesa, Ukrainian officials said Tuesday, in an apparent effort to disrupt supply lines and Western weapons shipments as Ukraine’s foreign minister appeared to suggest the country could expand its war aims.

With the war now in its 11th week and Kyiv bogging down Russian forces and even staging a counteroffensive, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba seemed to indicate that the country could go beyond merely pushing Russia back to areas it or its allies held on the day of the Feb. 24 invasion.

The idea reflected Ukraine’s ability to stymie a larger, better-armed Russian military, which has surprised many who had anticipated a much quicker end to the conflict.

APTN

 US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Russian President Vladimir Putin "a coward" for his brutalities in Ukraine. Pelosi addressing the US House of Representatives on Wednesday during the vote on the $40 million aid package to Ukraine. 

The US House Representatives on Tuesday night approved nearly $40 billion in the additional military, economic and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. The proposal was voted 368-57 and has now been passed to the Senate. The latest package includes $3.4 billion in new funding for food aid and an equal $3.4 billion increase in spending authority for military aid for Ukraine. 

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Wednesday stated that Russia "hasn't shown a willingness to sit at the negotiating table" amid the ongoing three-month-long running war. Her comment came after Italian PM Mario Draghi during a visit to America for meeting with US President Joe Biden flagged the need for an immediate cease fire in Ukraine

UN human rights monitoring mission in Ukraine on Tuesday stated that the death toll in Ukraine is "thousands higher" than the official numbers recorded since February 24. While the official record says 3,381 have been killed in the war, the number is significantly lower than what local authorities have claimed just in Mariupol. "The big black hole is really Mariupol, where it has been difficult for us to fully access and to get fully corroborated information,” said the head of UN mission in Ukraine, Matilda Bogner, in a report. "We have been working on estimates, but all I can say for now is that it is thousands higher than the numbers we have currently given to you,” she added. 

At least 44 civilian bodies were found under the rubble of a five-storey building in Izyum, which was destroyed by the Russian occupiers in early March, Oleg Synegubov, governor of the eastern Kharkiv region, said in a Telegram message. 

Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, US intelligence official has warned that Russian Presidnet Vladimir Putin could consider the prospect of defeat in Ukraine as an "existential threat" to his regime, potentially triggering him to use a nuclear weapon. According to Politico, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines stated that Russia’s refocus on Donbas is likely “only a temporary shift".

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg tested positive for Covid-19, a spokesperson for the alliance Oana Lungescu said on Wednesday. The Brussels-based NATO chief is showing mild symptoms and will work from home in the coming days, in line with Belgian medical guidelines, the spokesperson tweeted. The news comes ahead of the NATO Foreign Minister's informal meeting that is scheduled for this weekend in Berlin. 

Russian authorities on Tuesday reportedly deported 8,787 Ukrainians, including 1,106 children, mostly from Donetsk and Luhansk regions, over the last 24 hours, Kyiv Independent reported. 

UN Security Council is set to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine on May 12 at the request of France and Mexico. The UN Humanitarian Office together with UNICEF officials are expected to brief the council then though no vote is scheduled.

A senior Pentagon official on Tuesday stated that Russia is at least two weeks behind the expected schedule of assault in Donbass and southern Ukraine. 

Amid the escalating war between Russia and Ukraine, the Finnish Parliament's Defence Committee has said that joining NATO would be the best option for the country's national security, YLE reported. The recommendation from Parliament's Defence Committee came on Tuesday, 10 May, ahead of Finland’s final decision on whether to join the military alliance or not. Finland MP Petteri Orpo, the committee's chairperson, highlighted that Finland has good defence capabilities. However, Orpo insisted that they were not adequate after a change in the security situation after Russia's military offensive in Ukraine. 

As per the news report, a total of 10 parliamentary committees are expected to share their views about Finland's possible inclusion in NATO with the Foreign Affairs Committee. The Foreign Affairs Committee will then make a report. The Finland Parliament's Defence Committee in the statement hailed the performance of the Finnish Defence Forces (FDF). However, it stressed that Finland remains a small country which will be unable to provide an appropriate response to possible threats.

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As the relentless Russian aggression against Ukrainian civilians transcends 70 days of the war, Lithuania on Tuesday asserted that top Kremlin leaders and Putin's inner circle must be removed if an immediate cessation of the ongoing hostilities needed to be attained. While speaking to CNN, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis lashed out at Russian President Vladimir Putin for escalating a "special military operation" against Ukraine and speculated that the Kremlin leader will become increasingly erratic as his battlefield casualties mount in Ukraine. 

Landsbergis further stressed that the US and Europe have to work strategically to penalise Russia for its "unlawful" actions against its neighbouring nation. 

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Scientists have suggested that a recent increase in the deaths of dolphins in the Black Sea might have been caused due to ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. Researchers think that the rise in noise pollution in the northern Black Sea caused by around 20 Russian navy vessels and ongoing military activities could have resulted in cetaceans moving south to Turkish and Bulgarian shores, The Guardian reported. The dolphins near Turkish and Bulgarian shores could have been stranded or entangled in fishing nets in large numbers. 

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine started on February 24, Turkey has reported an increase in common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) stranded across its Black Sea coast. Over 80 dolphins have been reportedly found dead across Turkey's western Black Sea. The Turkish Marine Research Foundation (Tudav) has labelled the deaths of more than 80 dolphins “an extraordinary increase”. Turkish Marine Research Foundation (Tudav) in the initial investigation found that around half of the dolphins were killed after being caught in fishing nets, as per the Guardian report. The researchers, however, have not been able to reveal the cause of death of other dolphins as no signs of entanglement or gunshot wounds have been found on the carcasses.

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Ukraine on Tuesday stated that it will halt the Russian gas flow through a transit point Sokhranivka route to Europe. The point is reportedly responsible for at least one-third of supplies from Russia. Ukrainian gas system operator GTSOU said it will stop shipments from Wednesday, The Guardian reported. 

Russian FM Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday visited Algeria, its long-term gas-producing ally. The talks come amid the decisive gas issue in the wake of crippling sanctions on Russia in retaliation to its ongoing onslaught in Ukraine that has resulted in Europe looking for alternative sources to meet its energy needs. 

The Azov Regiment on Tuesday published a series of photos of soldiers holed up in the Azovstal steel plant, showing how the wounded defenders are making it through the dire conditions. "The whole civilised world must see the conditions in which the wounded, crippled defenders of Mariupol are and act! In completely unsanitary conditions, with open wounds bandaged with non-sterile remnants of bandages, without the necessary medication and even food. We call on the UN and the Red Cross to show their humanity and reaffirm the basic principles on which you were created by rescuing wounded people who are no longer combatants," the regiments wrote in a Twitter post along with the pictures. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a video address said that Ukrainian forces are gradually sending back Russian troops from Kharkiv. He expressed gratitude to Ukrainian forces as they showcased strength to send back Russian forces. Lauding the efforts of Ukrainian troops, Zelenskyy said that their forces were doing everything to liberate cities - Kherson, Melitopol, Berdyansk, Mariupol and other regions. Zelenskyy urged people to not spread excessive emotions and create an atmosphere of moral pressure. He also spoke about a special group of international experts headed by Michael McFaul and Andriy Yermak who have outlined a roadmap for imposing energy sanctions. In his speech, Zelenskyy paid tribute to the first President of Ukraine, Leonid Makarovych Kravchuk who has passed away on 10 May. 

"I also want to urge all our people, and especially those in the rear, not to spread excessive emotions. We shouldn’t create an atmosphere of specific moral pressure, when certain victories are expected weekly and even daily," Zelenskyy said in his video address. 

Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office has accused Russian armed forces of stealing ancient gold artefacts from occupied Melitopol. According to Ukraine's Prosecutor General's official, the items that might have been stolen include Scythian gold dated back to the fourth century B.C. and other exhibits from a local museum in occupied Melitopol in April, The Kyiv Independent reported.

Kharkiv Governor Oleh Synehubov has said that one person killed and 10 people have been injured in Kharkiv Oblast, The Kyiv Independent reported. He accused Russian forces of shelling residential areas in Ukraine's eastern Kharkiv region on May 10 and added that the attacks have been intensified in the Kharkiv district. 
 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the Parliament of Ukraine. He called on Maltese lawmakers to end gold passports for Russian citizens with privileges to dual citizenship. He further urged leaders of Malta to block real estate, yachts and accounts owned by Russians, according to the statement released by Ukrainian President's office. In his speech, Zelenskyy stated that 2154 Russian missiles had hit cities of Ukraine in more than two months.  Zelenskyy said that Ukraine needs aircraft, helicopters, special artillery and other weapons to defend their nation. Highlighting the situation in Mariupol, Zelenskyy stated that the forces of Ukraine continue to remian there and they continue to resist Russian troops. He added that more than 90% of the buildings have been destroyed in Mariupol. 

The United Nations General Assembly voted to elect the Czech Republic to the United Nations Human Rights Council. The Czech Republic has replaced Russia on the UN's human rights body following its suspension over allegations of human rights violations in Ukraine. According to AP, a total of 157 countries have voted in favour of the Czech Republic while 23 nations have abstained from voting. 

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba met his Dutch counterpart Wopke Hoekstra in Kyiv. During his visit to Ukraine, Hoekstra visited Irpin. Taking to his official Twitter handle, Kuleba stated that Wopke Hoekstra's visit to Ukraine has left a "deep impression on him." The two leaders agreed to work together on strengthening Ukraine and ensuring that the people behind the war crimes are brought to justice. Dmytro Kuleba added, "The Netherlands remains unwavering in its support of Ukraine."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called the European Union's proposal of seizing Russian assets and using them for Ukraine a "theft." Speaking at a press conference during his visit to Algeria, Lavrov said that they can call it a "theft" which "they are not even trying to hide," Sputnik reported. The statement of Lavrov comes after EU's Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell had suggested that EU members should seize the reserves of Russia and utilize the finances for the redevelopment of Ukraine. 

Ukraine claims to have liberated four settlements in Kharkiv region, The Kyiv Independent reported. According to Ukraine's General Staff, the areas liberated by Ukraine include villages of Cherkaski Tyshky, Ruski Tyshky and Bairakand Rubizhne city. 

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba held a meeting with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock in Kyiv. Before the meeting with Kuleba, Annalena Baerbock visited Ukraine's Bucha city. Taking to his official Twitter handle, Dmytro Kuleba stated that Russia continues to attack Ukraine and is committing war crimes. He stressed that they value the support provided by Germany in helping Ukraine to stop "Russia and its barbarism."

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The Netherlands Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wopke Hoekstra, met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy along with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock. During the meeting, Wopke Hoekstra stressed that the Netherlands will continue to support Ukraine with military equipment and assured Zelenskyy of providing them support at the time of reconstruction. Hoekstra stated that the Netherlands will continue to impose sanctions against Russia. 

As Ukraine is seeking EU membership in the midst of a war with the Russian Federation, the Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Dmytro Kubela stated the country hopes to be designated as a candidate for EU membership this June. As per the reports of the Financial Times, he further stated that if Ukraine is denied candidate status, it can only imply one thing that Europe is attempting to deceive and trick Ukraine and they will not swallow it. He claimed that Ukraine is the only country in Europe where citizens are dying as a result of the EU's beliefs and it should be recognized.

Russian troops pounded the vital port of Odesa on Tuesday, the Associated Press reported citing Ukrainian officials. This comes amid Russian attempts to disrupt the supply lines and Western weapons shipments that are critical to Kyiv's defence. 

Belarus has begun the second stage of inspection of its army's reaction forces, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin said Tuesday in a video commentary on the official Telegram channel, state media Belta reported. 

"This is all planned as part of an adequate response to the 'Defender-Europe' exercises that have been taking place on the territory of NATO countries since May 1," Khrenin said in video address. 

Belarusian Defense Minister reiterated that Minsk has been closely monitoring the activities of NATO, including keeping a close watch on the recent military exercises. Belarusian MoD watches "every movement that battalion groups are involved in" and "the tasks that they plan to carry out," he asserted. 

"Understanding the threats that may come from them, we respond adequately; we put forward appropriate troops in these areas," the minister added.

Credit: Associated Press

Chinese presdient Xi Jinping on Tuesday warned that war in Ukraine will cause a lasting threat to global peace during a telephonic conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron. China has pressed the warring sides to pursue the path of negotiation, while accusing the West and the United States of "cold war mentality."

Beijing's leader Jinping called for the European nations to take security ‘in their own hands’ and make attempts for a "speedy ceasefire." Xi and Macron agreed that “all parties concerned should support Russia and Ukraine to restore peace through negotiations,' according to call readout released by the Chinese government. 

The two leaders "reiterated their commitment to respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, and agreed on the urgency of reaching a ceasefire," the French readout informed. 

Ukraine's military has accused the Russian troops of "exporting stolen grain" and other agricultural products to the 2014 annexed Crimea as well as in countries abroad.  "A significant part of the grain stolen from Ukraine is on dry cargo ships under the Russian flag in the Mediterranean," Ukraine's MoD said on Telegram channel. 

"The most likely destination is Syria. From there, grain can be smuggled to other countries in the Middle East. Vegetables such as beets, potatoes and cabbage have also been sent to Crimea in large volumes," Ukraine's ministry of defense said.

Nearly eight to ten Russian generals have been killed in Ukraine since Moscow launched an all out invasion on Feb. 24. This includes Russian Major General Magomed Tushayev who was allegedly killed during an ambush by Ukrainian security service, and Lieutenant General Andrey Mordvichev who was said to have been killed in a Ukrainian artillery strike on the Chornobayivka airfield in Kherson, US offcial told ABC. Ukraie military forces have claimed that as many as 12 generals have been killed in the war so far, although that figure is widely contested on the Russian side. 

Germany’s foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock on Tuesday said that while Berlin supports Ukraine's application seeking to join the European Union, there could be "no shortcut to membership." Speaking alongside her Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, Baerbock also informed that Germany will cut off the reliance on the Russian energy as well as oil imports adding that "it will stay that way forever”.

Hungary will not block Ukraine's accession to EU, Ambassador of Hungary to Ukraine Istvan Iidarto assured on Tuesday in an interview with Hungarian Espresso television. "In the end, I want to assure you that when they start considering Ukraine's membership in the European Union, Hungary will support it," Iidarto said. 

Spokesman for Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, Igor Zhovkva had also confirmed that Kyiv did not receive any bad signals from Budapest about Prime Minister Viktor Orban's intention to block Ukraine's move to the EU. Orban is a staunch ally of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. 

Lithuanian Parliament on Tuesday passed a resolution to declare Russia 'perpetrator of terrorism' for unleashing unspeakable war crimes on the civilians. Lithuania’s Parliament [Seimas] is slated to declare Russian troops' assaults on Ukrainians as "genocide." As per the resolution, Lithuania is set to recognize Moscow's  "full-scale armed aggression against Ukraine as genocide against the Ukrainian people."

The baltic nation accused Russia's military forces of "deliberately and systematically targeting civilian targets," as they argued that Russia "is a state that supports and perpetrates terrorism." Lithuanian authorities demanded international tribunal to investigate the war crimes committed by invading troops inside Ukraine and bring the perpetrators to justice. 

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US director of national intelligence during her testimony to the Senate armed services committee on worldwide threats has shockingly said that the Russian forces will be able to achieve most of their "near term goals" in the coming months.

But they [Russians] will not be able to extend full control on the land bridge that stretches to Transnistria and includes Odesa "without launching some form of mobilisation," she analysed. Speaking about the progress within this week and the week after that, Haines said, it is unlikely that Russian forces will gain control over both oblasts of Donetsk and Luhansk. 

US director of national intelligence on Tuesday warned that Russia's President Vladimir Putin  'will turn to more drastic means' to achieve his goals in Ukraine. "Putin most likely judges that Russia has a greater ability and willingness to endure challenges than his adversaries and he is probably counting on US and EU resolve to weaken as food shortages, inflation and energy prices get worse," said Avril Haines at the Senate armed services committee hearing.

She added that Putin faces a mismatch between his ambitions and Russia’s current conventional military capabilities, and so he will turn to more drastic means, including imposing martial law, reorienting industrial production, or potentially escalatory military actions to free up the resources needed to achieve his objectives as the conflict drags on. 

Avril Haines, the US director of national intelligence has said that Russia's President Vladimir Putin is preparing for "prolonged conflict in Ukraine" as he is attempting to achieve goals beyond the Donbass region.

"We assess that Putin’s strategic goals have probably not changed, suggesting he regards the decision in late March to refocus Russian forces on the Donbass is only a temporary shift to regain the initiative," Haines said while testifying at the Senate armed services committee. 

World Health Organization's European region has passed a resolution on Tuesday for the closure of its regional office in Moscow, as well as suspend all the meetings in the country in response to its invasion of Ukraine. The motion received 43 votes in favour and 3 against [Russia, Belarus, Tajikistan] and 2 abstentions.

Russia's envoy Andrey Plutnitsky stressed that he was "extremely disappointed" with WHO's move.

"We believe this is a huge moment of harm for the system of global healthcare," he told the meeting of members and top WHO officials.

European Union and the United Kingdom on Tuesday accused Russia of hacking the satellite KA-SAT network, operated by Viasat. "European Union and its Member States, together with its international partners, strongly condemn the malicious cyber activity conducted by the Russian Federation against Ukraine," they jointly said in a statement. 

The cyber attack knocked out the internet service for tens of thousands of satellite modems in Ukraine as well as in Europe. It took place just one hour before Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, informed the UK, and the EU. 

"This cyberattack had a significant impact causing indiscriminate communication outages and disruptions across several public authorities, businesses and users in Ukraine, as well as affecting several EU Member States," the UK and the EU iterated. 

"This unacceptable cyberattack is yet another example of Russia’s continued pattern of irresponsible behaviour in cyberspace, which also formed an integral part of its illegal and unjustified invasion of Ukraine. Such behaviour is contrary to the expectations set by all UN Member States, including the Russian Federation, of responsible State behaviour and the intentions of States in cyberspace," they went on to add. 

Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation on Tuesday refuted WHO’s claims that its troops have bombarded over 200 healthcare facilities in Ukraine. In a letter addressed to the  World Health Organization Russia "strongly denied" its responsibility for the deaths and executions of Ukrainians.

Russia asserted in the document that it does not acknowledge any involvement in the destruction of Ukrainian hospitals and other health care facilities, as claimed by WHO.  The Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Lyashko had called on the World Health Organization to suspend Russia's membership in the executive committee and move the office for noncommunicable diseases from Moscow to Kyiv.

"The occupying country officially claims that Ukraine is shelling itself, killing its inhabitants and destroying its hospitals," Ukraine’s health agency said. 

In a letter to WHO refuting that its troops bombarded the Ukrainian hospitals, Russia also accused Ukraine of "military aggression against the population of Donbass in the period 2014-2022." It also lambasted Ukraine of plotting the "unconstitutional coup" that allegedly "took place in 2014" overthrowing the pro-Russian government. 

"Russian occupiers are systematically destroying and shelling Ukrainian hospitals , killing both victims and medics,” Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation said in the letter. 

Ukraine has submitted the answers to the second special questionnaire for its EU membership. In a telegram post, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that his government has taken another "very important step" to expedite the membership to the European Union. 

"Ukraine submitted the second part of the answers to a special questionnaire to be completed by each country aspiring to be part of the EU. It usually takes months and months. But we did everything in a few weeks," said Zelesnkyy. 

 Russian forces have shelled the main pipeline in the region of Sievierodonetsk, and the population has been left without gas.   According to Governor Serhiy Haidai, the whole city of Sievierodonetsk is cut off from gas supply due to the Russian shelling.

"Severodonetsk is left without gas - as the Russians cut the main gas pipeline this afternoon," Governor Serhiy Haidai informed in a Telegram post. 

Russian army once again hit artillery and volley fire systems in Severodonetsk, informed Haidai. "The only thing left in the city for communications workers is gas supply. Not in all houses, but in the old areas in many homes there was blue fuel. People could at least cook and heat water. Currently, the main gas pipeline is broken and depressurized. To prevent a more serious accident, the GDS is closed. There is no gas in the city," he said. 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will travel to Sweden and Finland on Wednesday this week, British press has reported, although an official confirmation of his visit is awaited from 10 Downing Street. Johnson's visit comes as the two nordic countries enter a crucial week in deciding on NATO membership. 

The number of people internally displaced by the war in Ukraine has surpassed the 8 million mark, according to the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) latest report. This represents a 24 per cent increase when compared to the first internal displacement figures published on 16 March, the UN agency stressed, citing its survey conducted between 17 April and 3 May. 

At least two-thirds of those surveyed by the UN agency identified 'cash assistance' as one of their needs, compared to 49 per cent at the beginning of the war. Over 70 per cent expressed that they would utilize cash assistance to cover food and/or medical expenses, IOM stated. Shelter was another key need identified. Nine per cent of all people surveyed in the latest report, including those not internally displaced, indicated that their homes were damaged or destroyed.

''The needs of those internally displaced and all affected by the war in Ukraine are growing by the hour," says IOM Director General António Vitorino.

"Access to populations in need of aid remains a challenge amid active hostilities, but our teams are committed to continue delivering urgent assistance inside Ukraine and in neighbouring countries."

Credit: International Organization for Migration’s (IOM)/UN 

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said the EU’s planned sixth package of sanctions against Russia, including an oil embargo, is certainly what the Ukrainians need. Addressing Slovakia’s parliament, Zelenskiy said: "Now the sixth package of sanctions will be adopted, and it is certainly a package that we need, and also energy sanctions are needed." EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell meanwhile stated that a consensus on the Russian oil embargo will soon be reached by bloc's member states. 

The governor of the eastern Luhansk region on Tuesday categorically rejected Russia’s claims that its forces have breached Ukrainian defenses near the city of Popasna, and moved the region’s administrative borders.  In a Telegram post, Serhiy Haidai described the claim as “fantasies.” He insists that “the defense is strong. There are no breakthroughs.” Moscow considers the eastern Ukrainian region a sovereign state.

Athens' Presidential Palace and the famous Omonia Square lighted up in the colours of the Ukrainian flag to show solidarity with the Ukraine nationals and its armed forces on the occassion of Europe Day. 

Credit: Twitter/@UKRinGRC

Credit: Twitter/@UKRinGRC

Greece's foreign ministry announced on Tuesday that it is resuming the operations in its embassy at Kyiv with only the essential staff. The Consulate General of Greece in Odesa will work "as usual" to provide key assistance to Greek nationals and expatriates in Ukraine. Greece is the latest to reopen its embassy in Kyiv joining other countries--UK, Italy, France, Spain, South Korea, and Sweden. 

As Russian soldiers heavily shelled the Azovstal steel plant overnight, the final holdout of the Ukrainian forces, many were "badly injured" as the fighting raged on, deputy commander of the Azov Regiment, Captain Svyatoslav Palamar, said in a recorded video. "There are wounded [soldiers], many are badly wounded," he said, appealing for immediate evacuation of the wounded soldiers from the facility. 

Russia will not participate in the special meeting of the UN Human Rights Council that will address its troops' war crimes and the human rights abuses in Ukraine, Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova informed on Tuesday. The meeting was supported by more than 50 countries, including Britain and the US. The meeting will discuss the "deteriorating human rights situation in Ukraine stemming from the Russian aggression".

Russia's foreign ministry has said it will not beattending the UN meeting on war crimes and "will not legitimise with its presence this new political show organised under the guise of an extraordinary session".

Armed Forces of Ukraine had so badly destroyed pontoons and military equipment of Russian troops that they had to flee 'swimming,' Serhiy Haidai, head of the Luhansk Regional State Administration said in a Telegram update on Tuesday. "In Belogorovka, where the enemy tried to create a strong crossing and transfer equipment and personnel to our side, it was partially successful, but now all pontoon crossings are destroyed, all equipment is destroyed and the remnants of personnel that remained there are partially destroyed, partially they fled and were already swimming to the other side,” informed Haidai. 

UK Defense Ministry on Tuesday said that Moscow has "demonstrable operational failings" that has prevented Russian President Vladimir Putin declaring the victory on Ukraine during the Victory Day celebration of the WWII. UK MoD was referring to Putin's speech on the May 9 national holiday in Russia commemorating the Soviet Union forces' defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, wherein Russian leader did not mention success of his forces in Ukraine. 

"You are fighting for the motherland, for its future, so that no one forgets the lessons of the Second World War," Putin said Monday during a military parade in Moscow's Red Square.

Russia is paying the price for underestimating Ukrainian resistance, UK's Ministry of Defense said Tuesday in an intelligence update.

"Russia's invasion plan is highly likely to have been based on the mistaken assumption that it would encounter limited resistance and would be able to encircle and bypass population centres rapidly," the ministry said. "This assumption led Russian forces to attempt to carry out the opening phase of the operation with a light, precise approach intended to achieve a rapid victory with minimal cost."

"This miscalculation led to unsustainable losses and a subsequent reduction in Russia's operational focus," the ministry added.

Germany's foreign minister Annalena Baerbock oduring her visit to Ukrainian city of Bucha asserted that she wants to hold war criminals “accountable.” “We owe it to these victims” said Germany's foreign minister. Baerbock's visit came as Kyiv and Berlin have recently sought to mend ties over Berlin's reluctance to supply heavy weapons to Ukraine and its recent pro-Russian stance on the Ukrainian invasion. 

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday asserted, "We will not waver -- and we will not let up -- until Putin fails." he pledged support to Ukraine, saying that Britian is a  "steadfast friend of Ukraine as it continues its heroic struggle against Russia’s invasion." 

Johnson continued, "This country has risen to challenges with no precedent in recent history. We have led the way in responding to Putin’s brutal attack on Ukraine, rallying the world against his aggression and imposing punishing sanctions on Russia."

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has arrived in Ukraine on Tuesday in the first ever trip made by the German Cabinet member since the Russian invasion on February 24. She visited the city of Bucha near Kyiv where Russian troops allegedly committed horrendous war crimes. Baerbock was accompanied by the Ukrainian prosecutor general, Iryna Venediktova. 

"We owe this to the victims," she told reporters in Ukraine. "And those victims, as we can feel here so strongly, those victims could have been us," she added .

Credit: Twitter/@ABaerbock

US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield has said that the Ukrainian aid bill 'critical' for Ukrainians to protect their sovereignity and deter Russia's aggression. "This is about Ukrainians on the ground, being able to defend their democracy, defend their sovereignty and defend their people," Thomas-Greenfield reportedly said in Brussels on Tuesday."So it's critical that we continue to provide that support," she furthermore added. 

Tokyo has said that it is planning completely phase out Russian oil but in a manner that “minimises adverse effects” after agreeing on such an embargo with other Group of Seven nations."  “We would like to consider a method of phasing out over time in a way that minimises adverse effects on people’s lives and business activities,” Japanese industry minister Koichi Hagiuda told a news conference.

“We will think about specific methods and timing for reducing or suspending oil imports, taking into account the actual situation,” he said.

As Putin laid a wreath in Moscow during the Victory Day of WWII commemorating the Soviet troops' defeat of Nazi forces, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared in his own Victory Day saying that Ukraine will "eventually defeat the Russians."

“Very soon there will be two Victory Days in Ukraine,” Zeelsnkyy was heard saying in a recorded video. He added: “We are fighting for freedom, for our children, and therefore we will win.”

Credit: AP

An advisor to the Mariupol mayor Petro Andryushchenko has said in a social media post that the Russian forces continue to pound the Azovstal steel plant with heavy weaponry and “attempts to storm the steelworks [where Ukraine's Azov battalion is holed up] from the land remain unsuccessful.”

"In addition to the military, at least 100 civilians remain” at the sprawling plant that has miles of underground tunnels and bunkers, informed Andryushchenko. 

Center for Defense Strategies, a Ukrainian think tank tracking the war, said that Moscow has used some precision weapons against Odesa such as Kinzhal, or “Dagger,” hypersonic air-to-surface missiles. Ukrainian military informed in a post that Russian forces fired at least seven missiles at the crucial Black Sea port of Odesa. The missiles targetted a shopping center and a warehouse, killing one person and injuring five others. 

“This is another horrible war crime of the Russian occupiers against the civilian population!” said Oleh Synehubov, the head of the regional administration, in a social media message announcing the deaths.

As many as 15 civilians have been wounded in the past 24 hours by the Russian strikes in Ukraine’s southern region of Mykolaiv, Hanna Zamazeeva, chair of the Mykolaiv Regional Council, said in a Telegram post. “Fortunately, there are no children among the victims,” she informed. 

United States has suspended 232 [approximately 25%] tariffs on Ukrainian steel for one year, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced. The move is US' latest effort to bolster Ukraine's economy in the fact of Russian President Vladimir Putin's aggression in Ukraine. Last month in April, White House press secretary Jen Psaki had announced that there was an "ongoing consideration and process of reviewing a range of steps" the administration can take to provide relief to Ukrainians, including a review of tariffs."

Suspending the tariffs on Ukrainian steel temporarily, US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said, "Steelworkers are among the world's most resilient — whether they live in Youngstown or Mariupol."

He added, "We can't just admire the fortitude and spirit of the Ukrainian people — we need to have their backs and support one of the most important industries to Ukraine's economic well-being. For steel mills to continue as an economic lifeline for the people of Ukraine, they must be able to export their steel. Today's announcement is a signal to the Ukrainian people that we are committed to helping them thrive in the face of Putin's aggression, and that their work will create a stronger Ukraine, both today and in the future." 

As European Council President Charles Michel visited Odesa, and met with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal Russian troops pounded missiles, and air raid sirens resonated and talks continued in a bomb shelter, PM Shmyhal said on his official Twitter account.

Michel informed that there's silos full of grain, wheat and corn unable to be exported from Ukraine due to the ongoing Russian attacks. “This badly needed food is stranded because of the Russian war and blockade of Black Sea ports, causing dramatic consequences for vulnerable countries. We need a global response,” he said.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked the international community to take immediate steps and end the Russian blockade of the port of Odesa. Zelesnkyy warned that the blockade will spark the global food crisis as the shipment of the grains and other agricultural goods has halted in the major Black Sea port. 

“For the first time in decades, there is no usual movement of the merchant fleet, no usual port functioning in Odesa. Probably this has never happened in Odesa since World War II,” Zelenskyy said.

“Without our agricultural exports, dozens of countries in different parts of the world are already on the brink of food shortages. And over time, the situation can become downright terrible … This is a direct consequence of Russian aggression, which can be overcome only together – by all Europeans, by the whole free world. It can be overcome by putting pressure on Russia, by effectively forcing Russia to stop this disgraceful war.”

European Union's executive branch European Commission has said that it aims to deliver a first opinion about Ukraine's membership to EU in June. Once candidate status is granted, said European Commission, the official process of joining the bloc could take several years, according to the European Commission. 

French leader Emmanuel Macron has issued dire warning to Ukraine in relation to Zelenskyy's hopes to join the EU. During a speech marking Europe Day in Strasbourg, France, President Macron said that the process to join the European Union would take "decades."

He said: "We all know perfectly that the process of allowing (Ukraine) to join would take several years, in fact probably several decades."

US President Joe Biden says he fears Vladimir Putin has no concrete "exit strategy" to the war in Ukraine. Speaking in Washington DC on Monday, Biden said that Russia's president is "a very calculating man" but without an exit strategy. He added, "I'm trying to figure out what we do about that".

 World Health Organization (WHO) has said that there have been at least 200 attacks on healthcare facilities in Ukraine since the invasion began. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus asked Russia "to stop this war," adding that he was deeply moved" from the scenes of destruction during his 2-day Ukraine visit. 

"So we continue to call on the Russian Federation to stop this war," said Tedros. "My message to all the people of Ukraine is that WHO stands with you," he added. "My time here has affected me very personally," he said.

"As someone, myself, who grew up in a war zone I understand only too well how the people of Ukraine feel. I know the impact, I know the devastation of war firsthand and I felt very, very sad when Russia invaded Ukraine."

Head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration Oleh Synegubov has said that bodies of 44 dead civilians were found in the temporarily occupied Izyum in the Kharkiv region. "In the temporarily occupied Izyum from under the rubble of a five-story building, which was destroyed by the occupiers in the first decade of March, found the bodies of 44 civilians,” said Oleh Synegubov on Telegram. 

German Arms supplier Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger has reportedly said that the company is ready to supply the Marders to Ukraine but it is awaiting the federal government.  Apart from Ukraine, there are also other countries that want this type of vehicle, he said. 

Speaking to Swedish Radio, Sweden's Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist said that the defence situation of the Nordic region will bolster if both Finland and Stockholm decided to join the international military alliance NATO. His remarks come as both the Nordic nations are looking forward to forwarding their applications for NATO membership anytime soon. Meanwhile, Russia has warned against the decision, saying it will redeploy nuclear missiles closer to the borders provided Finland and Sweden joined NATO. 

As the Russian war in Ukraine escalated, a wave of asylum seekers traveled to neighbouring European countries to seek refuge. According to Oxana Lytvynenko, a Ukrainian reproductive rights activist, over 2 million refugees came to Poland during the three-month-long running war, most of which were women. Speaking to the Guardian, Lytvynenko said that the refugees hardly knew that their reproductive healthcare services will cease to exist in the wake of harsh abortion laws in Poland. “It’s difficult because you don’t want to re-traumatise these women just after they are so happy to be safe again. It doesn’t feel like the right moment to tell them the truth," she said. 

In the wake of sanctions imposed on Russia, gas supplies to the US have suffered a major blow leading to record-high prices on May 10. A retail gallon of fuel averaged at $4.374 early on Tuesday, according to the American Automobile Association. It surpassed the former record of $4.331. Amid a barrage of sanctions on Russia, global fuel stocks have rapidly dwindled while the demand has increased to pre-pandemic levels as countries are rebounding back to normal. 

Ukraine Armed Forces in their daily war briefing claimed that Russian forces have lost over 1,100 tanks in the ongoing war.

Despite US first lady Jill Biden's recent trip to Ukraine, White House press secretary Jen Psaki indicated on May 9 that President Joe Biden had no plans to visit the war-torn country. The Press secretary told reporters that the US President would "love" to go to Ukraine but has no present plans to do so when asked if the first lady's trip will "change the calculations" for Biden.

It is worth mentioning here that on Mother's Day, Jill Biden paid a surprise visit to Ukraine, where she met with Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska. Notably, Zelenska was making her first public appearance since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February. The First Ladies of the US and Ukraine had spent nearly two hours together at a school in western Ukraine's Uzhhorod.

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Japan on Monday expanded its sanctions against Russia in response to Moscow's 'unprovoked' invasion of Ukraine. The punitive sanctions included the Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Russian oligarchs. 

Ukraine Armed Forces in its latest operational update said that Russian forces reinforcing their presence along the border near Kharkiv. Meanwhile, the head of the Kharkiv regional administration informed that as many as 44 civilians were found dead in the rubble of a house destroyed in Russian shelling in Izium. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Monday, called upon the international community to take immediate steps to end the Russian blockade of Ukrainian ports. As Putin’s forces continued to strike Odesa, Zelenskyy emphasised that many countries were already on the brink of food shortage due to a lack of Ukrainian agricultural exports. He warned that the situation could become “frightening” over time if Moscow continued to annihilate Ukrainian ports. 

Zelenskyy’s remarks in the aftermath of his talks with European Council President Charles Michel, who visited Odesa on Monday. Notably, the EU leader was forced to take cover as Russian Missiles struck the port city during his visit. Speaking about the same, Zelenskyy said it was the first time since World War II that Odesa was without routine port work. The Southern city of Odesa hosts the largest port in the country and its fall, along with Mariupol, could completely cut off Ukraine from maritime trade. 

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Amid the ravaging war, European Council President Charles Michel made a surprise visit to Ukraine's Odesa on Monday, May 9. Though his visit marked significant as Russia marked Victory Day on the same day of his tour, he had to leave the meeting after a Russian missile hit the city. Citing PM Denys Shmyhal  Telegram post, Ukrinform reported that the leader took cover when Russian forces attacked the southern Ukrainian city with lethal weapons. Notably, the incident occurred when he was holding a closed-door meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. "Russian missiles strike Odesa almost every day, as they did today - right during my joint visit with Charles Michel," Shmyhal wrote on Telegram.

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In the latest report, the UK Defence Intelligence suggests that Russia's miscalculation of Ukraine has led to a significant amount of loss for the Russian Federation. The Russian forces have met with strong resistance from Ukraine, which is getting military assistance from the UK, US and the European Union. UK Defence Intelligence stated that Russia's underestimating of Ukrainian resistance has resulted in clear operational failures, preventing Russian President Vladimir Putin from declaring a significant military triumph in Ukraine during the Victory Day ceremony on May 9.

Ukraine's armed forces claimed that Russia has lost around 26,000 soldiers in the 76 days of war among several other losses. 

During a concert in Moscow on the occasion of Victory Day, Russia passed pictures of American criminal couple Bonnie and Clyde as war veterans. 

Russian attacks on the southern port city of Odesa led to the death of one and injured 5 others on May 9. 

According to Russian media reports, Ukraine-based hackers on Monday defaced RuTube to display pro-Ukrainian 'anti-war' messages. The video streaming site has been down ever since. 

As the Russian war entered day 76 with "storming" operations underway in Ukraine, the United States on Monday claimed that an army of Russian soldiers is refusing to adhere to Moscow's orders. Citing "anecdotal reports," a senior Pentagon official said that several "mid-grade officers at various levels" are disobeying orders to move forward with the Donbass offensive, The Guardian reported. The US official speaking under conditions of anonymity also informed that the dissidence was also observed by "battalion-level officers."

Some Russian officials "have either refused to obey orders or are not obeying them currently with the same measure of alacrity that you would expect an officer to obey," the US Defence official was quoted by Financial Times as saying.

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An unnamed senior United States defence official said during a briefing on May 9 that Russia “has blown through a lot of their precision-guided munition” and continues to hit Mariupol with a lot of dumb bombs. Pentagon official also said that the sanctions have started to 'bite' Russia’s industrial base capabilities. The official also said that  Russia now faces difficulties replacing PGMs, and the sanctions and the export controls, particularly when it comes to electronic components, have had an effect on the Russian defence industrial base.

European superpowers Germany and France want an early ceasefire in Ukraine that will allow the negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow to conclude to achieve peace, French President Emmanuel Macron said as he spoke to his German counterpart, Olaf Scholz. Till now, the warring sides have held five rounds of talks but failed to achieve a definite ceasefire. On Monday, Macron proposed that he was ready to assist the Zelenskyy administration in the negotiation. 

"What we want to achieve is an early cease-fire that will allow bringing to an end the negotiations that have begun between the delegations of Russia and Ukraine to achieve peace and a sustainable withdrawal of Russian troops. That is our goal. We want to help Ukraine negotiate on the terms it will determine," Macron said during a press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, adding that the only way to achieve peace is "at a negotiating table with both Russia and Ukraine taking part."'

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White House has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of presenting a version of revisionist history in his Victory Day speech. As Putin used the occasion of Soviet victory to defend his Special Military Operation on Ukraine, US Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that his words distorted facts. On Monday, the Russian Czar addressed his countrymen from Red Square in Moscow but refrained from announcing victory over Ukraine. 

Following the same, Psaki said, “But what I will say is that what we saw President Putin do is give a version of revisionist history that took the form of disinformation that we have seen too commonly as the Russian playbook.” 

“You know, our view is that we should remember — and this is why I did this at the top — what this day is actually about, which is something that we have all celebrated, which is the defeat of Nazis in — after World War Two, something that Russians have celebrated in the streets for many years," she added. 

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Captain Svyatoslav Palamar told BBC that there are still about 600 wounded Ukrainian soldiers at the Azovstal steel plant.

According to Kyiv Independent, State Emergency Service neutralized 327 explosives in a day. Reportedly, the Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine said on May 9 that 15 hectares of ground were covered. Since the start of the war, a total of 98,864 explosives have been defused.

The head of the Kherson regional administration Hennady Lahuta has said that at least 45% of the population has left the Russia-occupied Kherson region, reported local media. According to Nexta Tv, Lahuta said, "The occupiers loot, kill, rape, so the civilians can't stand it, are very afraid and are forced to leave their homes".

Lithuanian foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin's annual Victory Day speech was “underwhelming” and that the “gloomy faces” of generals and others were signs of failing in Ukraine. Landsbergis, according to The Guardian, said, "From our standpoint, up until the point the current regime is not in power, the countries surrounding it will be, to some extent, in danger. Not just Putin but the whole regime because, you know, one might change Putin and might change his inner circle but another Putin might rise into his place."

"And so as long as a regime that intends to wage wars outside Russian territory is in place, the countries surrounding it are in danger," Lithuanian foreign minister also said.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is expected to hold a new public meeting on Thursday on the Russia Ukraine war as the conflict continues for over 70 days, diplomats revealed on Monday. The session was requested by France and Mexico and it would be the 16th such meeting held by the Security Council since Russia announced the 'sepcial' military operation in Ukraine on February 24. 

The UNSC session will be held on the same day as an extraordinary session of the Human Rights Council, requested by Ukraine, would take place on “the deterioration of the human rights situation in Ukraine.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also said on Monday, "For the first time in decades there is no usual movement of the merchant fleet, no usual port functioning in Odesa. Probably this has never happened in Odesa since World War II. Ordinary life related to the sea is blocked by Russia. Exactly Russia. And this affects not only Ukraine."

"Without our agricultural exports, dozens of countries in different parts of the world are already on the brink of food shortages. And over time, the situation can become downright terrible," he said.

"Politicians are already discussing the possible consequences of the price crisis and famine in Africa and Asia. This is a direct consequence of Russian aggression, which can be overcome only together - by all Europeans, by the whole free world. It can be overcome by putting pressure on Russia, by effectively forcing Russia to stop this disgraceful war," Zelenskyy added.

Following the signing of the Lend-Lease Act by US President Joe Biden, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy wrote on Twitter, "Grateful to @POTUS and 🇺🇸 people for supporting 🇺🇦 in the fight for our freedom and future. Today's signing of the law on Lend-Lease is a historic step. I am convinced that we will win together again. And we will defend democracy in Ukraine. And in Europe. Like 77 years ago."

Sumy Oblast Governor Dmytro Zhyvytsky has said on Telegram on May 9 that Russian forces fired on the rural communities of Novoslobidska and Vorozhbianska, Sumy Oblast, at 10 PM. According to Kyiv Independent, no casualties have been reported so far. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin jointly wrote to congressional leaders urging them to pass supplemental appropriations for Ukraine by May 19  in order for the Biden administration "to provide uninterrupted critical military support" to the Ukrainians. According to the copies of the letter obtained by CNN, Austin and Blinken wrote, "We are grateful for the robust support provided by Congress, but almost all of the $3.5 billion in drawdown authority Congress provided this year has been exhausted as we have surged security assistance to Ukraine, which they have used to great effect".

United States President Joe Biden told his top national security officials that leaks concerning US intelligence data-sharing with Ukrainians are not useful and should be stopped, as per an official source familiar with the conversation. These remarks of Biden came after the White House, last week, rejected to give direct intelligence to Ukrainians "with the intent to kill Russian generals," CNN reported.

Following that, Biden met individually with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, CIA Director William Burns, as well as Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines. According to the official, US President Biden informed the officials that it was not beneficial for information that the US was providing to Ukrainian forces opposing the Russian incursion to become public and that such leaks must end.  

Further, on Monday, May 9, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told the media that the President was "displeased" by the disclosures and said that they were "inaccurate." According to the CNN report, Biden's perspective "was that it was an overstatement of our role, an inaccurate statement, and also an understatement of the Ukrainians' role and their leadership, and he does not, did not, (feel) they were constructive," Psaki said, after declining to confirm conversations between the President and his team. 

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A shopping mall and two hotels were hit by Russian military strikes on Monday in the southern port city of Odesa, according to CNN.  Sergey Bratchuk, a spokesperson for the Odesa regional military administration reportedly said, that three of Russia's new hypersonic missiles called Kinzhal missiles, were fired from a plane and hit a "tourist infrastructure target".

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address on Monday that his country has submitted the second part of a formal questionnaire to obtain EU membership during a video call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Zelenskyy said, "Today, we have taken another step - a very important and not just a formal step - on our path to the European Union. Ukraine has submitted the second part of the answers to a special questionnaire to be completed by each country aspiring to be part of the European Union. It usually takes months. But we did everything in a few weeks...."

Meanwhile, a statement released by Zelenskiy’s office also stated, "I think these answers are also a small victory for our team. We are waiting for the consideration and conclusions of the European Commission. I would like these conclusions to be positive. And I would like these conclusions to be provided faster thanks to you.”

“We expect to receive a positive response in June regarding the acquisition of EU candidate status by our country,” he added.

European Commission is discussing joint borrowing for Ukraine, reported Politico. Diplomatic sources told the outlet that plans re underway to issue a new EU debt to cover Ukraine’s short-term financing needs.

According to the Ukrainian defence ministry, Russian forces are using tanks and artillery to conduct “storming operations” on the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol. Petro Andriushchenko, an adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, as per The Guardian,  said Russian forces began “storming” the Azovstal plant after a UN convoy left the Donetsk region.

The United States House of Representatives on Tuesday (local time) will consider an additional $40 billion in supplemental funding for Ukraine, according to House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, reported CNN. Earlier on Monday, Biden called on Congress to "immediately" pass the Ukraine aid bill, warning for the first time that existing aid will run out in "approximately ten days."

While speaking at an online fundraiser, US President Joe Biden said that he is worried that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin "doesn't have a way out" of the war in Ukraine. According to Biden, Putin is also struggling to figure out what to do next regarding the "special" operation which the Kremlin leader launched on February 24. Speaking at a political fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee in Potomac, Maryland, Biden said, "’m confident that Putin believed that he could break up Nato, that he believed he could break the European Union", according to CNN.

The United States has seen signs that Ukrainians, tackling the Russian military aggression, are being taken in Russia unwillingly. When asked about the reports stating the transfer of 1.2 million Ukrainians to Russia, the Pentagon or US Department of Defence spokesperson John Kirby said, "I can’t speak to how many camps or what they look like...But we do have indications that Ukrainians are being taken against their will into Russia." He called these actions “unconscionable” and “not the behaviour of a responsible power.”