Timeline: day 71 of Ukraine's defense against russian aggression
Photo Reuters
Today is May 5. russia's military attack on Ukraine has been going on for 71 days. We're reporting on all the current news. The article will be constantly updated.
What about today?
Key points
Preparations for the Victory Day celebrations are gaining momentum in russia. Ukraine expects provocations or an increase of shelling by russia on May 9, Defense Ministry spokesperson Oleksandr Motuzianyk said. "We understand that there's not much time left until this date. This forces us to be more vigilant in all directions, both the areas of hostilities and calm rears. That is, we are waiting for some provocations or escalation of shelling from the russian army," he said.
Despite all efforts, the occupiers are unable to advance deep into Ukraine, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said. Fierce fighting is underway as the russians try to advance and are stopped by the Ukrainian armed forces. Today there are several directions: Kharkiv, Kherson, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Luhansk.
In all areas, the occupiers are facing heavy resistance from the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
According to the Joint Forces Operations headquarters, Ukrainian soldiers repulsed 11 attacks by russian troops. Also, the Armed Forces destroyed 5 enemy tanks, 7 units of armored combat vehicles, and 5 vehicles.
Air defense units shot down 2 russian Su-30 planes and 2 Orlan-10 and ZALA-421 unmanned aerial vehicles in the skies over Donbas.
During the day, missile and artillery, and aviation units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine destroyed 130 enemy targets: the enemy lost 50 men and 11 units of equipment. Numbers were announced by the South operational command.
The enemy lost control over several settlements on the border of the Mykolaiv and Kherson regions.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces also managed to push back the artillery that fired at Kharkiv to a distance where it couldn't reach the city.
The number of dead occupiers has already approached 25 thousand!
And American intelligence is helping Ukraine destroy russian generals, the New York Times reports. By the way, the White House believes that russia "has already lost the war" in Ukraine.
Ukraine launched a global initiative United24. According to President Zelensky, its first component is already working; it's an online platform for raising funds to help Ukraine. You can donate from anywhere in the world. The received funds are sent to the National Bank and distributed to the relevant agencies. They promise to report on a daily basis.Tell your friends abroad about the initiative: help support the Ukrainian army, and civilians and rebuild what was destroyed by russia, the President urged.
"We are preparing a large-scale Recovery Plan for Ukraine after the war and we need a strategic international support plan for Ukraine, which will be a modern analog of the historic Marshall Plan. It is money, it is technology, specialists, and growth opportunities that are needed to return to secure life, to modernization and social development," Zelensky said in an address to international donors.
He also stressed that Ukraine needs to move quickly to the European Union because of the candidate status, which must be granted right now in wartime as part of a special abridged procedure for EU membership.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine voted to move the celebration of Victory Day to May 8. Officially, May 8 will now be called the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in World War II. 290 people's deputies voted in favor.
Humanitarian corridors
Yesterday 344 people were evacuated from different districts of Mariupol, as well as from the occupied territories of the Zaporizhzhia region. This was announced by Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk.
The russian military has announced that a humanitarian corridor will be opened on May 5, 6, and 7 from 8 am to 6 pm to evacuate civilians from the territory of Azovstal. The occupiers promise that the forces of russia and the DPR will unilaterally cease all hostilities and take the units to a safe distance. To recap, the Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly stated that russian troops are breaking agreements on humanitarian corridors. And they were able to evacuate people only after UN intervention.
15:30 – Deputy Commander of the Azov Regiment Captain Sviatoslav Palamar spoke about the situation at Azovstal in a video statement. He said that it had been day 3 since the enemy broke into the plant. The russians are violating the ceasefire agreement. "We call on the world community to evacuate civilians and I personally appeal to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief to take care of wounded soldiers who are dying in agony from inadequate treatment. Give the opportunity to take away the bodies of soldiers so that Ukrainians can say goodbye to their heroes," Palamar said.
Today people can evacuate by personal transport from Enerhodar to Zaporizhzhia via Vasylivka-Kamenske. The mayor of Enerhodar Dmytro Orlov reported about it. The route works in the opposite direction.
20:30 – Another UN evacuation column and the International Committee of the Red Cross are heading to Azovstal. UN Special Representative for Ukraine Martin Griffiths said: "Now the convoy is heading to Azovstal, we hope that tomorrow morning it will receive those civilians who remain in this gloomy hell for so many weeks and months and return them to safety."
Who's coming to Ukraine?
About financial aid, weapons, and volunteer fighters
The United States has commented on the massive missile strikes on Ukrainian railways. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said at a briefing that russian forces were "trying to target what we see as critical infrastructure in the west" in Ukraine, including "electricity, transportation hubs, etc." According to Kirby, despite these strikes, the United States can still send military aid to Ukraine, including "weapons systems." The United States knows that weapons are still coming to Ukraine, "because we talk to Ukrainians every day," he added.
Today Poland and Sweden together with the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission will hold an International Conference of Donors for Ukraine with the participation of the United Nations in Warsaw. The conference will facilitate the allocation of additional funds for immediate humanitarian assistance needed to save lives, through the Emergency Appeal for Ukraine and other funding mechanisms. The United Nations estimates that more than 12 million people in Ukraine are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, including food, shelter, and medical care.
The United Kingdom will provide additional funding for vulnerable Ukrainians in the amount of 45 million pounds, according to Sky News. The funds will be donated to charitable organizations and UN agencies working to support war victims. The full UK humanitarian aid package for Ukraine is £220 million.
Germany is considering the transfer of COBRA radar systems to Ukraine, which will detect enemy artillery. COBRA is considered to be the world's most advanced ground-based weapons detection system. The Government of Ukraine has requested 40 units. The cost of each is about 50 million euros.
Poland will help Ukraine strengthen its defense capabilities: the prime ministers of the countries signed a memorandum. This was announced by the head of the Ukrainian government Denys Shmyhal. Among the main issues of the Shmyhal-Morawiecki meeting is the strengthening of sanctions against russia and the confiscation of frozen russian assets: We have to implement this together," Shmyhal said.
Finland will hand over a new consignment of military aid to Ukraine, said the President of Finland. For security and delivery reasons, the contents of the military aid are not disclosed.
And the President of Poland delivered an inspiring speech to the citizens of his country. And it concerned Ukraine: "There will be no more borders between our countries, Poland and Ukraine. So that we may live together on this earth, building and rebuilding our common happiness and common strength, which will allow us to repel any danger or any possible threat," said Andrzej Duda.
Sanctions on the aggressor
Japan imposes new sanctions on russia and freezes the assets of 140 individuals. Japan will also expand the list of russian banks subject to restrictions and extend a ban on imports of advanced technologies, including quantum computers, to russia.
The United Kingdom has imposed sanctions on the metallurgical and mining company Evraz. Rationale: "Evraz produces 28% of the wheelsets and 97% of the rails in russia. It is a vital enterprise, as russia uses the railways to move troops and supply them to the front lines in Ukraine."
Life considering hostilities
Inspirational news: Ukraine takes first place in the medal standings at the Deaflympics; our team won 38 medals in three days of competition. Next in the standings are the United States and Japan. The Deaflympics are high-level sports competitions for deaf people.
The United Kingdom and Ukraine have signed an agreement on abolishing import duties and tariff quotas, the Ministry of Economy reports. Due to import duties and tariff quotas being canceled the Ukrainian businesses will be able to increase exports of goods with high added value in the future. These include flour, grain, dairy products, poultry, semi-finished products, tomato paste, honey, corn, wheat, juices, mushrooms, sugar, and more. Ukraine traditionally exports these goods to Great Britain. Thus, it will not only promote the development of Ukrainian production but also increase foreign exchange earnings, and strengthen Ukraine's economy.
Kyiv and the region
Deminers continue to clear the Kyiv region of russian explosives, bombs, Grad, and Smerch rockets. First, the services inspect russians' arranged positions: trenches, forts, shelters, streets, buildings, plantings, fields, forests around villages. Grenades, mines, VOG general-purpose bombs, grenade launchers. FAB-500 aircraft bombs, Grad and Smerch rockets, large-caliber projectiles, and mortar mines. They're neutralizing everything!
Donetsk and Luhansk regions
Mariupol authorities received details and video confirmations from the filtration camps of the russian occupation forces in the village of Bezymiane, which became a real ghetto for Mariupol residents. The occupiers forcibly removed about 2,000 men from Huhlino, Myrnyi, and Volonterivka districts; they are being held in filtration camps in the villages of Bezymiane and Kozatske. People are kept in one of the schools. An epidemic of tuberculosis began at school. russians don't provide medical care to people, the first deaths have already been recorded. The russians told Mariupol residents that the men from the filtration camp would parade in Mariupol on May 9 as captured Ukrainian servicemen.
Sviatohirsk Lavra came under fire, according to the Donetsk eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. It happened yesterday during a prayer service. One rocket exploded near the temple, and the second explosion occurred in the air about a hundred meters above the Lavra, as a result of which the Lavra courtyard was covered with small pieces. Two refugees were injured in the abdomen and arm, and were sent to hospital and then to surgery in Kramatorsk. Windows and buildings have been re-smashed in temples and buildings, the report said. At the moment, 300 refugees, including 50 children, in addition to the fraternity, live in the Lavra.
The region is a flashpoint. The russians fired 24 times on residential houses in Sievierodonetsk, Popasna, the Hirske Community and Lysychansk. At night, the russians fired on residential neighborhoods in the central part of Kramatorsk, Donetsk region. 25 residents were injured.
The ruscists also continued to storm Azovstal all night. Fighting is already taking place on the territory of the plant, the adviser to the mayor of Mariupol Petro Andriushchenko said. Residents of the Left Bank district from Veselky Park were forced to evacuate alone at night.
Five more victims were found under the rubble of residential buildings after the shelling of the Luhansk region by the russians on May 4, the head of Luhansk Regional Military Administration Serhii Haidai said.
In Kramatorsk, after a rocket attack, the shops of PJSC Energomashspetsstal plant, the largest producer of the special cast and forged products for metallurgy, shipbuilding, energy, and mechanical engineering, were damaged. This is the second damage to this plant in the last 2 months.
Kharkiv region
Ukrainian journalist Oleksandr Makhov was killed in enemy shelling in the Kharkiv region. Oleksandr has been working as a military correspondent since 2014, covering events on the front lines. The journalist served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Eternal memory!
As a result of the shelling of the Kharkiv region, a resident of the village near Balaklia was killed and an 11-year-old child from the Lozova district was injured.
13:30 – One of the districts of the Lozova community of the Kharkiv region came under rocket fire. Lozova is an important railway hub in the Kharkiv region.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine counterattacked in the Kharkiv and Izium directions. The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi announced this on Facebook following a conversation with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley. "I informed my American colleague about the latest situation. In particular, about the relocation of the enemy's main efforts to the Luhansk direction, where fierce fighting continues in Popasna, Kreminna, and Torske, as well as the transition of Ukrainian defense forces to counter-offensive in Kharkiv and Izium," Zaluzhnyi wrote.
To recap, to the north and east of Kharkiv, the Ukrainian Armed Forces liberated a few settlements in the last weeks.
Volunteers and employees of the Kharkiv Ecopark came under fire during the evacuation of African buffaloes. A 15-year-old boy who helped his parents feed and take out the animals died. Two more people were injured.
On May 4, a convoy of civilian vehicles came under fire while trying to leave for Kharkiv from russian-occupied Volchansk and other settlements near it. Dozens of cars tried to leave, some were injured and killed. The press service of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration doesn't have official information about the circumstances and consequences of the shelling, said the press secretary of the administration Olena Shapoval.
In its evening report, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports that the enemy was trying to restore the lost positions near the city of Kharkiv in the Sloboda direction. It is noted that the attempted offensive was made in the area of the village of Staryi Saltov, but ended in failure for the enemy.
Sumy region
14:10 – The russian missile was shot down in the Sumy region, the head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration Dmytro Zhyvytskyi reported.
Kherson region
Residents of Nova Kakhovka will gather for a peaceful rally on May 9. "We are rallying for Nova Kakhovka. On May 9, the occupier wants to celebrate the victory over the city, but will face only his defeat," the announcement of the event on Facebook reads. The yellow ribbon will be a symbol of opposition to the enemy, because, as noted in the message, "yellow for Ukrainians is the color of the sun and the unity of our sunny country. Yellow for the occupier is the color of his defeat."
Gauleiter of the russia-occupied Kherson region plans to close access to Instagram and Facebook (they are banned in russia). Kyrylo Stremousov, a "deputy head of the Kherson Regional Civil-Military Administration," was quoted as saying by the russian newspaper RBC.
Currently, the russian military doesn't let anyone out of the city and doesn't allow anyone to enter Kherson. Even regular buses are returning, locals say.
In Kakhovka, the russian military is forcing farmers to obtain a permit to farm. With this document they want to oblige farmers to pay taxes to the occupying power, the deputy of a regional council Serhii Khlan reported.
In the Kherson region, Chornobayivka village head Ihor Dudar was hospitalized in critical condition after searches by the russian military. The State Flag of Ukraine was torn down, locks in offices and safes were broken, a search was carried out, workers were not allowed to work, and the russian flag was hoisted. On the same day, after interrogation, the deputy head of the village council, Yevhen Rodionov, was abducted from the village council building. His whereabouts are currently unknown.
Mykolaiv region
At night Russians fired at Mykolaiv. As a result, the network is damaged. As a result, some trolleybus routes will be changed. Besides, gas pipelines in Mykolaiv are damaged after night attacks. There are more than 290 subscribers without gas in the city, the mayor of the city Oleksandr Senkevich reports.
Strengthening of attacks is observed In the Mykolaiv region. The Head of the Mykolaiv regional state administration Vitalii Kim stated it. "The bombing is being increased until May 9. But as of 10:30, there are no casualties, a lot of material damage," he commented.
Odesa region
In the Black Sea, three enemy missile ships and a submarine are ready to launch a missile strike, but the Ukrainian defense forces and air defenses are monitoring the situation around the clock in the waters, in the air, and in all strategic areas, the South Operational Command reports.
Chernihiv region
On May 4, russian troops shelled the border areas of Chernihiv Region. The shelling took place at intervals of 5-10 hits in the area of Horodnianka and Semenivka communities.
Western Ukraine
The mayor of Ivano-Frankivsk called to leave the city on May 7-9 due to possible shelling. These days, all events in the city have been canceled.
