Timeline: day 74 of Ukraine's defense against russia's aggression
Photo by Reuters
Today is May 8. russia's military attack on Ukraine has been going on for 74 days. We're reporting on all the current news. The article will be constantly updated.
What about today?
Key points
Tomorrow russia is preparing to once again pompously "celebrate" its most sacred holiday, the victory day. Today, Ukrainians celebrate the Day of Victory over Nazism in the Second World War together with the civilized world. For all Ukrainians, unfortunately, "Never again!" is not relevant today. The war came to our land, to our home, to our families. Now we're fighting for our homeland, protecting ourselves and the world from the fascism of the XXI century. But we know for sure: people who defeated Nazism will also defeat ruscism!
Joint Forces Operation report: Luhansk and Donetsk directions. During the last 24 hours, 9 russian attacks were repulsed, and the enemy lost:
- 19 tanks,
- 20 units of combat armored vehicles,
- 4 special armored vehicles,
- 1 unit of special engineering equipment,
- 6 enemy cars.
Air defense units shot down in the Ukrainian Donbas's sky:
- 1 enemy Mi-28H attack helicopter,
- 6 Orlan-10 UAVs.
Ukrainian military continues to mop up the Zmiinyi island of the occupiers. Yesterday, the Ukrainian Armed Forces destroyed a Serna-type landing craft with the Tor SAM system. 2 Raptor assault craft and another Raptor were significantly damaged. The number of russians on the island has decreased by another 46 people, the South Operational Command reports.
Another Ukrainian journalist, lieutenant of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Maksym Medinskyi, died in the war. He started defending Ukraine in 2014. Eternal memory! Death to the enemies!
The WHO is aware of more than 200 attacks on medical facilities in Ukraine. The organization considers these attacks to be war crimes. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergency Program, said the deliberate attacks on medical facilities violated international humanitarian law. He added that the actual total number of attacks was probably greater. The head of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine Viktor Liashko stated that during the war in Ukraine 10 doctors were killed and more than 40 were injured. More than 40 hospitals were also destroyed and about 500 hospitals were damaged.
On Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation, President Zelensky addressed Ukrainians from Borodianka (Kyiv region), which was destroyed by the russian army: "russia has staged a bloody reconstruction of Nazism in Ukraine. These are manic reproductions of its atrocities and 'alibis' that seem to give an evil sacred purpose, repetition of its crimes, and even attempts to surpass the 'master,' to set a new world record for xenophobia, and hatred, racism, and casualties."
Humanitarian corridors
Yesterday, Zelensky announced the preparation of the second stage of the evacuation mission from Azovstal in Mariupol in his evening address: the wounded and medics will be evacuated.
"Certainly we are working to get our troops out. All the heroes who defend Mariupol. This is extremely difficult. But it's important. I'm sure everyone understands the root cause of this complication, as well as where the cause is. But we don't lose hope. We don't stop. Every day we're looking for a diplomatic option that can work. Tomorrow our team is preparing to continue the work of humanitarian corridors for all residents of Mariupol and surrounding settlements," said the President.
Who's coming to Ukraine?
About financial aid, weapons, and volunteer fighters
The United Kingdom will provide Ukraine with an additional military aid of $1.6 billion, Reuters reports. This is the country's largest expense of conflict since the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. They plan to take the money from the reserve created in case of emergencies.
Under the new aid project, Ukraine will receive $1.5 billion from the World Bank to pay salaries to employees of government departments and budgetary institutions.
Helping refugees and people receiving them
400,000 Ukrainians of working age are fleeing the war in Poland, more than 100,000 of them have found work and are working legally. Another part, according to the refugees themselves, works illegally. The Deputy Interior Minister of Poland points out that this phenomenon is of global importance when it comes to internally displaced persons, and that this has never happened before.
He also noted that migrants from Ukraine are trying to rent housing on their own. But the various types of centers of state-owned companies, government, and local government still have a reserve of tens of thousands of places where these people can be accommodated.
Lithuania has provided humanitarian assistance to Ukrainian refugees in Moldova. According to the Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, the government has allocated 75,000 euros in aid and pledged to resettle 2,000 refugees from Moldova to Lithuania. "This is a sign of true solidarity and unity of our peoples!" Nauseda wrote on Twitter.
News from partners
A new sort of tulips bred in honor of Ukraine is being planted in the Netherlands.
Sanctions on the aggressor!
As part of a new package of sanctions, the EU is considering a ban on the insurance of ships carrying russian oil, The Wall Street Journal reports. The ban will hamper oil exports to buyers in Asia and elsewhere, as much of world trade is insured by European companies. Shipowners are more likely to refuse to transport fuel if they are unable to insure the ship against damage to the environment. "The ban will be a very serious obstacle to russian oil exports," WSJ cites Lars Barstad, director of Frontline Ltd., which owns one of the world's largest tanker fleets.
At present, 10,128 sanctions have been imposed on russia.
Life considering hostilities
Ukraine's song is a favorite at Eurovision, Euronews writes. Given that russia has been banned from participating in this year's competition, and the rest of Europe is watching with horror putin's invasion of Ukraine, it's easy to see why Ukraine is winning the hearts of Eurovision viewers. This year, the Ukrainian band Kalush Orchestra will present the country with the song Stephania. "We feel a great responsibility," said the musicians.
Kyiv and the region
The activists erected a memorial in memory of people killed by the russian occupiers under the destroyed bridge in Irpin. We remember! We will bring russia to justice!
A local in Bucha found a flagon with a radioactive substance stolen from the Chornobyl nuclear power plant. Energoatom Nuclear Energy Generating Company reports. A resident of Bucha discovered the flask in his home after russian soldiers visited it. He called the sappers. "It turned out later that the radiation background of the flask, which contained mercury, is much higher than normal. The substance was seized and handed over to the hazardous waste disposal company," Energoatom said.
Donetsk and Luhansk regions
Morning report of the General Staff on the situation in the Donetsk region:
- To the north of the Lyman, the enemy captured the outskirts of the village of Shandryholovo.
- There is an offensive in the Popasna direction.
- The attack on Novomykhailivka was resumed near Kurakhove.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine withdrew from Popasna, the head of the Luhansk Regional Council Serhii Haidai said. "Unfortunately, our troops did move away from Popasna, because the city was shelled for more than two months. There are bombs, missiles, mines, and artillery. Everything was destroyed there. That is why our troops retreated to stronger positions, which were being prepared earlier," he said.
Haidai also noted that heavy fighting was underway toward Sievierodonetsk-Voievodivka, as well as on the territory of the Hirske Community, which includes such settlements as Toshkivka, Katerynivka, Zolote-4.
An airstrike on a school in Bilohorivka killed 60 people. Yesterday, Haidai reported that 90 people were hiding in the school's basement. "The fire was being extinguished for almost four hours, then the debris was dismantled and, unfortunately, the rescuers found the bodies of two victims. 30 people were evacuated from the rubble, seven of whom were injured. Most likely, all 60 people who remained under the rubble died," the head of the regional military administration said.
russian troops shelled the village of Shypilove in the Luhansk region: a two-story house was destroyed. According to preliminary information, 11 people are under the rubble. Another 4 houses were damaged in Rubizhne; 9, in Sievierodonetsk; 2, in Lysychansk.
Kharkiv region
russia is trying to stop Ukraine's counter-offensive towards the border near Kharkiv In this area, the enemy intensified the shelling of Prudianka, Slatyno, and Tsyrkunov. Also, they strengthen the defense near the village of Kozacha Lopan.
To continue the offensive on Barvinkove and Sloviansk, the enemy sent two new battalion tactical groups from russia near Izium.
Zaporizhzhia region
The robbery of Melitopol's industrial assets continues. Recently, the occupiers stole all products and equipment from the Biol plant (a manufacturer of cast utensils made of aluminum and cast iron, known in the market of Ukraine, CIS and Europe for over 20 years).
The other day, locals filmed warehouses with looted property, which are transported to Crimea by rail. Most of the cargo is galvanized steel sheets in rolls.
The occupiers are trying their best to celebrate May 9 by any means: russians are taking away documents from Enerhodar locals and promising to give them away on May 9, hoping that a large number of Ukrainians will gather in one place and create the necessary image for russian TV channels.
It also became known that the former mayor of Tokmak Ihor Kotelevskyi died under mysterious circumstances. He refused to cooperate with the occupiers, constantly changing his place of residence, so some believe that his death was violent, because he could be handed over to the occupiers by collaborationists.
Zaporizhzhia was temporarily closed for the exit, Regional Miltary Administration reports. Such measures were introduced in connection with the tense security situation. The entry to the city remains open.
Kherson region
"There will be no 'Kherson People's Republic.' Nothing. The Kherson region will be liberated in full, with the harshest means if needed in terms of russian occupiers' losses. Meaning, That is, as many servicemen of the russian army will be killed as needed for the Kherson region to forget the phrase 'russian occupation' forever. That will be true," Mykhailo Podoliak said.
Kherson residents are very much waiting for the Ukrainian Armed Forces! But for now, the occupiers feel at home in the Kherson region: representatives of the occupation administrations in the Kherson region are touring industrial facilities. First, food producers. Their goal is to force management and staff to cooperate. A group of people (up to 10 people) in military uniform of the russian armed forces with weapons arrives at the offices of commercial companies and demands to continue production, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reports.
Artur Memetshaiev from Henichesk, who was abducted from his home by russian soldiers on April 11, is being held in the Simferopol pre-trial detention center. The whereabouts of two more activists of the Crimean Tatar national movement Dilshat and Ruslan Rakhimov are unknown, a representative of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center said.
The good news: at night, the Ukrainian army destroyed the ammunition depot of the russian military in the Stanislav area in the Kherson region, the South operational command reports.
Mykolaiv region
The russians attacked Mykolaiv and the suburbs three times yesterday with Smerch MRLS. 4 cruise missiles were fired in the region, the South operational command reports.
In the evening, on May 7, as a result of enemy shelling of Mykolaiv's Korabelnyi district, apartments of the residential building were damaged and the roof of the library on the first floor of the same building caught fire.
In the morning, the Ukrainian troops shot down the russian missile in the Mykolaiv region. The missile was fired from a strategic bomber.
Odesa region
Tonight, the ruscists fired at Odesa 10 times with cruise missiles (4 times at the region and 6 times at the city), the South operational command reports.
As a result of the shelling in Artsyz, Odesa region, water and electricity supply stopped, and mobile service ceased to work.
Today there is a high threat of russian missile strikes in Odesa and the region. The speaker of the Odesa regional military administration Serhii Bratchuk called on the residents of Odesa not to neglect air raid sirens, and to remember safety rules.
Chernihiv region
Six countries joined the restoration of the Chernihiv region. The United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Finland, Sweden, and Switzerland are working on a separate Early Recovery project to restore the priority needs of the Chernihiv region, said the Head of Regional Military Administration Viacheslav Chaus. Special attention was paid to emergency readiness. Experts assess the priority needs of communities to develop an algorithm for financial assistance. In the Chernihiv region, the work is underway in the regional center, Kyselivka, Kyinka, Ivankivka, and Nova Basan communities.
