CONFLICTSUKRAINE
Ukraine updates: Russian attack causes injuries, damage
Published 8 hours agoPublished 8 hours agolast updated 36 minutes agolast updated 36 minutes ago
At least 34 people were injured in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, while authorities said defense systems repelled 15 out of 18 missiles fired by Russia. Follow DW has the latest.
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Ukrainian air defence crews destroyed 15 out of 18 missiles launched by Russian forces in the early hours of Monday morning, the military said,
Air raid sirens also sounded across the country, and authorities warned residents to take shelter.
“Around 2:30 a.m. (2330 GMT), the Russian invaders attacked Ukraine from strategic aviation planes,” a post on the Telegram channel of Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, the commander-in chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, read.
Kyiv’s city officials wrote on the Telegram messaging app that all missiles directed at the capital were destroyed in what they said was the second attack on the city in three days.
Russia has also launched missiles at other Ukrainian regions overnight, including on Dnipropetrovsk, Mykola Lukashuk, the head of the Dnipro region council, said. Air defence crews shot down seven missiles, but 34 people sought medical help.
The eastern Ukrainian city of Pavlohrad was struck twice overnight, and an industrial enterprise, 19 apartment buildings and 25 private buildings, among others, were damaged or destroyed, he added.
Meanwhile, Russian artillery strikes killed one person and wounded three others in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson, a regional official said.
“Over the past day, the enemy carried out 39 shellings, firing 163 shells from heavy artillery, Grads, UAVs and aviation. The enemy shelled the city of Kherson 8 times,” said Oleksandr Prokudin, of the military administration for Kherson.
“As a result of Russian aggression, one person died and three others, including a child, were injured,” he added.
The latest attempted strikes come just days after Russia launched several missiles at targets across Ukraine, killing at least 23 people.
Ukraine: Russian troops edge closer to taking Bakhmut
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Here are some of the other headlines concerning Russia’s war in Ukraine on Monday, May 1:
Russian freight train derails after hitting explosive device
A freight train derailed in the western Russian region of Bryansk bordering Ukraine after an “explosive device” detonated on the rail tracks, the local governor said.
“An unidentified explosive device went off, as a result of which a locomotive of a freight train derailed,” Bryansk governor Alexander Bogomaz said on Telegram, adding there were “no casualties.”
The site of the incident, as indicated by the governor, is around 60 kilometers (37 miles) north of Russia’s border with Ukraine.
Russian Railways, the country’s rail operator, said the incident occurred at 10:17 Moscow time (0717 GMT). It said the locomotive and seven freight wagons were derailed and the locomotive caught fire.
Separately, the governor of Russia’s Leningrad region near St. Petersburg said a power line had been blown up overnight and an explosive device found near a second line.
Judo: Ukraine to boycott world championships over Russia inclusion
Ukrainian judokas will not take part in this month’s world championships in Qatar following the International Judo Federation’s (IJF) decision to readmit Russians and Belarusians as neutrals, the Ukrainian Judo Federation (UJF) said.
The IJF last week announced that it would allow judoka from Russia and Belarus to participate in the May 7-14 championships, saying its decision would allow Russians and Belarusians to participate in qualifying for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) last month recommended that athletes from the two countries be allowed to return to international competition as neutrals.
The IOC’s recommendations exclude athletes who support the war or are contracted to military or national security agencies. The IJF has said it has enlisted an independent company to perform background checks and identify any such athletes.
However, the Ukrainian federation alleged that a number of Russian judoka registered for the championships are “active servicemen.”
Meanwhile, the International Canoe Federation (ICF) said Russian and Belarusian athletes who do not support “their State’s actions in Ukraine” can return to events as neutrals.
Moscow building major military defenses in Ukraine, Russia — UK
Russia has built powerful defense structures along the front line, in occupied Ukrainian territory and also at points deep within Russia, UK’s Ministry of Defense said in its latest intelligence update.
“Since summer 2022, Russia has constructed some of the most extensive systems of military defensive works seen anywhere in the world for many decades,” the ministry said.
“Imagery shows that Russia has made a particular effort to fortify the northern border of occupied Crimea, including with a multi-layered defensive zone near the village of Medvedivka,” the ministry said.
It also said hundreds of kilometers of trenches had been dug on internationally recognized Russian territory, including in the Belgorod and Kursk regions, which border Ukraine.
London gave two possible reasons for the construction. “The defenses highlight Russian leaders’ deep concern that Ukraine could achieve a major breakthrough,” it said.
However, some works have likely been ordered by local commanders and civil leaders in attempts to promote the official narrative that Russia is “threatened” by Ukraine and NATO, the ministry added.
Pope hints at secret Vatican peace ‘mission’
Pope Francis said the Vatican is willing to help facilitate the return of Ukrainian children who were taken to Russia during the war.
He also said the Catholic Church was involved in a mission to secure peace in Ukraine.
“I’m available to do anything,” Francis told reporters while flying back from a trip to Hungary on Sunday.
“There’s a mission that’s not public that’s underway; when it’s public I’ll talk about it,” the pope said, without providing further details.
Francis said though that he was willing to do “all that is humanly possible” to reunite families.
Russia has been accused of war crimes for deporting children from Ukraine to Russia. Moscow has denied any wrongdoing, saying children were moved for their safety.
Zelenskyy discusses weapons package with Macron
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, on Sunday about new weapons and ammunition deliveries.
“It is very important that Russia receives stronger and stronger signals that the world will not forgive Russia’s terror,” he said in his nightly video message.
He did not provide further details on the package.
Zelenskyy and Macron discussed a new weapons package as Ukrainian forces prepare to launch a counteroffensive against Russian troops.
He added that Kyiv and its international partners must remain united to “protect our shared values” and ensure that the war is not prolonged.,
He thanked several countries, including Denmark, Slovenia, Germany and Spain, for providing howitzers and armed vehicles, along with planned deliveries of grenades.
Russia-Ukraine war: Conflict in Crimea
02:06
Kyiv said Crimea drone strike was preparation for counterattack
A Ukrainian military spokesperson said a drone attack on a Russian fuel depot in Crimea was part of preparations for its planned spring counteroffensive.
“Destruction of enemy logistics is one of the preparatory elements for the powerful actions of our defense forces, which we have been talking about for a long time,” a spokesperson for the Ukrainian army’s Southern Command said on television on Sunday.
“And this work is preparing for the large-scale offensive that everyone is waiting for,” said spokeswoman Nataliya Gumenyuk.
As a result of the strike on Saturday, a large Russian fuel depot caught fire in the port city of Sevastopol in Crimea.
The Ukrainian government has not claimed responsibility for the attack, but the military intelligence service said similar blasts would continue.
More DW coverage on Russia’s war in Ukraine
Ukraine is preparing for what could be a decisive counteroffensive to liberate territories occupied by Russia. The longer Kyiv waits, the better its chances seem to get. DW takes a look at the goals, opportunities and risks of Ukraine’s long-planned counterattack.
dh,rs/fb,sri (Reuters, AP, AFP, dpa)
