In this photo taken on Thursday, May 4, 2023, Ukrainian air force pilots stand near their Su-25 ... [+]
Dispatches from Ukraine. Day 442.
As Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues and the war rages on, reliable sources of information are critical. Forbes gathers information and provides updates on the situation.
Regional.
Bakhmut. Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, who heads Ukraine's ground forces command, says Russian units have retreated as much as two kilometers (about 1.2 miles) on separate fronts in the face of Ukrainian army attacks in the Bakhmut area. Syrskyi lauded Ukraine's defense operations in the sector, which so exhausted Wagner group forces that less trained units of the Russian regular army had to replace them. Although Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced earlier today that logistical shortages are delaying Ukraine's long-awaited counter-offensive, Yevgeny Prigozhin, commander of the Wagner group, believes that the offensive already is “in full swing.”
Donetsk region. Russian forces fired S-300 missiles into residential areas of the town of Sloviansk today, killing one woman and destroying a number of homes. Another Russian attack today on the town of Toretsk wounded eight civilians.
Kharkiv region. Russian shelling of the town of Vovchyansk yesterday killed a 67-year-old man and damaged five residential buildings. Two people also were wounded by Russian fire today in the village of Velykyi Burluk.
World.
The United Kingdom has supplied Ukraine with Storm Shadow cruise missiles, granting the country a new long-range strike capability in preparation for its counter-offensive against Russian forces. UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, addressing the House of Commons today, announced that “The donation of these weapons systems gives Ukraine the best chance to defend themselves against Russia’s continued brutality, especially the deliberate targeting of Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, which is against international law.” With a range exceeding 250 kilometers (about 150 miles), Storm Shadow cruise missiles can reach Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland has authorized the first transfer of seized Russian assets to Ukraine. The Justice Department last year accused Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev of financing separatist activities in Crimea in violation of sanctions imposed on Russia and froze “millions of dollars” from an account at an American financial institution linked to Malofeyev. “While this represents the United States’ first transfer of forfeited Russian funds for the rebuilding of Ukraine,” Garland declared, “it will not be the last.”
The US Department of Defense announced a further $1.2 billion assistance package to Ukraine on May 9. The aid, supplied under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI
The European Parliament has voted in favor of extending suspension of import duties on Ukrainian agriculture for an additional year. The suspension, which applies to fruits, vegetables and processed agricultural products, follows the body’s commitment to support Ukraine's war-torn economy. “I strongly support renewing the trade-liberalization measures that currently help ensure Ukrainian trade can continue amidst the brutal war caused by Russia,” Rapporteur Sandra Kalniete said. “These measures are pivotal to strengthening Ukraine’s resilience, as we work to advance Ukraine’s gradual integration into the EU internal market.”
The U.S. State Department yesterday underscored the urgent need to extend the Black Sea Grain Initiative, by which Ukraine has exported tons of grain and other foodstuffs from Black Sea ports threatened by Russia. Russia recently withdrew from the agreement. “The world shouldn’t need to remind Moscow every few weeks to stop using people’s hunger as a weapon in their war against Ukraine," said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Negotiations on extension of the initiative, involving senior officials from Turkey, Russia and Ukraine, began yesterday in Istanbul.
On The Culture Front.
Two Pulitzer Prizes have been awarded to the Associated Press for its coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine along with a public service award for dispatches from Mariupol. During almost three weeks spent on the ground, AP's international team of video journalist Mstyslav Chernov, photographer Evgeniy Maloletka and video producer Vasilisa Stepanenko captured evidence of Russian troops shelling civilian areas. One memorable image shows rescuers evacuating a pregnant woman from a maternity hospital bombarded minutes earlier. “They told the world of the human toll of this war in its earliest days,” Julie Pace, AP Executive Editor, said of the news team. “They served as a counterweight against Russian disinformation, and they helped open up a humanitarian corridor out of Mariupol with the power of their work.”
The much-anticipated Eurovision Song Contest kicked off on May 9, with England assuming the role of host on behalf of Ukraine. As the United Kingdom extends a warm welcome to participants and fans, an embrace of Ukrainian culture appears in everything from visually captivating Ukrainian-inspired motifs to intricately designed sets. Ukraine’s entry, TVORCHI, showed up opening night in black and red suits adorned with the embroidered names and weights of premature children born amidst the full-scale invasion; the duo, in partnership with Visa
The American pop rock band Imagine Dragons has released a music video for its single "Crushed," filmed by director Ty Arnold at the front lines in Ukraine. “Crushed” tells the true story of Sasha, a 14-year-old Ukrainian boy forced to live in a shelter for months while Russian forces occupy and bomb his village. After Ukrainian forces liberate the village, the boy finds his home, his streets and his school in ruins. Imagine Dragons are the ambassadors of President Zelenskyy's platform UNITED24 and Ty Arnold spent last winter in Ukraine delivering supplies to people in immediate need.
By Daria Dzysiuk, Alan Sacks