Deaths, Shootings Reported in Aftermath of Ukrainian Dam Collapse
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russian forces were shooting at Ukrainians trying to rescue people from flooded areas following Tuesday’s collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam; at least three people have died, an exiled Ukrainian mayor said, and the humanitarian organization CARE International said that landmines are likely floating in the floodwaters (CNN)
Additionally, the state-owned hydropower company warned reservoir levels are nearing a “dead zone,” after which there will be no water intake for regional water supplies or for cooling the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station (Reuters)
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said yesterday that Kyiv plans to open ten new embassies in Africa and boost grain exports to the continent; Ukraine has expressed concern in the past over African countries’ ties with Russia (Bloomberg)
Flooding from Ukrainian Dam Collapse Triggers Mass Evacuations
Thousands of people were attempting to flee flooded homes in southern Ukraine today in the aftermath of yesterday’s collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam (FT)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said hundreds of thousands lacked access to drinking water (BBC)
Meanwhile, a European intelligence report shared with the United States in June 2022 said the Ukrainian military had planned an attack on the Nord Stream gas pipeline that was destroyed in September 2022; the White House and the CIA declined to comment on the WashingtonPost’s report (WaPo)
Destruction of Major Dam in Southern Ukraine Risks Massive Flooding
The collapse of a wall at the Nova Kakhovka dam today triggered flooding and evacuations from the nearby city; the breach sparked concerns that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant could be denied the water it needs for cooling, though the UN nuclear watchdog said a separate pond has enough water to cool the plant “for some months” (AP)
Kyiv and Moscow both blamed the other for the disaster; the dam lies on the Dnipro River, which separates Russia- and Ukraine-controlled regions of Ukraine, though Russia has controlled the dam since early on in the war (Reuters)
A Ukrainian nongovernmental organization estimated that nearly one hundred towns and villages would be flooded in the aftermath (PBS)
Meanwhile, a diplomatic advisor to the French president and the director of China’s Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission agreed to “create conditions for the start of political settlement” of the war in Ukraine, China’s foreign ministry said; a Chinese special envoy for Eurasian affairs toured European capitals, including Paris, to promote peace talks last week (SCMP)
Russia, Ukraine Report Fighting on Front Lines
A spokesperson for Russia’s defense ministry said that Ukrainian forces staged attacks yesterday in the Russia-controlled Donetsk region, while Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security, a government agency, called the claims false; separately, the founder of Russia’s paramilitary Wagner Group said Ukrainian forces had advanced near the eastern city of Bakhmut, and a Ukrainian commander posted a video today of Ukrainian forces firing on Russian positions in the area (FT)
The reports come after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last week that Ukraine was ready to launch a counteroffensive against Russia; a video posted this weekend by several Ukrainian soldiers urged silence about upcoming operations (WSJ)
Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden will host Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen at the White House today to discuss providing Ukrainian forces with U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets in the coming months; Biden will meet with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Thursday for similar talks (AP)
France’s Macron Calls for Security Guarantees, Path to NATO Membership for Ukraine
French President Emmanuel Macron called for the first time for a clear pathway for Ukraine to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) at a security forum yesterday in Norway; Ukraine has long sought entry to both the military alliance and the European Union (EU) (FT)
European leaders are expected to show solidarity with Ukraine and fellow EU applicant Moldova at a one-day summit today in Moldova’s capital, Chișinău (AP)
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock diverged from Macron’s position, telling reporters that “we cannot talk about new membership in the middle of the war;” acknowledging the difficulty to reach a consensus on NATO membership for Ukraine, Macron also suggested providing Ukraine with security guarantees that are similar to the ones the United States provides Israel (Bloomberg)
Drones Attack Civilian Areas in Moscow for First Time During Russia-Ukraine War
Drones hit a wealthy residential area of Moscow today, injuring two people, Moscow’s mayor said; Russia blamed Ukraine for the strike in Moscow, and while an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Kyiv was not directly involved in the attack, he predicted more would occur (Reuters)
Kyiv was also attacked by a barrage of drone strikes today, which officials said killed at least one person (Reuters)
Russian President Vladimir Putin did not immediately comment on the drone attack in Moscow, but the head of the private military force Wagner Group said that the attack highlighted the Russian military’s shortcomings regarding drone warfare (NYT)
Belarusian President Says Russian Nuclear Warheads Have Arrived for Storage
Russia and Belarus recently agreed that Russia could deploy tactical nuclear weapons from the neighboring country, the first time Russia has moved to do so outside its borders since 1991 (The Guardian)
U.S. Officials: Ukrainian Military Likely Orchestrated Drone Attack Over Kremlin
Ukraine’s special military or intelligence units were likely behind the failed drone attack earlier this month, unnamed U.S. officials told the New York Times;it was unclear whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy knew about the operation, they said (NYT)
Meanwhile, the European Union has frozen over $215 billion worth of Russia’s assets since the country invaded Ukraine last year, according to a new tally (Bloomberg)
Russia Urges India to Help It Avoid International Financial Blacklists
The Kremlin is using economic threats to pressure India and other governments to urge the Financial Action Task Force, a global money-laundering watchdog, not to add Russia to a “black list” or “gray list” that would penalize its business partners, Bloomberg reported (Bloomberg)
Meanwhile, Russia’s interior minister visited Saudi Arabia to discuss security affairs; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was there just days earlier addressing an Arab League summit (AP)
Anti-Putin Russian Fighters Claim Attack on Russian Villages
The Freedom of Russia Legion, which says its fighters are Russians, claimed yesterday’s ground attacks in the Belgorod region near Russia’s border with Ukraine; Russian officials blamed Kyiv for the attacks, but Kyiv denied responsibility (NYT)
Meanwhile, Denmark would like to host peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in July, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said; the talks would require engagement from countries including Brazil, China, and India, he said (Reuters)
Biden: U.S. Would Help Train Ukrainian Pilots to Use F-16 Fighter Jets
President Biden did not offer details on when the jets would be delivered by Western countries but said President Zelenskyy confirmed that they would not be used to enter Russian territory (Reuters)
Ukraine Launches Attacks on Bakhmut’s Outskirts After Russia Claims It Took City
Russian forces said they captured the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut over the weekend, but Ukrainian officials disputed the claim and said their forces were advancing on the city’s northern and southern outskirts today (Reuters)
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended the G7 summit in Hiroshima and discussed the war in Ukraine with leaders from the lower-income nations often referred to as the Global South, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Nikkei)
Ukraine’s Zelenksyy Attends Arab League Summit
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a surprise stop in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, today to attend the annual Arab League summit at Riyadh’s invitation; Zelenskyy aims to shore up Ukraine’s ties with Arab nations, he tweeted (NYT)
At the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima, the G7 announced in a joint statement it will broaden export controls on Russia to include industrial machinery and other technologies that could be used in its war against Ukraine (Reuters)
Meanwhile, authorities arrested the top judge on Ukraine’s Supreme Court as part of a widening anticorruption probe (NYT)
Leaders Arrive in Japan for G7 Focused on Ukraine War
G7 leaders are also expected to discuss Kyiv’s plan for ending the war in Ukraine; the proposal calls for Russia’s full withdrawal from Ukrainian territory, unlike a China-proposed plan to end the war (FT)
Ukrainian officials recently hosted a Chinese delegation touting that plan (France24)
Meanwhile, an underestimation by the White House of the value of military aid that can be offered to Ukraine will free up $3 billion in additional support that can be sent without new congressional approval, the Joe Biden administration told lawmakers (CNN)
Russia Agrees to Extend Black Sea Grain Deal for Two More Months
The United Nations and Turkey brokered the deal last July to allow Ukraine to export grain through the Black Sea amid its war with Russia; the agreement has been repeatedly extended since then (BBC)
Germany Announces Nearly $3 Billion in Military Aid to Ukraine
The package, which includes tanks and air defense systems, is almost equivalent in value to the entirety of German military aid to Ukraine since the war began in February 2022 (NYT)
Chinese Envoy Begins Visit to Kyiv, Moscow
Li Hui, Chinese special representative for Eurasian affairs, is Beijing’s highest-ranking official to visit Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began last February (Reuters)
Beijing said the trip aims to discuss a “political settlement” to the war, but it is unclear whether Li will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy; Li, a former ambassador to Moscow, is due to spend two days in Ukraine before traveling on to Poland, France, Germany, and Russia (Bloomberg)
As Li’s visit began, Russian attacks triggered air raid sirens across Kyiv; Ukrainian military officials said that Ukrainian forces intercepted eighteen Russian missiles that were fired overnight, including six hypersonic missiles (Reuters)
Meanwhile, Russia exported 8.3 million barrels per day in April; Moscow is increasingly able to circumvent Western sanctions by shipping to non-Western countries such as China and India, the International Energy Agency said (FT)
European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said yesterday that the EU should prevent India from reselling refined Russian oil in Europe (FT)
Ukraine Makes Gains Near Bakhmut, Says It Needs More Time for Counteroffensive
Ukrainian troops have advanced against Russian fighters, gaining roughly 3 square kilometers (1.2 square miles) outside the embattled city of Bakhmut, officials on both sides said (RFE/RL)
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv needs more time to prepare for a broader counteroffensive against Russia, as it is still awaiting deliveries of promised aid (BBC)
Meanwhile, a foreign affairs advisor to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, known as Lula, met with President Zelenksyy and Ukraine’s deputy foreign minister in Kyiv yesterday to discuss the war; the meeting came after Lula drew criticism from Western nations for refusing to send weapons to Ukraine and saying that Kyiv shares some of the blame for Russia’s invasion (AP)
French Journalist Killed Near Bakhmut
A rocket attack near the city of Bakhmut killed French journalist Arman Soldin; he is the fifteenth journalist to be killed covering Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (Politico)
Putin Holds Scaled-Down Military Parade After Alleged Drone Strike on Kremlin
The event commemorating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany was scaled down due to security concerns related to last week’s alleged drone attack at the Kremlin, which Moscow called an attempt to assassinate President Vladimir Putin (WaPo)
Wagner Group Chief Says Bakhmut Fighters Have Been Promised More Ammunition
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the commander of the Russian mercenary group, previously threatened to withdraw his fighters from the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut over a lack of supplies (NYT)
Separately, Ukraine said it shot down thirty-five drones that attacked Kyiv overnight (Bloomberg)
Wagner Boss Threatens to Leave Bakhmut Over Lack of Support From Moscow
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the commander of the Wagner Group mercenary organization, threatened to pull his forces out of the Ukrainian city by May 9, saying Moscow is not providing enough ammunition for his fighters (NYT)
Russia Launches Strikes on Ukrainian Cities as Kyiv Denies Role in Kremlin Explosions
Russian forces launched aerial attacks on Kyiv and Odesa last night after two drones exploded over the Kremlin yesterday; no casualties were immediately reported from the strikes on Kyiv and Odesa (NYT)
Moscow initially called the blasts a foiled Ukrainian attempt to assassinate Russian President Vladimir Putin; Kyiv categorically denied the accusation (WaPo)
After Moscow today turned its blame toward the United States, U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby denied U.S. involvement (Reuters)
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in The Hague, the headquarters of the International Criminal Court, where he called for a special tribunal to prosecute Putin for war crimes; the court issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March (NYT)
Kremlin Accuses Ukraine of Attacking Moscow
The Kremlin believes a foileddrone attack in Moscow last night was a Kyiv-orchestrated assassination attempt on President Vladimir Putin and reserves the right to respond, Russia’s state news agency said; Ukraine did not immediately comment on the accusation (BBC)
U.S. Notes Uptick in Russian War Casualties
More than twenty thousand Russian soldiers have been killed and over eighty thousand have been injured in the war in Ukraine since December, according to estimates by U.S. intelligence officials; many of the troops died in trench warfare around the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut (The Guardian)