Ukraine Russia war latest news: Mariupol steelworks shelling resumes as doctors describe dire bunker conditions

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Humanitarian corridor ‘working for first time’ says Volodymyr Zelensky

Russia has reportedly resumed shelling of the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol following the evacuation of dozens of civilians from the site, a Ukrainian official said.

The United Nations had conducted a “safe passage operation” for civilians in the steelworks, which was serving as the last-remaining Ukrainian stronghold in the city of Mariupol.

Up to 1,000 civilians are thought to have been stuck underneath the Azovstal plant with minimal supplies alongside hundreds of fighters – some said to be suffering with festering wounds – after Vladimir Putin told Russian troops to block the area last week “so that a fly can’ t get through”.

One evacuee from the steelworks said that survivors still trapped inside were running out of food. “Children always wanted to eat. You know, adults can wait,” she said.

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky appeared to indicate he would meet with an initial group of 100 evacuees in the town of Zaporizhzhia on Monday.

Key pointsShow latest update 1651501874Ukraine admits ‘Ghost of Kyiv’ fighter pilot is a myth

Authorities in Ukraine have admitted that the “Ghost Kyiv”, a hero who is believed to have shot down a vast number of Russian military aircraft, is a myth.

“The Ghost of Kyiv is a super-hero legend whose character was created by Ukrainians!” Ukraine’s air force said in a statement on Facebook.

Read the full story by Sravasti Dasgupta here:

Holly Bancroft2 May 2022 15:31

1651500014’I want to see hanged’, says Gazprom executive who fled Russia

Russian gas executive Igor Volobuyev, who fled the country days after Moscow invaded its neighbor and emerged in Kyiv, has asked for Vladimir Putin to be hanged for his actions for launching a military assault in Ukraine.

“[Mr] Putin has to be put on trial and hanged. But only in accordance with the law,” the Gazprom vice-president told The Telegraph.

Read the full story by Arpan Rai here:

Holly Bancroft2 May 2022 15:00

1651498067Israel demands Russia apologise for ‘lie’ that Hitler had Jewish roots, as row over Lavrov comment deepens

Mr Lavrov had argued that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s Jewish ancestry did not matter.

Read the full story by Alisha Rahaman Sarkar here:

Holly Bancroft2 May 2022 14:27

1651496714Ukrainian foreign minister slams Lavrov’s remarks about Hitler

Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba has said that Sergei Lavrov’s remarks about Adolf Hilter show “the deeply-rooted antisemitism of the Russian elites.”

Russian foreign minister Mr Lavrov had said that Ukraine could still have Nazi elements even if the country’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has Jewish ancestry.

Mr Kuleba condemned the comments, writing on Twitter: “Lavrov could not help hiding the deeply rooted antisemitism of the Russian elites.

“His heinous remarks are offensive to President Zelenskyy, Ukraine, Israel, and the Jewish people. More broadly, they demonstrate that today’s Russia is full of hatred towards other nations.”

(AP)

Holly Bancroft2 May 2022 14:05

1651494734 Russian troops plunder Ukrainian farm equipment

Russian troops in the city of Melitopol have stolen a significant amount of farm equipment and shipped it to Chechnya, according to a Ukrainian businessman.

CNN reported that, despite the soldiers shipping the equipment more than 700 miles, they will not be able to use it because it has been locked remotely.

A contact told the news outlet that the Russian army started by seizing two combine harvesters, a tractor and a seeder. Over the next few weeks they then removed the rest of the machinery – amounting to 27 pieces in total.

However the contact fears that the thieves may be able to find an expert to help them bypass the locking system.

“Even if they sellers for spare parts, they will earn some more,” they told CNN.

Holly Bancroft2 May 2022 13:32

1651492874US house speaker Nancy Pelosi visits Warsaw, Poland after Ukraine trip

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has led a top-level US congressional delegation to Warsaw to express gratitude to Poland for their support for Ukraine.

Ms Pelosi met with Polish president Andrzej Duda and Polish lawmakers.

In a statement after the meeting with Mr Duda, Ms Pelosi called him “a valued partner in supporting the people of Ukraine in the face of Putin’s brutal and unprovoked war.”

She said that during their meeting the members of her delegation “expressed America’s deep gratitude to the Polish government and Polish people for opening their hearts and homes to Ukrainian refugees, and we reaffirmed our nation’s pledge to continue supporting Poland’s humanitarian efforts.”

(EPA)

Polish President Andrzej Duda (L), US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi (2L) and members of the US congressional delegation during an official welcome ceremony before their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw, Poland

(EPA)

US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, left, and Poland’s President Andrzej Duda shake hands in Warsaw

(AP)

Holly Bancroft2 May 2022 13:01

1651491074’That’s absurd’: German government reacts to Lavrov’s Nazism comments

A spokesperson for the German government has condemned Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov’s comments about Nazism as “absurd”, adding that “Russian propaganda isn’t worth another comment”.

Mr Lavrov had tried to claim that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky could still suscribe to Nazism even though he had Jewish ancestry.

Israel has forcefully condemned the comments, with their foreign minsiter saying: “The lowest level of racism against Jews is to blame Jews themselves for antisemitism.”

Holly Bancroft2 May 2022 12:31

1651489814Russia ‘forced to merge depleted units from failed advances in Ukraine’, UK says

As Vladimir Putin turns his focus to Ukraine’s Donbas region, Russia has “been forced to merge and redeploy depleted and disparate units” already weary from Moscow’s failed offensives near Kyiv, the UK government has claimed.

In an intelligence update on Saturday, the Ministry of Defense (MoD) suggested that the Kremlin was seeking to “rectify” the tactical and logistical issues which have hampered its invasion of Ukraine to date.

Moscow is hoping to achieve this by “geographically concentrating combat power, shortening supply lines and simplifying command and control”, the MoD said.

Read the full story by Andy Gregory here:

Holly Bancroft2 May 2022 12:10

1651488314Watch: Ukrainians denounce dire conditions in Mariupol bunkers

‘Our resources are extremely limited. Men are literally dying before our eyes’, says a doctor from one of Mariupol bunkers.

Soldiers and wounded there are slowly running out of supplies and many are in desperate need of medical attention.

Watch the full video article here:

Ukrainians denounce dire conditions in Mariupol bunkers

Holly Bancroft2 May 2022 11:45

1651486814Russian rocket strike hits bridge in southwest Ukraine – reports

A Russian missile strike has hit a strategically important bridge in southwest Ukraine, local authorities have said.

The bridge, which runs across the Bniester estuary in the Odesa region, had already been hit twice, Reuters reported.

It provides the only road and rail link on the Ukrainian territory to a large southern section of the Odesa region.

The strike was reported by Serhiy Bratchuk, the Odesa regional administration’s spokesperson.

Holly Bancroft2 May 2022 11:20

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