The Russian military fired again at night on the Ukrainian capital and the port city of Odessa.
(Photo: Reuters)
Kyiv At the beginning of the week, Ukraine reported Russian airstrikes on several parts of the country, including the capital Kiev. At least five people were injured there by the nightly shelling, Mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote on Monday morning. Among other things, drone parts fell on a residential building. According to the military administration, a total of 30 unmanned missiles were discovered and shot down in the capital’s airspace.
In Odessa, too, the Ukrainian authorities reported fire by Russian Ch-22 cruise missiles. A food warehouse caught fire there.
Russia had invaded the neighboring country more than 14 months ago. The latest attacks hit Ukraine on the day it commemorates the victory over Nazi Germany 78 years ago. Like many other European countries, Ukraine celebrates on May 8th, in contrast to Russia, where the then Soviet victory is traditionally celebrated on May 9th.
Ukraine: Upcoming offensive to ‘panic’ Russia
According to Deputy Defense Minister Volodymyr Havrilov, the expected offensive by the Ukrainian military to recapture occupied territories in the near future will “panic” Russia. President Volodymyr Zelensky wants the world to know the truth about Russia’s misdeeds in Ukraine.
Russian citizens have not yet understood that their propaganda gives them the wrong picture of the situation, Havrilov said in an interview with British newspaper The Independent on Sunday. “This war will be won on the ground, not on TV screens or on the internet.”
Havrilov did not want to name a date for the long-announced offensive. “We will start our counteroffensive – when and where is not important at the moment.”
Zelensky: The world must learn the truth about Russian terror
The Kremlin hid the truth about Russian losses in this war from its own people for a long time. However, the offensive will change that. “You can’t fool your own people for years, especially when they see a difference on the front lines, when they see the dead and the wounded, when they see the families who have lost their homes,” he said. “You cannot hide the death of your son, husband or brother.” Moscow will bear the consequences for this.
Havrilov sees the months of fighting for the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut as proof of the weakness of the Russian war machine. Russia will experience a disaster “sooner or later” at Bakhmut.
According to Zelenskyy, the world must know “all the facts of Russian terror” against the Ukrainians. “It is important that the world speaks about what the terrorist state is doing and how we are protecting lives,” Zelenskiy said in his evening video address on Sunday. In this context, he spoke of constant Russian artillery raids on Cherson or Kharkiv, as well as “terror against villages in the border areas of the Chernihiv and Sumy regions, hell in the Donetsk region”.
Local residents take photos of part of a Russian combat drone shot down by Ukrainian air defenses over the capital Kiev.
(Photo: Reuters)
According to Zelensky, Russia’s most important goal is to destroy security in Ukraine, in Europe and throughout the free world. “Destroying security, bringing death and chaos, that is all a terrorist state does.”
Military spokeswoman: Russians are testing Ukrainian anti-aircraft defenses
The Russian military is looking for weaknesses in Ukraine’s air defenses with constantly changing tactics and attacks, Natalya Humenyuk, spokeswoman for Ukraine’s Army Group South, said on national television on Sunday. “They use everything at their disposal.” Except for high-precision weapons.
With the attacks, the Russian Air Force is looking for Ukrainian anti-aircraft defense sites and is also increasing the psychological pressure on the population.
Ukraine’s anti-aircraft defenses are now armed with a number of modern Western weapon systems, including the US-made Patriot system and the German Iris-T.
Ukrainian general: situation on the Eastern Front “under control”
According to the senior commander Olexander Sirski, the situation on the Ukrainian eastern front is “tense but under control”. As the military leadership announced on Sunday, Sirski had gotten a picture of the situation in the operational areas the day before and discussed further steps with the responsible commanders. It was primarily about the defense of Bachmut and the plan to “inflict maximum damage” on the enemy units of the Wagner mercenary force.
According to Sirski, in recent days the Russian military have increased the intensity of heavy weapon fire, deployed more modern equipment and regrouped their troops. “This indicates that the enemy will not change their plans and will do everything possible to take control of Bakhmut and continue their offensive,” the commander of Ukraine’s Army Group East was quoted as saying.
Russian troops have been trying to capture Bakhmut for months. According to her account, they already control the city almost completely. The Ukrainian troops are putting up fierce resistance there in order to inflict as many losses as possible on their opponents.
This is how the Handelsblatt reports on the Ukraine war:
According to research by several media outlets, Russian secret services are infiltrating or staging demonstrations in major western cities for propaganda purposes. This is intended to create sentiment against Ukraine or to make Sweden’s NATO accession more difficult, the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” reported on Sunday, citing leaked documents that are said to come from the Kremlin’s security apparatus.
That will be important on Monday
The end of the Second World War in 1945 will be remembered in many places in Germany on Monday and Tuesday with commemorative events and demonstrations. In Berlin, several rallies are planned at the Soviet memorials and at the Brandenburg Gate. Police fear tensions over Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. An initial ban on Ukrainian or Russian flags had been overturned by a court.
More: Current news on the development of the Ukraine war can be found in our news blog