May, 04

Troops of the Russian Federation (hereinafter: Russia) continue to launch attacks across conflict front lines. The Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol is among the list of locations targeted by heavy artillery risking the lives of civilians sheltering on the premises of the factory. Furthermore, intense fighting has been reported in the Luhansk oblast. 

Ukrainian troops have launched counterattacks on the border regions of the Mykolayiv and Kherson oblasts. Despite Russia’s military superiority, Ukraine has been said to hold the upper hand in terms of electronic warfare.

Targets and settlements subjected to recent strikes include:

Railways and a railroad bridge in Dnipro

Sea port of Mykolayiv

Kyiv

Kharkiv

Cherkasy

Hulyaipole

Monastery in Rubizhne

Slovyans’k

Svyatohirs’k

Velykomykhailvka 

Russian forces continue to target logistical infrastructure enabling the transportation of weapons and military equipment to Ukrainian troops located on the front lines. Attacks have also targeted logistical hubs vital for Ukraine’s agricultural exports, thus deepening the country’s trade deficit while enhancing Russia’s commercial advantages in the sector.

The Avdiivka coke plant located in the Donetsk oblast has suspended its activities due to recent shelling. The bomb shelters of the plant continue to provide safe havens for civilians fleeing hostilities.

Residents of the Ukrainian territories currently under Russian control continue to be subjected to terror and abuse. Furthermore, the forced transfer of residents of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts to Russian territories has not abated, nor has the confiscation of wheat and grains from local farmers. 

The administrative branch of the Russian military is carrying out attempts to compile a registrar of local entrepreneurs active in the newly occupied territories in Ukraine. The goal of the exercise is to force entrepreneurs to acquire business permits from Russian authorities.

The management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant remains in Russian detention in Enerhodar. Furthermore, approximately 30 volunteer drivers who supported evacuation efforts in the Zaporizhzhia oblast remain in Russian custody. 

A mass grave of 20 civilian bodies has been located in the Kyiv oblast. The total number of civilians killed in the Kyiv oblast since the beginning of the Russian invasion now amounts to 1235 casualties. 

According to the Ombudsman for Human Rights in Ukraine, 1889 Ukrainian children have gone missing since the beginning of hostilities.

Efforts to restore power and water networks across settlements liberated from Russian control in the Kyiv oblast are successfully coming to an end. The Kyiv-Zhytomyr connection on the Warsaw highway has been reopened. 

3 individuals have reportedly been injured by landmines in the Kyiv oblast in the past 24 hours. 

According to a recent survey conducted by Rating, 69% of Ukrainians hold negative attitudes towards Russians and 33% towards Belarusians. Both figures have tripled since the beginning of the year.

Russian officials have accused the Ukrainian political leadership for stalling negotiations. According to President Putin’s Press Secretary, Dmitry Peskov, the standstill is due to Ukraine’s inability to maintain a consistent approach to the diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. In addition, Mr Peskov underscored that statements regarding Russia’s plan to announce a general military mobilization in Russia and declare war on Ukraine on Victory Day are nonsense. 

According to the Director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, the new territorial realities in Ukraine should be recognized by Ukraine and the international community. 

Anti-American and anti-European narratives continues to be spread across the Russian mediascape. These narratives have been coupled with direct criticism and threats against countries supporting Ukraine’s military efforts. For example, the Russian Minister of Defence, Sergey Shoigu, stated that NATO vehicles carrying weapons and ammunition for the Ukrainian forces were going to be targeted. The sentiment was echoed by the Head of the Russian Delegation in Vienna, Konstantin Havrilov, who confirmed that military support provided for Ukraine would be met with retaliatory strikes. Furthermore, as per Russian sources, military aid provided to Ukraine lacks popular support in donor countries. The blatant disregard of public sentiments is expected to impact future electoral outcomes across Europe. 

Russian sources have spread claims of Poland planning to occupy territories in western Ukraine. The messages have been coupled with statements confirming that the Russian military is ready to stop Poland’s advances. In addition, the Russian information space is seeing claims of the USA preparing to launch a nuclear strike on the territory of Ukraine. 

A “yellow” or heightened level of terrorist threat has been extended to seven regions in the Crimean peninsula. Claims regarding the threat of Ukrainian terrorism are being spread across Russia.

Russian official sources continue to share reports on the army’s achievements in Ukraine. The reports underscore that only military objectives have been targeted by Russian troops. 

 According to Russian officials, the country has embarked on a humanitarian mission in Ukraine. The First Deputy Head of the Administration of the Russian President, Sergey Kiriyenko, visited the headquarters of the volunteer movement #WeStandTogether in Rostov-on-Don, from where humanitarian aid is being distributed across the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics. Governors from several regions across Russia have expressed their commitment to humanitarian aid efforts carried out in Ukraine. 

The Russian political leadership continues to accuse the Ukrainian army of violating humanitarian law and carrying out war crimes against its own citizens.