May, 03

Troops of the Russian Federation (hereinafter: Russia) continue to launch attacks across conflict front in Ukraine. Conflict developments on Tuesday 3^rd include:

Russian troops targeted the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol with strikes, despite ongoing civilian evacuations;

The Ukrainian army managed to push back on Russia’s onslaughts and shelled Russian ammunition depots and destroyed a Russian military command centre in the Mykolayiv and Kherson oblasts;

The Ukrainian army continued to launch counteroffensives and managed to push Russian troops further back towards the east; 

The Zaporizhzhia oblast was targeted by Russian missiles for the first time since the beginning of the invasion;

Ukrainian troops shot down two Russian cruise missiles close to Vinnytsia.

Settlements located in the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolayiv, Kirovohrad, Kherson, Kharkiv, and Sumy oblasts have been shelled. Areas and objects targeted include:

A water area near the city of Ochakiv in the Mykolayiv oblast; 

The central park in Kharkiv;

An agricultural complex storing more than 25 000 tons of corn in Rubizhne;

The Avdiivka coke plant in the Donetsk oblast killing at least 10 and wounding 15 civilians; 

Lviv and the surrounding areas of Kyiv.

According to the United States Department of Defence, Russia has launched 2125 missile strikes on Ukrainian territory since the beginning of hostilities.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has registered 3193 civilians killed and 3353 wounded in Ukraine since the start of Russia’s invasion. According to the Ukrainian officials, the figures do not reflect reality as searches for the disappeared individuals continue in the territories liberated from Russian occupation.

A civilian mass grave has been located in the Kyiv oblast. 

According to Ukrainian estimates, the Russian army has lost 76 000 soldiers. Neither party to the conflict has provided verified information on their losses for several weeks.

Russian forces continue to terrorize the residents living in the territories it controls in Ukraine. Russian troops have, for example, continued to abduct activists and officials, with recent abductions in the Zaporizhzhia oblast including the major of the Civil Protection Service, two former military staff members, and several civilians. In addition, the Mayor of Chornobayivka, Ihor Dudar, has been abducted in the Kherson oblast. Abductions have been coupled with the stealing of grains and crops from farmers located in the occupied territories.

A mined scooter detonated in the occupied city of Melitopol. The explosion is assumed to have been an act of provocation by the Russian secret services.  

Ukrainians living in the territories controlled by the Russian forces continue to defy the occupation through information and communication campaigns. Despite the acts of resilience, conditions regarding freedom of expression are dire across conflict zones. More than 20 Ukrainian and foreign journalists have been killed and more than 100 regional media outlets ceased their operations since the beginning of hostilities.

Russian troops continue to use the port of Berdyansk for military purposes. 

According to the United Nations, more than 30% of  agricultural fields in Ukraine will remain unsown due to the war.

Transnistria is becoming increasingly entangled in the Russian invasion and the situation in Ukraine. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Transnistria made a statement on Tuesday confirming an attempted terrorist attack with an unmanned aerial vehicle loaded with explosives in the village of Mayak. 

The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, discussed the situation in Ukraine in a phone call on Tuesday. President Putin was reported to have stated that Russia remains open to dialogue despite the unwillingness of Kyiv to take similar steps. President Putin also emphasized the disregard shown by European nations to investigate the war crimes committed by the Ukrainian military. 

The Investigative Committee of Russia continues to spread statements regarding the development of biological weapons in Ukraine. 

Russian officials continue to lash out at the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, calling him “the president of war”. For example, the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Medvedev, stated that President Zelensky benefits from the continuation of conflict as it secures power for the Ukrainian authorities currently in power. 

According to independent Russian media sources, the administration of President Putin is concerned about the critical statements made by popular Russian musicians, actors, directors, and stand-up comedians regarding the president’s policies in Ukraine. The president’s administration has thus taken on measures to counter the influence of opinion leaders through regional campaigns implemented by local authorities. These campaigns seek to denounce public figures who have made statements against the war, and a recent example of such a campaign is the hanging of posters across Krasnoyars with comedians, actors and singers who spoke out against the war.

Russian sources continue to spread information about Russia’s military accomplishments across Ukraine, including the shelling of Odesa. Reports about successes have been coupled with articles and stories presenting the Ukrainian army and military leadership in negative light. 

The Russian Committee of Soldiers’ Mothers made a statement regarding the attempts of the Russian government to conscript physically unfit citizens into the army. A number of such cases have been reported, underscoring the continuation of mobilization efforts in Russia.