May 3, 2023 - Russia-Ukraine news

By Kathleen Magramo, Sophie Tanno, Adrienne Vogt, Aditi Sangal and Maureen Chowdhury, CNN

Updated 12:02 a.m. ET, May 4, 2023

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3:51 a.m. ET, May 3, 2023

Russian state media claims oil depot blaze near Crimea was caused by a drone strike

From CNN's Josh Pennington and Seb Shukla

A view across the Kerch Strait shows smoke rising above a fuel depot near the Crimea bridge in Russia's Krasnodar region as seen from a coastline in Crimea, on May 3. (Stringer/Reuters)

An alleged drone strike ignited a fire that engulfed an oil storage facility in southwestern Russia's Krasnodar region on Wednesday, according to Russian state media.

Without offering any evidence, state-run news agency TASS said the blaze in the port of Volna near a bridge linking Russia to annexed Crimea was "due to the fall of drone."

Videos published on social media and geolocated by CNN show the oil storage tanks burning.

The facility is located close to the Kerch bridge that was set ablaze by Ukrainian forces in October 2022. It is unclear how the fuel storage tank caught fire and Ukraine has not commented on the incident.

Krasnodar Gov. Veniamin Kondratyev said in a Telegram post that nearly 200 firefighters were trying to extinguish the blaze.

There were no casualties and residents were not in danger, he added.

4:04 a.m. ET, May 3, 2023

Russia launches new wave of drone attacks across Ukraine

From CNN's Duarte Mendonca

Traces of explosions are seen in the sky over the city during a Russian drone strike in Kyiv on May 3. (Gleb Garanich/Reuters)

Russia on Wednesday launched another wave of drone attacks against multiple regions of Ukraine, including the capital, Ukrainian authorities said.

Ukraine’s Air Force Command said 21 of 26 Iranian-made Shahed fired by Russia had been destroyed, with no casualties or extensive damage reported yet.

Kyiv attacks: The capital was hit with Shahed drones on Wednesday for a third time in six days, according to Serhii Popko, head of the Kyiv city military administration

“The enemy's tactics also remain usual and unchanged — with the onset of darkness, the terrorist country launched its barrage munitions from different directions,” Popko said on Telegram.

In eastern Ukraine: Another drone attack set fire to a building in the Dnipropetrovsk region, according to regional military chief Serhiy Lysak. He said the Ukrainian air force had shot down seven drones over Dnipropetrovsk and emergency services were working to determine the impact of the attack.

In central Ukraine: Three drone strikes hit the Kirovohrad region, setting an oil depot on fire.

1:58 a.m. ET, May 3, 2023

Zelensky says he learned of Pentagon leak from news reports

From CNN's Jack Forrest

Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a conference in Kyiv, Ukraine on April 28. (Stringer/AP)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had no conversations with the White House after a trove of classified US intelligence documents were posted on social media, he told The Washington Post Monday.

In an interview with the Post, Zelensky said he learned about the Pentagon leak through news coverage and claimed he “did not receive information from the White House or the Pentagon beforehand.”

“We did not have that information. I personally did not. It’s definitely a bad story,” he said, calling it “unprofitable” for Ukraine, as well as “also not beneficial to the reputation of the White House, and I believe it is not beneficial to the reputation of the United States.”

A US official told CNN, “We are in constant communication with our Ukrainian counterparts about a range of issues, including over the unauthorized disclosures, but we aren’t going to get into the details of those private discussions.”

Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said Tuesday he couldn’t speak to Zelensky’s claims, telling CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin “conducted a large number of phone calls” to allies and partners, including to Austin’s Ukrainian counterpart, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov.

“I don’t want to speak for President Zelensky. … The United States, the Department of Defense, we remain committed to working very closely with Ukraine and our international allies and partners to ensure that they have the security assistance they need to be able to defend their country and take back their sovereign territory,” Ryder said.

The documents allegedly leaked by 21-year-old Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira appeared to catch the Biden administration flat-footed, disclosing a blunt US intelligence assessment of the war in Ukraine, as well as details revealing US intelligence collection on allies.

Read more here.

3:41 a.m. ET, May 3, 2023

Fire breaks out at Russian oil facility near Crimea bridge

From CNN's Heather Law and Josh Pennington

A view across the Kerch Strait shows smoke rising above a fuel depot near the Crimean bridge in the village of Volna in Russia's Krasnodar region as seen from a coastline in Crimea, on May 3. (Stringer/Reuters)

A large fire broke out at an oil storage facility in southwestern Russia near a key bridge linking the country to Crimea, a Russian official said Wednesday.

In a Telegram post, Krasnodar Gov. Veniamin Kondratyev said the blaze in the port of Volna "was of the worst severity" but had been contained. No casualties were reported, he added.

The facility is located close to the Kerch bridge that was set ablaze by Ukrainian forces in October 2022. It is unclear how the fuel storage tank caught fire.

Ukraine has not commented on the incident.

1:04 a.m. ET, May 3, 2023

No exact start date for Ukrainian counteroffensive, Kherson official says

From CNN's Olga Voitovych

Yurii Sobolevskyi, first deputy head of Ukraine’s Kherson regional council, said he doesn't think a specific date will be announced for an expected counteroffensive in the south.

"In fact, what the Ukrainian Armed Forces are doing in our southern sector may be considered a counteroffensive: maintaining fire control, constantly destroying military targets, and reducing the enemy's combat capability," he said.

"Therefore, I don't think there will be a date from which it will be considered that the counteroffensive has already begun," Sobolevskyi said.

He expressed optimism that Ukraine will be able to take back its territory from Russia.

"Because what is happening now in the temporarily occupied territory is just a nightmare. This should not happen in the 21st century. These are torture chambers, forced passportization, and deportation of children, etc.," he alleged.

"All Ukrainians now have a single wish: our victory and peace, because Ukraine never wanted war, and now it is forced to defend itself. We want everything to end in our victory so that we can resume our lives, the development of our country in the European family and the entire civilized world. For me personally, this is important because our people, the people of Kherson, are there [on the occupied territories] now, and I feel responsible for them as well. It is very hard indeed for our people in the temporarily occupied territories," Sobolevskyi said.

Remember: In November 2022, Ukrainian troops advanced through much of the city of Kherson and its surrounding area, forcing Russian fighters to retreat to the Dnipro River's east bank.

11:47 p.m. ET, May 2, 2023

White House offers rare praise for House Speaker McCarthy over comments supporting aid to Ukraine

From CNN's Maegan Vazquez

Kevin McCarthy speaks during an interview in Washington, DC, on Thursday, April 27. (Al Drago/Bloomberg/Getty Images)

The White House on Tuesday offered rare praise for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy after he said he supports aid to Ukraine and called out Russian atrocities resulting from the invasion.

“We’re glad to hear that Speaker McCarthy agrees it is vital to keep supporting Ukraine. It was good to hear him push back on propaganda put forth by Russian state news outlets, as we have seen,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during the press briefing.

In Israel on Monday, a Russian reporter asked McCarthy if the US posture of sending supplies and aid to Ukraine will change and implied that the speaker did not support Ukraine.

“Did he say I don't support aid to Ukraine? No. I voted for aid for Ukraine. I support aid for Ukraine. I do not support what your country has done to Ukraine. I do not support your killing of the children either. And I think for one standpoint, you should pull out, and I don't think it's right. And we will continue to support, because the rest of the world sees it just as it is,” he said.

While McCarthy has said he supports Ukraine, he has also told reporters he would not support “a blank check” for aid requested by the Biden administration.

On Tuesday, Jean-Pierre underscored that “the widespread bipartisan support that we’ve seen in Congress for Ukraine has been critical to those efforts, and we agree that it is important for that support to continue. And we’re glad to hear that from Speaker McCarthy.”

11:52 p.m. ET, May 2, 2023

China should push Russia to end war in Ukraine, US ambassador says

From CNN's Jennifer Hansler

Nicholas Burns speaks in Washington, U.S. on October 20, 2021. (Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters)

The United States wants to see China press Russia to end its war in Ukraine, US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns said Tuesday.

"What we need to see from China is to push Russia to withdraw its troops and so that Ukraine can have all of its territory back and can be fully sovereign again in all aspects of that word," Burns said at an event at the foreign affairs think tank Stimson Center, which he attended virtually.

"It’d be helpful if China pushed Russia to cease bombing of Ukrainian schools, and Ukrainian hospitals, and Ukrainian apartment buildings. We’ve seen a tremendous loss of life just in the last month or two under this vicious Russian aerial assault and drone attacks on Ukrainian civilians," he continued. "So I think that's what we would like and I'm sure that's what the European countries would like, that's what Ukraine wants from China."

Burns said the recent conversation between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was "a good first step," but it's unclear if any action will follow it.

"We would like to see China be much more tough-minded in its advice to the Russians. We'd like to see action to end the war as quickly as possible in terms, of course, that the Ukrainian government can accept," he said.

Burns said the US has been watching the issue of China potentially providing lethal aid to Russia "very carefully now for many months."

"We have not seen evidence that the Chinese are doing that, but we continue to watch it," he said.

Some context: Beijing has claimed neutrality on the war in Ukraine, but has not condemned Russia’s invasion and instead bolstered its economic and diplomatic ties with Moscow over the past year.

11:58 p.m. ET, May 2, 2023

Kremlin says it is unaware of any Vatican peace plan mission for Ukraine

From CNN's Katharina Krebs and Matthew Chance

Pope Francis speaks to journalists traveling with him on the return flight to Rome from his Apostolic Journey to Hungary, in Budapest, on April 30. (Vatican Media/Getty Images)

Russia is not aware of the Vatican's mission to help resolve the conflict with Ukraine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Tuesday.

"No. We know nothing about it," Peskov said.

A Ukrainian official close to President Volodymyr Zelensky's office also told CNN Monday that Kyiv has “no knowledge” of a peace mission involving the Vatican.

“President Zelensky has not consented to any such discussions on Ukraine’s behalf,” the official said. “If talks are happening, they are happening without our knowledge or our blessing".

Pope's remarks: These comments come after Pope Francis on Sunday told journalists the Vatican is part of a mission to end the war in Ukraine. “The mission is in the course now, but it is not yet public,” he said after a three-day trip to Hungary.

“When it is public, I will reveal it,” the pope added.

8:24 p.m. ET, May 2, 2023

Kremlin rejects US estimates of 100,000 Russian casualties in Ukraine since December

From CNN’s Uliana Pavlova and Katerina Krebs

Washington has “absolutely no way” to give accurate estimates of Russian losses in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.

“Washington has absolutely no way to give any correct numbers, and this is how it should be treated. You need to focus on the numbers that the Ministry of Defense will publish in due time,” Peskov said in response to CNN’s question on a daily call.

The White House on Monday estimated the Russian military has suffered at least 100,000 casualties in Ukraine in the past five months, including more than 20,000 dead, half of which were Wagner fighters. The US is defining the term “casualty” as both wounded and killed.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has not released updates on the casualties since last September, when Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that 5,937 Russian soldiers had been killed.

On Tuesday, Shoigu appeared to issue a rebuttal to the US claim, saying, “despite the unprecedented military assistance from Western countries, the enemy is suffering significant losses. Over the past month alone, they have lost more than 15,000 people."