May 8, 2023 - Russia-Ukraine news

The Ukrainian Red Cross suspended operations in Odesa after a Russian missile struck its warehouse in the southern port city.

The organization went on to say there had been no casualties.

Russia launched a wave of drone strikes on Kyiv Monday, and other attacks were also recorded in Kharkiv and Kherson areas. The Ukrainian military said it repelled the assault on the capital city, the latest in Moscow’s efforts to wear down its air defense system.

Here are the latest developments:

A Ukrainian commander in the eastern city of Bakhmut said his unit faces “constant” shelling and they have seen no evidence of the Russian ammunition shortage that Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin has claimed.

Prigozhin, whose Wagner troops have spearheaded the fight to take the eastern Ukrainian town of Bakhmut, has repeatedly claimed his fighters lack ammunition. Last week, he said they would withdraw from the area – a threat he has now apparently backtracked from.

Shepetin said Prigozhin’s statements were an effort to "mislead" the Ukrainian military in the face of his own “enormous losses”.

“I think that the enemy is already desperate. He is using all means at his disposal to try to drive our defense forces out of Bakhmut. But the enemy is not succeeding and will not succeed,” Shepetin said, adding that the Ukrainians were not in danger of being encircled and – while they had “some logistical problems” – were still able to evacuate the wounded and receive supplies of ammunition.

Serhii Cherevatyi, a spokesperson for the eastern grouping of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, agreed, saying in a separate TV interview that "the Russians have no shortage of ammunition. This is absolutely not true." He added that Ukrainian positions had been shelled more than four hundred times in the past 24 hours and enemy troops were using “more than 25,000 shells per day” on average around the eastern cities of Bakhmut, Lyman and Kupyansk.

“He [Prigozhin] comes up with this nonsense about the shell crisis. However, his main problem is the constant annihilation of personnel by our defense forces. And hence, he is unable to replenish personnel because he cannot recruit people from prisons,” Cherevatyi said.

Cherevatyi claimed that Russia had taken some 20,000 casualties in the Bakhmut area over the past nine months because of Wagner’s “meat grinder” tactic of fighting.

The evacuation of some civilians from Russian-occupied towns on the front lines in the Zaporizhzhia region has led to fuel shortages and problems with ATMs and the internet, according to Enerhodar Mayor Dmytro Orlov.

While Orlov is not currently in the occupied region, he said the evacuation announcement led to “if not panic, then a mood close to it.”

The first wave of evacuations that began Saturday morning was not massive, he said in a Telegram post Sunday.

Russian forces had removed medical equipment from the city’s hospital, asked patients to evacuate, and a number of hospital departments had ceased operations, he added.

An 11th round of European Union sanctions against Russia will focus on how to effectively cut off ways for Moscow to bypass any existing European sanctions, the EU Commission announced Monday. 

On Sunday, the Financial Times reported that a new EU package of sanctions under consideration lists seven Chinese companies accused of selling equipment to Russia that could be used in weapons. The sanctions list would need unanimous approval from the 27 member states before it can be enforced.

China said Monday it opposes any measures against trade based on its relationship with Russia. "We urge the EU not to take the wrong path, otherwise China will firmly guard our legal rights," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a news conference Monday. 

China's foreign ministry said it opposes any measures against trade based on its relationship with Russia.

This comes in response to reports of proposed sanctions by the European Union on Chinese companies over their alleged involvement in supporting Russia's war machine.

"We noted the relevant reports. China is firmly opposed to illegal sanctions or long-arm jurisdiction over China because of Sino-Russian cooperation," Wang Wenbin, a foreign ministry spokesperson, said at a regular press briefing on Monday

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On Sunday, the Financial Times reported that seven Chinese companies accused of selling equipment to Russia that could be used in weapons had been listed in a new package of sanctions to be discussed by EU member states this week, which had been seen by the FT. The sanctions list needs unanimous approval from the 27 member states before it can be enforced.

A spokesperson for the Swedish presidency declined to comment before an initial discussion among EU ambassadors. Meanwhile, China's state councilor and foreign minister are embarking on a week-long European visit, with stops in Germany, France, and Norway.

China has maintained that it has not supplied weapons to support Russia in its war in Ukraine, and Wang reiterated that Beijing holds an "objective and impartial position" on the war and supports peace talks. Chinese state-owned defense firms have maintained trade relationships with sanctioned Russian defense companies over the past year. A CNN review of customs records of key companies showed no evidence that any of the goods exchanged are directly feeding Russia’s war.

The Ukrainian Red Cross suspended operations in Odesa after a Russian missile struck its warehouse in the southern port city.

The organization went on to say there had been no casualties.

“The fire completely destroyed the humanitarian aid for Odesa region that was stored in the warehouse,” it added. “There were no representatives of the Red Cross at the site at the time of the missile strike.”

A total of eight missiles were launched at Odesa overnight Sunday, killing one and injuring three. Russian missile attacks were also recorded in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Kherson and Mykolaiv regions, according to Ukraine's military.

Amid rumors that Ukraine is preparing to launch its long-anticipated counteroffensive, hundreds of people have begun evacuating from Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine's southeast. Meanwhile, Moscow is preparing to celebrate Victory Day on May 9, marking the Soviet Union's triumph over Nazi Germany, just two weeks after explosions targeted the Kremlin.

Here are the latest developments:

Russian-occupied towns evacuated: More than 1,600 people, including 660 children, have been evacuated from Russian-occupied towns on the front lines in Ukraine's southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, amid reports of intensified Ukrainian shelling there. Zaporizhzhia, home to Europe's largest nuclear power plant, is expected to be a major target as Kyiv seeks to push back Russian troops. The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog has stressed the need to prevent a "severe nuclear accident.”

Wagner chief appears to backtrack: Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Sunday that his troops are staying put in Bakhmut, having threatened two days earlier to withdraw totally from the Ukrainian city. In an expletive-laden rant made to Russia’s “fat cat” military leaders, Prigozhin accused Moscow of leaving his mercenary group short of ammunition. Russia’s defense ministry has since pledged more supplies to keep Prigozhin’s troops going.

Missile strikes hit Odesa: At least one person was killed and three injured in missile strikes on the southern port city of Odesa, according to military officials from the region. Ukraine’s air force said Russia fired eight long-range missiles at the city overnight Sunday. Missile attacks were also recorded in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Mykolaiv regions.

Ukraine says Russians are exporting stolen grain: The so-called Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) announced its first grain export from the port of Mariupol. Ukrainian authorities said the grain being exported from Mariupol was “stolen” from the country, but added that the move is mostly for the purposes of propaganda, as the port is not fully operational. Mariupol was leveled by Russian forces in the early months of the war, and became a symbol of the Kremlin’s indiscriminate use of firepower in Ukraine.

Russian oligarch slams "terrible" war: Russian oligarch Andrey Kovalev has criticized Russia’s faltering invasion of Ukraine, saying the “terrible” war has not played out as many expected it to. He listed a string of Russian defeats – from the sinking of the Moskva ship to the bombing of the Kerch bridge – which has turned “the whole world” against Russia. Kovalev’s claims come as Moscow prepares for its annual Victory Day Parade. The event, held to commemorate the defeat of Nazi Germany, is also used to flaunt Russia’s military strength.

Zelensky proposes moving Victory Day: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky compared Russia to Nazi Germany as he proposed moving World War II Victory Day celebrations a day earlier to May 8 in a bill presented to lawmakers in Kyiv. Instead, on May 9 he will welcome European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for “Europe Day” – a celebration of peace and unity in Europe.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will visit Kyiv on Tuesday to mark Europe Day, according to her spokeswoman.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Monday that his country would begin marking Europe Day on May 9, the day that Ukraine traditionally commemorates victory over Nazi Germany. 

But this date has become increasingly associated with a parade to mark the same anniversary in Moscow, used also by the Kremlin to flaunt its military prowess.

Seeking to break with the Russian tradition, Zelensky on Monday submitted a bill to the country's parliament to move Victory Day celebrations a day earlier to May 8.

What is “Europe Day”: This annual event celebrates peace and unity in Europe. May 9 marks the anniversary of the historic “Schuman Declaration,” which set out the idea for greater political cooperation in Europe, as it emerged from World War II.

The Declaration was presented by French foreign minister Robert Schuman in 1950, as the countries of Europe were still recovering from the devastation of the conflict. It proposed the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community – the first of a series of supranational European institutions that would eventually become the “European Union” of today.

The new political cooperation aimed to make war between European nations “not merely unthinkable, but materially impossible.”

Russian oligarch Andrey Kovalev has criticized Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and its consequences for Russia.

In a video shared by Kovalev on his Telegram channel Monday, the businessman said at first he was certain that Russian troops would breach Ukraine’s defenses and capture Kyiv swiftly, within two or three weeks. He expressed surprise that this did not happen.

Kovalev pointed out Russia’s heavy losses since invading Ukraine – including the retreat of Russian troops from the positions they reached early in the war, the humiliating sinking of Russia’s Moskva warship last April, the blast on the bridge connecting annexed Crimea to the Russian mainland, and the recent alleged drone strike on the Kremlin. 

“The whole world is against us. One hundred and twenty-two countries voted to recognize us as an aggressor,” he added, referring to a resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly last month. The resolution, which qualified the war against Ukraine as "aggression by the Russian Federation," received 122 votes, including from China and India -- two countries that have avoided condemning Moscow's full-scale invasion.

In a separate pre-recorded video posted on his Telegram channel, Kovalev tempered his tone somewhat, suggesting Russian President Vladimir Putin should “call on the service of the sovereign entrepreneurs” to help “ensure victory in the war.”

Andrey Kovalev is a Russian real estate businessman, a public figure, and chairman of the All-Russian Movement of Entrepreneurs. According to his biography on the movement website, he previously held government positions and was a member of the Moscow City Duma. In 2012, Kovalev was included in the “List of the Kings of Russian Real Estate" by Forbes Russia with an income of $55 million.

Is criticism growing?: There is little room for dissenting voices in Russia. Putin’s tight control of Russia’s information space prevents many citizens from accessing accurate reports about the invasion of Ukraine. Those who do attempt to speak out face lengthy prison sentences, or worse.

But there are signs of growing dismay among some Russians over how the faltering invasion has played out. Kovalev’s words echo those of the famous Russian pop star Alla Pugacheva, who in September called for an end to Russian soldiers “dying for illusory aims that make our country a pariah.”

Kovalev’s criticism comes the day before Moscow’s Victory Day Parade – an event held annually on May 9 to mark the anniversary of the surrender of Nazi Germany in 1945, and used in recent years to flout Russia’s military strength.