Britain on Thursday grew to become the primary nation to start supplying Ukraine with long-range cruise missiles, which can enable Kyiv’s forces to hit Russian troops and provide dumps deep behind the entrance traces. The growth comes as Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky stated his nation’s army wanted extra time to arrange an anticipated counteroffensive aimed toward opening a brand new chapter within the conflict. Read our reside weblog to see how all of the day’s occasions unfolded. All instances are Paris time (GMT+2).
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01:30am: Russia denies stories of Ukrainian breakthroughs alongside entrance traces
Russia’s defence ministry on Thursday denied stories that Ukrainian forces had damaged by in varied locations alongside the entrance traces and stated the army scenario was underneath management.
Moscow reacted after Russian army bloggers, writing on the Telegram messaging app, reported what they stated had been Ukrainian advances north and south of the japanese Ukrainian metropolis of Bakhmut, with some suggesting a long-awaited counteroffensive by pro-Kyiv forces had began.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had earlier stated the offensive had but to begin.
“Statements circulated by individual Telegram channels about ‘defence breakthroughs’ that took place in different areas along the line of military contact do not correspond to reality,” the Russian defence ministry stated in a Telegram put up.
“The overall situation in the area of the special military operation is under control,” it stated in an announcement, utilizing the Kremlin’s description of the conflict in Ukraine.
The reality the Russian ministry felt obliged to launch the assertion displays what Moscow acknowledges is a “very difficult” army operation.
9:55pm: Pope-Zelensky assembly ‘a risk’, Vatican official says
Pope Francis might meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the Vatican this weekend, a Vatican official has advised the Associated Press.
Francis has repeatedly referred to as for an finish to Russia’s conflict in Ukraine and expressed solidarity with the “martyred” Ukrainian folks. Recently he revealed a secret peace “mission” was underway however supplied no particulars.
Word of the attainable assembly Saturday in Rome adopted news, confirmed final week by Berlin police, that Zelensky was anticipated in Germany beginning Saturday night.
Italian media, citing unnamed sources, reported Thursday that Zelensky is perhaps in Rome earlier that day to fulfill with Premier Giorgia Meloni and the pope.
A Vatican official stated a pope-Zelensky viewers Saturday “is a possibility”. The official spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of the go to was not confirmed.
7:08pm: South Africa hits again over ‘disappointing’ US cost of supplying arms to Russia
South Africa slammed remarks Thursday by the US ambassador in Pretoria, who accused the nation of getting covertly supplied arms to Russia regardless of its professed neutrality within the Ukraine conflict.
“The Ambassador’s remarks undermine the spirit of cooperation and partnership” between the 2 nations, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesman Vincent Magwenya stated in an announcement, including it was “disappointing” that the envoy had “adopted a counter-productive public posture.”
6:15pm: AFP holds minute of silence for journalist killed in Ukraine
Journalists and employees of Agence France-Presse (AFP) in Paris and internationally have held a minute of silence to recollect their colleague Arman Soldin who was killed earlier this week in Ukraine.
Soldin, AFP’s video coordinator in Ukraine, was killed on Tuesday when an AFP workforce got here underneath fireplace by Grad rockets whereas they had been with a bunch of Ukrainian troopers close to Bakhmut, the epicentre of the combating for months.
“Arman represented the very best of AFP,” the company’s world news director Phil Chetwynd advised employees forward of the minute of silence at noon GMT.
Hundreds of AFP employees noticed the minute of silence at Paris headquarters and from bureaux world wide by way of video convention.
4:24pm: Ramaphosa says trying into stories S. Africa supplied arms to Russia
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa stated on Thursday that his authorities was trying into news stories that South Africa supplied weapons to Russia, when requested concerning the matter by an opposition chief in parliament.
US ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety advised South African media at a briefing on Thursday that Washington believed a Russian vessel had uploaded weapons and ammunition from South Africa in December.
“The matter is being looked into and in time we will be able to speak about it,” Ramaphosa advised lawmakers.
Brigety stated US officers had considerations about South Africa’s professed neutrality concerning Russia’s conflict in Ukraine. “Amongst the things we noted were the docking of the Russian cargo ship Lady R in Simon’s Town between December 6 and December 8, 2022, which we are confident uploaded weapons, ammunitions … as it made its way back to Russia,” Brigety stated within the briefing, in accordance with a recording reviewed by Reuters.
The US State Department didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
4:21pm: Ukraine says it has acquired $16.7 billion in international help to date this yr
Ukraine has acquired $16.7 bln in monetary help from its Western companions to date this yr, Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko stated on Thursday.
“In 2023, Ukraine has already received $16.7 billion in budget aid from foreign donors. We also have assurances from partners regarding further support in financing the state budget deficit in 2023,” stated Marchenko, whose nation was invaded by Russian forces in February 2022
4:15pm: Ukraine grain deal events agree to have interaction on UN proposals, says UN
Officials from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations on Thursday mentioned latest UN proposals on a deal permitting the protected Black Sea export of Ukraine grain, which Moscow has threatened to stop on May 18 over obstacles to its personal grain and fertilizer exports.
“The meeting discussed the recent proposals by the United Nations, namely the resumption of the Togliatti-Odesa ammonia pipeline, the longer extension of the deal, improvements at the Joint Coordination Centre for stable operations and exports, as well as other issues raised by the parties,” the UN stated.
“The parties presented their views and agreed to engage with those elements going forward,” the UN stated in an announcement.
4:06pm: Russia’s Prigozhin blames scenario on flanks close to Bakhmut on Russian military
Russia’s Wagner mercenary group head Yevgeny Prigozhin stated on Thursday that the scenario on the flanks close to the Ukrainian metropolis of Bakhmut was unfolding according to the “worst of all expected scenarios”.
In an audio message, Prigozhin complained that territory captured over the course of many months was being “thrown away” by those that ought to be guarding the flanks – one thing he has stated is the accountability of normal Russian troops.
4:02pm: Ukraine desires Black Sea grain deal prolonged and expanded
The Black Sea grain export initiative ought to be prolonged for an extended interval and expanded, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov stated on Thursday after talks completed in Turkey.
“Negotiations in Istanbul on the functioning of the Grain Initiative have been completed,” Kubrakov stated on Facebook, with out giving particulars of the end result. “The Ukrainian delegation once again stressed that the Grain Initiative should be extended for a longer period and expanded. This will give predictability and confidence to both the global and Ukrainian markets.”
3:59pm: US, Chinese officers mentioned Ukraine conflict, White House says
The Biden administration’s prime safety adviser met with China’s prime diplomat this week and mentioned Russia’s conflict on Ukraine, cross-Strait and different points, the White House stated in an announcement on Thursday.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Chinese prime diplomat Wang Yi met in Vienna on Wednesday and Thursday, and agreed to maintain traces of communication open, the White House stated.
3:44pm: US ambassador accuses South Africa of supplying arms to Russia
The US envoy to South Africa on Thursday accused the nation of getting supplied army assist to Russia regardless of its professed neutrality within the Ukraine conflict, native media stated.
Ambassador Reuben Brigety reportedly stated the US was “confident” weapons and ammunition had been loaded onto a Russian freighter in Cape Town in December, including: ‘The arming of the Russians is extraordinarily severe, and we don’t think about this difficulty to be resolved.”
3:15pm: Ukraine counteroffensive ‘unlikely to be a conventional attack’
Ukraine needs more time to launch its much-anticipated counteroffensive against Russian forces, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with several European broadcasters earlier this morning.
His comments come as Ukrainian generals have claimed some of their biggest battlefield successes in months, prompting speculation that Kyiv’s counteroffensive may already have begun.
FRANCE 24’s Kyiv correspondent Emmanuelle Chaze has the details.
2:01pm: Germany urges caution in targeting China under new Russia sanctions
Germany led calls urging caution against targeting China under new European Union sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, during a first discussion among the bloc’s 27 countries on proposed new restrictions, five diplomatic sources said.
Italy backed Germany’s proposal to target foreign companies, rather than countries, over any circumvention of existing sanctions, according to the sources familiar with the Wednesday discussion, behind closed doors. The diplomats spoke under condition of anonymity.
1:55pm: UK confirms sending Ukraine long-range cruise missiles
British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace confirmed Thursday that the UK is sending Ukraine long-range cruise missiles to help push back Russian forces.
Wallace told lawmakers in the House of Commons that Britain is donating Storm Shadow missiles. He didn’t say how many are being sent.
Wallace said the missiles “at the moment are going into or are within the nation itself.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged in February that Britain would be the first country to give Ukraine the longer-range weapons that it has sought from Western allies.
The missiles give Ukraine capacity to strike well behind the front lines, including in Russia-occupied Crimea. UK media reported that Ukraine has pledged not to use the missiles to attack Russia itself.
Wallace said the missiles would be used to push back Russian forces in “Ukrainian sovereign territory.” He said UK support for Ukraine is “accountable, calibrated, coordinated and agile.”
1:46pm: Norway takes over Arctic Council leadership from Russia
Norway on Thursday took over the chairmanship of the Arctic Council from Russia despite a freeze in cooperation between the Western Arctic states and Moscow on the regional polar body due to the invasion of Ukraine.
12:10pm: G7 finance ministers to vow support for Ukraine, seek ways to spur global economy as debt risks loom
Financial leaders of the Group of Seven advanced economies are discussing ways to support Ukraine and pressure Russia to end the war as they meet in Japan starting Thursday.
Ukraine’s finance minister, Serhiy Marchenko, was participating online in the first session of the G7 talks in Niigata, a port city on the Japan Sea coast.
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the G7 nations “will stand with Ukraine for so long as it takes” to end the conflict. The leaders will be mulling ways to prevent Russia and other countries from circumventing sanctions against Moscow for its invasion, Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki told reporters.
“We have taken a wave of actions prior to now few months to crack down on evasion. And my workforce has traveled world wide to accentuate this work,” Yellen said.
The war and its toll on the global economy, debt crises in developing countries and a stalemate in Washington over the national debt are topping the agenda of the three days of talks by finance ministers and central bank governors of G-7 countries and others invited to attend.
11:05am: Russia’s defence ministry says its forces still advancing in Bakhmut
Russia’s defence ministry said on Thursday that its forces had continued to advance in the western part of Bakhmut and that paratroops were providing support around the Ukrainian city’s flanks, Russian news agencies reported.
The head of the Wagner private army, Yevgeny Prigozhin, earlier said one unit of Russia’s army had abandoned its supporting position and that Ukrainian forces had made gains towards the city as part of a long-awaited counteroffensive by Kyiv.
10:02am: Kremlin no discussions on compensation for Finland’s Fortum
There have been no discussions about compensation for Finnish energy group Fortum and there is no decision about a possible nationalisation of its assets, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday.
Fortum last week formally notified the Kremlin that it strongly objected to what it said was Russia’s “illegal” seizure of its subsidiary in the country.
10:00am: Kremlin says US move to confiscate Russian businessman’s funds will backfire
The Kremlin on Thursday criticised a move by the United States to confiscate the assets of conservative Russian businessman Konstantin Malofeyev and give them to Ukraine, saying it would “boomerang” back on Washington.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday authorised Malofeyev’s confiscated assets to be transferred for use in Ukraine in the first such instance of confiscated Russian money being used in such a way.
9:58am: Russia’s Wagner founder Prigozhin says Ukrainian offensive has started around Bakhmut flanks
The founder of Russia’s Wagner Group mercenary force Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Thursday that Ukrainian units had begun their counterattack, and were approaching Bakhmut from the flanks.
In a comment his press service published on Telegram in response to a Russian media request about Ukraine’s anticipated counteroffensive, Prigozhin said that Ukrainian operations were “sadly, partially profitable”.
9:26am: Britain has supplied Ukraine with long-range cruise missiles
Britain has supplied Ukraine with multiple ‘Storm Shadow’ long-range cruise missiles, CNN reported on Thursday citing multiple senior Western officials. The Ministry of Defence declined to comment.
When asked about the report, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said would require “an ample response from our army”.
9:24am: Ukrainian president Zelensky says the counteroffensive needs more time, launching now would cost too many lives
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says his country’s military needs more time to prepare an anticipated counteroffensive aimed at pushing back Russian occupying forces and opening a new chapter in the war more than 14 months after the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion.
Zelensky said in an interview broadcast Thursday by the BBC that it would be “unacceptable” to launch the assault now because too many lives would be lost.
“With (what now we have) we are able to go ahead and achieve success,” Zelensky said in the interview, according to the BBC.
“But we might lose lots of people. I believe that is unacceptable,” he was quoted as saying. The interview was reportedly carried out in Kyiv with public service broadcasters who are members of Eurovision News, including the BBC.
7:28am: Ukrainian drone attacks oil storage depot in Russian border region, says governor
A Ukrainian drone attacked an oil storage depot in the Russian border region of Bryansk, the local governor said in a post on his Telegram channel on Thursday.
There were no casualties after the attack on the facility near the town of Klintsy, owned by Russia’s Rosneft oil company, though one storage tank was partially damaged, Governor Alexander Bogomaz said.
10:22pm: Russia’s operation in Ukraine is very difficult, Kremlin spokesman tells Tass
Russia’s military operation against Ukraine is “very troublesome” but certain goals have been achieved, Tass news agency cited Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying on Wednesday.
Russia has succeeded in severely damaging Ukraine’s military machine and this work will continue, he added.
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Key developments from Wednesday, May 10:
France launched a war crime probe into an AFP journalist’s death in Bakhmut, Ukraine.
Russian forces are planning to evacuate more than 3,000 workers from the town that serves the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, resulting in a “catastrophic lack” of personnel, Ukraine’s state-owned Energoatom company said on Wednesday.
A Ukrainian military unit said on Wednesday it had routed a Russian infantry brigade from territory near Bakhmut, claiming to confirm an account by the head of Russia’s Wagner private army that the Russian forces had fled.
Read yesterday’s live blog to see how the day’s events unfolded
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
Originally printed on France24