KYIV (Parliament Politics Magazine) – On Thursday, May 5, here are the major events so far.
- According to Ukrainian sources, Russian forces were struggling for control of the last Ukrainian foothold in the beleaguered city of Mariupol.
- With a phased oil embargo, the European Union recommended the strongest measures against Moscow yet.
- According to a Ukrainian commander, Ukrainian forces inside Mariupol’s Azovstal steel plant are conducting tough, brutal engagements against Russia.
- On Thursday, Russia said that a three-day ceasefire at the besieged steel plant would begin, allowing residents to flee.
- In a joint UN-Red Cross operation, more than 300 individuals were evacuated from Mariupol and other regions of southern Ukraine, according to the UN.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine has urged for a prolonged ceasefire in order to evacuate more residents in southern Ukraine. He stated that the lives of those who remain there were in jeopardy.
- According to the New York Times, the US provided intelligence that assisted Ukrainian forces in killing roughly 12 Russian generals.
- Belarus’ military forces have begun a series of surprise large-scale drills to assess their war readiness.
- Russia may try to overstate the threat that Belarusian military drills pose in order to lure Ukrainian soldiers north of the country and away from fighting in the Donbas, according to the UK defence ministry.
- Russia is also attempting to quicken its offensive in eastern Ukraine. Russia’s defence ministry said its soldiers had shut down six railway stations in the country that were used to transport Western weapons.
Experimenting with nuclear-capable missiles
During war simulations in Kaliningrad, an exclave on the Baltic Sea between EU members Lithuania, Poland and Russia claims to have practised simulated nuclear-capable missile assaults.
Casualty involving children
221 children have died and 408 have been injured since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began, according to Ukraine’s ombudsman.
Diplomacy
- On May 9, the Kremlin shot down reports that President Vladimir Putin will declare war on Ukraine and call for a national mobilisation. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is described as a “special military operation.”
- President of the European Council, Charles Michel, has committed to expand EU military help to Moldova, Ukraine’s neighbour, which has been the target of a string of attacks in a pro-Moscow separatist territory.
Impact on the economy
- The planned EU ban on Russian oil imports, which must be approved by member states, sent oil prices soaring. In response, the Kremlin said it was considering numerous possibilities. According to Germany, prices could skyrocket.
- Bulgaria and the Czech Republic will look for exemptions from the embargo, while Slovakia and Hungary claim a three-year transition period is required.
- President Biden of the United States said he will meet with leaders of the G7 major nations this week to discuss more sanctions.
- Last year, the number of people facing severe food shortages rose by a fifth to 193 million. According to the UN, the prognosis will worsen as a result of the Ukraine conflict.
