Ukraine Breaking News Today Live on 05-05-2024

The world in focus, as seen by a Canadian leading global affairs analyst, writer and speaker, in his review of international media.

Millions of Orthodox Christians around the world celebrated Easter, holding vigils and attending midnight Masses to mark the Orthodox calendar's holiest day. Ukrainian Orthodox believers gathered in Kyiv's main cathedral and other churches around the country to mark the holiday. In a video posted to Telegram and his website, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on Ukrainians to unite in prayer. "And our former neighbor, who was always trying to be our brother, is now forever distant from us," he said, referring to Russia. "He broke all the commandments, demanded our home, came to kill us. The world sees it…And so we believe: God has a chevron with the Ukrainian flag on his shoulder. So with an ally such as this, life will definitely be victorious over death," he said. - RFE/RL

In an interview with RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service on the eve of Easter, Metropolitan Epifaniy, the head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, said there'd been a marked increase in the demand for chaplains to work alongside Ukrainian military units battling Russian forces. “Of course, conditions are difficult for Ukrainians now, but we are doing everything to support Ukrainians," he said.

Promised Western assistance for religious places of worship damaged by Russia’s war should not be delayed by bureaucracy. Ukraine needs it now.

Nine months after the Russian shelling of the port city Odesa on the Black Sea, Italy’s 500,000 EUR promised for the emergency preservation work of the Odesa Cathedral have still not arrived on the bank account of the Odesa Orthodox Eparchy. (We opted for the spelling ‘Odesa’ in the Ukrainian language [Одеса] rather than Odessa in the Russian language [Одесса]).

When the Odesa Transfiguration Cathedral was seriously damaged on the night of 23 July 2023 during a massive Russian missile attack on the historical center of Odesa protected by UNESCO, financial support was quickly pledged by some Western actors for emergency repair work, but Father Miroslav, abbot of the Cathedral, has still not seen the first Euros that were promised.

Latest from the British Defence Intelligence.

• A 17 April 2024 decree signed by the pro-Russian governor of Zaporizzhia Oblast states that Russia is preparing the necessary infrastructure and measures for military conscription in Russian-occupiedareas of Zaporizhzhia.
• This would be the first conscription drive in this temporarily occupied territory since its illegal annexation by Russia in September 2022. It is likely that Russia sees this measure as a way of satisfying the need by theRussian Armed Forces for additional personnel to support its war effort. The effect of the decree is likely to be limited given that a significant proportion of the population of Zaporizzhia has departed. For instance in Melitopol, the largest city in Zaporizhzhia under Russian control, only 40% of the pre-war population remain and half of those consist of ethnicRussians offered work in the city.
• This decree is also part of a broader campaign by the Russian authorities in the temporarily occupied territories to coerce the population to accept Russian governance. This also aligns with attempts to ensure residents have Russian Federation passports and voted in the recent Russian presidential elections. The Kremlin continues to pursue a relentlessRussification policy across the temporary occupied territories of Ukraine.

The Russian news site Kommersant says forensic investigators have identified that solid rocket fuel hidden in rolls of polyethylene film was used to blow up the Crimean Bridge in October 2022.

On the morning of October 8, 2022, the detonation of explosives equivalent to 10 tons of TNT, hidden in a truck, brought down two spans of the Kerch Bridge, which connected occupied Crimea to the Russian mainland.

Russian forensic and criminal investigations into the incident have concluded that the explosive used was an improvised mix of potassium or sodium perchlorates and finely dispersed metals obtained from solid rocket fuel along with a small military plastic explosive initiating charge along with a GPS controlled trigger.

In an intercepted conversation, a Russian serviceman's wife urges her husband to hide "under bushes" when his group moves forward on assault, saying that there is "nothing to fight for" in this war.

Russian soldier's wife urges her husband to hide "under bushes" when his group moves forward on assault.

In an intercepted call, published by Ukraine's Military Intelligence (HUR), she says: " Didn't you fall out of a tree? Are they shooting from a machine gun? And you're not sitting in a tree? Kolya, are you crazy? My god....?"

Knowing one's enemy is critical to achieving strategic superiority. Perceiving the Russian forces as mere embodiments of mythical evil is very much a strategic mistake.

In the realm of armed conflict, labels often distort our understanding of the enemy. In the case of the ongoing war in Ukraine, referring to Russian combatants as “orcs” simplifies a complex reality to our detriment, not theirs. Such categorizations not only unify them under a banner of vilification and mockery but also obscure the varied nature of those who fight.

The Russian forces are a motley composition: some are conscripts, some convicts, some are professional soldiers, and many are reluctant participants coaxed, even tricked on to the battlefield. Some are drawn from external nations such as India, Nepal, Cuba, Sierra Leone and Somalia, and many are outright mercenaries. The Wagner Group, known for its brutality and disregard for human rights, serves as a prime repugnant example of the latter.

Jake Sullivan, US President's national security adviser, outlines Ukraine's strategy against Russian advances

Ukraine is preparing for a significant counteroffensive in 2025, a move made possible by a substantial $61 billion military aid package from the United States. This aid will enable Kyiv to hold its ground throughout 2024, effectively preventing further Russian successes on the battlefield.

Jake Sullivan, a key figure in the US President's administration as the national security adviser, unveiled this plan during his speech at the FT Weekend festival in Washington on May 4, as reported by the Financial Times.

The overnight attacks came as Orthodox Christians in Ukraine and Russia celebrated Easter.

A Russian rocket strike on Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region killed two people and a drone attack on the northeastern city of Kharkiv injured at least six, officials said Sunday.

The overnight attacks came as Orthodox Christians in Ukraine and Russia  celebrated Easter.

Contrary to some of the reporting by leading Western news outlets, Ukraine is not wavering, but holding up and inflicting heavy losses on the Russian invaders.

Ukraine is not losing but holding its own

I have tried to add a dose of common sense to restrain much of the doom and gloom that has infected the reporting of the war in Ukraine.

As Russian aircraft attacked Kharkiv on May 4, a surprise explosion in Belgorod that injured five and damaged 30 houses suggests yet another self-inflicted calamity by a Russian bomber.

Belgorod Regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported an explosion in the area of Razdobarkina Street in Belgorod on Saturday afternoon. The Telegram post said that five people were hospitalized, including three women and two men, while more than 30 houses and 10 cars were damaged. No mention was made of the cause.

The Russian Telegram channel RusNews said that Gladkov’s unusual reticence in blaming everything on Ukraine suggests the incident was yet another “own goal” by a Russian aircraft on its way to or from a bombing raid. The Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, which is less than 40 kilometers away, has been the focus of relentless missile, drone and glide bomb attacks in recent weeks.

Volodymyr Zelensky extended Easter greetings to Ukrainians on Sunday, May 5th, in a video address recorded near the St. Sophia Cathedral, one of the holiest sites in Eastern Orthodox Christianity.

President Volodymyr Zelensky extended Easter greetings to Ukrainians on Sunday, May 5th, in a video address recorded near the St. Sophia Cathedral, one of the holiest sites in Eastern Orthodox Christianity.

A brief guide on the banking sector of Ukraine that helps you understand who is who in the country’s industry.

Now, over two years since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s banking system still hasn’t stopped working for a day, remains resilient against numerous cyberattacks, and has become one of the few highly profitable sectors in Ukraine’s economy – contributing to it with more taxes. 

“In most of the countries that faced war, the banking system went on a bank holiday. That is, the banks stopped working,” said Kyrylo Shevchenko, the ex-head of the National Bank of Ukraine, in an interview back in April 2022. 

The world in focus, as seen by a Canadian leading global affairs analyst, writer and speaker, in his review of international media.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has continued to defend the "foreign agent" legislation that has sparked mass protests in Tbilisi, saying it is necessary to achieve "depolarization," in keeping with recommendations by the European Union. Kobakhidze said on May 3 that in a conversation with European Council President Charles Michel he relayed his disappointment that Georgia's partners were "reluctant to engage in substantive discussions" on the bill and that "we have not yet heard any counterarguments against this proposed legislation." The draft law, which would require civil-society organizations and media outlets to report foreign funding and subject them to government oversight, has sparked mass protests in the Georgian capital. On May 3, tensions remained high in Tbilisi in a standoff that has seen security forces use force, including the use of rubber bullets, to crack down on protesters. - RFE/RL

Three Indian nationals have been arrested and charged over the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in Canada, which sparked a major diplomatic row between the two countries. Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, was shot dead last June by masked gunmen in a busy car park in a Vancouver suburb. The diplomatic row escalated after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged India's government may have been involved. Delhi strongly denied the allegation. In announcing the arrests on Friday, Superintendent Mandeep Mooker said the three suspects were Karan Brar, 22, Kamal Preet Singh, 22, and 28-year-old Karan Preet Singh. He said all three had been living in Edmonton, Alberta where they were arrested. They have been charged with first-degree murder, court records show, as well as conspiracy to commit murder. All had been in Canada for three to five years, police said. Police added that investigations were continuing, including into "connections to the government of India..There are separate and distinct investigations ongoing into these matters. Certainly not limited to the involvement of the people arrested today," Assistant Commissioner David Teboul said. - BBC

The attack occurred on the eve of Orthodox Easter, which is celebrated by both Russian and Ukrainian Orthodox Christians on May 5th.

In an early morning attack on May 5th, Russian military forces launched 24 Shahed-131/136 drones from both northern and southern directions to assault Ukraine.

The attack occurred on the eve of Orthodox Easter, which is celebrated by both Russian and Ukrainian Orthodox Christians on May 5th.

However, some NATO leaders fear a potential return of Trump to the presidency could endanger the existence of the Alliance and sabotage military support for Ukraine.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has reportedly developed a detailed peace plan to end Russia's full-scale war with Ukraine. The document, according to a source from Trump's entourage speaking to The Telegraph, is being kept secret until the election.

The initiative, which the Republicans are keeping out of media discussion, is deemed crucial "not to lose leverage," the source mentioned.

Ukraine's foreign ministry said the decision demonstrated "the desperation of the Russian state machine and propaganda, which are at a loss for what else to invent to garner attention".

Russia has added Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to its list of wanted criminals, a move Kyiv dismissed as a sign of Moscow's "desperation".

Zelensky's name appeared on Saturday on the Russian interior ministry's "wanted" list, an online database of alleged criminals sought by the Russian authorities.

Easter celebrates the light of Christ’s resurrection. Now, in Ukraine, this means the light of truth and new life amidst the darkness of Russia’s brutal war.

Indeed, the week began with ordinary and, in my case extraordinary, business transactions in banks because this is the world we live in and I was born in the United States so business is a way of life, but with a good purpose, because humanitarian aid and war assistance is the reason and it is paramount today.

My transactions covered the purchase of a set of drones, thermal imaging and systems for communication. These things are ubiquitous and key in today’s warfare, but the problem is methods of payment and delivery. I am very transparent in my activities and challenge the US government to find any wrongdoing. There is no money laundering.   

Khrystos Voskres! Happy Easter!