Ukraine Breaking News Today Live on 05-09-2024

Will convicted murderers be freed to serve in Ukraine’s armed forces under the newly adopted law? Kyiv Post delves into what the new law means for prisoners who wish to fight in exchange for freedom.

The Verkhovna Rada passed a law on Wednesday allowing prisoners serving time to voluntarily enlist into the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). According to the law, individuals serving sentences have the right to be released early in order to join the AFU.

While most prisoners will be eligible for early release, the draft law prohibits the mobilization of individuals convicted of the most serious offences, such as:

The relay “is a way of emphasizing our solidarity with Ukraine... at a time when they are suffering a terrible war of aggression,” said French sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera.

The Olympic torch relay began in Marseille on Thursday with the port city's football legend Basile Boli taking the flame in front of the iconic basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde before passing it on to a number of other celebrity sports stars including Ukrainian gymnast Mariia Vysochanska.

France's former NBA great Tony Parker was also among the 200 people who will carry the torch in Marseille along with skier Cyprien Sarrazin who collected the flame from Vysochanska. 

Initial reports said two Ukrainian channels were hacked to broadcast Moscow’s Victory Day parade, but Russian channels were also reportedly hacked to display pro-Ukrainian messages.

Russian hackers hacked the satellite broadcasts of the StarLight Media and Inter channels, two major Ukrainian television networks, and broadcast the Victory Day parade in Moscow.

Videos of the broadcasts in Ukraine’s Odesa region could be seen circulating on Telegram, with one Telegram channel saying: “All channels are now showing a parade of killers.”

Today, humanity is faced with critical challenges, such as social and political polarization, uncontrolled climate change and extreme weather conditions.

The world’s leading experts note the inevitability of a reduction in the space for government officials to maneuver when faced with the inevitable need to find compromises in light of resource limitations, reduced economic activity and budget revenues, the erosion of the middle class, growing macroeconomic disparities, inflationary and recessionary processes, and the debt load.

Overcoming these problems calls for a search for new development strategies, particularly, the implementation of the “green” digital and energy transition.

At the same time, NATO is running a large force air defense exercise in Poland and the Baltics. Russia says NATO air defense sorties are provocative, threaten peace, and could be a prelude to war.

NATO air forces have beefed up surveillance of the Atlantic Alliance’s southeastern frontier in recent weeks with the rare deployment of E-3A Sentry AWACS surveillance aircraft to airspace over eastern Romania.

The most recent sortie, on Wednesday, May 8, probably missed watching a major Russian missile strike on Ukraine in real-time by a matter of hours.

The number of missile or drone strikes over the past month exceeds, according to the heads of the region, the total number over the past two years, officials say.

From ensuring a “free, safe future for Russia” to accusing the West of colluding with the Nazis in WWII, here are five highlights from Putin’s speech on Victory Day.

As per tradition on the May 9 Victory Day, Russian leader Vladimir Putin – now recognized as a “dictator” by the Council of Europe – gave his speech on Red Square, ostensibly to commemorate the Soviet losses of WWII and honor the memories of those who perished fighting Nazism. 

Putin, whose nation is now undertaking an invasion of Ukraine, used the moment to justify his war.

The attack, carried out by a long-range drone, targeted the refinery's catalytic oil cracking unit.

Kyiv Post's sources within the special services revealed that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has carried out another successful strike, this time hitting the Gazprom neftekhim Salavat refinery in the Republic of Bashkortostan.

The attack, carried out by a long-range drone, targeted the refinery's catalytic oil cracking unit.

In 2015 Brigadier General Olexandr Trepak was awarded the title of “Hero of Ukraine,” along with the order of the Golden Star. He was portrayed in the 2017 Ukrainian film “Cyborgs.”

President Volodymyr Zelensky, on Thursday, May 9, replaced Colonel Serhii Lupanchuk as Commander of the Special Operations Forces (SSO) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with Brigadier General Oleksandr Trepak.

Brigadier General Olexandr Trepak has served in the third separate Special Forces Regiment, based in the Kirovohrad-region city of Kropyvnytskyi since 2008.

The strategic importance of Chasiv Yar lies in its commanding vantage point atop a hill, which puts a larger area at risk of Russian artillery bombardment.

Russian forces are poised to advance deep into Ukraine if they manage to capture the frontline town of Chasiv Yar and the wider Donbas region, Vadym Filashkin, Governor of the Donetsk region, said in an interview with Sky News.

Russia has redoubled its offensive in Donbas over the past month. Since the fall of Avdiivka, Russian forces have been steadily advancing westwards, and the advance accelerated in mid-April.

The Russian state-owned energy company has posted its biggest losses in a quarter of a century after gas sales more than halved with the loss of its European markets because of the war in Ukraine.

Gazprom posted its biggest losses in over 20 years as its gas sales have more than halved since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in February 2022. While the initial decrease in gas production that year only slightly decreased, analysts are suggesting the loss of European sales has dealt a blow from which the company may never recover.

A report by the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies suggests that the so-called “special military operation” resulted in an almost total collapse of the export model that had kept not only Gazprom but the whole Russian economy afloat for decades. Its attempts to find alternative export markets have effectively made it captive to customers demanding substantial discounts and special treatment in China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkey, and elsewhere.

This attack is part of a series of strikes on oil refineries in both Russia and the occupied territories of Ukraine since the beginning of 2024.

Ukrainian drones struck two oil depots in the Krasnodar region in the early hours of May 9.

According to reports from Russian telegram channels, the simultaneous assaults targeted the Lukoil and Temp LLC depots, located approximately 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) apart.

Lawmakers in Ukraine’s parliament have removed Oleksandr Kubrakov, one of several deputy prime ministers charged with overseeing national reconstruction.

The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, has voted to dismiss Oleksandr Kubrakov from his post as Deputy Prime Minister for the Restoration of Ukraine and Minister of Community, Territorial and Infrastructure Development.

Yaroslav Zheleznyak, a lawmaker from the Holos party, said that 272 parliamentarians supported the initiative.

Serhiy Kolyada on the realities behind Moscow's Victory Day celebrations.

NATO’s general secretary also said Ukraine did not request NATO troops deployment during his Kyiv visit last week and instead only requested “more support” from the bloc.

NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg said NATO has no plans to deploy troops to Ukraine, nor did Kyiv request the bloc to send boots on the ground.

“NATO has no intention of deploying forces in Ukraine. When I visited Ukraine last week the Ukrainians did not ask for NATO troops, what they asked for was more support,” said Stoltenberg during an official visit to Italy.

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

An "undeclared" Russian military intelligence officer will be expelled from the UK, the home secretary has announced, as he also revealed the closure of several Russian diplomatic premises. James Cleverly told the House of Commons: "Today in conjunction with the foreign secretary, I am announcing a package of measures to make clear to Russia that we will not tolerate such apparent escalations. “I can tell the House that we will expel the Russian defence attache, who is an undeclared military intelligence officer. "We will remove diplomatic premises status from several Russian-owned properties in the UK, including Seacox Heath house, a Russian-owned property in Sussex, and the trade and defence section in Highgate, which we believe have been used for intelligence purposes. “We are imposing new restrictions on Russian diplomatic visas, including capping the length of time Russian diplomats can spend in the UK." It comes after five people were charged over conspiring to commit espionage activities in the UK on behalf of Russia under the National Security Act, the first prosecutions of this kind under the new laws. The Russian Ambassador had been summoned to relay the measures and to “reiterate that Russia’s actions will not be tolerated”, according to the Home Office. Mr Cleverly said he expected Moscow to make accusations of Russophobia and spread conspiracy theories in response to the UK’s actions. - ITV

Ukraine’s largest energy provider, DTEK, says that after Tuesday night’s massive missile and drone attacks, Russia has now damaged or destroyed 50% of its energy system and 80% of thermal power capacity. Its chief executive says that if systems are not restored by this winter a “humanitarian disaster” could evolve

Russians believe their nation contributed more than any other to winning World War II. The uncomfortable truth is that Moscow actually started the war in 1939 as Nazi Germany’s ally.

Every year on May 9, Vladimir Putin delivers an address to celebrate Victory Day, which marks the Soviet Union’s triumph over Nazi Germany in World War II, a war Russians dub the “Great Patriotic War.” If history is any guide, Putin will again use this year’s speech to justify his unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. For Putin, it is an opportunity to project to his people an image of Russia as a powerful nation defeating fascism, and abroad to project Russia as a great power.

Modern Russian schools’ history classes conveniently leave out the fact that the 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact set the stage for the war. The secret agreement allowed Germany and the Soviet Union to invade Poland and divide it between them, while Moscow took control of the independent Baltic countries, thus sparking World War II. Instead, Russians have always claimed that the war began in 1941, with Nazi Germany’s invasion of the USSR.

Vladimir Putin was sworn in for a fifth term at a ceremony in the Kremlin on Tuesday. The 71-year-old will now rule the country for another six years. Commentators are critical in their assessments.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was sworn in for a fifth term at a ceremony in the Kremlin on Tuesday. The 71-year-old will now rule the country for another six years. Russia will emerge stronger from this difficult time, Putin promised during the ceremony, which many EU representatives did not attend. Commentators are critical in their assessments.

He's got the whole country in his pocket

The draft law allows prisoners convicted of less serious offences to be released on parole for military service under contract.

Ukraine’s parliament has passed draft law No. 11079-1 on the voluntary mobilization of convicts to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). The bill passed in its second reading on May 8, with President Volodymyr Zelensky’s signature now needed for it to enter into force.

Olena Shulyak, people’s deputy and head of the pro-presidential “Servant of the People” party stated that the consolidation of all forces is necessary to survive in the face of “a total war against a more resourceful enemy.” She added that “this draft law is about our struggle and preservation of Ukrainian statehood.”

This move comes as Moscow has made battlefield gains in recent months, exploiting its manpower and weapons advantage while Kyiv awaited critical new Western aid.

In a landmark decision reached on Wednesday, May 8, European Union member states have agreed to allocate billions of euros from frozen Russian central bank assets to bolster Ukraine's defense capabilities and aid its post-war reconstruction.

This move comes as Moscow has made battlefield gains in recent months, exploiting its manpower and weapons advantage while Kyiv awaited critical new Western aid, more than two years into the war.

Earlier this week, the Chinese leader kicked off his trip in France, a visit that was cordial but also highlighted tensions between Beijing and the EU over the war in Ukraine and global trade.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban will host Chinese President Xi Jinping in Budapest on Thursday in a bid to strengthen already flourishing ties between Beijing and its closest EU ally.

The state visit to Hungary is the last leg of Xi's European tour, his first since 2019.

Seoul has long been asked by US and European allies to do more to help Kyiv, with speculation that South Korea would change longstanding policy due to North Korea's alleged arms transfers to Russia.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said Thursday that Seoul would keep strong ties with Ukraine and a "smooth" relationship with Russia, while ruling out direct weapon shipments to Kyiv.

As a major arms exporter, Seoul has long been asked by US and European allies to do more to help Kyiv, with speculation that South Korea would change longstanding policy due to North Korea's alleged arms transfers to Russia for use in Ukraine.

In a climate rife with risk due to the ongoing war, banks have given more than 50,000 loans with a compensatory interest rate to Ukraine’s companies.

Despite large state deficit, Ukraine pays only Hr.30 billion ($760 million) to compensate for the interest rate of its “5-7-9%” loans. The “5-7-9%” credit program entails reduced interest rate loans through state compensation of interest rates to the level of 5, 7 and 9 percent per annum for loans in national currency.

After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine “5-7-9%” loans became the key tool for business to get financing inside the country.

Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.

Key Takeaways from the ISW:

• Russian President Vladimir Putin began his fifth term as Russian President on May 7 and stressed Russia's need for unchallenged autocratic rule while indirectly calling for victory in Ukraine.
• Russian ultranationalists lauded the start of Putin's fifth term as a historic event and explicitly approved of the autocratic tradition in which Putin is casting himself, with one of them hailing him as "imperator," the formal title of the Russian tsars since the time of Peter the Great. Russian ultranationalists also expressed hope that Putin will continue to deepen an anti-Western ideology that the Kremlin has been heavily developing since the start of the full-scale invasion.
• The current Russian cabinet of ministers and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin formally resigned on May 7 as constitutionally mandated, and the ministers who return to service and the ones whom Putin replaces will indicate who has Putin's favor and signal his political priorities for his fifth term
• Belarus has announced a surprise nuclear readiness inspection likely as part of the Kremlin's re-intensified reflexive control campaign targeting Western decision-making.
• Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) reported on May 7 that it exposed a network of Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) operatives who were planning to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other high-ranking Ukrainian intelligence and military officials
• The Russian Prosecutor General's Office declared US non-governmental organization (NGO) Freedom House an "undesirable organization" on May 7, likely as part of an ongoing effort to consolidate control over the domestic information space and further deprive Russians of access to civil society organizations and independent assessments of Russian civil and political rights.
• Russian forces recently made confirmed advances near Avdiivka, Donetsk City, and in western Zaporizhia Oblast.
• Russian occupation officials continue efforts to forcibly recruit Ukrainian civilians into the Russian military in occupied Kherson Oblast.
• The Kremlin is working with occupation administrators to strengthen Russia's control over the child welfare system in occupied Ukraine.