‘Evil always ends’: Zelensky gives Victory Day address
First lady Jill Biden made a surprise visit to Ukraine’s western region on Sunday, making her the highest-profile US delegate to visit the country since Russia launched its invasion on 24 February.
The trip was not flagged by the White House beforehand and comes as Joe Biden himself has faced questions as to whether he would follow a visit to the country from UK prime minister, Boris Johnson.
“I thought it was important to show the Ukrainian people that this war has to stop and this war has been brutal and that the people of the United States stand with the people of Ukraine,” Dr Biden said.
Elsewhere, around 60 people are feared dead in the Russian shelling of a school in the village of Bilohorivka in the Luhansk region, governor Serhiy Haidai said on Sunday.
He said that two people were confirmed dead while 30 others were rescued from the debris of the school, which was sheltering nearly 90 people at the time it was struck.
Local media reported that the two dead were children, though this has not been confirmed by officials.
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1652040309Goodbye
That’s the end of our Ukraine coverage today, thanks for following the live blog.
Thomas Kingsley8 May 2022 21:05
1652040017Exclusive: Russian artist uses blood of Ukrainian fighters to send a message to Putin
According to Andrei Molodkin blood and oil are at the heart of most human conflicts. Here he tells Andrew Buncombe about a special surprise he has for Putin’s May Day celebrations in Red Square.
The 56-year-old Russian artist is set to shock again with a new piece, a sculpture featuring the face of Vladimir Putin, with the space behind filled with human blood. It makes the Russian leader appear to be drenched in the vibrant red liquid. Blood soaked. Awash with blood.
Read the full exclusive below:
Thomas Kingsley8 May 2022 21:00
1652039105Evacuees from Azovstal plant arrive in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia
A convoy of buses carrying evacuees from southeastern Ukraine, including purportedly civilians taken from the Azovstal steel plant in besieged Mariupol, arrived on Sunday in the Ukrainian-controlled city of Zaporizhzhia, a Reuters witness said.
(Anadolu Agency via )
Thomas Kingsley8 May 2022 20:45
1652038163Patriotism, unease mix as Russia marks Victory Day in WWII
Red Soviet flags and orange-and-black striped military ribbons are on display in Russian cities and towns. Neighborhoods are staging holiday concerts. Flowers are being laid by veterans’ groups at monuments to the Great Patriotic War, as World War II is known in the country.
At first glance, preparations for Monday’s celebration of Victory Day, marking the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, seem to be the same as ever.
But the mood this year is very different, because Russian troops are fighting and dying again.
And this battle, now in its 11th week, is going on in neighboring Ukraine, against what the government has falsely called a campaign against “Nazis.”
Thomas Kingsley8 May 2022 20:29
1652036881Accused Bucha attackers among military officials targeted in US visa bans
US secretary of state Antony Blinken said on Sunday that new US visa bans on more than 2,600 Russian and Belarusian military officials included personnel believed to have operated in Bucha, a town outside of Kyiv where Russian forces are accused of executing residents.
Announcing a new policy of visa restrictions targeting Russian and pro-Russian forces in Ukraine, the state department said it imposed bans on 2,596 members of the Russian military and 13 Belarusian military officials. The visa bans apply to the officials and their immediate family members.
“Included among this group are personnel who reportedly took part in Russian military activities in Bucha, the horrors of which have shocked the world,” Mr Blinken said in a statement.
(REUTERS)
Thomas Kingsley8 May 2022 20:08
1652035806ICYMI: Ukraine braces for escalation of Russian attacks as Putin prepares to ‘dance over bones’ in Victory Day celebrations
Cities across Ukraine are preparing for an expected increase in Russian attacks as Russia prepares to celebrate Victory Day on 9 May.
The Russian national holiday commemorates the former Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War. Russian troops will march through the Red Square in Moscow to mark the occasion.
Russian forces have delivered more attacks on an embattled steelworks in an effort to conquer the southern port of Mariupol in time for the V Day celebrations.
Read the full story from our reporter, Aisha Rimi, below:
Thomas Kingsley8 May 2022 19:50
1652034906Odesa missile strike leaves woman injured on Sunday
Ukrainian authorities have reported a missile strike on the town of Odesa on Sunday leaving one woman injured.
Thomas Kingsley8 May 2022 19:35
1652034029US imposes visa restrictions on Russian military officers, targets maritime sector
The US State Department on Sunday announced a raft of visa bans and a new policy of visa restrictions on more than 2,500 Russian military officials and Russian-backed forces in Ukraine, according to a department fact sheet.
The State Department also said it designated eight Russian maritime-related companies and added 69 vessels to a US Treasury Department sanctions list.
Thomas Kingsley8 May 2022 19:20
1652033106Justin Trudeau announces new weapons support for Ukraine during visit
Justin Trudeau announces new weapons and military equipment for Ukraine.
The Canadian prime minister made a surprise visit to the war struck nation on Sunday meeting with the mayor of Irpin, a town near Kyiv.
(Irpin Mayor’s Office)
Thomas Kingsley8 May 2022 19:05
1652032264US imposes visa restrictions on Russian military officers
The US State Department has announced a raft of visa bans and a new policy of visa restrictions on more than 2,500 Russian military officials and Russian-backed forces in Ukraine, according to a department fact sheet.
The State Department also said it designated eight Russian maritime-related companies and added 69 vessels to a US Treasury Department sanctions list.
Aisha Rimi8 May 2022 18:51
