Newsletter 08/05/2024
Daily news digest
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Air defense forces down 59 Russian missiles, drones overnight Wed
In total, the enemy employed 55 missiles and 21 attack drones, including:
a Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missile (launched from Tambov region);
two Iskander-M ballistic missiles (from the temporarily occupied Crimea);
four Kalibr cruise missiles (from the Black Sea);
45 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles launched by Tu-95 MS strategic aviation aircraft (from Saratov Region and Caspian Sea water area);
an Iskander-K cruise missile (from Crimea);
two Kh-59/Kh-69 guided air missiles (from the temporarily captured part of Zaporizhzhia region); and
21 attack UAVs of the Shahed-131/136 type (from Primorsko-Akhtarsk region, Kursk region).
Fighter aircraft, anti-aircraft warfare units of the Ukrainian Air Force, mobile air defense groups, and electronic warfare units were involved in repelling the massive attack.
As a result of anti-aircraft combat, 59 air targets were destroyed, including:
33 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles;
four Kalibr cruise missiles;
two Kh-59/Kh-69 guided air missiles; and
20 attack UAVs of the Shahed-131/136 type.
Russians attack energy infrastructure in six regions
“The enemy does not abandon plans to deprive Ukrainians of light. Another massive attack on our energy sector! Electricity generation and transmission facilities in the Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Vinnytsia regions were attacked,” said the head of the Ministry, Herman Halushchenko.
Wednesday evening, from 18:00 to 23:00, Ukraine to impose restrictions on energy supply to businesses. In case of further increase in consumption, outages are possible for household consumers.
Shelling of stadium in Kharkiv: seven injured, four of them children
As a result of the shelling of the stadium in Kharkiv by the Russian army, the number of victims has increased to seven, four of whom are children.
EU envoys approve motion to send Ukraine revenues from frozen Russian assets
EU ambassadors on Wednesday, May 8, agreed to use profits from frozen Russian assets to support the Ukraine recovery and its defense against Russian aggression.
Ukraine's parliament extends martial law, general mobilization for 90 days
The Verkhovna Rada has adopted laws to approve presidential decrees regarding the extension of martial law and general mobilization in Ukraine from May 14 for 90 days, until August 11, 2024.
War
Russian attack in Zaporizhzhia damages residential buildings, educational institutions, hospital
"According to preliminary reports, today's missile attack on Zaporizhzhia damaged objects in four districts of the city: 15 residential buildings and 6 non-residential buildings; 3 educational institutions; a health care institution; a garage and cars," Ivan Fedorov, head of the region's military administration, said.
Russian sabotage group suffers losses during attempt to cross into Kharkiv region – Khortytsia group
Ukraine's defense forces have spotted a Russian sabotage group of up to ten people near the village of Pylna, Kharkiv region, and forced them to return to Russian territory, inflicting losses on them.
Defense
Lithuania ready to send soldiers to Ukraine for training mission - PM
Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte has said that Vilnius is ready to send military personnel to Ukraine for a training mission, but Kyiv has not yet made such a request.
Politics
Belarus statement on nuclear readiness inspection supports Russia's campaign to reduce Western defense aid to Ukraine - ISW
A snap nuclear readiness drill announced in Belarus is likely aimed at supporting Moscow's efforts to force the West to refrain from providing additional military aid to Ukraine.
Stefanchuk signs order allowing journalists to visit parliament
The order "On some issues of organizing the work of journalists in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the ninth convocation during the period of martial law in Ukraine" approves the provision "On media accreditation under the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the ninth convocation during the period of martial law in Ukraine."
Journalists will now be able to cover the activities of the Verkhovna Rada directly in the premises of the parliament. Necessary conditions have been created for media representatives: equipped workplaces, a place for briefings, recording interviews, broadcasting parliament meetings, etc.
Publication
‘’Never Again?’’ How false conclusions from the Second World War brought the attack on Ukraine closer
The phrase ‘’Never again’’ became a statement of fact after the Cold War ended. The frame of mind of an entire generation of the Western establishment was defined by confidence in this, and was so strong that Russia's attack on Ukraine in 2014 was seen as an unfortunate exception to the general rule. However, Russia's full-scale aggression was a shock that caused not only a wave of solidarity with Ukraine, but also awakened old fears.
Pro-Russian sentiments in the West have not yet completely disappeared, but they do not currently have a decisive weight. The main debate in the West today, in 2024, is between those who support decisive military support for Ukraine and those who prefer to bring the ‘’parties of the conflict’’ to the negotiation table as soon as possible and finally start what is called a ‘’diplomatic settlement’’ in the language of diplomatic protocol. Both positions are based on strong arguments, including those rooted in the experience of the Second World War. The misinterpretation problem of this experience led to the fact that European cities are bombarded again, and the word ‘’genocide’’ is back in the columns of the leading media and echoes from the UN tribunes.
Video
The ambassador of Ukraine to Germany and the mayor of Berlin honored the victims of the Second World War
Ambassador of Ukraine to Germany Oleksiy Makeiev, together with the ruling mayor of Berlin, Kai Wegner, and State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Thomas Bugger, laid flowers at the Neue Wache memorial to the victims of the war.
In this way, they honoured the memory of millions of Ukrainians who died during the Second World War.