Russian forces conduct air and artillery strikes on Kherson and a number of villages in Kherson region. Ukraine to take Crimea without a fight, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov says. Receiving F-16 fighters depends on the outcome of Ukraine’s counteroffensive, according to the Ukrainian Foreign Minister.
Russian air, artillery strikes on Kherson region kill three, injure five others
On May 2, Russian forces conducted air and artillery strikes on Kherson and a number of villages in Kherson region, killing three people and injuring five others. The villages that came under attack are Kizomys and Veletenske in the Bilozerska hromada (territorial community), head of the Kherson regional military administration Oleksandr Prokudin said.
A 28-year-old man was killed, and four more people were injured in Veletenske. The wounded were taken to hospital in Kherson, where they are being treated.
According to a later update from the office of the Kherson regional prosecutor, the death toll from Russian strikes on Kherson and the Bilozerska hromada rose to three, and the number of injured had reached five.
The strikes damaged civilian infrastructure, including private houses, agricultural facilities, and vehicles.
Ukraine needs to cut Russia off from Crimea, Ukraine’s military intelligence says
Russia needs to be cut off from Crimea, to make sure that it retreats from the peninsula, representative of the Main Intelligence Department of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry Andriy Chernyak said.
“The enemy must be cut off from Crimea, to make sure that Russia cannot use the temporarily occupied peninsula for military purposes and, finally, implement the so-called ‘Crimean goodwill gesture,’” Chernyak said, implying Russia’s retreat. “Achieving the goal can be key to a just peace,” he added.
Ukraine continues to work toward the goal, the defense intelligence representative said, quoting recent developments on the peninsula.
“Kilometer-long traffic jams on the illegally built bridge from Kerch to Russia is the right reaction. The Main Intelligence Department of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry strongly recommends leaving the occupied Crimea while this option is still available. Ukraine is coming back and will come back to Crimea,” Chernyak said.
Ukraine will take Crimea without a fight, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov told The Atlantic. Ukraine talks about the “political military” liberation of Crimea, not a purely military counteroffensive, the article reads.
Crimea is being built into a fortress. Once they [Ukraine] have cut off the roads, railroads, and waterways to the peninsula, and targeted the military infrastructure with drones, the presumption is that many Russian inhabitants, especially recent immigrants, will become convinced that they would be better off living somewhere else. “Crimea we will take without a fight,” Reznikov said.
Receiving F-16 fighters depends on outcome of Ukraine’s counteroffensive, Ukrainian Foreign Minister says
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Ukraine’s 1+1 television channel that he believed that receiving F-16 fighters would depend on the outcome of a Ukrainian counteroffensive.
Kuleba is convinced that sooner or later Ukraine’s western allies will decide on sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, as they earlier did on other types of weapons.
F-16s are one of Ukraine’s top three priorities, alongside artillery rounds and armored vehicles, he added.
“If Ukraine had already been given F-16s, the counteroffensive would have been launched much faster and it would have been possible to save the lives of more Ukrainian soldiers, as well as civilians, as Russian missile strikes continue,” Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs Minister said.
Ukrainian-British Eurovision Song Contest 2023. Ukraine in Flames #418
When Ukraine swept the popular vote at Eurovision 2022, making it one of the all-time top vote-getters and beating first runner-up UK, it was a cathartic win and vote of support from the Eurovision voters across the globe. But unfortunately due to safety concerns as a result of russia’s invasion, Ukraine couldn’t host the most watched non-sporting event in the world. So this year Eurovision will take place in Liverpool on behalf of Ukraine and will be a true reflection of Ukrainian culture alongside showcasing the diversity of British music and creativity. Watch Ukraine in flames #418 to find out about the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 and the celebration of cultural mashup between these two nations.
Guests:
- Yehor Brailian, PhD in History, International Journalist
- Anzhelika Rudnytska, Ukrainian Singer, TV Host, Artist
- Anna Tulieva, Journalist, Eurovision Vlogger