On the eve of May 9, which in Russia is synonymous with celebrating the end of World War II, this Sunday, May 7, 2023, preparatory actions for a Ukrainian counteroffensive continued. Russian authorities claimed to have fended off a new drone attack in annexed Crimea and promised ammunition to Wagner Group militiamen in Bakhmout after their leader scolded Evgueni Prigojine.
On the ground, artillery fire continued on the eastern front on Sunday.
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Update on the situation this Sunday, May 7, 2023 | INFOGRAPHIC OF OUEST-FRANCE View full screen
Update on the situation this Sunday, May 7, 2023 | INFOGRAPHIC WEST FRANCE
Drone attack in Crimea
The Russian administration in annexed Crimea said Sunday, May 7, 2023, that it repelled a raid by a dozen Ukrainian drones on Sevastopol during the night when an offensive by Kiev loomed.
“During the night, anti-aircraft and electronic warfare units repelled a fresh attack on Sevastopol,” the homeport of the Russian Black Sea fleet, said Mikhail Razvojayev, the city’s governor.
Since the summer of 2022, the peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014 has been regularly hit by drone attacks. One of them caused a major fire at an oil depot in Sevastopol in late April.
Wagner promised ammunition
The leader of the paramilitary group Wagner had threatened to leave the Ukrainian town of Bakhmout soon to protest the lack of ammunition.
It seems he was heard by the Russians. “Last night we received a combat order […]. We were promised to give us all the ammunition and weapons we need to continue operations,” Evgueni Prigojine said this Sunday, May 7, in an audio message released by his press service.
The Russian writer concerned ‘will not be intimidated’
Russian nationalist writer Zakhar Prilepin was injured in a car explosion on Saturday, May 6, and one person was killed. This veteran of the Chechen wars and ardent supporter of the Russian invasion of Ukraine has pledged that he would not be intimidated.
“Thanks to everyone who prayed because it would have been impossible to survive such an explosion,” Prilepin said on Telegram, adding: “I tell the demons, you will not intimidate anyone. god exists. We will win”.
He paid tribute to his driver, Alexander Shubin, who died in the blast. “My dear friend, my protector for eight years, is dead,” he added. Zakhar Prilepin also said he dropped his daughter off “five minutes before the blast.”