8:47
Kiev assures that Moscow intends to confiscate “Bahmut” by May 9
Russia has strengthened his bombings on Bakhmout hoping to take control by Tuesday, the Ukrainian general in charge of protecting the city besieged by the Russian army on Sunday night said, adding that he would do everything to avoid such an outcome.
This Tuesday, May 9th, is one of the most important national holidays in Russia, commemorating the victory over Germany in 1945.
“The Russians still hope to take the city by May 9th. Our mission is to prevent this,” General Oleksandre Syrskyi said via Telegram message.
8:38
Can Vladimir Putin regain control of Ukraine?
In Moscow, the big military parade is taking place in the presence of Vladimir Putin, even if the traditional march of the “Immortal Regiment”, which gathers tens of thousands of Russians on the streets of the capital, has been cancelled.
And from the front, the master of the Kremlin has little good news. His troops, who have been battling for Bakhmout since the summer, a city of disputed strategic importance that has been largely destroyed, have yet to capture it in the face of fierce Ukrainian resistance.
Although Russian forces now control most of it, this advance was slow and at the cost of heavy casualties. And Kiev has been preparing for a retaliatory strike for months, backed by important Western arms shipments.
8:31
What to expect from Vladimir Putin’s speech on Tuesday?
Uniform, parades, arsenal… Russia should proceed to a show of force as usual, particularly in Moscow, where Vladimir Putin is due to intervene from Red Square this Tuesday for his traditional speech.
Again, he should compare fighting Nazi Germany in World War II with the need to fight what he believes are the Nazis of today, namely the Ukrainians, a parallel he made last year.
8:27
Ukraine claims it shot down 23 Russian missiles
In a statement released Tuesday morning, Ukraine’s Air Force said it shot down 23 of the 25 cruise missiles fired by Russia at its territory.
“In total, during two waves of bombings on Ukraine on the night of May 9, 2023, the Russian occupiers fired 25 Kalibr and X-101/X-555 cruise missiles,” we learn.
It is the fifth such attack since early May by Russia, which has resumed its airstrikes over Ukraine, which had largely been suspended since early March.
7:52
Von der Leyen is in Kiev on the occasion of Europe Day
The President of the European Commission arrived in Kiev on Tuesday to mark Europe Day and show her support for Ukraine in the face of the Russian offensive, the day Moscow commemorates the victory over Nazi Germany.
Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Kiev on a night train from Poland to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and work on Ukraine’s application to join the European Union, according to the accompanying Press Pool.
Anti-aircraft sirens rang out in Kiev for two hours just before his arrival.
6:47
Is Wagner a terrorist group? French MEPs speak out
The National Assembly is due to vote on Tuesday on a text requesting registration of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, accused of abuses in Ukraine and Africa, on the European Union’s list of terrorist organizations.
The non-binding motion, tabled by Renaissance MP Benjamin Haddad, specifically targets the “numerous abuses against civilians” in Ukraine committed by this group of mercenaries, some of which could qualify as “war crimes”.
The text, which will be debated in the afternoon, was co-signed by deputies from the various majority factions, but also by elected representatives from the ranks of the socialists, ecologists and LR, which predicts a positive vote in the plenary hall.
5:30
According to the Wagner Group, “bitter” fighting continues in Bakhmout
The head of Russia’s Wagner paramilitary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said Monday that “fierce” fighting continued in Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, suggesting his troops are being given more ammunition after threatening to withdraw.
Yevgeny Prigoyine, who has been in open conflict with Russia’s military hierarchy for months, had pledged on Friday to withdraw his frontline fighters in that Ukrainian city that Russian forces have been attacking since last August if they stop receiving ammunition from the army Army.
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5:00 a.m
The Pulitzer Prizes reward the American press for its coverage of Ukraine
The New York Times newspaper and the Associated Press news agency were honored on Monday with the Pulitzer Prizes, America’s most prestigious press award, for their work on the war in Ukraine.
One of the world’s largest news outlets, The New York Times, and its reporters won the Pulitzer Prize for “International Reporting” for their “steadfast coverage of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including an eight-month investigation into the Ukrainian death of Boutcha and the Russian entity responsible for these murders,” Pulitzer administrator Marjorie Miller announced in a video message.
The American news agency AP received the “Public Service” award for a “courageous” report on the siege of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol.
4:40
Russian and Soviet flags are banned in Berlin on Tuesday
Russian and Soviet flags will be banned near the Soviet War Memorial in Berlin’s Tiergarten on Tuesday, the German capital’s Higher Administrative Court confirmed on Monday.
The Supreme Court thus overturned a decision by the Administrative Court that lifted a ban on these flags on the occasion of the commemoration of the German surrender on May 8th and 9th.
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4:20
Explosions can be heard in Kiev tonight, hours before Putin’s May 9 speech
Multiple explosions were heard in Kiev overnight on Tuesday, Kiev independent media and Ukrainian news agency TSN report. hours ahead of a long-awaited speech by Vladimir Putin on May 9 in Moscow.
A warning urging residents of the city to take shelter was issued by authorities at 4 a.m. (3 a.m. Paris time) by telegram, and a few tens of minutes later indicated that “air defenses are working”.
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4:00
Hello everyone!
Welcome to this live broadcast dedicated to the news of the war in Ukraine and the commemoration of May 9 in Russia.