Summary
The time is now approaching 10pm in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. Here’s a roundup of today’s news.
The head of the Wagner Russian mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin, has said that a Ukrainian counteroffensive could turn into a “tragedy” for Russia. Prigozhin, a key ally of Vladimir Putin who has led the Russian attack of Bakhmut, complained that his fighters lacked ammunition.
“We (Wagner) have only 10-15% of the shells that we need,” he said, blaming the leadership of the Russian army. He predicted a counterattack could take place in mid-May. “This counteroffensive could become a tragedy for our country,” he said.
Ukraine is preparing for the much-expected counter offensive, with the war entering into a stalemate in recent months. It is hoped Ukrainian forces will have similar gains to autumn last year, where they retook part of Kherson.
Ahead of the offensive, the Russian army has replaced its highest ranking official in charge of logistics. Alexei Kuzmenkov - a former official from the National Guard has replaced Col Gen Mikhail Mizintsev.
Pope Francis has said that the Vatican was involved in a peace mission to try to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. “I am willing to do everything that has to be done. There is a mission in course now but it is not yet public. When it is public, I will reveal it,” Pope Francis told reporters including from Reuters during a flight home after a three-day visit to Hungary.
Four people have been killed from an overnight Ukrainian strike on the Russian border village of Suzemka, the governor of Russia’s western Bryansk region said on Sunday. “Two more civilians have been found and removed from the rubble. Unfortunately, both of them died,” local governor Alexander Bogomaz said on Telegram.
A growing poverty crisis in Ukraine has led many to turn to Kyiv’s pawn shops to surrender mobile phones, appliances and other belongings in order to get by.
Poverty increased from 5.5% to 24.2% in Ukraine in 2022, pushing 7.1 million more people into poverty with the worst impact out of sight in rural villages, according to a recent report by the World Bank. With unemployment unofficially at 36% and inflation hitting 26.6% at the end of 2022, the institution’s regional country director for eastern Europe, Arup Banerji, had warned that poverty could soar.
Funerals for two of the six children killed in a Russian missile strike on a tower block in Uman, central Ukraine, on Friday have taken place. A cruise missile caused a whole section of the building to collapse, killing at least 23, in one of the deadliest attacks on civilians this year.
The number of children killed by the war has reached 477, according to figures just posted to the Ukrainian prosecutor general’s Telegram account. The toll rose after it emerged on Saturday that two more children had died in the rocket attack in Uman.
One woman was killed in Kherson by Russian shelling, Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the oblast’s regional military administration said that artillery had hit Bilozerka and Odradokamianka, during which the 58-year-old was killed. More than 27 attacks were reported on residential areas of the wider Kherson region on Saturday, according to its authorities, with about 135 shells fired.
There have been reports of heavy shelling in the Kharkiv region. Several homes in the city of Kupyansk have been hit with anti-aircraft missiles, according to local officials. The hit caused fires at residential houses and garages and four cars were destroyed. No casualties have been reported.
The UK Ministry of Defence reports that Russian commanders have likely started “punishing breaches in discipline” by detaining offending troops in what they call ‘Zindans’ – which are holes in the ground covered with a metal grille.
Former US House speaker Nancy Pelosi has spoken about her surprise visit to Ukraine just after the Russian invasion had begun, a year on from her trip. “It was very, it was dangerous,” Pelosi told the Associated Press. “We never feared about it, but we thought we could die because we’re visiting a serious, serious war zone.”
In another interview, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy recalled the early days of Russia’s invasion, saying in an interview he carries a pistol and would have fought to the death alongside his inner circle had the Russians stormed his Kyiv headquarters at the start of the war. “I know how to shoot. Could you imagine [a headline like] ‘The president of Ukraine is taken captive by Russians?’ This is a disgrace. I believe this would be a disgrace,” he told the 1+1 television channel. “I think if they had gone inside, into the administration, we would not be here,” he said.
Joe Biden says he is ‘working like hell’ to secure release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, held in Russia on espionage charges. He praised the “absolute courage” of the US journalist and reiterated calls on Moscow for his immediate release. Biden, speaking at an annual dinner for White House correspondents on Saturday night, directly addressed the parents of Gershkovich. “We all stand with you. Evan went to Russia to shed light on the darkness that you all escaped from, years ago. Absolute courage … to the entire family, everyone in this hall stands with you. We’re working every day to secure his release,” Biden said.
Ukraine’s General Staff of the Armed Forces is claiming that 470 Russian troops were killed in fighting on Saturday. A daily update on social media said this brought Russia’s total combat losses to 19,0510 since the start of the war. The total has not been independently verified.
That’s all for today. Thank you for following along.
Pope Francis has said that the Vatican was involved in a peace mission to try to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
“I am willing to do everything that has to be done. There is a mission in course now but it is not yet public. When it is public, I will reveal it,” Pope Francis told reporters including from Reuters during a flight home after a three-day visit to Hungary.
“I think that peace is always made by opening channels. You can never achieve peace through closure … This is not easy.”
The pope added that he had spoken about the situation in Ukraine with Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán.
“In these meetings we did not just talk about Little Red Riding Hood. We spoke of all these things. Everyone is interested in the road to peace,” he said.
