- Ukraine’s defence ministry says Russian forces are attempting to “storm” Mariupol’s Azovstal steelworks.
- President Vladimir Putin tells a World War II Victory Day parade in Moscow’s Red Square that Russian troops in eastern Ukraine are fighting for “the motherland” as the Kremlin presses on with its offensive in the Donbas.
- Putin also says Moscow’s invasion was a preemptive move to ward off aggression from the West.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls for moves to open Ukrainian ports blockaded by Russia to allow for exports and prevent a global food crisis.
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