- All women, children and elderly civilians have been evacuated from the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk says.
- UN Security Council agrees to first joint statement since Ukraine war began, expressing “strong support” for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s efforts to find a peaceful solution to the crisis.
- The World Health Organisation says it documented 200 attacks on healthcare facilities in Ukraine.
- US President Joe Biden announces new security aid to Ukraine and calls on US legislators to approve more funds for the country.
- Ukrainian security official warns of “saboteurs and other criminal elements” before Russia’s Victory Day.
This live blog is now closed, thanks for joining us. Here are the updates for May 7.
Kyiv urges MSF to evacuate soldiers from besieged steelworks
Ukraine has urged aid agency Doctors Without Borders (MSF) to evacuate its soldiers from their last holdout in the devastated port city of Mariupol.
The ministry of reintegration of temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine wrote in a statement in English that it “calls on MSF to organise a mission to evacuate the defenders of Mariupol and Azovstal and provide medical care to the wounded people, whose human rights were violated by Russian Federation.”
“Now, there is a lack of medicines, water and food, wounded soldiers are dying because of gangrene and sepsis,” it added.
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says more than 300 people were saved from Azovstal plant
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says more than 300 civilians have been rescued from the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol.
Zelenskyy said in a late night address that authorities would now focus on a second stage of the evacuation, aimed at rescuing the wounded and medics, and work on humanitarian corridors for all residents of Mariupol and surrounding settlements.
He also said Kyiv was attempting to negotiate the evacuation of Ukrainian “defenders” from the steel mill but that it had been “extremely difficult.”
Around 2,000 civilians trapped in Popasna as rescue efforts: AJE correspondent
Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford says attempts to rescue civilians trapped in the besieged town of Popasna, in eastern Ukraine, have been suspended because too dangerous.
Sergei Rosco, a former construction worker whom Stratford filmed before he set off as a volunteer driver, was reported missing and is feared killed.
Igor, a volunteer driving alongside Rosco, said the Russian military launched rocket-propelled grenades and then fired at them with machine guns. “Sergei kept driving but he was hit,” he said.
Rosco had told Igor before leaving that “if I can save 20 more people, my life will not have been in vain.”
Russia says operation to evacuate civilians from Azovstal plant is over
Russia’s defence ministry has announced the completion of an operation to evacuate civilians from the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol.
In an online posting, the ministry said a total of 51 people had been rescued since the three-day operation started on Thursday, including 18 men, 22 women and 11 children.
It also said only one person had been evacuated on Saturday.
Ukraine, Angola discuss war impact on food security
Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba has spoken to his counterpart in Angola about the impact of Russia’s invasion on global food security.
Kuleba said on Twitter that he and Tete Antonio discussed how to “mitigate the impact of war on global food security and the need to fully unblock Ukraine’s food exports.”
Spoke with Angola's Foreign Minister Tete Antonio @amb_tete on our further cooperation within international organizations and steps to develop trade. We focused on ways to mitigate the impact of war on global food security and the need to fully unblock Ukraine’s food exports.
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) May 7, 2022
WHO has documented 200 attacks on health facilities in Ukraine
World Health Organisation Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has told Ukrainians that the WHO stands by them in the conflict with Russia and urged Moscow to stop waging war on its neighbour.
“My message to all the people of Ukraine is this,” he said, speaking from the government media centre in the capital Kyiv. “WHO stands by you.”
WHO Emergencies Director Mike Ryan told the same news conference that the organisation had already documented 200 attacks on healthcare facilities in Ukraine, and would pass its findings on to those who could assess whether crimes had been committed.
Chinese calculations on Taiwan affected by Ukraine conflict, CIA director says
US Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns has said that Beijing is closely monitoring Russia’s conflict in Ukraine and that it is affecting China’s calculations about Taiwan.
Burns, who was speaking at a Financial Times event in Washington, said Chinese government leadership has been struck by Ukraine’s fierce resistance to Russia’s invasion and by the economic costs Russia is bearing.
“These are things that they’re weighing very carefully,” Burns said.
No ‘practical evidence’ Russia plans to use tactical nukes: CIA
The US Central Intelligence Agency sees no indications that Russia is preparing to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in the Ukraine war, CIA director Bill Burns has said.
“We don’t see, as an intelligence community, practical evidence at this point of Russian planning for the deployment or even potential use of tactical nuclear weapons,” Burns said at a conference.
Putin believes ‘doubling down’ will improve Ukraine war outcome, CIA director says
US Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns says that Putin believes doubling down on the military conflict in Ukraine will improve his outcome in the war.
“He’s in a frame of mind in which he doesn’t believe he can afford to lose,” said Burns, who was speaking at a Financial Times event in Washington. “I think he’s convinced right now that doubling down still will enable him to make progress.”
Ukraine: ‘All women, children and elderly’ evacuated from Mariupol steel mill
Ukraine has said that all women, children and elderly civilians have been evacuated from the Azovstal steel plant in the destroyed port city of Mariupol where Ukrainian forces are holding out against Russian troops.
“The President’s order has been carried out: all women, children and the elderly have been evacuated from Azovstal. This part of the Mariupol humanitarian mission has been completed,” Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in a statement on social media.
Jill Biden hails ‘amazingly strong’ Ukraine refugees in Romania
US First Lady Jill Biden has hailed the “amazingly strong” refugees from Ukraine as she visited neighbouring Romania.
“You are amazingly strong,” Biden said after listening to mothers and children recount how they fled Russia’s invasion of their country.
“We stand with you, I hope you know that,” she said during a visit to a school in Bucharest, accompanied by her Romanian counterpart Carmen Iohannis, according to images transmitted by TVR public television.
Russia continues assault on Mariupol’s Azovstal plant: Military command
Ukraine’s military command says that Russia is continuing its assault on Mariupol’s Azovstal plant with the help of tank and artillery fire, Reuters has reported.
Council of Europe calls for justice
Every Ukrainian who has suffered a human rights violation at Russian hands amid the continuing invasion deserves justice, says the top human rights representative of the Council of Europe.
“Each of them deserves justice and must not be forgotten,” said Dunja Mijatovic in a statement after a four-day visit to Kyiv. She described the extent and gravity of human rights violations as staggering.
The council’s commissioner for human rights stressed that such rights “do not end during war,” and that, even during this period, “human life and human rights must be protected”.
Six missiles hit Odesa
Six missiles have hit the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa, the spokeswoman for Ukraine’s southern military command told the country’s public broadcaster.
Spokeswoman Natalia Humeniuk said four rockets hit a furniture factory in a residential area, while the other two struck an already damaged runway strip. She added that information on casualties was being clarified.
Another 50 people evacuated from Mariupol’s Azovstal plant: RIA
Fifty more people have been evacuated from the besieged Azovstal plant in Mariupol, Russian RIA news agency has reported.
The defence headquarters of Russian-backed Donetsk separatists said on Telegram that a total of 176 civilians had now been evacuated from the sprawling, bombed-out steelworks.
Kyiv: Three Russian tanks, artillery systems destroyed
The Ukrainian General Staff has announced that the Ukrainian armed forces managed to repel eight Russian attacks during the past 24 hours, in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, destroying three tanks, eight artillery systems, seven armoured military vehicles, a combat vehicle and three units of engineering equipment.
The Ukrainian army reported that there were attempts to launch an attack around the Azovstal steel plant in the besieged coastal city of Mariupol in the southeast of the country.
Biden meets refugees in Bucharest, Romania
US First Lady Jill Biden has praised the Romanian government and relief organisations for the range of humanitarian aid they are providing to Ukrainian refugees.
At a Romanian public school hosting refugee students, Biden saw firsthand the relief efforts to assist some of the 900,000 Ukrainians who have fled to Romania.
“We stand with you,” Biden told the mothers of some of the students after visiting classrooms where kids ages five to 15 attend school.
Blinken: Putin trying to twist history to justify war
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said Putin is trying to “twist history” amid the commemoration of the end of World War II “to justify his unprovoked and brutal war against Ukraine”.
“As war again rages in Europe, we must increase our resolve to resist those who now seek to manipulate historical memory in order to advance their own ambitions,” Blinken said in a statement on the 77th anniversary of the victory over the Nazis.
“As we commemorate the end of World War II in Europe, we have a sacred duty to the fallen: to speak the truth about the past and to support all those in our own time who stand up for freedom,” Blinken said.
Senior Russian lawmaker says US directly involved in Ukraine fighting
Russia’s most senior lawmaker has accused Washington of coordinating military operations in Ukraine, which he said amounted to direct US involvement in military action against Russia.
“Washington is essentially coordinating and developing military operations, thereby directly participating in military actions against our country,” Vyacheslav Volodin wrote on his Telegram channel.
Washington and European members of the transatlantic NATO alliance have supplied Kyiv with heavy weapons to help it resist a Russian offensive that has resulted in the occupation of parts of eastern and southern Ukraine but failed to take Kyiv.
Zelenskyy meets with cabinet on economic issues
Zelenskyy has met cabinet members to discuss the country’s economy. He spoke about the fuel shortage that has hit Ukraine since the Russian invasion.
Queues at petrol stations and rising fuel prices have been seen across the country.
Ukraine’s Minister for Economic Development and Trade, Yulia Svyrydenko, said the Russian blockade of Ukrainian ports has impacted Ukraine’s fuel supply and called for a “green corridor to Ukraine” through the affected ports.
Ukraine says sank Russian landing craft at Snake Island
Kyiv says it has destroyed another Russian warship near the Black Sea’s Snake Island.
Ukraine’s defence ministry said in a statement an armed drone had destroyed a Serna-class landing craft and a missile defence system at the small island under Russian control.
It released grainy overhead footage on social media showing in black and white what appeared to be an explosion over a light craft with debris spilling outwards.
Croatian citizen fighting for Ukraine detained by Russians
A Croatian citizen who fought alongside Ukrainian troops in Mariupol has been detained by the Russian army, Croatian state media has reported.
Croatia’s foreign ministry also confirmed that it “has knowledge of a detained Croatian citizen,” and is working with the Ukrainian authorities to resolve the situation. It offered no further information due to the “sensitivity of the situation”.
The state HRT television reported that the Croatian man tried to flee Mariupol with other Ukrainian fighters but was caught by the Russians.
Missiles hit Ukraine’s coastal city Odesa
Several missiles hit the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa, the regional administration’s spokesman Serhiy Bratchuk said in televised remarks.
Bratchuk said the attacks hit the city after targets in the surrounding Odesa region had been hit by four missiles earlier in the day.
He did not give further detail about the new attacks, saying that the facts were still being established.
Russia missile destroys heritage museum in Kharkiv
A Russian missile has destroyed a Ukrainian museum dedicated to the life and work of an 18th-century philosopher, the local council said.
Ukrainian emergency services shared photographs of the Gregory Skovoroda museum engulfed in flames.
As an indication of his importance to Ukraine’s cultural heritage, Skovoroda’s likeness adorns a Ukrainian banknote.
The museum in Skovorodynivka lies near the Russian border in the Kharkiv region where fighting has been fierce.
ICRC official sees hope for more evacuations from Mariupol
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) hopes the successful evacuation of civilians from the besieged steel plant in Mariupol will pave the way for more people to get out of the complex, a senior ICRC official said.
“Experience shows that a successful action helps further evacuations because now both sides have seen that it works. We hope that we can now build on this minimum of trust,” Dominik Stillhart, the ICRC’s director of operations, told Swiss newspaper Neue Zurcher Zeitung.
Stillhart said that it was “extremely frustrating” that it took weeks of painstaking work to get Russian and Ukrainian authorities on board and to work out logistic details so that combatants at every checkpoint knew when buses would drive by.
Donetsk forces say another 50 people evacuated from Azovstal plant
The territorial defence headquarters of the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) said that 50 more people had been evacuated from the besieged Azovstal steel factory in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, according to Russia’s Interfax news agency.
About 50 civilians had been evacuated on Friday to a reception centre in nearby Bezimenne, in the separatist DPR, whose forces are fighting alongside Russian troops to expand their control of large parts of eastern Ukraine.
Dozens of civilians have been trapped for weeks alongside the remaining Ukrainian forces holding out in the bombed-out plant.
Russia fine tunes Victory Day parade
Russia has held its final rehearsal for an annual parade marking the Soviet victory in World War II, where its military might will be showcased amid Moscow’s campaign in Ukraine.
To mark the 77th anniversary of victory in what Russia calls the Great Patriotic War, thousands of soldiers will march across the Red Square in Moscow on Monday followed by tanks, armoured vehicles and missile launchers.
According to Russia’s defence ministry, 77 aircraft will participate in the flypast, including the rarely-seen Il-80 Doomsday plane that is capable of withstanding a nuclear attack.
Eight Mig-29 fighter jets will fly over Red Square forming the letter Z – a symbol of Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine. On the ground, Russia will be displaying its nuclear-capable hardware, including the Yars intercontinental nuclear missiles and Iskander short-range ballistic missile systems.
Fresh attacks on Russian-backed region of Transnistria
Transnistria, a breakaway Russian-backed territory in Moldova bordering on Ukraine, said there have been renewed attacks on its territory.
There were several explosions in the village of Voronkovo near the Ukrainian border during the night, the Interfax news agency reported, citing the region’s interior ministry.
“At least two drones flew over the military garrison in Voronkovo, four explosions were heard,” the ministry said, adding that there had been no deaths or injuries.
The region has been rocked by attacks several times in recent weeks.
Russia says it destroyed US and European equipment in Kharkiv region
Russia’s defence ministry said it had destroyed a large stockpile of military equipment from the United States and European countries near the Bohodukhiv railway station in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region.
The ministry said it had hit 18 Ukrainian military facilities overnight, including three ammunition depots in Dachne, near the port city of Odesa.
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 73
From the continuing Russian ground attack on the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, to the US signing a $150m package of security assistance to Ukraine, here are the main developments of the 73rd day of the Russian-Ukraine war.
Read more here.
Ukraine conflict taking heavy toll on Russia’s most capable units: UK
The conflict in Ukraine is taking a heavy toll on some of Russia’s most capable units and most advanced capabilities, the British ministry of defence tweeted.
At least one T-90M, Russia’s most advanced tank, has been destroyed in the fighting, the ministry said.
Approximately 100 T-90M tanks are in service amongst Russia’s best-equipped units, including those fighting in Ukraine, it said.
Biden and Trudeau discuss Ukraine in phone call
Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau discussed security assistance to Ukraine, and their commitment to holding Russia accountable for its invasion of the country, in a phone call on Friday, the White House said in a statement.
Diplomatic efforts underway to save Azovstal fighters: Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says diplomatic efforts are underway in order to save the Ukrainian soldiers defending the vast Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol.
“Influential intermediaries are involved, influential states,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address. He did not go into detail.
ISW talks of ‘widespread civilian resistance’ in Mariupol
The Institute for the Study of War has given its latest assessment of the situation on the ground in Ukraine.
It says it can’t confirm any specific Russian advances on the assault on the Azovstal steel plant but on the city of Mariupol adds: “Likely widespread civilian resistance to the Russian occupation may additionally disrupt previously announced Russian plans to conduct a Victory Day exhibition in Mariupol.”
More details on their assessment in the Twitter thread below:
New: #Ukraine‘s ability – and willingness – to concentrate the forces necessary to launch a counteroffensive along a broad arc north & east of #Kharkiv city indicates confidence in repelling ongoing Russian attacks w/ their existing forces in the region. https://t.co/ASxUVHcrGc pic.twitter.com/u20zxLOaB4
— ISW (@TheStudyofWar) May 7, 2022
UK to send more mobile generators to Ukraine
The UK government, which has already donated nearly 600 mobile generators to Ukraine, is sending 287 more.
The new generators, which are enough to power nearly 8,000 homes, will be used for hospitals, shelters and other essential services in eastern Ukraine, the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy said in a statement.
Consortium wins bid to take over Chelsea: Report
A consortium led by LA Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly and backed by Clearlake Capital has won the bid to acquire Premier League club Chelsea in a deal worth up to $4.94bn, Britain’s Telegraph newspaper has reported.
The proposal has now been sent to the government and Premier League for approval.
With just more than three weeks remaining on the club’s current operating licence, which expires on May 31, Boehly is on course to complete his takeover by the end of this month, The Telegraph said.
Russian owner Roman Abramovich, now subject to sanctions by the UK government, put the London club up for sale in early March following the invasion of Ukraine.
US provided $3.8bn in military aid to Ukraine since invasion began: Blinken
With the latest $150m US security aid package to Ukraine, Washington’s military assistance to Kyiv since the Russian invasion began has reached around $3.8bn, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said.
“This brings total US security assistance to Ukraine to approximately $3.8 billion in arms and equipment since Russia launched its brutal and unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24,” Blinken said in a statement announcing the additional aid.
“We will continue to provide Ukraine the arms its forces are effectively using to defend their country and the freedom of their fellow citizens.”
I have authorized $150 million in additional U.S. arms, equipment, and supplies for Ukraine to reinforce its defenses to counter Russia’s offensive in the East. We stand #UnitedwithUkraine.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) May 6, 2022
UN Security Council statement ‘initial step’ in right direction: Mexico
Juan Ramon de la Fuente, Mexico’s ambassador to the United Nations, has called the Security Council statement backing the push for peace in Ukraine “a very first initial step but it points on the right direction”.
“It’s encouraging to see diplomacy is getting its place at the council,” he said, adding that “quiet diplomacy is sometimes much more effective than when you have lots of statements.”
Mexico currently has a seat on the 15-member council.
Ukraine wheat production set to drop by third: Satellite imagery analysis
Ukraine’s wheat production is likely to be down by at least a third from last year due to the Russian invasion, a data analysis firm that uses satellite imagery has said.
Ukraine is a major producer and exporter of wheat, but the war has disrupted farming in the country.
The French firm Kayrros said near-infrared and infrared imagery allows it to determine crop coverage and accurately predict wheat production. “Production this year is expected to be at least 35 percent lower than last year,” an analysis of the latest data showed, Kayrros said.
UN chief welcomes Security Council statement
UN chief Guterres has welcomed the Security Council statement that backed his efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine.
“Today, for the first time, the Security Council spoke with one voice for peace in Ukraine,” Guterres said in a statement. “The world must come together to silence the guns and uphold the values of the UN Charter.”
Guterres recently visited Moscow and Kyiv in a push for humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to evacuate areas facing heavy fighting.
Fresh US military aid package worth $150m: Official
The newest US military aid package to Ukraine, announced by Biden on Friday, is worth $150m, a US official has said.
The official said the latest tranche of assistance includes 25,000 155mm artillery rounds, as well as counter-artillery radars, jamming equipment, field equipment and spare parts.
Italy blocks Russia-linked mega-yacht from sailing
The Italian finance minister has announced a decree that will impede a mega-yacht from sailing away from a Tuscan port, after an investigation indicated the luxury vessel Scheherazade has links to “prominent elements of the Russian government”.
The finance ministry said in a statement that the probe, carried out by Italy’s financial police corps, found the beneficial owner of the ship also had “significant economic business links” to other subjects included on a 2014 sanctions list.
That earlier blacklist was issued as part of European Union measures prompted by Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.
Biden renews call for US Congress to approve more funds for Ukraine
Biden has renewed his call for the US Congress to “quickly” authorise additional funding for aid to Ukraine. Late last month, Biden asked lawmakers for $33bn to keep the assistance flowing.
The US president said in a statement that the most recent aid package “nearly exhausted” his administration’s funding for Ukraine.
“Congress should quickly provide the requested funding to strengthen Ukraine on the battlefield and at the negotiating table,” he said.
Biden announces fresh security aid to Ukraine
US President Biden has announced new security aid to Ukraine.
“I am announcing another package of security assistance that will provide additional artillery munitions, radars, and other equipment to Ukraine,” Biden said in a statement without specifying the amount of the aid.
“US support, together with the contributions of our Allies and partners, has been critical in helping Ukraine win the battle of Kyiv and hinder Putin’s war aims in Ukraine,” he added.
Today, the U.S. is continuing our strong support for the brave people of Ukraine as they defend their country. I am announcing another package of security assistance that will provide additional artillery munitions, radars, and other equipment to Ukraine. https://t.co/lpvJbFF9Q3
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 6, 2022
Ukraine warns of ‘saboteurs’ ahead of Russia’s Victory Day
A top official from Ukraine’s interior ministry has warned against “the activation of saboteurs and other criminal elements” in the lead-up to Russia’s Victory Day on Monday.
Speaking to Ukraine’s state-run Ukrinform agency, first deputy interior minister Yevhen Yenin said authorities were carrying out “special operations” in a number of Ukrainian cities to “prevent possible provocations”.
“We receive information about the potential shelling of peaceful territories, and therefore I appeal to every Ukrainian, especially these days, not to ignore air raid sirens,” he added.
Russian shelling kills one, injures three in Donbas: Governor
One person was reported dead and three more were injured as a result of Russian shelling in Lyman, a city in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, the governor has said.
“Russia is killing civilians! On May 6, as a result of Russian shelling, one civilian of the Donbas was killed in Lyman. Three more people were injured,” Pavlo Kyrylenko wrote in a Telegram post.
Donbas, Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland, encompasses the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Security Council unanimously backs UN chief’s push for ‘peaceful solution’
The UN Security Council has unanimously adopted its first statement since Russia’s invasion began, expressing “strong support” for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ efforts to find a peaceful solution to the “dispute” in Ukraine.
The short statement adopted at a very brief meeting did not use the words “war”, “conflict” or “invasion”, as many council members call Russia’s continuing military action. Moscow has dubbed it a “special military operation”.
The permanent members of the council include Russia, the US, China, France and the UK.
“The Security Council expresses strong support for the efforts of the secretary-general in the search for a peaceful solution,” the statement said.
Ukraine official says 50 people evacuated from Azovstal plant
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk has said 50 women, children and elderly people were evacuated from the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol.
Vereshchuk accused Russia of constantly violating a local ceasefire, however, causing the effort to be “extremely slow”.
“Tomorrow morning we will continue the evacuation operation,” she said in an online post.
Welcome to Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the war in Ukraine.
Read all the updates from Friday, May 6 here.
