Summary
As the time approaches 9pm in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, here is a roundup of today’s news.
Moscow has accused Kyiv of attempting an overnight drone strike on the Kremlin with the aim of killing the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin said on Wednesday that two drones had been used in the attack, but they had been disabled by Russian defences. In a statement published on its website, the Kremlin stated it considered the attack a planned terrorist act and an attempt on the life of the president of the Russian Federation. Unverified video footage appeared to show a drone striking the Kremlin.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has denied responsibility for the attack. “We don’t attack Putin, or Moscow, we fight on our territory,” he said.
Former Russian president Dmitry Medevdev said that Zelenskiy should be “eliminated” in retaliation.
The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, has said the US can not confirm Russian reports that Ukraine targeted Putin with a drone strike in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Russia launched a third nightly round of attacks on Kyiv in six days, authorities in the Ukrainian capital said on Wednesday, with a drone hitting a building in the Dnipropetrovsk region as Moscow steps up attacks on its neighbour. Ukraine’s air force command said its forces destroyed 21 of the 26 Iranian-made Shahed drones launched by Russia, while Kyiv officials said air defence systems eliminated those sent over the city, with no initial reports of casualties or destruction.
Sixteen people have been killed in the attacks on Kherson oblast on Wednesday. The Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office said 12 of them had been killed in the city centre itself. The figure includes three killed at a supermarket in Kherson city, in an attack that left five injured.
A fuel storage facility near a key bridge in Russia’s south-western region of Krasnodar was on fire in the early hours of Wednesday, the regional governor said, but there were no initial reports of casualties. Russia’s state-owned Tass news agency has reported that the fire at an oil facility in Volna was caused by “the fall of a drone”. Smoke from the fire can be seen from across the Kerch Strait in occupied Crimea.
Zelenskiy has said the White House did not advise him about the leak of highly classified US intelligence documents that received widespread attention around the world last month. “I did not receive information from the White House or the Pentagon beforehand,” Zelenskiy was quoted as saying in an interview with the Washington Post published on Tuesday. “It is unprofitable for us,” he added. “It is not beneficial to the reputation of the White House, and I believe it is not beneficial to the reputation of the United States.”
Finnish media are reporting that Zelenskiy visited the capital of Finland, Helsinki. He gave a joint press conference with the president, Sauli Niinistö, and also had meetings with other leaders from the region.
A group of Nordic countries have backed Ukraine to become a member of Nato and the EU after a joint statement during President Zelenskiy’s visit to Finland. The group of Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland issued a joint statement in which they said: “The Nordic countries will continue their political, financial, humanitarian and military support for as long as it takes.”
There appears to be a developing row over the leaked news earlier that Volodymyr Zelenskiy intended to visit Berlin on 13 May. Reuters, citing the German media outlet t-online, reported that sources close to the Ukrainian government said the announcement of Zelenskiy’s visit was “irresponsible”, and that it was doubtful whether the trip could still take place.
Ukraine and the EU have reached an agreement to continue their “economic visa-free” deal for another 12 months. The initial deal was struck last year after the outbreak of war. It means that Ukrainian businesses will be able to continue to sell goods to the EU without any quotas, export duties or tariffs. Access for agricultural goods has also been agreed, according to Ukraine’s prime minister, Denys Shmyhal, on Telegram.
That’s all for today. Thank you for following along.
Updated
Ukraine and the EU have reached an agreement to continue their “economic visa-free” deal for another 12 months.
The initial deal was struck last year after the outbreak of war. It means that Ukrainian businesses will be able to continue to sell goods to the EU without any quotas, export duties or tariffs.
Access for agricultural goods has also been agreed, according to Ukraine’s prime minister, Denys Shmyhal, on Telegram.
It comes as the EU agreed to speed up its ammunition delivery to Ukraine on Wednesday (see 12.13pm). In March foreign ministers agreed to supply Ukraine with €2bn of shells.
Updated
