WAR IN UKRAINE: May 8, 2022
At the Lychakiv Cemetery in Lviv, families gathered on Sunday to mourn the loss of loved ones killed in the fighting. Thirty-seven graves are in the historic cemetery and another 29 on the outskirts due to a lack of space inside.
Tune into CNN on Monday. I’ll be joining anchor Isa Soares for coverage of the events of May 9: 7am-10am LDN / 9am-12noon Kyiv
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: Day 73
Sixty people are feared dead following an airstrike on Saturday on a school in Luhansk Ukraine where 90 people were sheltering, according to a local official. Search for survivors is underway - Suspilne News. In response to the strike, the US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told CNN’s Jake Tapper: “We’re going to continue to document war crimes so they can be held accountable.”
As of Sunday morning most regions of Ukraine were under air raid siren alerts, just one day ahead of the crucial May 9th ‘Victory Day’ in Russia. Lviv Mayor Andrij Sadovij told me he’s staying put in his city; others mayors have advised their citizens either to stay indoors or leave altogether.
The Ukrainian ambassador slams Germany over a ban of the Ukrainian flag, symbols on May 8-9. Andriy Melnyk told RND that banning Ukrainian symbols alongside the Russian imperialist symbols such as the letter “Z” on the World War II victory anniversary is “a slap in the face to Ukraine.” In a last minute concession it was announced that the Ukrainian and Russian flags would be allowed to be displayed for one hour on Monday -The Kyiv Independent
Since the invasion began on 24 February, the UN has recorded at least 2,345 civilian deaths and 2,919 injured in Ukraine, the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Thousands of combatants are also believed to have been killed or injured on both sides. According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, the war has claimed the lives of 225 children and injured 413. The figures are expected to be higher since they do not include child casualties in the areas where hostilities are ongoing and in the occupied areas, the PGO said.
Meanwhile the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reports that 25,100 Russian soldiers have been killed since the start of the invasion.
More than 12 million people are said to have fled their homes in Ukraine since the conflict began, with 5.7 million leaving for neighbouring countries and another 6.5 million people thought to be displaced inside the war-torn country itself - BBC
The annual military parade in Moscow's Red Square has a new significance this year, as Russian forces continue their two-month assault in Ukraine. As tanks roll through the city streets, speculation is intensifying over President Vladimir Putin's next move. Full BBC story here
Unconventional tactics helped Ukrainian forces prevent Russian troops from conducting what was supposed to be a lightning strike on the capital in the initial phase of the offensive. From night ambushes on quad bikes and attacks with drones to the deliberate sabotage of road and railway bridges, Ukrainian forces have repeatedly surprised the Russian side. Full SKY News report here
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has said his administration will not impose sanctions on Russia because of its invasion of Ukraine. “We want to remain neutral," Lopez Obrador said, calling for dialogue.
“Washington . . .[has] allowed us to kick hell out of one bastard and at the same time forced us to help establish a second one as evil or more evil than the first. We have won a series of battles, not a war for peace. We’re headed down another long road. This time we’ll need Almighty God’s constant help if we’re to live in the same world with Stalin and his murdering cutthroats. Unfortunately, some of our leaders were just damn fools who had no idea of Russian history. How Stalin must have sneered when he got though with them at all those phony conferences”