wow. That's really good timing. They've known how to do that for a while and saved it up haven't they?
That's an interesting sentence in the article about the Ukrainian deportations and them being used as labour. Given Russia's shrinking population I wonder if these deportations are quite deliberate partly in order to gain more workers?
HIghlights from UkraineNOW:
General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: the greatest activity of the invaders is observed in Slobozhanskiy and Donetsk directions. At the same time, there is a high probability of missile strikes throughout Ukraine
In the Donetsk direction, the enemy, with the aircraft and artillery support, focused its efforts on trying to take control of the settlements of Rubizhne, Popasna, preparing to continue combat operations in the direction of Siversk, Slovyansk, Lysychansk and Avdiivka. Has increased firepower and trying to break through the defenses of our troops.
The United Kingdom has announced new sanctions against Russia and Belarus: tariff increases and export bans. Particularly, the British government will increase by 35% tariffs on imports of Russian goods, including platinum and palladium imports. Overall, the tariff increase will affect merchandise trade worth £1.4 billion. In addition, the UK will introduce a complete ban on the sale of certain goods to Russia for a total of £250 million. These include chemicals, rubber, plastics and various equipment.
Invaders forbade Mariupol residents to move around the city without three "certificates": a certificate of "filtration", a permit to move through the city streets and a permit to move outside Mariupol, — wrote Ombudsman Denisova.
In the temporarily occupied territory of Zaporizhzhya region, cases of personal documents seizure from the local population without good reason were noted, the return of which will take place after the participation of local population in the celebrations on the occasion of the Victory Day. [ so, no pressure. Free and happy participation in the Russian occupiers' celebrations].
After the G7 leaders' meeting, Japan announced that it would impose an embargo on Russian crude oil imports
From Kyiv Independent
⚡️ Governor: Russian troops destroy 4,000 homes in Kyiv Oblast since start of war.
Kyiv Oblast Governor Oleksandr Pavliuk said on May 8 that destruction has been recorded in 46 of 69 communities, or 66.7% of the region.
⚡️ Advisor to Interior Minister: Ukraine receives 32,000 appeals from relatives of missing Russian soldiers.
Viktor Andrusiv said in an interview on Channel 24 on May 8 that calls from Russians inquiring about their loved ones in Ukraine is common.
Andrusiv added that around 12,000 calls and 20,000 messages have been received on a hotline and Telegram channel set up for this purpose, respectively. [presumably some wounded are on that list and perhaps some appeals are duplicate from different sets of relatives, but it also won't be including appeals from families with confirmed dead soldiers. SO it's really quite a lot].
Ukraine’s military: Russia deploys up to 19 BTGs to Belgorod, tries to break through Ukrainian defenses in Donetsk.
UK Defense Intelligence: Russia running out of modern weaponry, will use old rockets spreading destruction wider.
According to the recent intelligence update by the U.K. Defense Ministry, Russia will struggle to replace the precision weaponry it has already expended, therefore will turn to aging munitions that are less reliable, less accurate and more easily intercepted.
Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦
@IAPonomarenko
·
35m
Colonel Ihor Bedzai, the Ukraine Navy’s deputy commander for aviation.
Killed in air combat. [ :(( ]
The total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02 to 09.05 were approximately:
Personnel Warehouse / personnel - close / about 25650 (+150) persons liquidated / persons were liquidated,
tanks / tanks ків 1145 (+15) od,
Combat Armored Machines / APV йо 2764 (+23) od,
artillery systems - 513 (+4) od,
RSZV / MLRS - 185 (+6) from,
Anti-aircraft warfare systems - 87 (+1) from,
planes / aircraft-199 (+0) od,
helicopters-158 (+2) od,
Automobile equipment and avtocistern / vehicles and fuel tanks-1970 (+9) od,
ships / boats / boats / cutters - 12 (+0) from,
UAV operational-tactical level - 377 (+17).
Special equipment - 41 (+2).
Winged missiles / cruise missiles - 94 (+2).
The biggest losses of the opponent (last day) were observed at the avdiivka direction / Russian enemy suffered the greatest losses (of the past day) at the avdiovka direction.
Data are being updated.
[ The + numbers in brackets are losses the Ukraine forces have not confirmed yet]