Finding the pivotal events on day 1,162 of Russia’s ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
The situation as of Thursday, May 1:
Conflict
- Russian drones targeted Ukraine’s Odesa port on the Black Sea early in the morning, igniting fires and causing damage to homes and infrastructure, according to the regional governor.
- Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, experienced another Russian drone strike at a petrol station in the city center, which resulted in a fire, as reported by the city’s mayor.
- Ukraine’s SBU security service took credit for a drone assault on a Russian weapons production facility. The Murom Instrument-Building Plant, located about 300km east of Moscow, suffered a fire that damaged two buildings, as per the regional governor.
- Russian media, citing the Ministry of Defence, said that Russian air defences shot down 34 Ukrainian drones overnight.
- Oleksandr Syrskii, Ukraine’s top military leader, stated that despite Moscow’s declaration of a three-day ceasefire from May 8-10, Russian forces have intensified their combat operations in eastern Ukraine.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that small groups of Ukrainian soldiers remain in hiding within Russia’s Kursk region, despite Moscow’s assertion of having expelled Ukrainian forces from the area over the weekend.
- According to the Kremlin, at least 288 civilians were killed during Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk.
- South Korean politicians, referring to their country’s intelligence agency, noted that about 600 North Korean soldiers have died fighting alongside Russia in Ukraine, out of a total contingent of 15,000.
- US legislators have petitioned the State Department for information regarding Russia’s deployment of Chinese combatants in the Ukraine conflict, suggesting that such a move would require Beijing’s approval.
Negotiations
- The United States and Ukraine finalized an agreement after much delay, allowing Washington access to Ukraine’s minerals in exchange for investments in Ukraine’s defense and reconstruction sectors.
- US President Donald Trump expressed his belief that Vladimir Putin desires an end to the conflict, despite recent aggressive actions against Ukraine.
- Trump stated on ABC News that he was displeased by Putin’s missile strikes on several Ukrainian towns and cities.
- Moscow, for its part, stated that Putin is open to achieving peace in Ukraine and is engaging intensively with the US, though they noted that the conflict’s complexity makes rapid progress challenging as desired by Washington.
- Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesperson, added that Putin is willing for direct discussions with Ukraine but has yet to receive a response from Kyiv.
- Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha responded by stating Ukraine’s readiness for peace negotiations in any format, provided that Moscow agrees to an unconditional ceasefire.
- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, reaffirming Canada’s support for Ukraine in securing lasting peace and security.
- Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat, revealed to the Financial Times that the European Union is readying a “plan B” to maintain economic sanctions against Russia should the Trump administration cease support for Ukraine and approach reconciliation with Moscow.
- The EU recognizes that 16 member countries are seeking exemptions from the bloc’s public debt rules to increase defense spending in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and concerns over Trump’s stance on European security.
