The Russians Evacuate Enerhodar Near The Zaporizhzhia NPP
Wagner Group Threaten To Abandon Bakhmut
In Bakhmut, the Wagner group that threatened to leave the area on 4 May 2023 if the Kremlin did not send them more ammunition. Reports claimed that the Wagner units would be replaced by the Chechen forces (Ramzan Kadyrov), but by Sunday 7 May 2023, the Kremlin announced that the Wagner group would receive whatever ammunition they required and Prigozhin issued another statement going back on his previous one saying that there had been no intention of withdrawing from Bakhmut.
However, Bakhmut has come under heavy attack where it is alleged that phosphorus bombs were used on the city by Russians, which can lead to widespread injuries due to a severe chemical reaction. Video footage has been shared of the white phosphorus in the city.
The beleaguered Zaporizhzhia NPP has been unstable for months and even with the IAEA yelling ‘danger’, nothing much has happened. As it’s being used as a Russian military base, it will be hard for Ukraine to retake. Now the Russians are evacuating Enerhodar where the plant is based as they fear a counteroffensive from Ukraine. Meanwhile, the IAEA says they are concerned that there will be a nuclear disaster but they are the ones who are supposed to prevent it and to take action to stop such an occurrence.
Meanwhile, we still have weapons arriving bit by bit into Ukraine, but we are a year on and the Ukrainian army is fighting with weapons on standby. What they need is better technology and fighter jets. It’s not enough to give Ukraine enough to hold off the Russians, but weapons to push them out.
Day 436 (5 May)
At a meeting in Ankara for the Black Sea summit, a Russia delegate tore down the Ukrainian flag and was then attacked by the Ukrainian delegate who shouted he was fighting for his flag, while the Russia claimed that the flag doesn’t exist. Needless to say, the Black Sea Grain Initiative was not extended and will end on 18 May 2023 unless there are further negotiations.
The Russian ambassador to Warsaw (Sergey Andreev) was summoned by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs protesting at the statements made by Pavel Astakhov (former Russian Childrens Ombudsman) against the Polish diplomatic mission in Russia.
The Wagner group repeated the threat to leave Bakhmut if the Kremlin did not send them ammunition.
Day 437 (6 May)
The Russians are using electronic jammers to disable the GPS in the HIMARS provided by the US, which blocks the signal and has caused missiles to miss targets. This has forced the US to adapt the software used to prevent Russian interference. What it also means it that more effective defensive weapons are needed.
Bakhmut was allegedly attacked with phosphorus bombs by the Russians.
A Patriot system was used to shoot a hypersonic Russian missile. While people exclaim that Ukraine now has the ability to defend itself against Russia, how many lives were lost in the year when Ukraine didn’t have the weapons to defend itself? Ukraine shot down a Kh-47 Kinzhal ballistic missile on 4 May 2023 for the first time since ether war began
Ukraine is removing the Russian emblem (sickle) on a Motherland statue and replacing it with a Ukrainian trident.
There is more talk of Ukraine joining NATO and Estonia adds its voice stating that specific steps need to be laid out for membership rather than to state that the door is open and that they are welcome to join.
Zelenskyy met with the Foreign Minister for Bahrain, where they talked about the peace formula, and Zelenskyy thanked them for their support in their UN vote.
A secret project called ‘Come Back Alive Fund’ was revealed and code names ‘black box’. Donations of $1.1 million from Ukrainians allowed them to carry out intelligence to thwart the Russians.
There are now 36 countries that are in the core group for the Special Tribunal for the Russian Crime of Aggression. Recent additions are Guatemala and Costa Rica, and not only European countries.
Day 438 (7 May)
Russia is evacuating Enerhodar where the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is situated. The IAEA has concerns as the plant is unstable and runs on old diesel generators, where the reactors are in shutdown mode.
A Russian fighter jet has intercepted a Polish jet over the Black Sea which was on a routine patrol mission. The Sukhoi Su-35 intercepted the L410 Turbolet 60km east of Romanian airspace.
NATO is carrying out military exercises in Poland with 13,000 service personnel taking part.