Extract from ABC News
Russia launched its largest swarm of drones for months against Ukraine on Monday, the eve of Russia's annual May 9 celebration of the defeat of Nazi Germany, which Kyiv marked a day earlier.
Key points:
- While 60 Iranian-made kamikaze drones were fired by Russia, all were shot down by Ukraine
- Some Russian cities have cancelled V-day celebrations, citing unspecified "security concerns"
- Russian mercenary Wagner Group says it is receiving ammunition needed to take Bakhmut
Kyiv's mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said Russia had fired 60 Iranian-made kamikaze drones, including 36 at Kyiv, all of which had been shot down.
However, during Russia's latest night-time assault, debris hit apartments and other buildings, injuring at least five people as attacks across Ukraine by the Kremlin's forces killed four civilians, officials said.
The head of Russia's mercenary Wagner group said his troops were beginning to receive ammunition needed to press their advance to capture the long-besieged eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.
"Today, the groups advanced a maximum of 130 metres … Fierce fighting is going on, but the groups are continuing to advance," Yevgeny Prigozhin said in an audio message posted on social media.
"According to preliminary data, we are starting to receive ammunition. We have not [yet] seen it in practice."
Mr Prigozhin said Ukrainian forces were confined to an area of about 2.36 square kilometres in the town.
Bakhmut has been under Russian attack for more than nine months, with Wagner Group spearheading repeated attempts to advance on what once was a city of 70,000.
Russia scales back May 9 celebrations
Meanwhile, as the latest attacks were being made, Russia enacted a major security clampdown — ahead of annual commemorations marking the World War II defeat of Nazi Germany — by curbing the use of drones and ride-share services in its largest cities, and even jet skis on the canals of St Petersburg.
At least 21 Russian cities cancelled May 9 military parades — the staple of Victory Day celebrations across Russia — for the first time in years, according to Russian media.
Regional officials blamed unspecified "security concerns" or vaguely referred to "the current situation" for the restrictions and cancellations.
It was not clear whether their decisions were taken in coordination with the Kremlin.
Last week, Russia was rattled by ambiguous official reports that two Ukrainian drones flew into the heart of Moscow under the cover of darkness and reached the Kremlin before being shot down.
Media and local officials have blamed other sporadic drone attacks — especially ones targeting oil depots near the two countries' border — on the Ukrainian military.
Kyiv officials declined to comment on such claims.
The fears of a possible Ukrainian attack appeared real, even though parades will go ahead in Russia's largest cities, Moscow and St Petersburg.
However, the use of drones has been banned in both cities ahead of Victory Day.
In St Petersburg, often referred to as the "Venice of the north" for its network of rivers and canals, using jet skis in certain parts of the city is prohibited until May 10.
In the Russian capital, ride share services have been temporarily barred from the city centre amid preparations for the traditional Red Square parade.
Initially, only one foreign leader was expected to attend this year's Moscow parade, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov, who arrived and met President Vladimir Putin for talks.
However, on Monday, officials announced that Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon would be joining Mr Putin and Mr Zhaparov, along with Armenia's prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, and Kazakhstan's leader, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
The latter two were surprising choices for the guest list because, in the past, they have diverged from Mr Putin's line.
Kazakhstan and Armenia, although Russia's allies, have not publicly supported the war in Ukraine.
Mr Tokayev has spoken to Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on the phone several times throughout the invasion.
He also told Mr Putin last summer that Kazakhstan would not recognise the Russian-occupied Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states.
Armenia is a member of the Russian-dominated Collective Security Treaty Organisation, but Mr Pashinyan snubbed Moscow earlier this year by refusing to host the alliance's military drills.
Ukraine moves V-day date
Mr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, has sent a draft bill to parliament proposing a Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in World War II on May 8 and a Day of Europe on May 9, further distancing Kyiv from Moscow.
He equated Russia's goals in Ukraine to those of the Nazis.
"Unfortunately, evil has returned," Mr Zelenskyy said on Telegram.
"Although now it is another aggressor. The goal is the same: enslavement or destruction."
The European Union's Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is due to travel to Kyiv on Tuesday to mark Europe Day, together with Mr Zelenskyy.
Facing economic sanctions and limits on its supply chains due to its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has routinely turned to Iranian Shahed drones to bolster its firepower.
Russian shelling of 127 targets across northern, southern and eastern parts of Ukraine had killed three civilians, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry said.
Long-range bombers launched up to eight cruise missiles at Ukraine's southern Odesa region, with one person killed and three others wounded.
AP/Reuters
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