Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 440

World
By William

As the war enters its 440th day, we take a look at the main developments.

This is the state of affairs on Tuesday, May 9, 2023:

To fight

  • The mayor of Kiev has said Russia fired 60 Iranian-made kamikaze drones, including 36 at Kiev, all of which were shot down. However, the debris has hit apartments and other buildings, killing at least four people.
  • More than 20 towns and villages in the central Zaporizhia region have been shelled, the Ukrainian armed forces said in a statement. The southern city of Kherson and at least seven other centers in that region were also fired upon, it said.
  • Moscow-appointed governor of Russian-controlled parts of the Zaporizhia region, Yevgeny Balitsky, said about 3,000 civilians had been evacuated from areas near the frontline that had come under shelling.
  • Balitsky said operations at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, have been suspended, according to a report by Russia’s state news agency TASS.
  • The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said heavy fighting is taking place in Bakhmut and surrounding areas.
  • The head of the Wagner group of mercenaries, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said his troops had begun receiving ammunition needed to continue their advance to capture the long-besieged eastern Ukrainian city.
  • Britain’s defense ministry said Russia has begun targeting Central Asians to serve in the war in Ukraine.
  • Mariupol’s exiled city council said it has received reports that Russia has begun mobilizing residents of the occupied southeastern city to serve in its army.

Diplomacy

  • Russia has effectively terminated the Black Sea grain deal, which expires May 18, by refusing to register incoming ships, Ukraine’s reconstruction ministry said. Moscow has threatened to cancel the agreement, which aims to ease a global food crisis.
  • Moscow is preparing for a military parade, the staple of Victory Day celebrations across Russia, but at least 21 cities have canceled such events.
  • Russia will develop its military installations in Central Asia’s Kyrgyzstan, the Kremlin said after talks between the two countries’ leaders in Moscow.
  • Italy “strongly” advises all citizens still in Ukraine to leave the country. The Italian Foreign Ministry issued the warning in the wake of “increasingly heavy rocket attacks on Kiev and all over Ukrainian territory”.
  • A Berlin court has banned Russian flags and symbols from being displayed around three Soviet monuments in the German capital during World War II commemorations.
  • Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin has stated that he “does not believe the war in Ukraine can be ended with small gains”. “This is the impression I got from my meeting with Putin,” he added.
  • World Athletics has said dozens of Ukrainian athletes and officials preparing for the world championships in August could receive money for training camps. The sport’s governing body will invest $190,000 and prioritize replacing equipment for pole vaulters, it added.

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