Live blog: 800 days of Russia-Ukraine war and counting

Thursday, May 2, 2024

Thursday marks 800 days since Russia launched its full-scale attack on Ukraine. Moscow called it a "special operation" against Kiev, and the general opinion when the Russian troops entered Ukraine in February 2022 was that Moscow would prevail quickly and defeat Kiev, but that hasn't happened.

During the 800-day war, Ukraine estimates that the Russian military suffered more than 451,000 casualties, including deaths and injuries, while US and British intelligence agencies say Russian casualties top 300,000. Ukraine says it has lost 31,000 soldiers since February 2022. That figure is also widely thought likely to be lower than the true toll.

Russia has provided few official casualty figures. The most recent data from its Defence Ministry points to just over 6,000 deaths. It claims to have killed 444,000 Ukrainian soldiers during the war — a figure many say is too high to be accurate.

As the war grinds on with no end in sight, Ukraine is seeking more weapons from its Western allies, especially the US, in the face of fresh Russian gains, and Moscow remains firm in its conflict with its European neighbour, despite growing international concerns and massive Western sanctions against it.

Here are the latest developments👇

1832 GMT — NATO has condemned Russian "malign activities" on its territory, saying actions like disinformation, sabotage, violence and cyber interference threatened the alliance's security.

The incidents "are part of an intensifying campaign of activities" Russia is carrying out across the Euro-Atlantic area and NATO allies "express their deep concern over Russia's hybrid actions, which constitute a threat to allied security", NATO said in a statement.

Authorities in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Britain have recently investigated and charged people in connection with "hostile state activity".

NATO said allies would work together to deter and defend against the hybrid actions and that they would remain steadfast in supporting Ukraine as it struggles to fend off Russia's offensive, now in its third year.

1715 GMT — Ukraine stands firm against Russia in frontlines: official

The situation on the front line in eastern Ukraine is worsening but local defenders are so far holding firm against a concerted push by Russia’s bigger and better-equipped forces, a senior Ukrainian military official has said.

Nazar Voloshyn, spokesperson for Ukrainian strategic command in the east of the country, said Russia has amassed troops in the Donetsk region in an effort to punch through the Ukrainian defensive line.

"The enemy is actively attacking along the entire front line, and in several directions, they have achieved certain tactical advances," he said on national television. "The situation is changing dynamically."

1424 GMT — France floats Ukraine troop deployment if frontline breached

French President Emmanuel Macron said the question of sending Western troops to Ukraine would "legitimately" arise if Russia broke through the Ukrainian front lines and Kiev made such a request, in an interview with the Economist.

Macron in the interview doubled down on his comments from earlier this year of not ruling out sending troops to Ukraine, which sent shockwaves through Europe and unsettled allies including Germany. Most of France's allies said at the time they would not send any forces.

"Absolutely. I'm not ruling anything out, because we are facing someone who is not ruling anything out," said Macron when asked if he stood by his earlier comments made on February 26.

Macron said "if Russia decided to go further, we will, in any case, all have to ask ourselves this question" of sending troops, describing his refusal to rule out such a move as a "strategic wake-up call for my counterparts".

1420 GMT — US intel sees no quick end in Ukraine-Russia conflict

Russian President Vladimir Putin sees domestic and international developments trending in his favour and likely will press on with aggressive tactics in Ukraine, but the war is unlikely to end soon, the top US intelligence official has said.

Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told the Senate Armed Services Committee that Russia has intensified strikes on Ukraine's infrastructure to hamper Kiev's ability to move arms and troops, slow defence production and force it to consider negotiations.

"Putin's increasingly aggressive tactics against Ukraine, such as strikes on Ukraine's electricity infrastructure, are intended to impress Ukraine that continuing to fight will only increase the damage to Ukraine and offer no plausible path to victory," she said.

"These aggressive tactics are likely to continue and the war is unlikely to end anytime soon," Haines said.

1318 GMT — Russia not among 160 delegations in Ukraine peace summit: Switzerland

Switzerland has invited more than 160 delegations to next month's Ukraine peace conference, the foreign ministry has said, though Russia is not among them "at this stage".

"Russia has not been invited at this stage," the foreign ministry in Bern said. "Switzerland has always shown openness to extending an invitation to Russia for this summit.

"However, Russia has said repeatedly and also publicly that it has no interest in participating in this first summit. Switzerland is convinced that Russia must be involved in this process. A peace process without Russia is unthinkable."

1020 GMT — Russia captured another village in Ukraine's east: ministry

Russia has said it had captured another village in eastern Ukraine northwest of Avdiivka, where Moscow's forces have been making advances for days.

Moscow's defence ministry said troops had "fully liberated the settlement of Berdychi." Kiev said it had retreated from the village over the weekend.

1000 GMT — Kremlin rejects US claims Russia used 'chemical weapon' in Ukraine

The Kremlin rejected allegations by the United States that Russian forces had used a "chemical weapon" in Ukraine.

"We have seen the news about this. As always, such accusations sound completely baseless and unsubstantiated," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked about the accusations.

The US said that Moscow had violated the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).

Chloropicrin is an oily substance known as a choking agent that was widely used during World War I as a form of tear gas.

"Russia has been and remains committed to its obligations under international law," Peskov said on Thursday.

1000 GMT — Russia used 300 missiles, 300 drones, 3,200 guided bombs in April against Ukraine, Zelenskyy says

Russia used more than 300 missiles, around 300 Shahed-type drones and over 3,200 guided bombs in April attacks on Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

"Only force can stop this terror -- the force of our people, the force of the unity of the world, the force of pressure on Russia, the force of air defence systems provided to Ukraine, the force of our soldiers who hold the front line," Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram messaging app.

This spring, Russia has intensified its strikes on Ukraine's civilian and energy infrastructure as Kiev awaited additional help from its allies and its air defences were stretched thin. Moscow says it strikes only legitimate military targets.

0626 GMT — US sanctions 31 China-based companies over Russia

The US has sanctioned 31 Chinese companies among its 200 targets over Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“The US sanctioned 31 PRC-based companies for providing critical technologies to Russia for its defense industrial base,” said Nicholas Burns, Washington’s top diplomat in Beijing, referring to China by its official name.

“We said we would act if China did not stop these sales,” he said on X.

The launch of sanctions comes days after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a trip to Beijing warned that Washington could impose sanctions on Chinese entities for their support to Russia's defense industry.

0404 GMT — Ukrainian soldiers say rear defensive lines barely exist amid Russian advance

During pitched battles with far better-armed Russian forces, Ukrainian soldier Batyar’s unit has few options as devastating Russian aerial glide bombs are gnawing away at his men’s positions in a new tactic.

Yet, to retreat carries no promise of safety — the rear defensive lines meant to give them cover barely exist, he said.

Lack of ammunition is forcing the outnumbered Ukrainian soldiers to pull back, one village after another, including three surrendered Sunday, as intense fighting roils the countryside surrounding Avdiivka nearly three months after the strategic city fell to Russia.

“It's necessary to increase the pace of building fortifications … so that when we retreat, we will retreat to a prepared position," said Batyar, a unit commander who gave only his military call sign in line with brigade protocols. "These fortifications are not enough.”

The much awaited aid package passed by the US Congress last month is expected to help Ukraine close the firepower gap. But until replenishments arrive, which could take weeks, Russia will continue to exploit Ukraine's weaknesses.

0224 GMT — Russia says Ukraine targeted energy infrastructure in Smolensk region

Ukrainian drones tried to attack energy infrastructure in Russia's Smolensk region, governor Vasily Anokhin has said on the Telegram messaging app.

He did not say what particular facilities had been targeted, but said emergency workers have been deployed.

Many drone attacks in recent months have targeted oil refineries and depots.

2312 GMT — US accuses Russia of using chemical weapons against Ukrainian troops

The United States has accused Russia of having used "the chemical weapon chloropicrin against Ukrainian forces" in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

In addition, Russia has used "riot control agents [tear gas] as a method of warfare in Ukraine, also in violation of the CWC," a statement from the State Department said.

2338 GMT — Ukraine claims Russian missile wounded 13 in Odessa

A Russian missile attack wounded 13 people in Ukraine's southwestern city of Odessa, its mayor said, after similar strikes earlier in the week killed at least eight.

"Another Russian ballistic attack on Odessa," the city's mayor, Gennadiy Trukhanov, said on Telegram.

"A total of 13 people were injured," he said, adding that rescuers were fighting a large-scale fire without providing details.

Oleg Kiper, governor of the Odessa region, said on Telegram that a "Russian missile attack on Odessa" had wounded 14 people.

"Civilian infrastructure, including postal warehouses, was damaged," he added.

For our live updates from Wednesday, May 1, click here.

From May 3, 2024, TRT World will cover the Russia-Ukraine war through standalone articles instead of a live blog. For our in-depth coverage on the conflict, click here.