Governor reports drone attack in Belgorod
After lifting the state of emergency in Belgorod, the governor reports another drone attack. President Selenskyj wants to expand Ukraine’s Marine Infantry. Follow all developments in the live blog.
Russia insists on “completion”
According to Russian officials, the country is continuing to push forward with its goals in the war with Ukraine. “Russia only considers the completion of its ‘special military operation’,” said presidential spokesman Dmitri Peskov to the state-run Russian news agency Tass in response to the question of whether Russia would consider freezing the conflict. Russia will either secure its interests and achieve all its goals through the “special military operation,” as the war against Ukraine is called in Russia, or through other means available to them.
Moscow and Beijing to intensify cooperation
The People’s Republic of China has agreed to advance and elevate its cooperation with Russia in various areas to “a new level.” That is what Prime Minister Li Qiang said during a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in Beijing. Mishustin, according to Reuters, is the highest-ranking representative of the Russian government to visit the Chinese capital since the start of the Ukraine invasion at the end of February 2022.
The Prime Ministers of Russia and China – Mikhail Mishustin (right) and Li Qiang – at a welcoming ceremony in Beijing. Russian Prime Minister Mishustin traveled to talks with the Chinese leadership yesterday.
Guterres calls for the protection of civilians
According to the United Nations, the world is failing to protect civilians in conflict areas. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called it a “terrible truth” that the international community was failing to fulfill its obligation to protect the growing number of civilians trapped in conflicts.
Guterres said the UN Security Council should call on the relevant countries to respect international humanitarian law. According to recent UN figures, there were more than 100 armed conflicts worldwide in 2022, with new highs in displacement and a 53% increase in civilian deaths to nearly 17,000, including almost 8,000 in Ukraine.
Few Russian military objectors granted asylum in Germany
Thus far, only a few Russian military objectors have been granted asylum in Germany. Of nearly 2,500 applications, only 55 have been approved, according to reports by the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland which cites the Federal Ministry of the Interior’s response to a query submitted by the Left Party. According to the response, 2,485 male Russian citizens of military age have applied for asylum in Germany by the end of April. The 814 applications that were processed had been either approved or rejected in 55 and 88 instances, respectively. The remaining 671 cases were considered to have completed a “formal processing”. Russian deserters and conscientious objectors who did not want to take part in the illegal war of aggression could apply for asylum in Germany. As a reminder, Russian men aged 18 to 45 years are considered eligible for military service.
As the response further shows, there are still 1,671 cases pending. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees’ decision-making process has reportedly been adapted to accommodate the new instructions.
Governor: Another drone attack on Belgorod
The governor of the Russian region of Belgorod, Vyacheslav Gladkov, has reported on his Telegram channel about a bomb dropped by a drone. There were no injuries, he wrote, alongside a picture of a damaged car. A drone was later shot down by anti-aircraft fire.
Selenskyj wants to expand Marine Infantry
The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Selenskyj, wants to expand Ukraine’s Marine Infantry. Selenskyj said in his evening video address that the formation of a Marine Infantry Corps would add new brigades to existing units. “And we will equip them with modern weapons and equipment,” he added. Selenskyj has visited Ukrainian Marine Infantry at the front on Tuesday. Officials reportedly claim that Selenskyj travelled in the region between Wuhledar and Marjinka, both of which are known battlegrounds and are fiercely contested.
Tuesday’s live blog recap
According to Russian officials, the country intercepts two US Air Force bombers over the Baltic Sea. The opposition in Belarus accuses the government of participating in kidnappings of children from Ukraine.