May 9, 2022: Russia-Ukraine news

The US Department of Defense has “seen indications” that Russians are moving Ukrainians into Russia “against their will,” Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said during a briefing at the Pentagon on Monday.

When asked about Ukrainian government statements that 1.2 million Ukrainians have now been deported to Russia and are being held in campus, Kirby responded “we certainly have seen indications that Ukrainians are being moved from Ukraine into Russia.”

Kirby could not speak to the total number of Ukrainians moved, how many camps there are or what they look like, but said, “we do have indications that Ukrainians are being taken against their will into Russia.

Kirby called the action “unconscionable,” and “not the behavior of a responsible power.”

Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby holds a press briefing at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, on Monday.

There is about “$100 million left” in Presidential Drawdown Authority funding, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said during a briefing at the Pentagon on Monday.  

Combined with the $150 million Presidential Drawdown Authority package announced Friday and the $100 million left, the US can continue providing military assistance to Ukraine through this funding stream until “about the third week of this month,” Kirby said.

The Biden administration has asked Congress to pass a $33 billion supplemental aid package to continue providing humanitarian and military assistance to Ukraine. 

“We think with what we’ve got left, that’ll get us through most of this month, that’ll get us through future packages and future material but that’s why we’re urging Congress to act quickly,” Kirby said.

The US will temporarily lift Trump-era tariffs on Ukrainian steel for a period of one year in a move aimed at helping the Ukrainian economy and sending a message of support as the country continues to resist Russia’s ongoing invasion. 

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal asked the US to lift these tariffs during his meetings at the White House back in April, and some members of Congress have also been urging the administration to lift US tariffs on Ukrainian steel.

The move appears to be mostly symbolic. While Ukraine is a major global exporter of steel, the US only imported 130,649 metric tons of steel in 2021, according to the International Trade Administration. 

The decision by the Commerce Department comes one day after the US unveiled another round of punitive sanctions and export controls against Russia for its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, and G7 leaders held a virtual meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Back in 2018, then-President Trump’s administration imposed the 25% tariffs on steel and a 10% tariff on aluminum in a bid to support those industries, although the move at the time was also rebuked by US manufacturers of steel and aluminum made products, saying it would cost jobs and increase consumer prices. 

Since US President Joe Biden took office last year, his administration has been methodically rolling back some tariffs imposed under the Trump administration as they try to strengthen US ties with its allies. The US has reached negotiated agreements in the last year with both Japan and the European Union on reducing steel tariffs. 

CNN’s Kaitlan Collins contributed reporting to this post.

The US sees “anecdotal reports” of Russian troops and “mid-grade officers at various levels, even up to the battalion level” refusing to obey orders to move forward in the new Donbas offensive in Ukraine, according to a senior US defense official.

The official said these officers “have either refused to obey orders or are not obeying them with the same measure of alacrity that you would expect an officer to obey.”

Russian forces have struggled with widespread morale problems since the beginning of the invasion, according to this official, which is just one of numerous problems that has plagued the Russian military during this war.

Russian forces are also still facing logistics issues that are slowing their progress, according to the official.

There are 97 operational battalion tactical groups (BTGs) of Russian forces in Ukraine right now, up from 92 BTGs assessed on April 28, the official told reporters on Monday. This is an increase of five BTGs in 11 days.

“It’s not unusual for them to move a BTG or two out of the Donbas back into Russia for re-fit or re-supply and then move them back in, that’s normal,” the official said. But overall, “they’ve added about five BTGs to Ukraine, and all of those BTGs are either in the east or in the south” of Ukraine, the official said.

US President Joe Biden recently told his top national security officials that leaks about US intelligence sharing with Ukrainians aren’t helpful and need to stop, according to an official familiar with the conversation. 

Last week, after the White House denied providing direct intelligence to Ukrainians “with the intent to kill Russian generals,” Biden spoke separately with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, CIA Director William Burns and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines.

He told them that it was not helpful for information to become public about what the US was sharing with the Ukrainian forces fighting the Russian invasion, an official said, and stressed that the leaks regarding such information must stop.

Biden’s message to his top national security officials was first reported by NBC News.

US officials have been candid about intelligence sharing with Ukrainians but have also said there is a line in what is shared with them. In addition to sending weapons for the battlefield, officials have also provided intelligence “to help the Ukrainians defend their country,” a spokesperson for the National Security Council said last week.

The Grande Pettine Hotel in Odesa, Ukraine, is seen on May 9 after it was struck by a Russian cruise missile.

There is a hotel in the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa that became known locally as “the stronghold of the Russian world.”

The luxury development named the “Grande Pettine” is situated on a Black Sea beach. When the pro-Russian movement in Odesa was at its peak — about 10 years ago — the complex held conferences dedicated to the brotherhood of Ukraine and Russia. One was called: “Challenges of the global crisis: the unity of Ukraine and Russia.”

The place attracted Russian talk show personalities and some of the most hawkish of Russian politicians. It is still owned by a businessman who was prominent in the pro-Russian Party of Regions.

This weekend, the “Grand Pettine” was hit by at least one Russian cruise missile, sustaining severe damage.

Given the fond memories of influential Russians for the warmth and luxury offered by the Black Sea resort, it seems unlikely it was deliberately targeted.

Rubble from the Grande Pettine Hotel is seen in Odesa on May 8.

CNN contacted the hotel Monday and was told that it could not provide a response until the curfew was over Tuesday. 

“The buildings of the hotel and restaurant complex, as well as the utility infrastructure, were destroyed and damaged. There are no victims or injured,” the prosecutor’s office in Odesa said Monday.

The US has delivered “more than 85” of the 90 howitzers, long-range weapons, that were pledged to Ukraine, as well as more than 110,000 of the 184,000 ammunition rounds for them, according to a senior US defense official.

The official also said that “more than 310” Ukrainian soldiers have completed training on the howitzers, with another “50 plus” currently being trained as well, along with a new separate two week long course on howitzer maintenance beginning today.

At least 20 Ukrainians have completed training on the Phoenix Ghost drone, 60 Ukrainians have completed training on the M113 armored personnel carrier (APC) with another “45 plus” completing training on that APC today, and 15 Ukrainian soldiers have completed training on the Q64 mobile air defense radar, with a second class beginning training on that radar today, the official added.

At least “13 deliveries from seven different nations have arrived at various transshipment sites throughout the region” that have included “shotguns, spare parts, Humvees, generators,” and “even a couple of additional Howitzers.” the official noted.

President of the European Council Charles Michel is seen during his visit to Odesa, Ukraine, on May 9, in this picture released by the European Council press office.

During a meeting with the Ukrainian prime minister on Monday, European Council President Charles Michel and other participants “needed to interrupt the meeting to take shelter as missiles struck again the region of Odesa,” a European Union official told CNN. 

In a readout of Michel’s visit, the official, who was not in Ukraine, said that President Michel and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal were joined by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky via video link from Kyiv, and their discussions “focused on how best the EU can continue to support Ukraine in meeting the humanitarian, economic and military challenges they currently face.” 

Speaking in Odesa, Michel said he wanted to confirm to Zelensky and “to all the people in Ukraine, that our support will be maximum,” and that the EU “will provide as much as we can” in terms of military equipment. 

He also said that EU was coordinating with the international community to “mobilize financial support, expertise, in order for you to be able to address the humanitarian challenges, to be also able to run the country, and you need liquidity and to start the rebuilding of the country.” 

“And that’s why it’s our moral duty to support you as much as we can,” he said. 

In a video statement, Zelensky thanked the European Council president for his support and for giving Ukraine “the possibility to be equal in the family of the European Union.” 

“And in this difficult moment — of the bombardment, and the war — your courageous position and being present, in Odesa, in person is not just welcome, but raises lots of gratitude,” the Ukrainian leader added.  

Earlier on Monday, Serhiy Bratchuk, the spokesperson for the Odesa region military administration, said that Russian forces had fired four Onyx cruise missiles at the region. 

Smoke rises from the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Ukraine, on May 7.

Russian forces continue with a “storm offensive” on the Azovstal plant in Mariupol on Monday, using tanks and artillery, Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesperson Oleksandr Motuzyanyk told reporters in a daily briefing.

“We cannot exclude renewed bombings, Tu22M3 long range bombers,” he added.

According to the ministry, Russia’s presence in the Black Sea has now swelled to seven vessels armed with Kaliber-type cruise missiles, “collectively carrying up to 50 missiles.”

Meanwhile, the situation in breakaway region of Transnistria remains tense, according to Motuzyanyk, with “local units and brigades of the so called ‘operational forces’ from the Russian Federation stationed there remaining on high alert.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a video conference call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday, where he announced the transfer for the second part of the completed questionnaire for obtaining the status of a candidate for EU membership, according to his office.

Sending the answers in itself is “also a small victory for our team,” he said, according to a statement released from the office.

Obtaining EU membership candidate status is “of great importance for the Ukrainian people and our Armed Forces, which are defending their homeland,” he told von der Leyen on Monday.

“We are waiting for the consideration and conclusions of the European Commission. I would like these conclusions to be positive. And I would like these conclusions to be provided faster thanks to you.”

The EU “will aim to deliver its opinion in June,” von der Leyen tweeted Monday.

Press briefing by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield President of the Security Council for the month of May at UN Headquarters in New York, US, on May 3.

Russian President Vladimir Putin “has recognized he has no victory to celebrate,” US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield told CNN in response to the lack of a major escalatory announcement in Putin’s “Victory Day” speech Monday, but she said he also gave no indication that he plans to end the war. 

In the first reaction from a Biden administration official to Putin’s speech, Thomas-Greenfield noted that the Russian leader did not use his remarks on Monday to announce a withdrawal from Ukraine – which would have been welcomed by the United States – and which she said signals that Putin’s war will continue. 

Thomas-Greenfield told CNN’s Kylie Atwood “there was no reason for (Putin) to either declare victory or declare a war that he has already been carrying on for more than two months.”

“His efforts in Ukraine have not succeeded,” she said. “He was not able to go into Ukraine and bring them to their knees in a few days and have them surrender.”

However, “the conflict is not over, for sure,” Thomas-Greenfield said.

Moreover, Thomas-Greenfield told CNN that it would be too strong to say the United States “welcomed” Putin’s remarks today because the “unconscionable war on the Ukrainian people” continues.

“So what we would see as a positive sign is for Putin to pull his troops out of Ukraine and bring this unconscionable war to an end,” she said.

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia consults with ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy, center, during a Security Council meeting on maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine at UN Headquarters in New York, US, on May 5

The US ambassador to the United Nations told CNN the behavior of the Russian diplomats she works with in New York has “absolutely” changed since Russia began its war in Ukraine.

“From day one, the 24th of February, when we were sitting in an emergency meeting of Security Council and the Russians were president of the Security Council, we saw their demeanor change significantly in the council,” Linda Thomas-Greenfield said in Brussels Monday.

Thomas-Greenfield told CNN that the Russian diplomats at the United Nations “certainly” are “reading off of prepared remarks.”

The Russian diplomats at the UN seem “uncomfortable,” noting she sees that reflected in “the way they carry themselves, the demeanor,” Thomas-Greenfield said, adding that she sees her Russian counterpart appear at the UN Security Council less frequently than before the war — now he often sends his deputy or his experts in his place.

She also said that she believes the Russian diplomats at the UN “were taken by surprise by the attack” on Feb. 24 that launched Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“I think they knew about the attack when we knew about the attack in the (Security) Council,” the US ambassador said, referring to the emergency meeting that was taking place at UN headquarters at the same time.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense says that Russian forces are trying to develop their offensive in the Luhansk region with “continuous attempts” to cross the Siverskyi Donets river near Belahorivka.

Col. Oleksandr Motuzyanyk, the spokesperson for the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, said the Russians had built three pontoon crossings across the river and were supporting ground troops with artillery and aircraft.

He said the Russians were aiming to cut off Lysychansk, a town on the frontlines some ten miles (about 16 kilometers) from one of the pontoon bridges identified on satellite imagery.

If successful, the Russian advance might be able to cut Ukrainian supply lines to the defenders of Lysychansk and Severodonetsk.

But images reviewed by CNN indicate that at least one pontoon bridge has already been destroyed, with ruined tanks and other equipment half-submerged in the river.

“After the clean-up of Belohorivka, evacuation will resume,” he added, saying rescuers would be able to clear the rubble of the school building that was hit on Saturday by a bomb dropped by a Russian aircraft, killing dozens of people taking refuge in the school.

It’s unclear whether the Ukrainians retain control of Belohorivka. 

Hayday said that in Popasna —to the south — “our defenders keep the defense in new fortified positions, there are no breakthroughs. Soon the situation must change in our favor.”

More context: Ukrainian officials have raised the alarm about a Russian pontoon bridge that was erected a few days ago and may now enable Russian forces to threaten Ukrainian defenses and supply routes in the Luhansk region.

Hayday said earlier Monday that the Russians were trying to take away “the road of life,” which connects the front lines in the east around Severodonetsk with the town of Bakhmut, an important rear base.

CNN had confirmed satellite imagery showing a pontoon bridge across the Siverskyi Donets on Sunday. There had been no such bridge on May 3.

The location of the bridge is less than two miles (about 3 kilometers) from the village of Bilohorivka, which was bombed by Russian aircraft on Saturday.

CNN’s Gianluca Mezzofiore contributed reporting to this post.

The receiver station of the Druzhba pipeline of petroleum between Hungary and Russia at the Duna (Danube) Refinery of Hungarian MOL Company located near the town of Szazhalombatta, south of Budapest, Hungary, on May 5.

Discussions on the proposed sixth round of European Union sanctions are ongoing as Hungary threatened it won’t vote for the package “until there is a solution to Hungary’s energy security,” EU spokesperson Daniel Ferrie said Monday.

Hungary “will not vote for another Brussels sanctions package until there is a solution to Hungary’s energy security,” Hungarian government spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs said Sunday, quoting prime Minister Péter Szijjártó, and adding, “we Hungarians are interested in peace as soon as possible.”

Also on Sunday, Bulgaria’s Deputy Prime Minister Assen Vassilev said in an interview on Bulgaria’s National Television (BNT) that Bulgaria will not support the European Union’s new set of sanctions against Russia if his country doesn’t get a derogation from the proposed ban on buying Russian oil, like other countries have requested. 

Vassilev said there is an agreement on most points of the sanctions draft, except when it comes sanctions on Russian oil. He said several countries, including Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, still have issues with the proposed latest sanctions on Russian oil.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and other participants carry portraits of their relatives - WWII soldiers - as they take part in the Immortal Regiment march on Red Square in central Moscow, Russia, on May 9.

Russian President Vladimir Putin joined the “Immortal Regiment” procession on Red Square in Moscow, holding a portrait of his father, a front-line soldier, the Kremlin said in a statement on Monday. 

On May 9, as part of the “Immortal Regiment” campaign, people march in cities of Russia and abroad with portraits of relatives who participated in the Great Patriotic War.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday the differences in how Russia and the European Union have chosen to mark the anniversary of Nazi Germany’s defeat shows they are “very different projects.”

“We have shown two very different faces of May 9th,” Macron said at a news conference at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Monday.

“On one side, there was a will to make a show of force, to intimidate and bellicose rhetoric. And here, there was a broad and civic gathering of citizens, of national and European representatives, to think about our future,” he continued.

Asked by a journalist if Putin’s stated desire to avoid confrontation was hypocritical, Macron replied that: “President Putin has taken a bellicose stance; we are clearly on the side of Ukraine,” but warned that there would be “a peace to build tomorrow” and that “it will not be achieved by excluding one another or through humiliation.”

Earlier, President Macron delivered a speech to the European Parliament, in which he said that “Ukraine, through its fight and its courage, is already today a heartfelt member of our Europe, of our family, of our union,” while warning that any formal Ukrainian accession to the EU could take decades.

More on Russia’s Victory Day: Global leaders and defense officials had spent weeks speculating about what Putin might reveal about his Ukraine plans in a speech at Russia’s Victory Day commemorations. The leader offered few clues on the direction of the conflict.

The Russian president used his speech to blend history with the present, banking on Russian nationalism on its most patriotic of holidays to justify his war.

CNN’s Angela Dewan contributed reporting to this post.

Head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic Denis Pushilin attends a ceremony, marking the 77th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two in Mariupol, Ukraine, on May 9.

The head of the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), Denis Pushilin, has said that he plans to make Mariupol into a resort town.

“Russia is here forever, and you are finally home. Now this is the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic forever. No one will take it away from us,” Pushilin said after attending events to mark Victory Day.

“We have strength, we have opportunities, we have the support of the biggest beautiful country — Russia,” Pushilin told Mariupol residents according to the Russian state news agency TASS. “The task is to make Mariupol a resort city, which has not been possible to do before.”

Pushilin said the Azovstal steel plant, where hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers remain, had “negatively affected the ecology of the city.”

“If Azovstal is not restored, then we will make a resort town,” Pushilin said, explaining it would create additional jobs and bring income to the city.

Pushilin said the DPR is “faced with the task of regaining control over its territories, and then the republic will decide on its future.”

“As soon as we reach the constitutional borders of the Donetsk People’s Republic, these are the borders of the former Donetsk region, we will make the decision … Now the main task is to liberate all of our lands, to start rebuilding cities,” he added.

On Feb. 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Moscow recognized the sovereignty of the DPR and the Luhansk People’s Republic.

Veterans watch the Victory Day military parade on Dvortsovaya Square in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on May 9.

During a speech commemorating Russia’s defeat of Nazi Germany at the end of World War Two, Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated his baseless accusation that the West left him no choice but to invade Ukraine. Planned Victory Day air shows across Russia were canceled, raising questions as to why.

The speech provided little detail on how Russia planned to proceed in Ukraine. It followed days of speculation that the Russian leader would use the event to formally declare war on Ukraine, or order a mass mobilization of Russian forces to prosecute a war that has now stretched into its third month, with heavy Russian losses.

Here are some of the latest developments:

Russia's ambassador to Poland Sergey Andreev is covered in red substance thrown by protesters as he came to celebrate Victory day at the Soviet Military Cemetery in Warsaw, Poland, on May 9.

Russian Ambassador to Poland Sergei Andreev was doused with red paint while trying to lay a wreath at the cemetery of Soviet soldiers in Warsaw, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported on Monday.

According to RIA Novosti, Poles and Ukrainians blocked the diplomat’s path. Andreev was accompanied by police out of the cemetery. He later said that he was not injured.

“We still need to figure it out. Maybe just a scratch, but neither I nor the team were seriously injured,” Andreev said, as cited by RIA Novosti.

Referencing the incident, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova alleged via Telegram that “fans of neo-Nazism have once again showed their face - and it is bloody.”

“The demolition of monuments to the heroes of the Second World War, the desecration of graves, and now the disruption of the flower-laying ceremony on a holy day, celebrated by every decent person, proves the obvious - the West has set a course for the reincarnation of fascism,” she said.

The Russian Embassy in Poland said it would protest against the attack on the ambassador.

See the moment the Russian Ambassador to Poland was doused with red paint here:

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Ukrainian servicemen are seen in the trenches as fighting against Russian troops continues near to Cherkaske in eastern Ukraine, on May 3.

Ukrainian officials have raised the alarm about a Russian pontoon bridge that was erected a few days ago and may now enable Russian forces to threaten Ukrainian defenses and supply routes in the Luhansk region.

Serhiy Hayday, head of the Luhansk regional military administration, said Monday that the Russians were trying to take away “the road of life,” which connects the front lines in the east around Severodonetsk with the town of Bakhmut, an important rear base.

“The Russians transported equipment to the other shore via a pontoon across the Siversky Donets river,” Hayday said.

CNN has confirmed satellite imagery showing a pontoon bridge across the Siversky Donets on Sunday. There had been no such bridge on May 3.

The location of the bridge is less than two miles from the village of Bilohorivka, which was bombed by Russian aircraft on Saturday.

The school in the village, where 90 people were taking shelter, was hit and about sixty people are thought to have been killed.

Rescue efforts have since been hampered by continued shelling.

It now appears that the bombardment was to prepare for an attempted ground advance by Russian forces.

It’s unknown how far Russian forces have progressed if they have crossed the river.

MiG-29 jet fighters of the Strizhi Swifts and Su-30SM jet fighters of the Russkiye Vityazi, Russian Knights, aerobatic teams take part in a rehearsal for the Victory Day parade in Moscow, Russia, on May 7.

Planned Victory Day air shows were canceled in locations across Russia, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, and the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, Russian state news agency TASS reported Monday. 

The decision raised eyebrows among foreign military analysts watching Moscow’s Victory Day parade on Monday. The parade had been expected to feature 77 aircraft flying over the capital’s Red Square, including eight MiG-29 fighters flying in a “Z” formation to show support for Russian troops fighting in Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow’s air show was canceled due to weather conditions, according to state news agency RIA Novosti. Aviation shows were also canceled in Samara, Kaliningrad, and Murmansk, TASS wrote. 

During the parade in Moscow, winds were sustained at around 15 mph, with gusts reported at around 30 mph at 11 a.m. local time. The cloud cover was also increasing throughout the morning with mostly cloudy skies during the parade, according to CNN Meteorologist Monica Garrett.

Light rain was reported after 12:30 p.m. local.

The only air parade scheduled in Russia’s south, which was due to be held in the city of Rostov-on-Don, did not take place, TASS said, citing the press service of the Southern Military District.

US First Lady Jill Biden, left, and Slovak President Zuzana Caputova, right, pose for a photo prior talks inside the Presidential Palace in Bratislava, Slovakia, on May 9.

United States first lady Jill Biden met with the President of Slovakia Zuzana Caputova at the Presidential Palace in Bratislava on Monday.

The two discussed the US’s continued support of Ukraine, with Biden expressing gratitude for the way Slovakia has welcomed refugees, according to a White House official.

Upon arrival at the Great Hall palace reception room, Biden first signed a guest book with this message:

Biden, who made an unannounced visit to Ukraine on Mother’s Day, told the media she had spoken to US President Joe Biden afterward. 

“I said just how much I saw the need to support the people of Ukraine and … the horrors and the brutality that the people I had met had experienced,” said Biden of their conversation.

Following her departure from the palace, Biden traveled to the airport for the flight back to Washington, ending her four-day European trip.

Russian servicemen march on Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in central Moscow, Russia, on May 9.

Russian President Vladimir Putin offered very few clues on the direction of the Ukraine conflict in his speech at Russia’s Victory Day commemorations on Monday.

Global leaders and defense officials had spent weeks speculating over what he might reveal about his plans, with some suggesting that he may use this historic day to escalate his so-called “special military operation” and declare an outright war.

Instead, the Russian president used his speech to blend history with the present, banking on Russian nationalism on its most patriotic of holidays to justify his war.

The question now is whether Putin will use this day – or this week even – to escalate the war in other ways.

Read more analysis here:

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a military parade on Victory Day, which marks the 77th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Red Square in central Moscow, Russia May 9, 2022. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina

Related article On a Victory Day without new victories, Putin's speech keeps world guessing

Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace speaks during the Defence of Europe conference at King's College London in central London, on May 9.

Russian President Vladimir Putin showed “a slight shine of desperation” in his Victory Day speech Monday, UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said, according to PA Media.

Among the reasons for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was that the NATO alliance was surrounding Russia and putting bases in its western neighbor, Putin said.

Wallace dismissed Putin’s claims.

As for NATO bases in Ukraine, “I’m sure the Ukrainian ambassador will tell you there weren’t any NATO bases in Ukraine,” PA quoted Wallace as saying.

Earlier, in a speech at the British National Army Museum, Wallace reiterated London’s strong support for Kyiv in the war.

“The British government – the whole United Kingdon – stands in solidarity with Ukraine, supporting their courageous defense of sovereignty, territorial integrity and simple right to a peaceful and prosperous future,” Wallace said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen on the screen as he delivers a speech during 77th anniversary of the Victory Day in Red Square in Moscow, Russia, on May 9.

Vladimir Putin seems like he’s “completely out of ideas” about the war in Ukraine, one prominent analyst said after the Russian President’s Victory Day speech in Moscow on Monday.

Some context: Speculation before the speech was that Putin might formally declare war on Ukraine or order a mass mobilization of Russian forces to prosecute the war that has now stretched into its third month, with heavy Russian losses.

While Putin blamed NATO and the West for forcing him to invade Ukraine to protect Russian interests, he didn’t offer any idea of what would be considered a victory or any ways to prosecute the war further.

The head of the self-declared Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR), Leonid Pasechnik, laid wreaths at monuments in honor of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War, Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti reported on Monday.

Wreaths were laid at the Pylon of Glory in tribute to Luhansk Heroes of the Soviet Union and at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

“Victory will be ours,” said Pasechnik.

He said that due to the liberation of the regions of the LPR, residents can celebrate Victory Day, wear a St. George ribbon and speak Russian “without fear of persecution and repression.”

The leaders of the self-declared separatist republics in eastern Ukraine have been prominent in marking Victory Day, claiming it symbolizes another victory over Nazism.

Some context: Russian President Vladimir Putin and his government have repeatedly said the aim of their so-called “special operation” is to “denazify” Ukraine, and made the baseless claim that freeing the country of Nazis is a matter of Russian survival.

“Auntie Soup," one of the evacuees from the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Ukraine.

Her name is Natalia, but the kids of the Mariupol steel plant know her simply as “Auntie Soup.”

Natalia is one of the civilians rescued from the Azovstal complex, according to a statement posted on the Mariupol City Council’s Telegram channel.

Her last name has not been released by the authorities.

“That’s why I’m Auntie Soup, because kids could not remember my name.”

With little food available, Natalia had to be creative, the statement said, using “water dough and canned food” to create “the most delicious pizza in the world.”

“What is the power of these wonderful people? War and death are around, bombs dropping every minute, and they continue to fight for life, believe in the best and give each other love,” the statement added.

On Saturday, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said that “all women, children and elderly people” had been evacuated from the steel plant.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, center left, walk after a military parade on Victory Day in Red Square in central Moscow, Russia, on May 9.

Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated his accusation that the West left him no choice but to invade Ukraine in a speech given during Russia’s Victory Day parade, an annual commemoration of the country’s defeat of Nazi Germany at the end of World War Two. The speech provided little detail on how Russia planned to proceed in Ukraine; it followed days of speculation that Putin would use the event to announce to make a major announcement.

Here are some of the latest developments:

Social media videos uploaded by pro-Russian media have shown parades and ceremonies in several Russian-occupied Ukrainian towns to mark Victory Day.

A procession in the town of Enerhodar, in Zaporizhzhia, which has been in Russian hands since the beginning of March, appears to have been attended by several hundred people.

Another rally in Nova Kakhovka, in the Kherson region, filmed by state Russian outlet RIA Novosti, appears to have been thinly attended.

The official media outlet of the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic reported on a rally in Kherson city, saying: “Citizens came in families, carrying portraits of their grandfathers and great-grandfathers who fought during the Great Patriotic War and who liberated Kherson region from fascists.”

There was also a rally in Berdiansk and events in several other towns. None appear to have been attended by more than a few dozen people, according to videos uploaded by the separatist Donetsk channel PRO Republic.

At one event, a few people were seen sitting in a square as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s speech was broadcast on large screens.

Russian forces have fired four Onyx cruise missiles at the Odesa region in southern Ukraine, according to the spokesman for the Odesa region military administration, Serhiy Bratchuk.

“The missiles arrived from the territory of the temporarily occupied Crimea,” he said. Russian forces illegally annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014.

Bratchuk provided no details of where the missiles had struck.

Ukraine’s Black Sea coast has seen a significant uptick in missile attacks by Russian forces in recent days.

Russian service personnel ride military vehicles during the Victory Day military parade at Red Square in central Moscow, Russia, on May 9.

Nicholas Drummond, a defense industry analyst specializing in land warfare, described this year’s Victory Day parade in Moscow as a “very low key” affair.

The commemoration saw thousands of troops assemble outside the Kremlin in the Red Square and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin reiterate his reasons for invading Ukraine. But the expected air portion of the annual event was canceled due to weather, a Kremlin official said.

A Soviet-era flag, which was raised to mark the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, flies in front of a residential building in the southern port city of Mariupol, Ukraine, on May 8.

Ukrainian officials have commented on the apparently muted commemoration of Victory Day in occupied Mariupol.

An adviser to the Mariupol mayor, Petro Andriushchenko, said there had been no parade but that flowers were laid at a memorial recently refurbished by Russian-backed separatists.

The leader of the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), Denis Pushilin, lit the eternal flame in Mariupol to mark Victory Day, according to video released by the DPR Telegram channel “PRO_Republic.”

Separately, the Mariupol city council said: “The occupiers celebrate Victory Day on the bones of Mariupol residents. Hundreds of citizens killed by the Russian army continue to be taken to the mass grave near the village of Vynohradne.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a military parade on Victory Day, which marks the 77th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Red Square in central Moscow, Russia, on May 9.

CNN’s International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson noted that there was “little” to read into how Russia plans to go forward in Ukraine following President Vladimir Putin’s speech at Monday’s Victory Day parade in Moscow.

“I was struck by the way that he referred at least to the battlezone… as Donbas, rather than the whole of Ukraine,” he said. He added that the speech provided no sense that Russia was backing down from the fight.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky releases a video message on May 9.

As Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered his Victory Day speech in Moscow on Monday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky released his own video message.

“We will never forget what our ancestors did in World War II, which killed more than eight million Ukrainians. Very soon there will be two Victory Days in Ukraine. And someone won’t have any.

“We won then. We will win now. Happy Victory over Nazism Day!”

Pro-Russian social media accounts have begun circulating video shot in the Kherson region of Ukraine on Monday showing celebrations of Victory Day.

The events appear to have drawn small crowds waving red flags and carrying flowers.

Ukrainian activists in Kherson have claimed that Russia has brought in people from Crimea to bolster the numbers attending.

Russian state media have been quick to report on Victory Day celebrations in occupied parts of Ukraine.

State-run news agency RIA Novosti reported that in Kherson, a procession in memory of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War was taking place for the first time.

Vladimir Saldo, the head of the city administration, congratulated residents who gathered in the Park of Glory with portraits of their relatives who participated in the war, the news agency said.

People with Russian flags and a large banner with the inscription “Immortal Regiment” are walking from the park through the streets of the city, according to RIA Novosti.

The videos available so far suggest a modest turnout for the rally.

On Monday, Kirill Stremousov, the Russian-appointed deputy chairman of the region’s military-civilian administration, told RIA Novosti that the Kherson region would strive for integration with Russia.

A screen shows Russian President Vladimir Putin giving a speech as servicemen line up on Red Square during the Victory Day military parade in central Moscow, Russia, on May 9.

In a speech marking Russia’s Victory Day on Monday, President Vladimir Putin sought to link his country’s struggle against Nazi Germany in World War Two with his invasion of Ukraine and baselessly claimed the West had given him no choice.

Putin said the intervention in Ukraine was necessary as the West was creating “threats next to our borders” and “preparing for the invasion of our land.” 

He also said the West didn’t want to hear Russia’s proposals for dialogue.

“NATO countries did not want to hear us,” Putin said, adding that that means “they had very different plans and we could see that.”

“Russia gave a preemptive rebuff to aggression – it was a forced and sovereign decision,” he said.

Putin told troops that “today you are defending what your grandfathers and great-grandfathers fought for.”

He also addressed the soldiers of Donbas” who “together with Russian soldiers” are fighting for the “motherland.” Donbas, a sprawling heartland region that blankets much of eastern Ukraine, has been the front line of Ukraine’s conflict with Russia since 2014.

Fighting has intensified in the region in recent weeks as Putin refocused his war strategy following stiff resistance from Ukrainian forces.

“I address the servicemen of Donbas,” Putin said in the speech. “You are fighting for the motherland, for its future, so that lessons of World War Two are not forgotten,” he said, adding, “there is no place in history for the punitive divisions of Nazis.”

“We bow our heads in the memory of our comrades in arms who died in the just struggle for Russia,” he said. 

After those remarks, a moment of silence followed. 

WATCH:

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The air portion of the Victory Day parade in Moscow has been canceled because of weather, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state-run news agency RIA Novosti.

The ceremony was due to feature 77 aircraft flying over Moscow’s Red Square, commemorating the 77th anniversary of the Soviet Union defeating Nazi Germany in World War Two.

Russian service members take part in a military parade on Victory Day, which marks the 77th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Red Square in central Moscow, Russia, on May 9.

Russia’s annual Victory Day parade in Red Square in Moscow has started. The commemoration, which marks the end of World War Two, got underway when Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived to take his seat in the grandstand with top officials.

Western officials speculate Putin could use the day to formally acknowledge Russia’s war with Ukraine, allowing him to step up his campaign.

Here’s what to expect:

Russian MiG-29SMT jet fighters forming the symbol "Z" fly over Red Square during rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade in central Moscow, Russia, on May 7.

This year’s Victory Day parade in Russia — marking the 77th anniversary of the Soviet Union defeating Nazi Germany in World War II — is expected to feature 77 aircraft flying over Red Square in Moscow, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a report on the state-run TASS news agency.

Among those aircraft will be eight MiG-29 fighters flying in a “Z” formation to show support for Russian troops fighting in Ukraine, the ministry said, according to the report.

The letter “Z” has become the symbol for the war, which Russia calls a “special military operation,” and it has been emblazoned on most Russian military vehicles operating in Ukraine.

The parade’s aerial portion will also include an Il-80 airborne strategic command and control aircraft, also known as a “doomsday plane” for its ability to be used as an airborne command center in the event of nuclear war.

In the ground portion of the parade, 131 weapons systems — including intercontinental ballistic missile launchers and T-72, T-90 and T-14 tanks — will be shown, the ministry said.

The parade is expected to begin at 10 a.m. Moscow time (3 a.m. ET).

Read more about Vladimir Putin’s focus on this year’s ceremony here:

MOSCOW, RUSSIA - MAY 9 : Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a Victory Day military parade marking the 74th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War, the Eastern Front of World War II, at Red Square in Moscow, Russia on May 09, 2019. (Photo by Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Related article Putin has put himself at the center of Russia's Victory Day. But he has little to celebrate | CNN

Ukrainian soldiers next to a destroyed Russian tank on the outskirts of Kharkiv, Ukraine, on May 8.

The Ukrainian military says that Russia is holding back some of its forces within its borders to prevent a Ukrainian counterattack that has made some headway east of Kharkiv.

In its latest operational update, the armed forces’ general staff says that “in order to prevent the advance of units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the enemy has concentrated up to nineteen battalion tactical groups in the Belgorod region” of Russia.

The Russians are holding back units as Ukrainian units get closer to the Russian border, analysts say.

Inside Ukraine, the general staff says the most intense activity is in Donetsk region, where Russian forces are trying to advance towards the town of Lyman, a major transport hub.

The general staff says it expects the Russians to resume an offensive towards the village of Sulyhivka as they try to make progress from the Izium area. Over the past month, the Russians have made modest gains in the area but have taken no settlement of any consequence.

Luhansk: On the Luhansk front, the increase in Russian shelling has caused more civilian casualties and hampered rescue operations. 

Serhiy Hayday, head of the Luhansk region military administration, said rescuers had lost contact with 11 people hiding in a basement in Shypilovo. He said it was impossible to completely dismantle the wreckage of damaged buildings in Bilohorivka — where a school sheltering civilians was hit at the weekend — or Shypilovo.

Russian forces have made only minor territorial gains in Luhansk but now have control of the ruined town of Popasna. 

Southern Ukraine: The general staff alleged that in occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia region in the south, the Russians are seizing the personal documents of civilians and will only return them if they attend ceremonial events to mark Victory Day. CNN is unable to verify the claim. 

After a weekend of dueling claims about combat over Snake Island in the Black Sea, the Odesa military administration says: “There are [Russian] Black Sea Fleet ships and submarines with cruise missiles on board constantly maneuvering and regrouping.”

The Odesa military administration repeated the list of Russian units it says it destroyed over the weekend: a small landing craft, two patrol boats, and a vessel carrying anti-aircraft defenses to Snake Island, as well as a helicopter.

The European Union should consider using billions of dollars’ worth of Russian foreign exchange reserves to rebuild Ukraine after the war, the bloc’s top diplomat Josep Borrell said in an interview with the Financial Times (FT) Monday. 

“We have the money in our pockets, and someone has to explain to me why it is good for the Afghan money and not good for the Russian money,” he continued, referring to the United States’ decision to use $7 billion in frozen assets from Afghanistan’s central bank to provide humanitarian aid inside the country and compensate victims of terrorism after the Taliban seized power. 

Western countries have frozen roughly $315 billion worth of Russia’s foreign exchange reserves in response to its invasion of Ukraine. 

Since then, EU officials have been debating whether the sanctioned assets could somehow be deployed to reconstruct Ukraine when the war finally ends, however no concrete policy proposals have been tabled. 

Some context: In April, Russia’s Central Bank threatened to take legal action against the US and EU in an attempt to try and unfreeze its gold and foreign reserves. However, it is unclear when or in what jurisdiction a legal challenge could be made.

President Joe Biden is vowing to ratchet up even more pressure on Vladimir Putin as the Russian leader stages a nationalistic pageant set to highlight the civilization-destroying potential of his nuclear arms in a new round of saber-rattling.

Russia’s Victory Day celebration on Monday follows a stunning sequence of revelations about the deadly results of US intelligence sharing with Ukraine and after Biden called for a staggering $33 billion haul of arms and aid for Kyiv in another extraordinary step that widened US involvement in the war.

America’s posture in providing a third country with that level of assistance to wound the US’ nuclear superpower rival would have been unthinkable before the invasion, especially given Biden’s desire to avoid a direct clash with Moscow.

The US role — at the vanguard of a broad Western front against Putin, which is resulting in heavy losses for the Russian army — is again raising questions about how far the Kremlin strongman can be pushed before he reacts.

Read the full analysis here:

Related article Analysis: Biden tests how much he can ratchet up the pressure on Putin

US First lady Jill Biden offers flowers to Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska, in Uzhhorod, Ukraine on May 8.

US President Joe Biden virtually met the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during the G7 forum on Sunday. G7 leaders reassured Zelensky that they will continue to provide military and economic assistance.

Here are more of the latest headlines from the Russia-Ukraine war:

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks at press conference in Tokyo on May 9.

Japan will embargo Russian crude oil imports “in principle,” as part of a G7 decision to counter Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said after an online meeting of G7 leaders on Sunday.

Kishida did not give a timeline for Japan’s embargo on Russian oil imports.

Some context: Japan has been importing Russian crude oil — which accounted for 3.6% of crude oil imports in 2021 — to diversify its supply sources, according to data released in April by the country’s ministry of trade. 

Earlier this month, Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Koichi Hagiuda told reporters that given Japan “has limited resources” it is difficult for the country to immediately align itself with the European Union over its plans to ban oil imports from Russia.

The G7 meeting was held online at the behest of Germany and was attended by G7 nation leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un waves to officers and soldiers in a celebration of the 90th founding anniversary of the Korean People's Revolutionary Army, in North Korea on April 27.

If North Korea was looking for another excuse to forge ahead with its nuclear weapons program, it just found one in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

That one of the very few countries to have voluntarily given up a nuclear arsenal is now under attack from the same country it gave its warheads to will not be lost on Pyongyang.

In fact, analysts say, Moscow’s actions have gifted the reclusive Asian nation a “perfect storm” of conditions under which to ramp its program up.

Not only will North Korea use Ukraine’s plight to bolster its narrative that it needs nukes to guarantee its survival, but leader Kim Jong Un may find that, with all eyes on the war in Europe, he can get away with more than ever.

Divided over Ukraine, the international community will likely have little appetite for sanctions on the hermit kingdom; indeed, even unified condemnation of a recent North Korean ICBM test remains elusive.

What’s more, the boycott of Russian oil and gas could even open the door to cut-price energy deals between Pyongyang and Moscow – ideological allies whose friendship harks back to the Korean war of the 1950s.

Read the full analysis:

Image released by the North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on April 26, 2022 shows missiles are displayed during a military parade at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang to mark the 90th anniversary of the founding of the North Korean People\'s Revolutionary Army (KPRA). Leader Kim Jong-un inspects the military parade The North Korean leader said he will expand nuclear weapons capability at the fastest speed, according to North Korean state media.

Related article Analysis: What North Korea learned from Ukraine: Now's the perfect time for a nuclear push

Emergency crew work near a burning debris, after a school building was hit as a result of shelling, in the village of Bilohorivka, Luhansk, on Ukraine, May 8.

UN Crisis Coordinator for Ukraine and UN Assistant Secretary-General Amin Awad has responded to the bombing of a school serving as a shelter in Luhansk, saying the incident is “yet another stark reminder of the cruelty of this war.” 

“UNICEF strongly condemns yet another attack on a school in Ukraine amid reports that civilians, including children, had sought shelter in the school’s bunker,” UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said in a statement Sunday. “We do not yet know how many children might have been killed or injured in the reported bombing, but we fear this attack has just added to the hundreds of children who have already lost their lives in this war.”

In a joint news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Sunday, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the reopening of the Canadian embassy in Kyiv. 

Trudeau also announced more military assistance for Ukraine would be given including drone cameras, satellite imagery, small arms, ammunition and funding for de-mining operations.

The Canadian prime minister also announced Canada will be removing trade tariffs on all Ukrainian imports coming to Canada for the next year. 

Trudeau’s comments came during a surprise weekend visit to Ukraine announced by his office Sunday morning.

The Group of 7 Leaders (G7), including US President Joe Biden, met virtually with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and reassured him that they will continue to provide military and economic assistance “to help Ukraine secure its free and democratic future” and will increase financial aid “in the coming weeks,” according to a G7 Leaders’ statement of the meeting passed along by the White House. 

Zelensky, according to the statement, told the leaders that Ukraine will continue to protect itself and that his “ultimate aim” is a complete Russian withdrawal from Ukraine.  

“[Zelensky] stated that Ukraine’s ultimate aim is to ensure full withdrawal of Russia’s military forces and equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine and to secure its ability to protect itself in the future and thanked G7 members for their support,” the statement reads, continuing: “Ukraine remains committed to working closely with G7 members to support Ukraine’s macroeconomic stability in the face of the challenges posed by the full-scaled Russian invasion, massive destruction of critical infrastructure and disruption of traditional shipping routes for Ukrainian exports.”

The G7 also pledged to “step up” short-term financial aid to Ukraine in the weeks ahead, as well as continue to develop options for the country’s long-term reconstruction. 

“In the coming weeks, we will step up our collective short-term financial support to help Ukraine close financing gaps and deliver basic services to its people, while also developing options – working with the Ukrainian authorities and international financial institutions – to support long-term recovery and reconstruction,” the statement reads. 

The seventeen point statement also announces that all G7 countries agree to phase out Russian oil in a “timely and orderly fashion,” and that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion brings “shame on Russia and the historic sacrifices of its people.”

Survivors of a Russian strike on Saturday that is feared to have killed at least 60 people sheltering in an eastern Ukrainian school have described their harrowing experience in interviews with CNN.

“I got slammed down by a slab — bent into a ball,” said a man with a bandage across his nose and forehead, who preferred not to give his name out of privacy concerns. “Then another explosion, small rocks fell on us. Darkness.”

“There was a woman in our room screaming the whole time. She was pulled out and screaming the whole time. I told her, ‘don’t scream.’ We couldn’t hear a thing.”

 “They started digging,” he said. “I got out. I was like a drunk man – lost.”

Video of the school shared on Telegram by Serhiy Hayday, head of the Luhansk regional military administration, show a building that was completely leveled by the attack.

Hayday said that of an estimated 90 people sheltering in the school, only 27 emerged from the Saturday afternoon attack alive.

Another survivor, Sergiy, said that he was in the school’s basement when the bomb hit, and that all three floors of the building collapsed “to the ground.”

“We didn’t understand anything,” Sergiy explained. “We were inside. All at once, everything fell down. Darkness. That’s it.”

Yevgen described a desperate escape.

“I was the very first one to start climbing out,” he said. “I was raking bricks and throwing them out. There were wooden planks and boards. Locals who weren’t in the basement helped and used a pipe to rip those boards off.”

The survivors said that among the neighbors they were sheltering with were several elderly grandparents. 

“Imagine what they bombed,” Sergiy said. “An ordinary village with only pensioners and children.”

Watch Sam Kiley’s report from Luhansk:

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