One person was killed and three others – including a child – were injured following a Russian bombardment in the Ukrainian region of Kherson, when another strike in the eastern region of Dnipropetrovsk left 34 injured, overnight from Sunday to Monday. Local authorities claimed to have neutralized most of the missile salvoes.
“The Russian army targeted residential neighborhoods in populated areas of the region, and an official building in the center of Kherson,” said Oleksandr Prokudin, the head of the local military administration, on Telegram. “As a result of this Russian aggression, one person died and three others, including a child, were injured.” He added that the city had been bombed eight times in just twenty-four hours.
Freight train derails in Russia due to ‘explosive device’
An explosive device caused the derailment of a freight train in a Russian region near Ukraine on May 1, without causing any casualties. This derailment comes in full fear of Ukrainian attacks and sabotage in Russia.
“An unidentified explosive device went off, which led to the derailment of a freight train. No casualties”, indicated on Telegram Alexandre Bogomaz, governor of the Briansk region, bordering Ukraine.
Emmanuel Macron renews his support for Volodymyr Zelensky
Emmanuel Macron reiterated his support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on April 30, during a telephone interview. He pledged to provide “all necessary assistance to Ukraine in order to restore its sovereignty and territorial integrity”, reported the Elysée.
As Kiev prepares its counter-offensive, Emmanuel Macron “reported on European coordination in terms of military assistance”, in order to be “capable of meeting Ukraine’s needs over time”, specified the ‘Elysium. The counter-offensive could take place in the coming weeks, thanks to the contribution of Western military equipment.
Ukrainian counteroffensive would be a ‘tragedy’ for Russia, says Wagner
The counter-offensive, for which kyiv has announced that preparations have been completed, would be a real “tragedy” for Russia, according to Wagner. The Russian private military group is on the front line of the fighting and regularly denounces a lack of ammunition. “We only have 10-15 percent of the ammunition we need,” Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigojine said in an interview with pro-Kremlin war correspondent Semyon Pegov.
Under these circumstances, he believes that the Ukrainian counter-offensive will be difficult to repel. It “could become a tragedy for our country”, he warned. Yevgeny Prigojine is in open conflict with the Russian military hierarchy. He has publicly attacked Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu several times, accusing him of not delivering enough weapons.
Russia replaces its military logistics chief
Change in the Russian hierarchy. The army announced on April 30 the appointment of a new head of military logistics, General Alexei Kuzmenkov. He replaces General Mikhail Mizintsev.
“General Alexei Kuzmenkov has been appointed Russian Deputy Minister of Defense, in charge of the material and technical supply of the Russian armed forces,” the army said in a statement. Until now, Alexei Kuzmenkov was deputy director of the Russian National Guard (Rosgvardia), a post he had held since 2019.
No official announcement has been made regarding the dismissal of Mikhail Mizintsev. Appointed to the post last September and former head of the National Defense Control Center, he is nicknamed by Western media the “Butcher of Mariupol”. He is indeed targeted by Western sanctions for his role in the siege of Mariupol, a port city in the south-east of Ukraine, devastated by the bombings.