The boss of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigojine, said Thursday that his men began to transfer their positions in Bakhmout, a city he claimed to have captured, to regular troops of the Russian army.
On Russian and Ukrainian territories, drone attacks are increasing. During the night, the Ukrainian authorities announced that they had repelled a “massive” attack by 36 drones targeting kyiv. According to President Zelensky, Russia is “terrorizing Ukraine” with its night attacks. Meanwhile, six Ukrainian drones were shot down in Crimea, according to Russian authorities.
On the diplomatic field, Ukraine is seeking the support of African countries. Dmytro Kuleba, Ukrainian Foreign Minister, visited Ethiopia, where the headquarters of the African Union is located, on Wednesday. On the spot, the diplomat castigated the increasingly important influence of Moscow on the African continent, in particular through the Wagner militia.
Wagner began to transfer his positions in Bakhmout to the Russian army
“We are in the process of withdrawing the units from Bakhmout today. By June 1, most of them will be relocating to bases in the rear. We are handing over the positions to the soldiers, the ammunition and everything that they need. is there,” Prigojine said in a video released by his news service.
Russia announces the arrest of Ukrainian “saboteurs” who targeted nuclear power plants
The Russian Security Service (FSB) announced on Thursday the arrest of Ukrainian “saboteurs” in Russia. They were suspected of planning attacks aimed at disrupting the operation of Russian nuclear power plants. “A sabotage group of the Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service […] attempted to blow up around 30 electrical transmission lines at the Leningrad and Kalinin nuclear power plants” in early May, to cause “the shutdown of nuclear reactors”, the FSB said in a statement, quoted by Russian news agencies Two Ukrainians were reportedly arrested.
Ukrainian army reportedly repelled Russian drone attack on kyiv
During the night, the Ukrainian authorities announced that they had repelled a “massive” attack by Russian drones targeting the city of kyiv. 36 aircraft were reportedly shot down. “All air targets flying towards Kiev were destroyed by our air defense. According to preliminary information, Shahed-type drones were at work during this attack,” the head of the civil and military administration explained on Telegram. of Kiev, Serhiï Popko. Also according to the Ukrainian authorities, this would be the twelfth drone attack targeting the Ukrainian capital since the beginning of May. According to President Zelensky, Russia is “terrorizing Ukraine” with its night attacks.
Six Ukrainian drones shot down in Crimea
During the night of Wednesday to Thursday, six Ukrainian drones were destroyed in Crimea, a peninsula which was annexed by Russia. “During the past night, six drones were shot down or jammed […] in different districts of Crimea. The incident caused no casualties or injuries,” local governor installed by Moscow, Sergei Aksionov, wrote on Telegram. its preparations to launch an offensive to retake the territories occupied by Moscow.
The United States approves the sale of surface-to-air missiles to Ukraine.
On Wednesday, the United States announced that it would sell Ukraine advanced NASAMS surface-to-air missile systems worth about $285 million. The purpose of the operation is to strengthen the country’s air defense capability against Russia. “Ukraine urgently needs to strengthen its defense capabilities against missile strikes and Russian aircraft,” the US Defense Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a statement. The sale still needs to be approved by the US Congress.
Kyiv is looking for support in Africa.
Dmytro Kuleba, Ukrainian Foreign Minister, was visiting Ethiopia on Wednesday. He called on several African countries to abandon their displayed neutrality in the conflict between kyiv and Moscow. “We are trying to explain to our African friends that neutrality is not the answer, because by being neutral towards Russian aggression towards Ukraine, you are extending that neutrality to border violations and mass crimes that can happen near you, if not happen to you,” he said at a press conference.
Of the 54 member states of the African Union, 22 abstained or did not participate in the vote on the recent UN General Assembly resolution urging Russia to withdraw its forces from Ukraine, in last February. Two countries, Eritrea and Mali, even voted against. At the headquarters of the African Union (AU), located in Addis Ababa, the Ukrainian diplomat also castigated Moscow’s growing influence on the African continent: “Russia’s most important real investment in Africa, they are Wagner’s mercenaries”.
Russian fighters claim incursion into Belgorod region
In recent days, two groups of fighters have claimed incursions into Russian territory. The attacks reportedly took place in the Belgorod region, and were accompanied by an airstrike on a Russian village located near the border, causing 1 death and 13 injuries. They were allegedly carried out by dissident Russian groups, and Ukraine has denied any responsibility for these operations.
One of these breakthroughs was claimed by the “Freedom Legion of Russia”, identified by Russian investigative media as close to Russian imperialist and nationalist nebulae. A second group was reportedly led by far-right activist Denis Kapoustine. This opponent of Vladimir Putin has settled in Ukraine since the start of the war, in 2021.
The purpose of this operation is, according to soldiers interviewed, to carry out sabotage actions, but also to push the Russian forces to move their troops. The fighters would be about thirty, and would have spent about 24 hours on Russian territory, before returning to Ukraine. According to Moscow, the incursion was stopped by Russian artillery and air force, which eliminated “more than 70 Ukrainian terrorists”, while the fighters in question claim to have two wounded in their ranks.