These are the main events so far on Tuesday 3 May. Get the latest updates here.
Militant
Russian forces bombed Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv, and destroyed several cities in eastern Ukraine. At least three civilians have been killed in a Russian bombing raid on the town of Vuhledar in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainian president’s office has said. Some other areas of Donetsk were under constant fire and regional authorities were trying to evacuate civilians from the front line areas, he said. A Ukrainian-piloted Bayraktar drone has shot down two Russian Raptor patrol boats in the Black Sea, the Ukrainian army chief has said. Russia plans to “annex” the two eastern regions of Ukraine immediately after failing to overthrow the government in Kyiv, a senior US official has said. More than 200 civilians are still trapped by fighters in a huge steel plant in Mariupol in southern Ukraine, the city mayor said. Russia has not been able to take advantage of its more than a decade-long military modernization program in Ukraine, the UK Department of Defense has said.
Diplomacy
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson will address the Ukrainian parliament – the first by a foreign leader since the invasion of Russia on February 24 – where he will greet the country’s resistance at the “best time”. It is also expected to announce nearly $ 400 million in military aid to Ukraine. Russian football clubs have been barred from UEFA participation in the Champions League and all other European competitions next season, the European football governing body has announced.
Business and economy
Berlin will be ready to support the European Union’s immediate ban on Russian oil imports, two German ministers have said. To keep the bloc united, the EU executive can offer Hungary or Slovakia exemptions or transitional periods and a phasing-out until the end of the year. Foreign financial assistance will ensure the stability of Ukraine’s central bank reserves as the country faces financial shock from the Russian invasion, said central bank governor Kyrylo Shevchenko. Italy intends to end its dependence on Russian gas by the second half of 2024, said the Italian Minister of Ecological Transition. Pope Francis says he requested a meeting in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin to try to end the war in Ukraine, but received no response, Reuters reported.
