Attacks on Mariupol steelworks intensify as Russia looks to end standoff; fate of Ukraine’s Donbas in the balance
Written by Holly Ellyatt
UPDATED THU, MAY 5 2022 ... 8:25 AM EDT
Attacks on Mariupol steelworks intensify as Russia looks to end standoff; fate of Ukraine’s Donbas in the balance
This is CNBC’s live blog tracking developments on the war in Ukraine. See below for the latest updates.
Russia’s progress in eastern and southern Ukraine is being closely monitored as its forces appear to have escalated assaults on those regions.
Having re-focused its attacks away from northern Ukraine and the capital Kyiv, Russian forces are now looking to take full control of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine in order to create a land bridge from Russia to Crimea, territory it annexed in 2014.
In the latest update from the Ukrainian military, its spokesman said Russian forces “are focusing their efforts on blocking and trying to destroy Ukrainians units in the Azovstal” steelworks where soldiers and civilians have been holed up for up to two months.
“With the support of aircraft, the enemy resumed the offensive in order to take control of the plant,” Ukraine said in its update Thursday morning.
Another 344 civilians were evacuated from the city and suburbs of the southern port city of Mariupol and are on the way to the Ukraine-controlled city of Zaporizhzhia, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the Russians have made uneven progress in the Donbas region, following weeks of resupply and repositioning efforts. Nonetheless, the U.S. and its allies are rushing to send additional security assistance amid an intensified Russian assault in eastern and southern Ukraine.
20 MIN AGO
Mariupol in ruins as Russia continues its attack on the city
Russian attacks continue in Mariupol, leaving damaged buildings and destruction.
Residents of the besieged city are trying to survive on their own and in evacuation camps.
Photo taken on May 3, 2022 shows a damaged building in the port city of Mariupol.
Photo taken on May 3, 2022 shows a damaged building in the port city of Mariupol.
Victor | Xinhua News Agency | Getty Images
Damaged buildings are seen as Russian attacks continue in Mariupol, Ukraine on May 04, 2022.
Damaged buildings are seen as Russian attacks continue in Mariupol, Ukraine on May 04, 2022.
Leon Klein | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
A tank of the DPR army moves on the road as Russian attacks continue in Mariupol, Ukraine on May 04, 2022.
A tank of the DPR army moves on the road as Russian attacks continue in Mariupol, Ukraine on May 04, 2022.
Leon Klein | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
A tank is seen in front of the damaged building as Russian attacks continue in Mariupol, Ukraine on May 04, 2022.
A tank is seen in front of the damaged building as Russian attacks continue in Mariupol, Ukraine on May 04, 2022.
Leon Klein | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Destroyed buildings are seen as Russian attacks continue in Mariupol, Ukraine on May 04, 2022.
Destroyed buildings are seen as Russian attacks continue in Mariupol, Ukraine on May 04, 2022.
Leon Klein | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
A DPR army fighter is seen in front of the tank as Russian attacks continue in Mariupol, Ukraine on May 04, 2022.
A DPR army fighter is seen in front of the tank as Russian attacks continue in Mariupol, Ukraine on May 04, 2022.
Leon Klein | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
— Getty Images
53 MIN AGO
Ukrainians fleeing war face onerous process to enter the U.S.
People, mainly women and children, make their way through Przemysl railway station after journeying from war-torn Ukraine on March 31, 2022 in Przemysl, Poland.
People, mainly women and children, make their way through Przemysl railway station after journeying from war-torn Ukraine on March 31, 2022 in Przemysl, Poland.
Jeff J Mitchell | Getty Images
Svitlana Rogers had been trying for weeks to bring her sister’s family — who had escaped Ukraine and was now living in Warsaw — to live with her and her family in Princeton, New Jersey.
Her congressional representatives all told her their hands were tied. Then came news from the White House: President Joe Biden announced a new process for Ukrainians to enter the U.S. via sponsorship by Americans.
“I immediately texted my sister when I heard the news,” Rogers said. “She was very happy.”
But when the website launched on April 25, they both realized how much work lay ahead and worried they wouldn’t be able to provide all the documentation that the government required. Not only did Rogers have to prove her own income, she had to show her sister’s family was healthy and on a good financial footing as well.
Unlike the traditional route for bringing refugees to the United States, where taxpayer money partially offsets living costs for the first few months, the Biden administration chose a model for Ukrainians fleeing the country’s war with Russia that only allows those who can be supported financially to come to enter the country.
Read the full story here.
— Julia Ainsley, NBC News
2 HOURS AGO
Kremlin denies Russian troops tried to storm the Azovstal steelworks
The Kremlin has denied that Russian troops tried to storm Mariupol’s Azovstal steel plant, seen as the last stronghold for Ukrainian fighters in the southern port city, insisting that humanitarian corridors were still in operation there for civilians.
Ukrainian media reported last night that Russian troops had attempted to storm the plant, citing comments from a Ukrainian lawmaker. Several hundred civilians are believed to still be trapped in the steelworks, as well as soldiers.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had not issued any new orders regarding the plant and that a previous instruction to blockade the plant, rather than to attack it, still stands.
“You were witnesses: publicly the President and the Commander-in-Chief [Putin] issued an order to refrain from the assault. No other orders were given,” Peskov said in response to a question from a reporter on whether Putin’s previous decree had been canceled, state news agency Tass reported.
On Wednesday, Peskov insisted that Russian troops were not storming the plant’s territory, “but were suppressing attempts by militants blocked there to reach firing points,” Tass reported.
— Holly Ellyatt
3 HOURS AGO
President Zelenskyy appeals for ceasefire to rescue Mariupol’s trapped civilians
ZAPORIZHZHIA, UKRAINE - MAY 02: A boy from Mariupol looks out the window of his families car after arriving at an evacuation point for people fleeing Mariupol, Melitopol and the surrounding towns under Russian control on May 02, 2022 in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.Dozens of refugees were expected to arrive here from Mariupol, including the Azovstal steel facility, following extensive negotiations between representatives of Ukraine, Russia, the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross. (Phot
A boy from Mariupol looks out the window of his family’s car after arriving at an evacuation point for those fleeing Mariupol, Melitopol and the surrounding towns under Russian control on May 2, 2022, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine.
Chris Mcgrath | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appealed for a ceasefire to rescue civilians who are still trapped beneath the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol, saying they need to be dug out by hand.
“We hope to continue rescuing people from Azovstal, Mariupol. There are still civilians. Women, children,” Zelenskyy said in his morning address to the nation.
To save them, he said, there needs to be a cease-fire, with Ukraine ready to agree to one.
“It takes time to just lift people out of those basements, out of those underground shelters. In the current conditions, we cannot use special equipment to clear blockages,” he said, adding: “Everything is done manually.”
4 HOURS AGO
Two Russian villages shelled by Ukraine, governor claims
Two villages in Russia’s Belgorod region bordering Ukraine have been shelled by Ukraine, the region’s Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov claimed on Thursday.
“There is shelling from the Ukrainian side on Zhuravlyovka and Nekhoteevka,” he said, Reuters reported. Gladkov said there were no civilian casualties.
Russia had previously accused Ukraine of shelling towns within Russian territory, specifically those near the border.
Ukraine has not publicly admitted to targeting positions within Russia, although one of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s top advisors described such attacks several weeks ago as “karma.”
— Holly Ellyatt
5 HOURS AGO
Russia says it has killed 600 ‘nationalists’ in Ukraine
Russia has claimed to have “destroyed” 600 Ukrainian fighters it described as “nationalists” in its latest military update on Thursday. The term “nationalists” is routinely used by Russia to refer to Ukrainian soldiers, and is seen as a way to denigrate the country’s armed forces.
Russia’s Defense Ministry posted on Telegram that it had also destroyed aircraft equipment at the Kanatovo military airfield in the Kirovograd region, a large ammunition depot in the city of Nikolaev and a fuel storage facility for Ukrainian military equipment in the Nikolaev region.
Two warehouses of military equipment at a military airfield near Kramatorsk were also hit, it claimed.
CNBC was unable to immediately verify the information.
— Holly Ellyatt
6 HOURS AGO
Russia could use Belarusian military drills to divert Ukrainian forces, UK says
Russia is likely to use snap military drills by its ally Belarus as a way to divert Ukrainian forces away from Donbas in eastern Ukraine, the focus of Russian assaults, as it seeks to seize the entire region, according to the British Ministry of Defence.
“Russia will likely seek to inflate the threat posed to Ukraine by these exercises in order to fix Ukrainian forces in the North, preventing them from being committed to the battle for the Donbas,” the ministry said in its latest intelligence update on Twitter this morning.
Belarus announced it was beginning combat-readiness drills yesterday, saying the purpose of the exercises was “to assess the readiness and ability of personnel to quickly respond to possible crises.” The move raised speculation that Belarus might join Russia’s war effort in a potential renewed assault on northern Ukraine. Belarus insisted there was no threat to its European neighbors.
The U.K.’s Defence Ministry said Thursday that Belarusian land forces “have been observed deploying from garrison to the field, for exercises” and that this is in line with seasonal norms as Belarus enters the culmination of its winter training cycle in the month of May.
“Deviation from normal exercise activity that could pose a threat to allies and partners is not currently anticipated,” the ministry added.
— Holly Ellyatt
8 HOURS AGO
Russian forces renew attacks to seize Ukraine’s last stronghold in Mariupol
A destroyed administration building at the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works in Ukraine. In the latest update from the Ukrainian military, its spokesman said Russian forces 'are focusing their efforts on blocking and trying to destroy Ukrainians units in the Azovstal' steelworks.
A destroyed administration building at the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works.
Chingis Kondarov | Reuters
Russian forces have reportedly renewed their assault on the Azovstal steelworks complex, a last stronghold for Ukrainian fighters in the southern port city of Mariupol, in what is widely seen as a bid to bring the standoff to an end.
In the latest update from the Ukrainian military, its spokesman said Russian forces “are focusing their efforts on blocking and trying to destroy Ukrainians units in the Azovstal” steelworks.
“With the support of aircraft, the enemy resumed the offensive in order to take control of the plant,” Ukraine said in its update Thursday morning.
CNBC was unable to immediately verify the information.
Hundreds of civilians, including the elderly and children, have been sheltering in the network of underground tunnels and bunkers underneath the steelworks. After a number of failed attempts to evacuate civilians, several hundred have been evacuated to the relative safety of the Ukrainian-controlled Zaporhizhia in recent days.
— Holly Ellyatt
10 HOURS AGO
Russia is striking civilian targets to ‘weaken Ukrainian resolve,’ British government says
Moscow is trying to “weaken Ukrainian resolve” by striking civilian targets in Ukraine, the British government said on Wednesday night.
“As Russian operations have faltered, non-military targets including schools, hospitals, residential properties and transport hubs have continued to be hit, indicating Russia’s willingness to target civilian infrastructure in an attempt to weaken Ukrainian resolve,” the U.K. Ministry of Defence said.
A woman feeds her baby after being evacuated from Mariupol’s Azovstal steel plant to Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on May 3.
Chris Mcgrath | Getty Images News | Getty Images
The U.K. ministry said in an intelligence update that Russian ground operations are focusing on the eastern part of Ukraine, but missile strikes continue across the country because Moscow wants to disrupt the Ukrainians’ ability to resupply their troops in the east.
The press office of the Russian Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Moscow has repeatedly denied that it strikes civilian targets, though such attacks have been widely documented. Russian instead accuses Ukraine of attacking civilian targets.
The British ministry said Russia is attacking cities including Odesa, Kherson and Mariupol in order to take over Ukraine’s Black Sea coastline and cut off its sea line of communication and maritime trade.
WATCH: Russian troops breach steel plant in Mariupol
— Ted Kemp
9 HOURS AGO
More than 340 civilians were evacuated from Mariupol, Zelenskyy says
Evacuees from Mariupol arrive in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine on May 3, 2022 as Russian attacks continue. Another 344 civilians were evacuated from the city and suburbs of Mariupol and are on the way to Zaporizhzhia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address.
Diego Herrera Carcedo | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Another 344 civilians were evacuated from the city and suburbs of Mariupol and are on the way to Zaporizhzhia, a city in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address.
This is the second batch of people rescued from the besieged Ukrainian city following the evacuation of 156 women and children from the Azovstal steel plant who arrived in Zaporizhzhia on Wednesday.
“All of them will receive the most caring treatment from our state,” Zelenskyy said.
Russia’s attempt to take over Mariupol has led to grim conditions in the city where thousands are running out of food, water and medical aid, as civilians and soldiers are holed up in the Azovstal steel plant – the last stronghold for fighters in the heavily bombarded city.
— Chelsea Ong
16 HOURS AGO
Russian forces largely stalled in eastern and southern Ukraine, Pentagon says
Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby holds a news briefing at the Pentagon on May 02, 2022 in Arlington, Virginia. Kirby announced the return of public tours of the Pentagon as well as delivered an update on the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Kevin Dietsch | Getty Images
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the Russians have made uneven progress in the Donbas region of Ukraine, following weeks of resupply and reposition efforts.
“Russians have not made the kind of progress in the Donbas and in the south that we believe they wanted to make,” Kirby said during a daily Pentagon press briefing. “We do believe they’re behind schedule. We do believe it has been slow at every turn and they have met a stiff Ukrainian resistance,” he added.
Kirby’s comments come as the U.S. and its allies rush to send additional security assistance ahead of what was believed to be an intensifed Russia surge in eastern and southern Ukraine. On Tuesday, President Joe Biden called on Congress to quickly pass $33 billion in additional U.S. security assistance to Ukraine.
Biden’s latest military aid package of $800 million announced on April 21, the eighth such installment of security assistance, brings U.S. commitment to $3.4 billion since Russia’s late February invasion.
— Amanda Macias
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/05/live-updates-latest-news-on-russia-and-the-war-in-ukraine.html
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Russian attacks on Mariupol steelworks intensify; fate of Ukraine’s Donbas in the balance
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