[Korrespondent] 22.58 The Russian army is changing its approach to fighting in Ukraine, gradually abandoning massive attacks in favor of more covert tactics. This is reported in its publication by the British newspaper The Telegraph, citing a statement by a researcher at the Russia and Eurasia program at Chatham House, Cyrus Giles.
20.39 Ukraine is strengthening all areas of defense against the backdrop of massive enemy attacks: there is a decision regarding the Dnipro and Odessa. This is evidenced by the statement of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.
"Ternopil, Zhytomyr, Rivne region, Trostyanets in Vinnytsia region, other regions and communities - we are strengthening all areas of defense. There are already solutions for the Dnieper. The Military Command and the Ministry of Defense analyze each attack and offer solutions. For the Dnieper - additional radars, electronic warfare, additional crews," he said.
20.31 During the day, Russian troops carried out almost 50 strikes on the Nikopol and Kryvyi Rih districts of the Dnipropetrovsk region, four people were injured as a result of enemy attacks. This was reported by the head of the OVA Oleksandr Ganzha.
19.52 The administration of US President Donald Trump did not include funding for military assistance to Ukraine under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) program in the draft defense budget for fiscal year 2027. This became known at a hearing in the US Senate Committee on Armed Services, C-SPAN reports.
19.09 Kyiv has not received any official proposals for a ceasefire on May 9. The Russian Federation's statements are another attempt by the Russians to please the Americans. This was stated by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga in a comment to Interfax-Ukraine.
He thus commented on the "truce" for May 9, which is supposedly being proposed by the Russian Federation. The government official regarded it as "another manipulation."
"This is another attempt by the Russians to please the Americans. To show 'some element of constructivism,'" Sibiga noted.
18:45 Russian drones attacked settlements in Zhytomyr region, as well as Rivne. This was reported by the head of the regional military administration, Vitaliy Bunechko, and the head of the Rivne OVA, Oleksandr Koval, on Telegram.
18.39 At least four military aircraft were hit at the Shagol airfield in the Chelyabinsk region of the Russian Federation. This was reported by the commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Robert "Magyar" Brovdi, on Facebook.
17.57 The Security Service of Ukraine documented war crimes committed by one of the heads of pre-trial detention center (SIZO) No. 2 in the city of Vyazma, Smolensk region of the Russian Federation - Alexei Zakharov, and the head of the regime department of this facility, Igor Shtapurenko. The SBU reported this on its Facebook page.
17.25 Since the beginning of the current day and as of 16:00, the Russian occupiers have carried out 55 attacks on Ukrainian army positions in 10 key areas. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this in an operational summary.
17.16 The growth of the Russian economy may be lower than expected due to a reduction in exports of oil and petroleum products amid attacks on port infrastructure and oil refineries. This is stated in analytical materials of the Center for Macroeconomic Analysis and Short-Term Forecasting, which is close to the Kremlin, reports TMT.
Analysts predict a decline in oil exports and a gradual reduction in production in the coming years. The baseline scenario also takes into account the risks of further damage to infrastructure and sanctions pressure.
According to the Central Statistical Office of the Russian Federation, due to the reduction in the export capabilities of the Russian economy, the GDP growth forecast for 2026 has been reduced to 0.5-0.7% instead of the previous 0.9-1.3%. For 2027, expectations have also been revised downwards.
16.47 Ukraine will start army reform in June, and the first results are expected in the same month. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced this on Telegram.
The Head of State instructed to ensure the implementation of contracts for infantrymen with payments within the range of 250-400 thousand hryvnias and to begin demobilization this year.
16.34 Russian invaders launched hundreds more drones of various types over Ukraine in the morning and afternoon. Most of the enemy targets were destroyed, the Ukrainian Air Force reported.
16.18 Since the beginning of 2026, Russia's losses from Ukrainian long-range sanctions against the oil industry and refining have amounted to at least $7 billion. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported this on Telegram.
16.04 More than 50 "shaheeds" were recorded in the sky over Ternopil, more than 20 explosions thundered. Hits were recorded on industrial and infrastructure facilities of the city. Ternopil Mayor Serhiy Nadal reported this on his Telegram channel.
15.59 Ukrainian military again struck the Tuapse oil refinery on Friday night, and the day before - the Perm refinery in Russia, as well as other important targets. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this.
15.58 As of April, 24 companies from different regions have joined the private air defense project. The project is being implemented under the coordination of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to protect enterprises from air attacks. This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Defense.
These are enterprises of various forms of ownership from different regions, including Kharkiv, Odessa, Kyiv, Poltava, Transcarpathia, etc.
"Private air defense is not an independent uncontrolled unit. It is one of the components of the country's multi-level air defense system under the control of the Air Command of the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the message explained.
15.38 The Odessa Regional CCC and Joint Venture is checking information about alleged illegal actions against former prisoner of war Dmytro Kashchuk. This is stated on the regional CCC's Facebook page.
15.21 Ukrainian military hit Russian Su-57 and Su-34 fighter jets on Russian territory. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this. The important targets were located at the Shagol airfield in the Chelyabinsk region of the Russian Federation, about 1,700 km from the state border of Ukraine.
15.03 Russian invaders attacked the city of Bogodukhov with Molniya drones. Four civilians were injured, the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office reported.
14.50 Russian Perm, which was hit by drone strikes, where a Transneft oil refinery and station were attacked, risks facing the same environmental consequences as Tuapse, where "oil rain" occurred and concentrations of carcinogens in the air jumped. Environmentalists warn about this, Russian media report.
Perm, one of the top 5 largest cities in the Urals with a population of about 1 million people, was attacked on April 29 and 30. As a result, the Permnaftoorgsintez refinery, the 7th largest in the country, caught fire, as well as an oil pumping station with a fleet of oil tanks with a total capacity of 380 thousand cubic meters. As early as Wednesday, residents of the city complained about black precipitation, the smell of burning rubber and chemicals in the air. By Friday, smoke from the fires in Perm stretched for 120 km, according to satellite images
14.47 Russian troops attacked Ternopil with drones. Explosions were heard in the city, public transport was stopped, and some areas were left without electricity. This was reported by the deputy head of the OVA Taras Pastukh and the city mayor Serhiy Nadal.
The Air Force reported the movement of UAVs from the Khmelnytskyi region towards the Ternopil region, in particular, towards Ternopil. The air alert was declared at 12:48.
"The Ternopil region, in particular the city of Ternopil, is in a zone of increased danger," Pastukh warned.
Meanwhile, the mayor urged people not to stand near windows, not to publish photos and videos until the alert is over, and to stay in shelters.
In addition, he added that part of Ternopil was left without electricity.
14.28 The Ukrainian Defense Forces carried out a precise air strike on a concentration of Russian invaders in the central part of Hryshyne. This was reported by the 7th Rapid Reaction Corps of the Airborne Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, releasing a video showing the hit on a building where the enemy was located.
According to preliminary data, at least 15 servicemen of the 76th Airborne Assault Division of the Russian Federation - the so-called "Pskov paratroopers" - were killed in the airstrike.
14.26 Law enforcement officers blocked eight new schemes for evading mobilization and detained the organizers of the transactions in various regions of Ukraine. The SBU press service reported this.
For amounts up to $25,000, the dealers offered conscripts the opportunity to avoid conscription through forged documents or helped them escape abroad beyond checkpoints.
14.15 The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported on the results of a two-month special operation to neutralize the mercenaries of the Russian Guard unit "Akhmat", which operated against Ukraine in the Sumy direction. It is noted that during February-April 2026, the special unit of the GUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine "Shamanbat", which includes soldiers of free Ichkeria, together with the 104th brigade of the Horyn Regional Directorate in cooperation with the intelligence operations unit of the GUR implemented a complex operation to destroy the mercenaries of the Russian Guard unit "Akhmat". The commander of the Ichkerian volunteers of the GUR special unit "Shamanbat" Abdul Hakim called on the Chechens not to sign a contract and avoid mobilization into the Russian army. If it was not possible to avoid getting into its ranks, to immediately contact Ukrainian intelligence and surrender in order to save their lives.
| Oh goody — Chechens causing trouble. |
In the winter, Russia attempted to destroy these substations, which threatened the stable operation of the nuclear power plant and the nuclear safety of Europe.
13.31 Suspicion has been raised against two Russian servicemen involved in the murder of a 69-year-old resident of the city of Bucha. The National Police reported this on May 1. According to the investigation, on March 25, 2022, armed occupiers were patrolling one of the streets of the city. At that time, they noticed a civilian woman who, having collected water, was returning home, but she did not pose any threat to them. The servicemen unreasonably opened aimed fire on her from automatic weapons. The victim tried to hide in the extension of her apartment, but a bullet that pierced the front door hit her. As a result of a blind gunshot wound to the abdomen with damage to internal organs, the woman died on the spot.
13.29 The Ministry of Defense acknowledged cases of illegal methods used during the work of alert groups, including road closures and forcible detentions of citizens. Deputy Defense Minister Ivan Havrylyuk stated this during the government's question hour.
Havrylyuk confirmed the existence of problems and stated that work on resolving them is ongoing.
13.01 Six Russian servicemen tried to pass through a gas pipe in Sumy region to the positions of the 71st Airmobile Brigade. However, as they approached, they were detected and destroyed in the field by FPV drones. The video was published on the brigade's Facebook page. It is noted that then a group of attack aircraft was covered by artillery in an open area when they tried to disperse. The rest were neutralized by discharges from a Vampire drone. In addition, the Kursk group of troops reported that the village of Korchakivka in Sumy region is under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and information about its alleged capture by the Russians is not true.
11.42 Law enforcement officers detained a Russian informant in Mykolaiv who was helping the enemy launch missile and drone attacks on the Defense Forces. The SBU reported this.
It is indicated that this is a local repeat offender. He previously served a sentence for robbery and car theft. The Russians recruited the man after his release, when he began looking for "quick money" on thematic TG channels.
11.12 Russia does not want to move to diplomacy voluntarily, so it must be forced to do so with long-range sanctions. President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote this on Telegram, reacting to the Russian drone attack on Friday night.
10.39 A fatal road accident occurred in Cherkasy region, killing two servicemen of the CCC and a civilian. This was reported by the Cherkasy regional CCC. Another serviceman and a civilian were taken to a medical facility with varying degrees of injuries.
10.24 On Friday morning, four frontline regions of Ukraine experienced power outages due to drone strikes and shelling by Russian invaders. Ukrenergo reported this. Emergency restoration work is already underway wherever security conditions currently allow.
9.54 On the front of the past day, 138 combat clashes between the Defense Forces of Ukraine and the Russian invaders were recorded. The Russian Federation is attacking most of all in the Pokrovsky and Hulyay-Pyl directions. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on May 1. Aviation, missile troops and artillery of the Defense Forces hit three control points of unmanned aerial vehicles, one artillery system at a firing position, 11 areas of concentration of personnel and one other important object of the Russians.
8.58 On the morning of May 1, Russian drones attacked gas stations in the Kyiv and Slobodsky districts of Kharkiv, and in Chuguiv, Kharkiv region. This was reported by the mayor of Kharkiv, Igor Terekhov, and the mayor of Chuguiv, Galina Minaeva. Before that, he informed that there were casualties as a result of the massive attack by Russian UAVs in Kharkiv. Their number and condition are being clarified. According to Minaeva, Russian UAVs hit a gas station in Chuguiv. A fire broke out at the site of the impact.
8.42 The Air Defense Forces neutralized 190 drones, with which the Russian army attacked Ukraine since last evening. Enemy targets were hit at 14 locations. The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this on May 1. 20 enemy strike drones were hit at 14 locations, and downed targets (fragments) fell at another ten.
8.19 On the night of May 1, Russian troops attacked Sumy with drones, damaging an administrative building and a shopping center. This was reported by Igor Kalchenko, head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration. According to him, windows were broken in the buildings. Previously, there were no casualties. The consequences are being established. It is noted that a fire broke out in the Shevchenkov Stetskiy district as a result of a drone hitting the roof of a private house. The fire was extinguished.
7.50 The Ukrainian Defense Forces killed and wounded 1,420 Russian occupiers over the past 24 hours, with the enemy's total losses in the war amounting to 1,331,710 people. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
06.02 Russians attacked the port infrastructure of the Izmail district of the Odessa region. The State Emergency Service quickly extinguished the fires.
04.50 Ukrainian strikes have brought down Russian oil refining to multi-year lows. According to Bloomberg, there were at least nine strikes on Russian oil refining in April - the highest monthly level since the beginning of the year. This reduced the average volume of oil refining in Russia to 4.69 million barrels per day - the lowest figure since December 2009.
02.55 Russian troops launched a massive attack by Shahed on Odessa, a 16-story building is on fire. In another building, a fire broke out on the 11th and 12th floors.
01.24 The Tuapse oil refinery in the Krasnodar Territory of the Russian Federation has been attacked by drones for the fourth time in the past two weeks. Social media is reporting a hit.