Russia pummeled the vital port of Odesa, Ukrainian officials said on May 10, in an apparent effort to disrupt supply lines and Western weapons shipments critical to Kyiv’s defence.
The Italian Foreign Ministry says 63 Ukrainian orphans will be flown today from Krakow, Poland to Trapani, Sicily. The transport was organised by the Pope John XXIII Community, along with Italian diplomats in Ukraine and Poland. Some 37,000 minors, many accompanied by family members, have arrived in Italy since Russia launched its invasion.
The U.S. House emphatically approved a fresh $40 billion Ukraine aid package on Tuesday as lawmakers beefed up President Joe Biden’s initial request, signalling a magnified, bipartisan commitment to thwart Russian President Vladimir Putin’s bloody three-month-old invasion.
Read more news on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis here.
Here are the latest updates:
Ukraine
Ukrainians make gains in east, stop Russian gas at one hub
Ukraine’s natural gas pipeline operator said Wednesday it would stop Russian shipments through a key hub in the east of the country, while its president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said Kyiv’s military had made small gains, pushing Russian forces out of four villages near Kharkiv.
The pipeline operator said Russian shipments through its Novopskov hub, in an area controlled by Moscow-backed separatists, would be cut beginning Wednesday. It said the hub handles about a third of Russian gas passing through Ukraine to Western Europe. Russia’s state-owned natural gas giant Gazprom put the figure at about a quarter. – AP
Ukrainians make gains in east, stop Russian gas at one hub
Washington
House approves USD 40B in Ukraine aid, beefing up Biden request
The House emphatically approved a fresh USD 40 billion Ukraine aid package on Tuesday as lawmakers beefed up President Joe Biden’s initial request, signalling a magnified, bipartisan commitment to thwart Russian President Vladimir Putin’s bloody three-month-old invasion.
The measure sailed to passage by a lopsided 368-57 margin, providing USD 7 billion more than Biden’s request from April and dividing the increase evenly between defense and humanitarian programs.
The bill would give Ukraine military and economic assistance, help regional allies, replenish weapons the Pentagon has shipped overseas and provide USD 5 billion to address global food shortages caused by the war’s crippling of Ukraine’s normally robust production of many crops. – PTI
European Union
EU blames Russia for targeting of U.S. satellite operator Viasat at start of war
The European Union (EU) on May 10 accused the Russian authorities of carrying out a cyberattack against a satellite network an hour before the invasion of Ukraine to pave the way for its assault.
It marked the first time the EU has formally blamed the Russian authorities for carrying out a cyberattack, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.
Germany
Germany reopens embassy in Kyiv, supports war crimes probes
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Tuesday reopened her country’s embassy in Kyiv that was closed more than two months ago following the Russian invasion.
Baerbock, the first German Cabinet member to visit Ukraine since the start of the war, also pledged that Berlin would provide further support to Kyiv, including when it comes to investigating and prosecuting war crimes. – AP
U.N.
U.N. approves Czech Republic to replace Russia on rights body
The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on May 10 for the Czech Republic to replace Russia on the world organisation’s leading human rights body following its suspension over allegations of horrific rights violations by Russian soldiers in Ukraine.
The Czech Republic was the only candidate for the seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council. Seats on the Geneva-based council are divided among regional groups and a replacement for Russia had to come from an East European country. – AP
U.S.A.
U.S. House approves $40 billion in Ukraine aid, beefing up Biden request
The House emphatically approved a fresh $40 billion Ukraine aid package on May 10 as lawmakers beefed up President Joe Biden’s initial request, signalling a magnified, bipartisan commitment to thwart Russian President Vladimir Putin’s bloody three-month-old invasion.
The measure sailed to passage by a lopsided 368-57 margin, providing $7 billion more than Biden’s request from April and dividing the increase evenly between defence and humanitarian programmes. The bill would give Ukraine military and economic assistance, help regional allies, replenish weapons the Pentagon has shipped overseas and provide $5 billion to address global food shortages caused by the war’s crippling of Ukraine’s normally robust production of many crops.
Ukraine
Russia pummels vital port of Odesa, targeting supply lines
Russia pummeled the vital port of Odesa, Ukrainian officials said on May 10, in an apparent effort to disrupt supply lines and Western weapons shipments critical to Kyiv’s defence.
Ukraine’s ability to stymie a larger, better-armed Russian military has surprised many who had anticipated a much quicker end to the conflict. With the war now in its 11th week and Kyiv bogging down Russian forces and even staging a counteroffensive, Ukraine’s foreign minister appeared to suggest the country could expand its aims beyond merely pushing Russia back to areas it or its allies held on the day of the February 24 invasion. – AP
U.S.A.
U.S. intel questioned for misjudging Afghanistan, Ukraine
Top U.S. intelligence officials were questioned on May 10 about why they misjudged the durability of governments in both Afghanistan and Ukraine, and whether they need to reform how intelligence agencies assess a foreign military’s will to fight.
U.S. intelligence believed the U.S.-backed Kabul government would hold out for months against the Taliban and thought Russian forces would overrun Ukraine in a few weeks. Both assessments were wrong. The U.S. and Western allies are now rushing to aid Ukraine’s resistance against Russia in what has turned into a grinding, violent stalemate. – AP
