TASS news agency on May 5 quoted the commander of the Russian Defense Management Center Mikhail Mizintsev as saying that the Ukrainian forces had sent D-30 howitzers and multiple rocket launchers to cement and coal plants near the site. densely populated areas in the Kharkiv province of eastern Ukraine.

Mr. Mizintsev said that factories have many specialized tanks for toxic liquids, and if the tanks are destroyed, the chemicals will contaminate the area, air and water sources, leading to the risk of many people being poisoned. .

Mizintsev also said that Ukrainian forces were determined to provoke Russian forces to fire back in order to blame Russian troops for any possible civilian casualties. There has been no response from the Ukrainian side to Mizintsev’s warning.

Pro-Russian forces on an armored vehicle in the village of Bezimenne in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine AFP

“Fighting fighting” at the Azovstal factory

Reuters quoted a commander of Ukraine’s Azov battalion at the Azovstal steel plant in the city of Mariupol as saying bloody fighting was taking place inside the factory.

The leader of Ukraine’s ruling party in parliament, David Arakhamia, said on the evening of May 4 that Russian forces had entered the Azovstal factory and that Ukrainian authorities were still in contact with the forces entrenched inside.

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on the same day denied that Russian troops attacked Azovstal and emphasized that President Vladimir Putin previously ordered the attack on the factory to be canceled.

A US defense official believes that about 2,000 Russian troops are still fighting in Mariupol, according to CNN.

see more: Russia opens humanitarian corridor in Azovstal, Ukraine says fierce fighting is taking place

US intelligence helps Ukraine kill Russian general?

Newspaper The New York Times Citing a senior US official, the US provided intelligence to Ukraine to kill the Russian military general in Ukraine.

So far, Russia has hardly confirmed information about the general’s death in the Ukraine battle. On rare occasions, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in April that Russia had suffered “significant losses” since the launch of the operation. military in Ukraine.

The New York Times quoted Ukrainian officials as saying that up to 12 Russian generals were killed on the battlefield in Ukraine.

U.S. officials say they provided intelligence to assist Ukraine in targeting Russian commanders, but did not specify how many generals were killed from the information provided by Washington.

see more: New York Times: US intelligence helped Ukraine kill a Russian general

America continues to challenge Russia?

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said on Wednesday that in most air strikes against Ukraine, Russian forces are “trying to strike at what we assess as critical infrastructure targets.” including transport hubs. Mr. Kirby stressed that despite the Russian airstrikes, the US will still be able to provide military support to Ukraine, including weapons systems.

Mr. Kirby also confirmed that the US knew weapons and other materials were still being shipped to Ukraine because “we talk to the Ukrainian side every day”.

In addition, a US defense official said on May 4 that more than 90% of the total 90 grenades Washington pledged to provide Kyiv are actually in Ukraine’s hands, according to CNN. However, the official said the US did not track where all those grenades were after they were transferred to Ukraine.

see more: The US openly challenged the limits of President Putin?

G7 will impose more sanctions on Russia?

U.S. president Joe Biden said on May 4 that he would speak with leaders of the G7 this week about introducing more sanctions against Russia. According to Reuters, when asked by reporters about the US plan after the European Union (EU) proposed a new sanctions package targeting Russia, President Joe Biden said on May 4 that Washington was ready to introduce more sanctions.

“I’ll be talking to G7 members this week about what we’re going to do,” Biden added. The White House declined to say when Biden would discuss with other G7 leaders – including the UK, France, Germany, Japan, Canada and Italy.

see more: President Biden will discuss with G7 leaders to impose more sanctions on Russia

Finland accuses Russian plane of violating airspace

Finland’s Defense Ministry said a Russian military helicopter violated its airspace on May 4 as Finland and Sweden were considering the possibility of joining NATO.

AFP quoted the announcement of the Finnish Ministry of Defense as saying that a Russian military helicopter on May 4 violated the country’s airspace.

According to a spokesman for the Finnish Ministry of Defense, the Russian Mi-17 helicopter entered Finnish airspace about 4-5 km.

This is the second time a Russian plane has been accused of violating Finnish airspace this year. Previously, a civilian transport plane of the Russian military was said to have flown into Finnish airspace on April 8.

see more: Finland accuses Russian plane of violating its airspace

Russia conducts nuclear strike drills in Kaliningrad

The Russian military has begun a drill simulating a nuclear-armed missile strike in the Baltic region of Kaliningrad amid the escalation of hostilities in Ukraine and the intention of several Nordic countries to join NATO.

Russia’s Defense Ministry announced on May 4 that it had begun exercises in Kaliningrad, simulating the launch of an Iskander ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.

According to AFP, the Russian forces practiced simulated attacks on one and more targets such as missile launchers, airfields, critical infrastructure, weapons depots and enemy command posts.

see more: Russia conducts nuclear strike drills in Kaliningrad