Ukraine War: Russia activates air defence techniques in Belgorod

The Russian and Ukraine war has entered the 64th days. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres is in Kyiv after his visit to Moscow where he met the Russian president Vladimir Putin. “I have arrived in Ukraine after visiting Moscow. We will continue our work to expand humanitarian support and secure the evacuation of civilians from conflict zones. The sooner this war ends, the better — for the sake of Ukraine, Russia, and the world,” Guterres wrote on his official Twitter account. Meanwhile, Russia will hold an informal UN Security Council meeting on May 6 to present first-hand information about the situation on the ground in Ukraine, a Russian official told Reuters.

Britain says Russia’s Black Sea fleet retains ability to strike Ukraine

Russia’s Black Sea fleet retains the ability to strike Ukrainian and coastal targets, despite its losses of the landing ship Saratov and the cruiser Moskva, Britain’s defence ministry said on Thursday, Reuters reported.

Russia activates air defence systems in Belgorod

Air defence systems were active in the Russian city of Belgorod in the early hours of Thursday, Reuters quoted the TASS news agency. The Belgorod province borders Ukraine’s Luhansk, Sumy and Kharkiv regions, all of which have seen heavy fighting since Russia invaded Ukraine two months ago. Russia has accused Ukraine of carrying out strikes on targets in the region.

EU panel proposes suspending import duties on all Ukrainian goods for a year

The European Commission proposed suspending import duties for a year on all Ukrainian goods and to exempt its steel exports from anti-dumping and safeguard measures, Reuters reported.

Stop sending arms to Ukraine, Putin warns West again

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned of lightning-fast retaliation if countries interfere in Ukraine as European leaders accused Russia of “blackmail” over its cuts to gas supplies, Reuters reported. Russia has told the United States to stop sending arms to Ukraine, saying large Western deliveries of weapons were inflaming the conflict.