Germany is sending more tanks to Ukraine. The first royal to visit the country since the start of the war. More information in the news blog.
The most important things at a glance
First royal since the beginning of the war: Duchess Sophie visits Ukraine
2.40 a.m.: For the first time since the start of the war, a member of the British royal family has visited Ukraine. Duchess Sophie – the sister-in-law of King Charles III. – traveled to Ukraine at the request of the British Foreign Office, Buckingham Palace announced on Monday evening. The visit was intended to express solidarity with the women, men and children affected by the war.
Sophie (59) is married to Charles’ younger brother Prince Edward (60). She has been campaigning against sexual violence for a long time. In Ukraine, she met President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena Zelenska and brought a message from King Charles, the palace said. According to the British news agency PA, Sophie also remembered the victims of the Butscha massacre.
Ukraine has been defending itself against a war of aggression by Russia for more than two years. Ukrainian First Lady Zelenska attended Charles’ coronation in Great Britain last year. In February she was received by his wife, Queen Camilla, in London. Charles himself did not attend public appointments for a long time because of his cancer.
A few weeks ago, Sophie called for sexual violence to be punished as a means of war. Survivors in Ukraine and around the world have spoken courageously about their experiences, she said at the time in a video address for a conference in Ukraine, according to the palace. One should not turn away from the horrors of this crime. It must not become an accepted part of a conflict, she warned.
Germany gives Ukraine ten Marder infantry fighting vehicles
9:38 p.m.: Germany has delivered another ten Marder armored personnel carriers and other means of defense to Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia. The federal government says a second Skynex anti-aircraft system is also part of the package, as are almost 30,000 rounds of ammunition for the Gepard anti-aircraft tank and ammunition for the Iris-T system. The third Patriot anti-aircraft system, promised in mid-April, was not on the updated list of German military aid. Russia has recently increased its air strikes with rockets, cruise missiles, drones and glide bombs.
7,500 155 mm caliber artillery shells, ammunition for the Leopard 2 main battle tank and 3,000 anti-tank hand weapons were also delivered. The Ukrainian army’s engineer and transport capabilities were strengthened with another Biber bridge-laying tank, an engineer tank, nine mine clearing plows and nine M1070 Oshkosh heavy-duty semi-trailers.
North Korean missile hits Ukraine
8:26 p.m.: The debris from a missile that hit Kharkiv, Ukraine, on January 2nd came from a North Korean Hwasong-11, according to a UN report. This represents a violation of the sanctions against North Korea, according to the 32-page letter, which was seen by the Reuters news agency. According to Ukrainian data, the ballistic missile was fired from Russian territory, according to the April 25 report to the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee. There is no statement from Russia or North Korea. Both countries have denied allegations of arms deliveries.
Dead and injured after Russian air strikes
7:57 p.m.: At least two people have been killed in Russian missile attacks in the southern Ukrainian port city of Odessa. At least 17 other people were injured, the region’s governor, Oleh Kiper, said on Telegram. Several residential buildings and civil infrastructure were damaged.
According to authorities, the eastern Ukrainian metropolis of Kharkiv, just over 30 kilometers from the Russian border, had previously been attacked with glide bombs. Two civilians were injured. A multi-story residential building was damaged.
Xi travels to France – Macron announces Ukraine talks
5:26 p.m.: Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to make a state visit to France on May 6th and 7th at the start of a trip to Europe. French President Emmanuel Macron wants to receive him at the Elysée Palace in Paris, but also wants to visit the Pyrenees with him, the Elysée said. The content is primarily about the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East.
