Yevgeny Prigozhin denies report of treason

Day 445 since the beginning of the war: The Russian-controlled city of Donetsk has come under fire. Ukraine receives further military aid. All information in the news blog.

12:26 p.m.: The Kremlin has sharply criticized further British military aid for Ukraine, but remains confident of victory in the war of aggression against the country and describes the planned arms delivery as irrelevant for the outcome of the war. Britain’s decision to deliver long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles and other military equipment to Ukraine is “extremely negative,” the President’s Office in Moscow said. However, the deliveries would not change the outcome of the conflict.

12:24 p.m.: Four people were killed in an attack on the eastern Ukrainian city of Avdiivka, according to Ukrainian sources. “The Russians attacked the city with rockets this morning, they hit a hospital,” writes Donetsk Region Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko on Telegram. The small town Avdiivka is located in Donetsk.

12:12 p.m.: The head of the Wagner mercenary unit, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has dismissed a media report about a possible betrayal of Russian positions in Ukraine. That’s “nonsense,” he explains in an audio message on Telegram. Nor did he meet Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s military intelligence service, in an African country. He hasn’t been to Africa since the beginning of the war, says Prigozhin, calling the idea of ​​a telephone conversation with Budanov ridiculous.

The Washington Post, citing U.S. intelligence documents, reported that Prigozhin offered the Ukrainian intelligence agency the betrayal of Russian positions in exchange for Ukrainian forces withdrawing from Bakhmut. Ukraine rejected the offer. Here you can read more about it.

The Wagner mercenaries are significantly involved in the costly battle for Bachmut, which has been going on for months. Prigozhin has repeatedly accused the Russian Defense Ministry and military leaders of not providing enough arms and ammunition to his troops. He has also threatened to withdraw his mercenaries.

8.43 a.m.: Britain will deliver hundreds of new long-range combat drones to Ukraine with a range of more than 200 kilometers. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will announce this when he meets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the British government said.

“Today the Prime Minister will confirm the UK’s continued deployment of hundreds of anti-aircraft missiles and unmanned aerial systems, including hundreds of new long-range attack drones with a range of over 200km.” The weapons would be delivered in the coming months.

Zelenskyi arrived in Great Britain in the morning and will be conferring with Sunak at the Prime Minister’s country residence in Checkers. Last week Britain became the first country to begin equipping Ukraine with long-range cruise missiles.

8.40 a.m.: According to British intelligence services, a drone attack on a strategically important military airfield in western Russia has again revealed weaknesses in the Russian air defense system. On May 3, several drones attacked the Seshcha airfield in the Bryansk region, presumably damaging an Antonov An-124 transport aircraft, the Ministry of Defense in London said on Monday. The Russian leadership is likely concerned that anti-aircraft defenses remain vulnerable and key strategic assets such as air bases are at risk.