Photo : BBC
Photo : BBC
By Padmashree Anandhan & Fleur Elizabeth Philip
WAR ON THE GROUND
On 05 May, the BBC reported on the Ukrainian forces attack on Kursk Oblast, which Russia earlier claimed to have captured completely. According to the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrsky, the military operation was a success and achieved most of its goals. As per the report, the drones were a new attempt by Ukraine to enter the Kursk and had landed near the Russian village of Tyotkino, in Glushkovsky District of Kursk Oblast. He further added that the operation was to prevent the offensive campaign by the Russians forces in the directions of Sumy and Kharkiv.
On 05 May, Reuters reported on Ukraine's drone attacks on Moscow. According to the Mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin, Russian air defences blocked at least 19 drones before they could reach the city. According to the report, drones were launched from various directions; however, no casualties were recorded except debris. Furthermore, the attacks on the city led to the shutdown of four major airports, which were reopened later.
On 05 May, Ukrainian forces reported that Russia launching a drone attack on Ukraine. According to Russia’s defence ministry, it had destroyed at least 26 drones launched by Ukraine on the same night. In response, Mayor of Kharkiv Ihor Terekhov said that Russia had countered with drone attacks targeting Kyiv.
THE MOSCOW VIEW
Claims by Russia
On 05 May, according to acting Governor Aleksandr Khinstein of Kursk, the Ukrainian drones resulted in the deaths of three people in Kursk. Two were reported dead, and another five were injured from the UAV landing on their vehicle.
On 05 May, RT released videos showing the active use of free-fall aerial bombs and fitted winged upgrade kits by Russian forces. These aircraft have deployed glide bombs to destroy the positions and military installations of the Ukrainian forces. As per the video, Russian forces have been using the FAB bombs along with the Universal Correction and Guidance Modules (UMPK) since 2023. The UMPK was initially used for smaller explosive bombs such as the FAB-250 and the FAB-500 and has now been upgraded to FAB-1500 and FAB-3000. The upgrade kits include the use of thermobaric ODAB-1500 and cluster RBK-500 bombs.
THE WEST VIEW
Responses from the US and Europe
On 05 May, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced the successful delivery of 500,000 artillery shells to Ukraine. This comes under the Czech-led effort to support Kyiv against its war with Russia. Furthermore, in a joint press conference with Zelenskyy, Fiala has vowed to train Ukrainian pilots to fly the Czech-built F-16 fighter jets and L-39 plane. Although there are no statements from the government regarding the transfer of its troops, like France and Germany.
On 05 May, according to Deutsche Welle, Russian journalist Ekaterina Barabash, who fled to France, was charged with a 10-year prison sentence for criticizing the Russian army and for their actions in the war against Ukraine. In response, Barabash said that she had no choice in the matter, as the concept of journalism does not exist in Russia. The report states that Barabash has safely reached Paris and is applying for political asylum. Ekatarina Barabash wrote for Russian news outlets until 2022, when she joined an independent media outlet, Republic. On 25 February, she was detained at the Moscow Airport and was charged with spreading false information regarding the Russian military in the war in Ukraine via social media. The Russian Ministry of Justice has labelled her as a “foreign agent.” The court granted authorities the ability to monitor, restrict, and discredit citizens and journalists who are supposedly influenced by foreign interests and be labelled as “foreign agents.”
References
“Ukraine drone attack shuts Moscow airports, says Russia,” BBC, 05 May 2025
“Ukraine attacks power station amid reports of Kyiv offensive in Russia's Kursk,” Reuters, 06 May 2025
“Syrsky: Kursk Operation Achieved Its Goals, Caught Russians Off Guard,” The Kyiv Post, 05 May 2025;
“Czechs Say Initiative Delivered 500,000 Artillery Shells To Ukraine This Year,” RFE/RL, 05 May 2025
Dmytro Hubenko, “Russian reporter facing jail says RSF smuggled her to France,” Deutsche Welle, 05 May 2025
“Russian glide bombs pound Kiev’s troops (VIDEOS),” RT, 05 May 2025;
“Ukrainian drones kill three civilians in Kursk Region – governor,” RT, 05 May 2025
“Ukraine exhibiting ‘classic terrorist behavior’ – Russian Foreign Ministry,” RT, 05 May 2025