Photo : EVAN VUCCI/ASSOCIATED PRESS
War in Ukraine: Day 72
By Padmashree Anandhan, Rishma Banerjee, and Emmanuel Royan
War on the ground:
Zelenskyy’s address
On 06 May, president Zelenskyy in a video conference addressed the UK based think tank Chatham House on challenges posed by Russia in the region. He accused Russia’s armed force of extreme brutality and contempt for international conventions and human rights. He also claimed Russia of nuclear blackmail through their propaganda media by using graphic descriptions of how the attack would play out. He further stated that Russia is deliberately disrupting world food markets by seizing several Ukrainian shipping ports for export.
On the same day, president Zelenskyy addressed the people and the parliament of Iceland. Even though Iceland and Ukraine are located on opposite ends of Europe, with very different weather and economic conditions, he emphasized that both countries appreciate liberty. He also claimed that over 500,000 Ukrainians have been illegally deported to remote regions of Russia.
Also on 06 May, president Zelenskyy awarded various titles to the military and members of the families of fallen defenders on the occasion of Ukraine’s Infantry Day. Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine General Valerii Zaluzhny was titled the first Knight of the Cross of Military Merit for successfully organizing the defence of the state from the start of Russia's armed aggression and personally leading the heroic resistance of his forces to the invasion.
Lieutenant General Yevhen Moysiuk, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Colonel Oleksandr Okhrimenko, Deputy Commander of the mechanized battalion of the 72 separate mechanized brigades, Captain Vladyslav Kaliyevsky, combat medic of the 72nd separate mechanized brigade, Sergeant Dariya Mazurenko also received the same award. The Golden Star Order was awarded to six heroes and the family of a soldier posthumously,
Zelenskyy stated that these individuals' heroism, wisdom, and military success to resist the Russian invasion will give all our citizens a special hope for triumph.
Mariupol
On 06 May, Ukrainian officials accused Russia of breaking a truce meant to evacuate dozens of civilians trapped in the bunkers of Azovstal steelworks by firing at a car. President Zelenskyy stated if Russia kills civilians or injured soldiers who could otherwise be released, Ukraine would no longer hold peace talks with Moscow. Ukraine’s deputy prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk, reported that 50 civilians including children were evacuated from the Azovstal steel plant to a camp in the Russian-occupied town of Bezimenne. Russian news agency TASS said a third bus was on the way to the camp.
Kyiv
On 06 May, the deputy infrastructure minister Mustafa Nayyem stated Ukraine expects to increase export capacity by 50 per cent in the months ahead by developing facilities along its western border, however, it will still be below pre-war levels. The country was forced to trade through minor Danube river ports and railway terminals along its western border, after the Russian Invasion. He mentioned that in April, 3.5 million tonnes of goods were moved through the western borders by rail alone, and national railway operators are building border terminals for general and liquid goods, as well as reloading from broad to narrow gauge and vice versa.
On the same day, president Zelenskyy met with the foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to stress the significance of increasing sanctions on Russia. He further expressed gratitude to the Baltic states for their strong support and advocacy in the EU and worldwide.
Letter to Doctors Without Borders
On 05 May, the deputy prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk appealed to Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) to assist in the evacuation of soldiers trapped in the Azovstal steelworks. The letter of appeal stated she had asked the organization to "Assess their physical and mental condition, collect evidence of the conditions they are in, and provide medical assistance to Ukrainians whose human rights have been violated by the Russian Federation."
The Moscow View:
Claims by Russia
Russian aggression in Ukraine
Russia’s defence ministry reported that they have destroyed two ammunition depots, one in Kramatorsk, to the east of Ukraine, and the other one in Popasna. They allegedly also managed to take 31 areas where Ukraine’s troops had been deployed. Russian missiles. Moreover, they mentioned that their air defences have shot down two of Ukraine’s warplanes, a Su-25, and a MiG-29, in the eastern Luhansk region.
Russia’s foreign ministry
Russia’s foreign ministry recently said that they have summoned Deborah Bronnert, Britain's ambassador to Russia, as a sign of protest against the new sanctions that the UK plans to impose on Russian media organizations and individuals. The ministry also said that they will continue to react "harshly and decisively" to all future sanctions by the UK.
Russia’s views on Mariupol
On 06 May, RIA reported that two buses, one carrying 12 people and the other carrying 13 civilians had left the Azovstal complex and brought to Bezinenne, a town under Russia’s control. On the other hand, Russia’s deputy U.N. ambassador, Dmitry Polyanskiy alleged that a report by Reuters on 01 May had censored parts where one evacuee from Mariupol say how Ukraine’s forces had kept them in the steelworks against their will. He alleged that Natalia Usmanova’s account of her experience had been misreported, but the Reuters spokesperson said that the organization stood by the reporting and was looking into verifying the claims.
Impending Victory Day celebrations
Russia is readying itself for the upcoming celebration on 09 May, which they celebrate as the Victory Day. Russia's President Vladimir Putin is all set to send a warning to the West when he leads the celebrations on Monday, commemorating the 77th Victory Day. The Red Square will see a parade of troops, tanks, rockets, and ICBMs which will follow a speech by the president. Speculations have been growing if Russia is planning any power move regarding their invasion of Ukraine, for that day, but so far no such inclination has been observed.
Peskov’s announcements
On 06 May, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the allegation that Russia is stealing food grains from Ukraine is likely to be false. A UN food agency has alleged that Russia has been moving trucks of grains out of the occupied regions in Ukraine.
Peskov also gave an update with regards to the Victory Day celebrations in Ukraine. In a press briefing, he said that a parade will be taken out in Mariupol to commemorate the day when in 1945 Russia has celebrated victory against the Nazi forces.
Peskov also referred to Poland and their call to the EU to strengthen the sanctions in the face of this Russian aggression. He said that this narrative that is developing in Warsaw could be a potential “source of threat.”
Moscow issues warrant on dissenting journalist
On 06 May, a Moscow court ordered the arrest of the prominent Russian journalist Alexander Nevzorov, for spreading fake news about the war in Ukraine. He has alleged that Russia’s military had shelled a maternity facility in Mariupol. Nevzorov has 1.8 million subscribers on his YouTube channel and has written a letter to Russia’s spokesperson to close the case, and has called this investigation ridiculous. According to the court, he will face two months of detainment for two months, if he returns to the country. Nevzorov’s wife has informed via Instagram that they are currently in Israel, even though they do not have any plans to shift permanently.
The West View:
Responses from the US and Europe
The US
On 06 May, US president Joe Biden announced the next round of security aid to Ukraine which will include “artillery munitions, radars and other equipment.” Previously Congress had declared USD 13.6 billion as military, humanitarian and economic aid. Post the announcement, he also remarked that the government had exhausted its funding to large extent for Ukraine. He said: “Congress should quickly provide the requested funding to strengthen Ukraine on the battlefield and at the negotiating table.”
On 06 May, as per the reports from unnamed US media, US intelligence had provided information on the location of the Moskva to Ukraine which helped it to launch missiles. Till now the Pentagon has not responded, but US spokesperson, John Kirby rejected such a report. Another spokesperson said: “We do provide a range of intelligence to help the Ukrainians understand the threat posed by Russian ships in the Black Sea and to help them prepare to defend against potential sea-based assaults.”
Germany
Germany’s tank and artillery maker, Rheinmetall has predicted its sale to grow double or triple-fold as many countries are at the peak of increasing their defence. According to Rheinmetall, it expects orders close to EUR 31 billion by 2023 which was only EUR 4.68 billion as of 2021.
The manufacturing sector of Germany has been reported to have declined due to the effect of the Ukraine war and the lockdown in China. Since Europe’s manufacturing and Germany’s supply chain are interlinked. With lockdown imposed in China has affected Germany’s exports of cars and auto machinery. Till now the production per cent has fallen by 3.9 per cent compared to March 2022, which is seen as the largest decline since April 2020 pandemic.
Hungary
On 06 May, Hungary’s prime minister Viktor Orban expressed his disagreement with the oil embargo imposed by the EU on Russia. He remarked that the move would trigger problems for Hungary which is equivalent to launching a nuclear bomb into Hungary’s economy. Although the European Commission has provided an additional year for Hungary and Slovakia to stop the oil and gas imports from Russia, Orban has asked for an extension of time and transition of EU money. For the oil embargo to be passed, it requires the consent of 27 member states of the EU. With Hungary opposing the embargo, it is likely for the deal being disapproved.
The global fallouts:
International implications of the Ukraine war
Inflation
The fear of market instability, volatility, and rising inflation have pushed investors to switch to commodity Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). Since 2022, commodities, gold and other metals have performed well in the stock exchange with a 57.5 per cent inflow. The rate marks the highest in 40 years. Out of all, SPDR Gold Shares ETF (GLD) is reported to be the highest inflow with USD 7.4 billion. As per the CFRA returns reports, ETFs ranked second, followed by agriculture and industrial metals.
On 06 May, SAP SE, CEO reported that the war in Ukraine along with the pandemic has challenged the forecast of the financial companies. Which has led to relying on Artificial intelligence for forecasts. According to the CEO, “This predictive analytics model has proven to be quite accurate and is giving us pretty good visibility.” The technology is not high-end yet to predict the invasion of Russia or pandemic, but it helps in assessing the impact of such event on companies within a 24 – 48 hours period.
The UN
On 06 May, the UNSC released a statement for the first calling for a peace process in Ukraine. It expressed its “strong support” for the efforts taken by the UN chief, António Guterres. It asked for the UN chief to find a solution to the Ukraine conflict. In response, Guterres appreciated the statement of the UNSC and welcomed its support to save lives in the war and its initiative to find a way for peace. He said: “Today, for the first time, the Security Council spoke with one voice for peace in Ukraine.”
The UN reported that it was involved in evacuating people from the Azovstal steel plant, where close to 500 civilians were recused in the last two UN operations. It estimates that many hundreds of people have been stuck in the steel plant.
References
“Ukraine is defending itself against the onslaught of tyranny, and this struggle for freedom is comprehensible in every corner of the globe - address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy,” President of Ukraine, 06 May 2022
“President presented awards to the military and members of the families of fallen defenders, who were awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine, as well as the first Knights of the Cross of Military Merit,” President of Ukraine, 06 May 2022
Pavel Polityuk, “Evacuations restart in Mariupol as Biden announces more arms for Ukraine,” 06 May 2022
“Mariupol authorities say Russia violates ceasefire during evacuation operation,” Reuters, 06 May 2022
“Ukraine hopes to boost export capacity by 50% in coming months,” Reuters, 06 May 2022
“Ukraine asks medical charity MSF to help evacuate Azovstal fighters,” Reuters, 06 May 2022
“Ukraine announces new prisoner exchange with Russia,”Reuters, 06 May 2022
“Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Baltic foreign ministers discussed support for Ukraine during the Russian aggression,” President of Ukraine, 06 May 2022
“Russia says it destroyed large ammunition depot in east Ukraine,” Reuters, 06 May 2022
“Russia says allegation it is stealing grain from Ukraine likely 'fake',” Reuters, 06 May 2022
“Kremlin says time for celebrating Victory Day in Mariupol will come,” Reuters, 06 May 2022
“Kremlin says Poland might be a source of threat,” Reuters, 06 May 2022
“Russia says its missiles hit 31 areas where Ukrainian forces were deployed,” Reuters, 06 May 2022
“Putin to send 'doomsday' warning to West at Russia's WW2 victory parade,”Reuters, 06 May 2022
Jenny Hill, “Victory Day parade: Moscow readies itself and turns up rhetoric,” BBC Live, 06 May 2022
“Russian envoy says Reuters 'censored' Mariupol evacuee's comments,” Reuters, 06 May 2022
“Second bus with 13 civilians leaves besieged Azovstal plant in Mariupol - RIA,” Reuters, 06 May 2022
“Russian court orders arrest in absentia of top journalist over 'fakes',” Reuters, 06 May 2022
“Russian foreign ministry summons UK ambassador over media sanctions,” 06 May 2022
“Moskva sinking: US gave intelligence that helped Ukraine sink Russian cruiser – reports,” BBC, 06 May 2022
Cristina Roca, “German Weapons Maker Sees Jump in Orders,” WSJ, 06 May 2022
Lori Ioannou, “Rising Inflation and War in Ukraine Push Investors Into Commodity ETFs,” WSJ, 06 May 2022
Nina Trentmann, “Ukraine War, Inflation and Covid-19 Keep CFOs on Their Toes Over Forecasts,” WSJ, 06 May 2022
Laurence Norman, “Oil Embargo on Russia Would Hit Hungarian Economy Like a Nuclear Bomb, Orban Says,” WSJ, 06 May 2022
Tom Fairless, “German Production Flags, Hit by Ukraine War and China Lockdowns,” WSJ, 06 May 2022
James Marson and Georgi Kantchev, “More Civilians Are Evacuated From Mariupol Complex,” WSJ, 06 May 2022
William Mauldin, “U.N. Security Council Offers First United Message on Ukraine,” WSJ, 06 May 2022
Catherine Lucey, “Biden Announces More Military Aid to Ukraine,” WSJ, 06 May 2022
IN BRIEF
By Sai Pranav
AUSTRALIA
Facebook was accused of blocking the Australian emergency services page during the crisis
On 06 May, Facebook was accused of intentionally blocking Australian emergency services pages and causing distress to its citizens during the time of the fire and pandemic. The move is seen as a retaliation against the Australian government for passing a law that forced social media networks to pay for news organisations for the content they post on their platform. Facebook acknowledged it as an honest mistake to block other pages. It wanted to block only news outlets in Australia. But a former employee supported by the Whistleblower Aid charity handed documents to the authorities in the US and Australia stating that Facebook had deliberately blocked these pages to gain leverage over the Australian government. This was first published in The Wall Street Journal which shows that the tech giant had built a crude algorithm that identified any page that shared 60 per cent news content as a news provider. Facebook till now has denied such claims. (“Facebook accused of deliberately disrupting Australia emergency services,” BBC News, 06 May 2022)
ESTONIA
Three new countries join NATO CCDCOE for their cyber defence
On 06 May, Canada, South Korea and Luxembourg joined the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Center of Excellence. This organisation's main goal is to safeguard its members as well as NATO nations from cyber security threats and support them with their expertise in digital defence. To mark the occasion of the three countries joining NATO CCDCOE, a ceremonial flag hosting took place at its headquarters in Tallinn, in which representatives from the three nations as well as Estonian officials also attended. They focus on training, exercises, applied research, analysis, information sharing, etc. in the field of cyber security and defence. All three countries are pleased to strengthen their cooperation in the cyber sector and raise awareness about it. The organisation also combats any cyber threats and tries to prevent them. It gives a 360-degree look at the cyber defence and shares its expertise with its member nations. (“3 countries join NATO CCDCOE,” The Baltic Times, 06 May 2022)
NORTHERN IRELAND
Republican party Sinn Féin set to win most seats for the first time
On 07 May, the resumption of counting of votes in Northern Ireland's assembly election shows that the republican party Sinn Féin is set to win the most seats for the first time. A unionist party had been the largest in the government since the formation of Northern Ireland in 1921. This election was said to be making history as Northern Ireland wants to join with the Republic of Ireland leaving the UK if the majority of its people voted for it. The parties in Northern Ireland are competing for the seat of the first minister. With Sinn Féin at the lead with 29 per cent, Democratic Union Part follows it with 21.3 per cent, its vote falling by 6.7 per cent from 2017. The Alliance Party is third with 13.5 per cent. The result of this election will have a significant impact on the future of the Northern Ireland protocol. (Colm Kelpie, “NI election results 2022: Sinn Féin set to win most seats in historic poll,” BBC News, 07 May 2022)
THE US
Gucci to accept cryptocurrencies in American stores soon
On 06 May, Gucci stores will soon begin to accept cryptocurrency as a mode of payment in America. The Italian luxury brand joins an increasing number of companies that have started to accept cryptocurrency. Cryptos like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and even meme cryptocurrencies such as Shiba Inu and Dogecoin are taken as payment by the firm. QR codes will be sent through the mail to those choosing to pay through virtual currencies. Countries like El Salvador and the Central African Republic allow consumers to use cryptocurrencies alongside the US dollar. Even companies like tech giant Microsoft, the US telecoms firm AT&T and cafe chain Starbuck have begun accepting the virtual form of currencies. (“Gucci stores to accept cryptocurrencies in US,” BBC News, 06 May 2022)