War in Ukraine: three dead in Odessa, lack of ammunition, help from Poland and Lithuania… update on the situation

Le point sur la situation. MAXPPP – Nina Liashonok/Avalon

Tous les jours, Midi Libre fait le point sur la situation en Ukraine. Ce mercredi 1er mai 2024, découvrez les dernières actualités autour de ce conflit.

Trois morts dans une frappe russe à Odessa

Early on Wednesday, May 1, a Russian missile strike left at least three dead and three injured in Odessa, in southern Ukraine, the region's governor, Oleh Kiper, said on Telegram. A ballistic missile was used in the attack, he added, without providing further details. Ukrainian judicial authorities said residential buildings and civilian infrastructure were damaged by shelling overnight. The Ukrainian port had already been targeted on Monday by a Russian missile strike, which left five people dead and 32 injured.

"The headquarters of the operational command of the Southern grouping of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was struck by operational and tactical forces of the Russian Federation. aviation, missiles and artillery", the Russian Defense Ministry said, without further details.

The Ukrainian defenders of Chassiv Yar urgently request ammunition

The Ukrainian forces defending Chassiv Yar, a high-altitude town considered a strategic lock in eastern Ukraine, are impatiently awaiting the delivery of new munitions to the Russians. intensification of Russian assaults, both on the ground and in the air with drones. After seizing Avdiivka in February after long weeks of fighting, the Russian army is advancing towards the west and has reached the suburbs of Tchassiv Yar, the capture of which would allow it to settle on reliefs to attack neighboring localities and continue their advance.

Oleh Chyriaiev, commander of the 225th Ukrainian assault battalion engaged on the outskirts of the city, judged that supplies of artillery shells would help his unit hold its positions. "I hope we will receive artillery shells soon", he said, installed in his command post near Chassiv Yar. He recalls that munitions delivered by Ukraine's Western allies have made significant differences in the past on the battlefield. "I witnessed the events a year ago when Wagner was advancing", he said, referring to the powerful force Russian paramilitary now dismantled.

"We received cluster munitions which were a significant game-changer and we managed to successfully counterattack." The Ukrainian army has committed to using it only to defeat concentrations of enemy troops. "If we obtain long-range weapons, our leaders will cut Russian forces off from their logistical support and supply chains" , he says.

The Americans have discreetly delivered weapons of this type in recent weeks. Russia accused Ukraine on Tuesday of firing ATACMS to try to break through its anti-aircraft defenses in Crimea and claimed to have shot down six of these missiles. According to Oleh Chyriaiev, his unit is under almost permanent threat from Russian drones, capable of flying day and night due to thermal cameras allowing them to identify targets even in the dark.

Larger in number and better equipped with weapons until now, the Russian army has recently gained the upper hand in eastern Ukraine where Ukraine is concentrated ;rsquo;essential combat. Oleh Chyriaiev is, however, convinced that she will not be able to enter Chassiv Yar by May 9, the anniversary in Russia of the victory against Nazi Germany in 1945. Ukrainian officials fear However, the Russians are working to achieve such success for this symbolic date.

How Poland and Lithuania could help kyiv?

The lack of men on the front lines is felt by the Ukrainian army. kyiv then seeks to recover a number of mobilizeable men of fighting age. If more and more Ukrainian civilians are taking all risks to flee the country and escape mobilization, other Ukrainian nationals are already outside the country. rsquo;they are not all necessarily mobilizable, many of them could nevertheless fight, and this would represent additional soldiers on the front.

As reported by Eurostat relayed by Financial Times, 200 000 men are said to be in Poland. The Minister of National Defense of Poland indicated that Poland does not exclude the return of these Ukrainians to their country. "Everything is possible", he commented. As for Lithuania, it says it is ready to "coordinate with its Polish neighbor" but not& rsquo;will not resort to "deportation", underlines Géo relaying Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurynas Kasčiūnas.

Ukraine has also suspended the renewal of passports from abroad. Thus, Ukrainians must return to the country in order to redo the administrative procedures, and possibly be mobilized to fight Vladimir Putin's army.