Russia-Ukraine updates: Russia ‘suffered 100,000 casualties’

The White House estimated that Russia’s military has suffered 100,000 casualties in the last five months in fighting against Ukraine in the Bakhmut region.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters the figure, based on US intelligence estimates, included more than 20,000 dead, half of them from the Wagner group. The Bakhmut offensive has stalled and failed, he said.

A drone was shot down in the west of Crimea, TASS news agency reported the Russian head of the republic, Sergey Aksyonov, as saying.

“A UAV was shot down by air defence forces in the west of Crimea. Our servicemen solve tasks clearly and effectively. I ask everyone to remain calm and trust only trusted sources of information,” he wrote.

The head of the Wagner Group appealed to Russia’s defence ministry to increase ammunition shipments to his troops fighting in Bakhmut.

In a video posted on his Telegram channel, Yevgeny Prigozhin said he needed at least 300 tonnes of artillery shells daily to try and take the city.

“Three hundred tonnes a day is 10 cargo containers – not a lot at all … But we are being given no more than a third of that,” Prigozhin said as he inspected boxes of rifles in a warehouse he said was in the town of Soledar, to the northeast of Bakhmut.

Prigozhin has previously accused the defence ministry of “betraying” his fighters by not providing sufficient ammunition.

Zelenskyy has spoken to his Canadian counterpart, Justin Trudeau, and discussed defence cooperation and increased sanctions.

On Twitter, the Ukrainian president said, “Noted the beginning of the Russian assets confiscation and called for increased sanctions pressure on Russia. Coordinated positions on the eve of the NATO summit and other international events.”

Had a phone call with 🇨🇦 PM @JustinTrudeau. Discussed the program of long-term defense cooperation. Noted the beginning of the Russian assets confiscation and called for increased sanctions pressure on Russia. Coordinated positions on the eve of the NATO summit and other…

— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 1, 2023

After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, much of the West responded by cutting oil and gas contracts to hinder Moscow’s ability to fund its war efforts.

Now, Europe is looking to renewable energy as a viable alternative to Russian oil, but it is costly.

Experts talk about moving towards green energy on Al Jazeera’s Inside Story.

According to the Ukrainian military, during the missile attack in the Dnipropetrovsk region overnight, 24 high-rise buildings were damaged.

In the Pavlograd district, 80 private residential buildings, nine schools and five shops were also affected.

On Telegram, the military said, “34 people, including five children were injured”.

While Ukraine continues to plan a counteroffensive to retake occupied territory that could take place in weeks, questions loom on Russia’s manpower.

Earlier in April, Russia announced it was planning to introduce digital military draft papers to make it harder for men to avoid serving in the army.

But does Russia have enough soldiers to continue fighting?

Al Jazeera’s The Take speaks to experts on Russia’s fighting power.

According to the regional administration of Kherson, Russian forces attacked the city eight times with 41 shells over the past 24 hours.

Russian forces “targeted the building of the state institution”, the administration said on Telegram.

Residential areas were also hit by the shelling.

As a result, one person died and three were injured, including a child.

The US ambassador to Kyiv, Bridget Brink, has condemned Russia’s overnight missile attack and called it “barbaric”.

“Russia again launched missiles in the deep of night at Ukrainian cities where civilians, including children, should be able to sleep safely and peacefully,” Brink said on Twitter.

“I am grateful for those who protect Ukraine’s skies, and the United States will continue to work hard and fast to support them and their ability to defeat Russia’s barbaric attacks on the people of Ukraine.”

Russia again launched missiles in the deep of night at Ukrainian cities where civilians, including children, should be able to sleep safely and peacefully. I am grateful for those who protect Ukraine’s skies, and the United States will continue to work hard and fast to support…

— Ambassador Bridget A. Brink (@USAmbKyiv) May 1, 2023

Click here for a roundup of the key events from day 432 of the war.

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Russia’s defence ministry says its forces had carried out missile attacks against Ukrainian military targets overnight, state-owned Ria news agency reported.

The defence ministry said all its designated targets, including weapons depots and ammunition factories, had been hit.

It added that Russian forces continued their advance in the city of Bakhmut.

General Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, says forces have launched a counter in some parts of Bakhmut, as intense fighting continues and the situation remains “difficult”.

In a statement from the defence ministry’s Telegram channel, Syrskyi said, “In order to move forward, the enemy uses maximum effort and does not count on anything. Despite significant losses, new assault groups of Wagner, fighters of other private companies, and paratroopers are constantly rushing into battle.

“But the enemy fails to take control of the city. The situation is quite complicated. At the same time, in some parts of the city, the enemy was counterattacked by our units and left some positions.”

On Sunday, Russia said it had taken four more blocks in western Bakhmut.

An explosion in the Russian Bryansk region bordering Ukraine has derailed a freight train, the local governor said on Telegram.

Russian Railways, the country’s rail operator, said the incident occurred at 10:17am Moscow time (07:17 GMT).

It said the locomotive and seven freight wagons were derailed, and the locomotive caught fire.

“An unidentified explosive device went off at the 136-kilometre mark on the Bryansk-Unecha railway line, derailing a freight train,” Bryansk Governor Alexander Bogomaz said in a post on his Telegram channel.

Russian authorities say the region has seen multiple attacks by pro-Ukrainian sabotage groups, including the shelling of a village on Saturday, which killed four civilians.

Ukrainian players will not participate in this month’s World Judo Championships in Qatar following the International Judo Federation’s (IJF) decision to readmit Russians and Belarusians as neutrals.

The IJF last week announced it would allow judokas from Russia and Belarus to participate in the May 7-14 championships, allowing them to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games.

However, the Ukrainian federation alleged that a number of Russian athletes registered were “active servicemen”.

“We do not see here neutrality, equal conditions and a ‘bridge to peace’, as stated in the IJF Resolution on the participation of Russian and Belarusian teams in the World Championships in Doha,” the Ukrainian Judo Federation said.

“We see here a decision that contradicts the latest recommendations of the International Olympic Committee … We are disappointed with the decision of the International Judo Federation. Therefore, we have decided not to participate in the World Championships in Doha.”

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has thanked New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins for participating in training the Ukrainian military.

“We count on its continuation, as well as on further cooperation on defence and humanitarian issues,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram. “We discussed the need for further consolidation of the countries of the Pacific region in supporting Ukraine.”

Targeting Russia’s logistics is in preparation for the expected counteroffensive, a Ukrainian military spokesperson said on Sunday after a fire destroyed a Russian fuel depot in Crimea.

Natalia Humeniuk said the fire had caused much “anxiety” in the Russian military.

“The fact that the enemy’s logistics are undermined … this work is preparatory for the broad, full-scale offensive, which everyone expects,” Ukrainian media cited Humeniuk as telling national television.

“Therefore, the enemy feels that his resources are undermined and begins to manoeuvre.”

While not admitting to striking the facility, Ukraine’s military command said “a fire” destroyed 10 oil tanks.

Pope Francis says the Vatican is involved in a secret peace mission to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

“There is a mission in course now but it is not yet public. When it is public, I will reveal it,” the pope told reporters during a flight home after a three-day visit to Hungary.

“I think that peace is always made by opening channels. You can never achieve peace through closure … This is not easy.”

The pope added that he had spoken about the situation in Ukraine with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Metropolitan (bishop) Hilarion, a representative of the Russian Orthodox Church in Budapest.

Ukrainian air defence crews destroyed 15 out of 18 missiles launched by Russian forces in the early hours of Monday, wounding at least 34 people in the eastern city of Pavlohrad but failing to hit Kyiv, officials said.

“Around 2:30 am (1130 GMT), the Russian invaders attacked Ukraine from strategic aviation planes,” the commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces said on Telegram.

Kyiv’s city officials also said all missiles directed at the capital were destroyed in the second attack on the city in three days.

“According to [preliminary information], no casualties among the civilian population and no destruction of residential facilities or infrastructure have been recorded,” the city administration said.

Russia also targeted other Ukrainian regions overnight, including Dnipropetrovsk.