May 3 Buonasera up-date

International Day of the Freedom of Press

May 03, 2022

Democracy depends on a vibrant free press. Yet today, around the world, journalists face attacks, persecution, and violence for doing their job. To support our democracies, we need to support our journalists. #WorldPressFreedomDay

Catching up…

EA Worldview’s Ukraine Up-date- hop over to Scott’s amazing hourly Ukraine up-date page. I’ll fill in with some bits and bobs.

Here are some other stories we’re following…

The BBC- UK PM Johnson gave details of £300m in extra military support from the UK for Ukraine, including electronic warfare equipment.
US Ambassador: Mariupol mayor’s office told the US there are around 4 "filtration camps" in and around the city used for processing Ukrainian civilians before they are sent to Russia, according to the US Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
There are still 200 people inside the steelworks plant and Stratcom Centre UA has reported that the Russians have decided to storm the building- something they said they wouldn’t do.
Olga Tokariuk @olgatokariuk
Instead of allowing an evacuation, as agreed with the UN and ICRC, today Russians are storming the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol. Azov regiment deputy commander called to ensure an urgent evacuation of civilians from the plant
1:39 PM ∙ May 3, 2022
323Likes162Retweets
CNN- in his evening address May 2, president Zelensky said Russia has “forgotten all the lessons of World War II,” following comments from Russian FM Lavrov Sunday on an Italian TV programme, alleging that Adolf Hitler had “Jewish blood” and that “the most ardent anti-Semites are usually Jews.”
Lavrov’s remarks also prompted a furious response from Israel, with Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid calling them “unforgivable and outrageous,” adding that “Jews did not murder themselves in the Holocaust.”
Rumours- the word buzzing around is that Putin could declare war against Ukraine on May 9, calling for a full mobilisation of troops for the war in east Ukraine.
CNN- Why a formal declaration of war? “A formal declaration of war on May 9 could galvanize Russian citizens and surge popular opinion for the invasion. It would also, under Russian law, allow Putin to mobilize reserve forces and draft conscripts, which officials say Russia desperately needs amid a growing manpower shortage. Western and Ukrainian officials have estimated that at least 10,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in the war since Russia invaded just over two months ago.”
Odesa- A missile was fired Monday at "one of Odesa's infrastructure facilities," said Maksym Marchenko, head of the Odesa region military administration. "Unfortunately, there are dead and wounded," he said.
The Kyiv Independent- Denmark reopened its embassy in Ukraine on May 2 after closing immediately after Russia’s full-scale Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine. Swedent will reopen their embassy on May 4.
More fires- In the Russian Moskow suburbs, a warehouse is burning - the fire area is almost 34 thousand square meters, the building has partially collapsed, Russian media report.
Olga Lautman- “More false flags building around Transnistria. This time Russian media reporting that a “terrorist” attack on a TV station was prevented.”
Russia quits the International Space Station. The last large international space exploration project is over for the Kremlin.

H I Sutton @CovertShores

***UPDATE*** Despite #Russian State TV threats of destroying UK (and Ireland?) with a Poseidon nuclear torpedo, the only Poseidon submarine is actually in dry dock. Image from a few days ago but confident Belgorod is still unavailable. The submarine hasn't been commissioned yet

Budanov: "Putin has driven himself into a dead end." Ukraine's top military spy talks about the dictator's future and Moscow's plans

The Russians have a very strong staff shortage. Those individuals [potential collaborators] on whom they relied before the war in many cases did not justify themselves at all. A number of people agreed to cooperate. But a fairly low percentage of those who have done so are actually able to manage at least some area of the city. Therefore, the main problem is staff shortages.

Hromadske - Hungary knew about Putin's plans and believed that it could take part of its territory - Danilov

"Hungary openly declares its cooperation with Russia. Moreover, Putin warned her in advance that there would be attacks on our country , "said the secretary, answering questions about the possibility of Ukraine's accession to NATO and the likely influence of Hungary in this process.

Sources on the ground reveal that Orban may have known about the renewed Russian offensive as early as February 16.

Remember: Hungary has been providing funds for separatist movements in Western Ukraine through religious and cultural associations, offers Hungarian passports to Ukrainians and has opposed Ukrainians application to NATO.

The Guardian- Europe prepares fresh Russia sanctions as US warns Moscow plans to annex parts of east Ukraine

The European Union was preparing sanctions on Russian oil sales over its invasion of Ukraine after a major shift by Germany, Russia’s biggest energy customer, that could deprive Moscow of a large revenue stream within days.

Finland and Sweden applying for NATO as early as May 12.

Finland has also terminated a contract with Russia’s Rosatom to construct a third nuclear power plant The deal was worth $7.8 billion. Russia’s info-warfare against both states will increase as we see here:

Anton Shekhovtsov @A_SHEKH0VTS0V

Against the background of Sweden’s likely accession to NATO in response to Russia’s aggressive behaviour, Moscow is stepping up anti-Swedish propaganda accusing Swedes of Nazi sympathies. The same playbook had been used against Ukraine long before the full-blown invasion.

Draghi’s response to Lavrov’s propaganda on Italian tv…

jacopo iacoboni @jacopo_iacoboni

"Lavrov's was not an interview but a false and aberrant monologue. His words about Hitler are obscene", the italian pm Mario Draghi just said in a press conference in Rome. @LaStampa reports

lastampa.itDraghi: “Col pacchetto energia saremo più indipendenti dal gas russo. Da Lavrov un comizio falso e aberrante, e su Hitler parole oscene”Il premier secco sul M5S: «Cerco la pace, l’Italia non si deve riposizionare, ma se l’Ucraina non riesce a difendersi avremo sottomissione e schiavitù di un pa…

Up-date on The Russian invasion of Italian TV

In an announcement on Twitter, Andrea Gilli, Nona Mikhelidze and Nathalie Tocci, security experts have declined an invitation to appear on Otto e Mezzo, which was mentioned in my article. Mr Gilli explains, “One can compare opinions, interpretations and solutions: one cannot debate with those who disseminate false data prepared directly by the Kremlin's propaganda office.”

Nathalie Tocci tweeted that “Giving space to disinformation is an attack on the values that this day- the International Day of the Freedom of Press.”