May 1, 2023 - Russia-Ukraine news

By Brad Lendon, Sana Noor Haq, Ivana Kottasová, Aditi Sangal, Mike Hayes and Maureen Chowdhury, CNN

Updated 12:31 a.m. ET, May 2, 2023
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2:23 p.m. ET, May 1, 2023

Ukraine says it has no knowledge of peace mission involving Vatican to resolve conflict with Russia

From CNN's Matthew Chance

Pope Francis holds a news conference aboard a plane heading back to the Vatican from Hungary on Sunday.
Pope Francis holds a news conference aboard a plane heading back to the Vatican from Hungary on Sunday. (Vatican Media via Reuters)­

Ukraine said it has “no knowledge” of a peace mission involving the Vatican to resolve the conflict with Russia.

“President Zelensky has not consented to any such discussions on Ukraine’s behalf,” a Ukrainian official close to the presidential office told CNN. “If talks are happening, they are happening without our knowledge or our blessing".

The official dismissed any papal role after Pope Francis on Sunday told journalists that the Vatican is part of a mission to end the war in Ukraine. “The mission is in the course now, but it is not yet public,” he said after a three-day trip to Hungary.

“When it is public, I will reveal it,” the pope added.

Last week, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal met Francis at the Vatican and said he had discussed a “peace formula” put forward by Zelensky and invited the pope to visit Ukraine.

4:19 p.m. ET, May 1, 2023

Russia has suffered more than 100,000 casualties since December, Biden administration estimates

From CNN's Betsy Klein and DJ Judd

A destroyed Russian tank sits on the side of the road near Kreminna, Ukraine, on March 24.
A destroyed Russian tank sits on the side of the road near Kreminna, Ukraine, on March 24. (Violeta Santos Moura/Reuters)

The Biden administration announced new estimated casualty figures Monday from Russia’s winter offensive in Ukraine, saying that the country has suffered more than 100,000 casualties since December and the "stunning" number is a key signal that Moscow's effort has “backfired.” 

White House official John Kirby told reporters Monday that Russia has "exhausted its military stockpiles and its armed forces" and since December, the US estimates Russia has suffered more than 100,000 casualties, including over 20,000 killed in action. 

The US is defining the term “casualty” as both wounded and killed.  

Kirby, who serves as National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, noted that “nearly half” of those casualties were fighters with the Russian private company Wagner — whom CNN has reported have experienced horrific experiences on the battlefield following minimal training and little leadership.

Kirby lambasted a recent assertion from Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, who said Sunday that his group had only suffered 94 casualties. Kirby called Prigozhin's comments “just a ludicrous claim.” 

Pressed on the source of the new 100,000 figure, Kirby said it was “based on some downgraded intelligence that we’ve been able to collect.” He declined to provide information on Ukrainian casualties, noting that the US has “never” provided such information and would defer to Ukraine on the matter.

Kirby added that the Ukrainians “are the victims here, Russia is the aggressor, and I'm simply not going to put information in the public domain that's going to, again, make it any harder for the Ukrainians."

The official noted that it's ultimately Ukraine's decision to declassify the information and make their casualty figures public. "I don't need to abide by that same sense of courtesy for the Russians — haven't done it and I ain't going to start now," he said.

With regards to fighting on the ground: Kirby said that “most” of Russia’s efforts have “stalled and failed” as the battle for the eastern city of Bakhmut continues. He added that Russia has made “incremental” gains in the town that has “very little strategic value.” 

“The bottom line is that Russia's attempted offensive has backfired. After months of fighting and extraordinary losses, Russia continues to be focused on a single Ukrainian city with limited strategic value," the official said.

Kirby said any decision about a spring counteroffensive from Ukraine would be “for President (Volodymyr) Zelensky to make,” but that the US will continue to provide military aid and support. 

The US official also told reporters a future package for Ukraine would be unveiled "very soon."

"What we want to stay focused on is making sure that we're helping them be as ready as they can be for whenever they choose to step off. And that means, obviously, in material support,” he told reporters.

1:44 p.m. ET, May 1, 2023

Russia still hasn't completely captured Bakhmut, Ukraine military says

From CNN’s Vasco Cotovio in London and Kostan Nechyporenko in Kyiv

Ukrainian soldiers fire a cannon near Bakhmut, Ukraine, on Saturday.
Ukrainian soldiers fire a cannon near Bakhmut, Ukraine, on Saturday. (Libkos/AP)

The Ukrainian military says it is locked in a “positional struggle” as fierce fighting continues to rage in Bakhmut, adding it has been able to push back Russian forces after a series of counterattacks.

“I can definitely confirm the information that the enemy in Bakhmut left some positions after some of our counterattacks,” Serhii Cherevatyi, the spokesperson for the Eastern Grouping of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, told a national broadcaster. 

“There is a positional struggle there,” Cherevatyi said, explaining that the frontline was constantly shifting. “Sometimes the enemy has some success after a powerful artillery strike and the destruction of infrastructure, and they can move forward. But we counterattack and often win back our positions after inflicting fire on the enemy.”

Cherevatyi added that for all its efforts, Russia still had not been able to “completely” capture Bakhmut. 

The spokesperson went on to say that although the Russian military’s airborne units had reinforced positions in Bakhmut, Wagner forces continued to be the ones carrying out the assaults. 

“However, due to heavy losses, they have been reinforced by airborne units. In addition, in an effort to capture Bakhmut completely, we also note that the enemy is also using snipers from special units and even special services (counterterrorism, for instance) to hit our positions as much as possible," he said.

Cherevatyi said Russian forces were having to be more mindful of their use of artillery shells and rockets, but rejected claims by Wagner founder and financier Yevgeny Prigozhin that his fighters were being starved of ammunition.

“They have been given a general norm of shells, just like other units of the aggressor,” he said. “Over the past 24 hours, the enemy has fired 304 times at the Lyman-Kupiansk direction with various artillery systems. However, of course, if we take the summer of 2022, they could use an unlimited amount of ammunition along the entire front line non-stop. Now they no longer have this luxury.” 

“What Prigozhin is talking about is that they are used to having a lot of ammunition. Now they are forced to limit themselves,” he added.

Cherevatyi concluded by defending Ukraine’s strategy for the region, stating that "the enemy has not been able to take Bakhmut for nine months."

“Thus, we are conducting a successful defense operation and are achieving our main goal: destroying the enemy's military potential, personnel, and equipment to the maximum extent possible," he said. "In particular, Wagner is close to being completely destroyed."

Ukrainian servicemen gather at a military truck near Bakhmut, on Sunday.
Ukrainian servicemen gather at a military truck near Bakhmut, on Sunday. (Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images)

1:13 p.m. ET, May 1, 2023

Russia launched a torrent of attacks in parts of Ukraine Monday. Here's what you need to know

From CNN staff

Russia unleashed a wave of missile strikes across parts of Ukraine on Monday, killing at least one person in Kherson and injuring dozens more.

In Bakhmut, the Ukrainian military says it is locked in a “positional struggle” as fierce fighting continues to rage, adding it has been able to push back Russian forces after a series of counterattacks.

Here are the latest developments:

  • Air strikes in Dnipropetrovsk: At least 34 people have been wounded in bombardments in the central-eastern Dnipropetrovsk region, including five children, according to local governor Serhiy Lysak. Further south in Kherson, at least one person died and three others were wounded in shelling on Monday. The Russian Defense Ministry said “all assigned targets were hit” in the deadly barrage of strikes.
  • Fighting in Bakhmut: A Ukrainian general said the conflict in the embattled city of Bakhmut is "quite complicated." His comments came as the head of Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, threatened to remove troops unless they receive more munitions, while hundreds of Russian convicts arrive to bolster the mercenary group's attempted advance into the city.
  • Energy grid takes a hit: The Ukrainian Ministry of Energy reported disruption to the electricity grid in Dnipropetrovsk, adding that some consumers "have lost power" following Moscow's attacks in the region.
  • Hungary-Ukraine relations: Hungary’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said people in his country have "already paid an extremely high price" for the war in Ukraine, amid a thorny exchange between Budapest and Kyiv as Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's pro-Kremlin stance continues to fracture relations between the two countries.
  • "Make the decision for yourself to survive": Ukraine’s human rights commissioner on Sunday advised Ukrainians living under Russian occupation to accept Russian passports for their safety, adding that those who do so “will be able to officially abandon this passport and return to normal life” once Kyiv takes back its territories.
  • Foreign casualties of war: A former US marine, Cooper “Harris” Andrews, 26, was killed on the outskirts of Bakhmut late last week, according to his mother and colleagues in Ukraine.
1:40 p.m. ET, May 1, 2023

Former US marine killed in Ukraine, family says

From CNN’s Natalie Gallon and Nick Paton Walsh in Zaporizhzhia and Jennifer Hansler in DC

Cooper "Harris" Andrews
Cooper "Harris" Andrews (Obtained by CNN)

A former US marine, Cooper “Harris” Andrews, 26, was killed on the outskirts of Bakhmut late last week, according to his mother and colleagues in Ukraine.

Andrews, from Cleveland, Ohio, was hit by a mortar, his mother, Willow Andrews said, likely on April 19 on the so-called “Road of Life” — a rare access road into Bakhmut used by the Ukrainian military to resupply their forces and also to evacuate civilians.

Andrews' body has yet to be recovered, she said, due to the ongoing fighting around Bakhmut. The city's outsized symbolic importance has led to intense fighting as Moscow desperately tries to seize it.

Andrews worked for an activist group known as the Resistance Committee, according to its social media statements. The group said he was killed assisting the evacuation of civilians from the city.

Andrews left Cleveland, Ohio in November and joined the Foreign Legion in Ukraine, a group of foreign fighters helping the Ukrainian military. His contract ended in March, his mother said, and he decided to stay on. 

The US Department of State said on Monday it could “confirm the death of a US citizen in Ukraine,” without naming the individual.

“We are in touch with the family and providing all possible consular assistance,” a State Department spokesperson said. “Out of respect for the family’s privacy during this difficult time, we have nothing further to add.”

 CNN has reached out to the Ukrainian military for comment but has yet to hear back.

Cooper "Harris" Andrews
Cooper "Harris" Andrews (Obtained by CNN)

10:16 a.m. ET, May 1, 2023

Moscow says "all assigned targets were hit" in overnight missile strikes

From CNN's Sebastian Shukla

The Russian Defense Ministry said “all assigned targets were hit” in a deadly barrage of strikes launched against parts of Ukraine on Monday, injuring dozens of people including children.

“The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation launched a group missile attack with long-range precision weapons, air and sea based, on the military-industrial complex of Ukraine," the ministry said in a statement, adding that the country's assault on the embattled city of Bakhmut is ongoing.

Ukrainian officials reported that missile strikes in Pavlograd had injured at least 34 people, including five children.

Additionally, video circulating on social media and shared by a Russian-installed governor of the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, Vladimir Rogov, appears to show that Russia hit an ammunition depot at a railway station in Pavlograd.

CNN has been unable to verify the videos.

CNN’s Josh Pennington contributed to this post.

8:17 a.m. ET, May 1, 2023

Ukrainian general says Bakhmut "situation is quite complicated," as fighting rages on

From CNN's Olga Voitovych

Smoke rises from buildings in this aerial view of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, on April 26.
Smoke rises from buildings in this aerial view of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, on April 26. (Libkos/AP)

Ukrainian Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi said fighting on the ground is "quite complicated" in Bakhmut, amid a grueling battle for control of the heavily contested eastern Ukrainian city.

Bakhmut has been besieged by Russian forces, largely from the Wagner paramilitary group, for months. But Syrskyi said Moscow "fails to take control of the city," according to a readout published on Monday morning.

Ukrainian Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi visits the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, Ukraine, on May 1.
Ukrainian Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi visits the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, Ukraine, on May 1. (Ministry of Defence of Ukraine)

Syrskyi gave out awards and gifts to soldiers, according to the Ukrainian Defence Ministry.

“The enemy conducted numerous attacks, trying to break through the defense of our positions in several directions," Syrskyi added.
“Despite significant losses, new assault groups of Wagner, fighters from other private companies, and paratroopers are constantly rushing into the battle. But the enemy fails to take control of the city.”

His trip came as the head of Wagner, threatened to remove troops unless they receive more munitions, signaling tensions between Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Kremlin.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian army reported the arrival of hundreds of Russian convicts into the city to bolster Wagner's attempted advance into the city.

5:12 p.m. ET, May 1, 2023

Train derailed in Russia in an alleged IED attack

From CNN's Anna Chernova and Olga Voitovych

A freight train has been derailed following an alleged improvised explosive device attack in the Russian region of Bryansk, the local governor has claimed.

Alexander Bogomaz, the region’s governor wrote on Telegram that the explosive detonated 136 kilometers (84.5 miles) along the Bryansk to Unecha railway, which borders Ukraine. He added that there are no casualties. 

Video circulating on social media shows several carriages of the locomotive derailed and on fire.

CNN was not able to independently confirm the claims.

5:35 a.m. ET, May 1, 2023

Air strikes in Dnipropetrovsk region damage energy infrastructure

From CNN's Olga Voitovych

The Ukrainian Ministry of Energy reported disruption to the electricity grid in Dnipropetrovsk, after a series of Russian missile strikes hit the eastern region.

“There is significant damage to distribution grids. As a result, some consumers in Dnipro city and the region have lost power," the ministry's statement said. It added that it will take “several days to repair."

A wave of Russian strikes hit parts of Ukraine on Monday morning, injuring dozens of people including five children.

Moscow has carried out targeted attacks on Ukraine's power infrastructure throughout the war, temporarily leaving millions without access to water and electricity in a campaign of terror that violates international law.

CNN's Eliza Mackintosh and Yulia Kesaieva contributed reporting.