May 8, 2022: Russia-Ukraine news

By Maureen Chowdhury, Mike Hayes, Helen Regan and Brad Lendon, CNN

Updated 0528 GMT (1328 HKT) May 9, 2022
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5:44 a.m. ET, May 8, 2022

UK announces additional $1.6 billion in military support for Ukraine, ahead of G7 summit

From CNN’s Martin Goillandeau in London

The UK will provide a further £1.3 billion ($1.6 billion) in military support and aid to Ukraine, the country's Treasury said in a statement.

The announcement comes ahead of a virtual G7 summit on Sunday, which will include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The pledge marks "the highest rate of UK military spending on a conflict, since the height of the campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan," according to a Treasury statement Saturday.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks in front of a live video feed showing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on May 5, 2022 in London, England. 
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks in front of a live video feed showing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on May 5, 2022 in London, England.  (Chris J. Ratcliffe/Getty Images)

Earlier this week, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised £300 million ($370 million) of military support to Ukraine, including electronic warfare equipment, a counter battery radar system, GPS jamming equipment and thousands of night vision devices. The Treasury said this would be funded from the £1.3 billion increase. 

The new pledge almost doubles the UK’s previous spending commitments on the war in Ukraine.

Per the statement, it adds up to Britain’s "existing £1.5 billion ($1.85 billion) support, which included around £400 million ($494 million) in humanitarian aid and grants to the Ukrainian government, and unlocking over £700 million ($864 million) in lending from the World Bank through guarantees."

Johnson and his defense secretary will host a meeting of defense companies later this month "to discuss ramping up production in response to increased demand created by the conflict in Ukraine and a global shift away from Russian-made weaponry," the statement added.

6:00 a.m. ET, May 8, 2022

Fleeing pregnant women and young mothers arrive at temporary accommodation in western Ukraine

From Taras Zadorozhnyy in Lviv

Tetiana and her daughter outside their new home.
Tetiana and her daughter outside their new home. (CNN)

The intense fighting in eastern and southern Ukraine has forced millions of people to flee to the country’s westernmost regions.

At least 200,000 people have arrived in Lviv alone, according to the city’s mayor Andriy Sadovyi, pushing the city to its limits.

Many locals have opened their homes to the refugees and the city has also recently built two container towns for families who were staying in temporary shelters in schools and sports facilities.

But working with the Ukrainian Red Cross Society, Lviv is now constructing two new buildings specifically for pregnant women and mothers of young children.

Away from the city center, the site was chosen in the hope that it will offer some calm to its future residents.

Peace and quiet is what people like Tetiana, who is expecting her fifth child in July, are dreaming of.

She and her husband want to name their son Victor to commemorate the victory they are expecting Ukraine to achieve.

This is not the first time that she and her older children had to run from war. In 2014, the family lived in Horlivka when it became part of the separatist Donetsk People's Republic.

There, hiding in a cellar, she gave birth to her daughter Milana. When the family’s house was destroyed, she moved to Kamianske, to a container shelter much like the one she currently calls home in Lviv.

Architect Anton Kolomieytsev surveils a construction site.
Architect Anton Kolomieytsev surveils a construction site. (CNN)

After four years there, the family moved to Slovyansk, where her husband — who is now fighting for Ukraine on the frontline — got a good job. They dreamt of buying a house and raising their children in peace.

Instead, she is once again sheltering in a container with her children, hundreds of miles away from her husband.

Tetiana says that she has been offered a chance to move to the new buildings as soon as they are ready, potentially in a couple of months' time.

Anton Kolomieytsev, Lviv’s chief architect, said he and his colleagues are trying to think months and years ahead, knowing some refugees will likely stay long-term.

"They have nowhere to go. Many of them will have to stay here even after the end of the war," he said.

Containers are a good temporary solution, but they are expensive. According to Kolomieytsev, one square meter of container housing costs $800, a price that is comparable to the cost of building regular houses.

Kolomieytsev said he wants the city to build apartments which internally displaced people would be able to rent for 10 years for a lower price before having the right to become their owners.

But he says his grand plans will rely on international donors. The public coffers have been completely depleted by the war.

4:44 a.m. ET, May 8, 2022

Rescue efforts underway, but likelihood of finding survivors of school bombing "very small," official says

From CNN's Tim Lister and Olga Voitovych

(From Serhiy Hayday)
(From Serhiy Hayday)

A senior official in the Luhansk region has said that the chances of finding anyone still alive inside the school that was sheltering around 90 people when it was bombed by a Russian aircraft on Saturday afternoon are "very small."

Serhiy Hayday, head of the Luhansk regional military administration, said the school building was completely destroyed.

"The explosion happened inside the building. Rescuers [are] dismantling the debris as quickly as possible. The chances of finding [anyone still] alive are very small. There were 90 people inside the school building; 27 survived, 60 people most likely died."

The bodies of two people were found in the debris, Hayday said in a Telegram post Sunday.

A Russian aircraft dropped a bomb on the school in the village of Bilohorivka, which is about seven miles from the frontlines, according to Hayday.

The strike hit at around 4:37 p.m. local time on Saturday, causing fires to break out that took almost four hours to extinguish, he said.

Hayday added that heavy fighting overnight had disrupted the rescue operation.

He said fighting had continued into Sunday on several fronts in Luhansk -- including Bilohorivka, Voyevodivka, and Rubizhne. He also said there was an extremely difficult situation around Hirske.

Near Popasna, Russian artillery hit the house where 11 people were hiding in the basement, he said. Rescuers were dismantling the debris.

Hayday said Ukrainian troops had withdrawn a "little way" from Popasna. "Since the city was destroyed, our troops retreated to more fortified positions."

3:58 a.m. ET, May 8, 2022

Russians make minor advances but are under pressure around Kharkiv, Ukrainian military says

From CNN's Tim Lister in Lviv

Russian forces have made minor advances on one front near the city of Izium, according to the Ukrainian military, but are also on the defensive near Kharkiv as a Ukrainian counter-attack continues.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian armed forces said Sunday the Russians had captured the northern outskirts of the village of Shandryholove as they try to push south from the Izium area into the Donetsk region.

The enemy concentrated its main efforts on "preparations for the continuation of the offensive" in the area.

Along other front lines there were few changes, the General Staff said, with the Russians using artillery against Ukrainian defenses.

In the Kharkiv area, the General Staff said that the Russians were concentrating on "preventing the further advance of our troops towards the state border of Ukraine to the north and northeast of Kharkiv."

To that end they were shelling villages recently recaptured by Ukrainian forces -- such as Prudyanka and Slatine -- and trying to strengthen their defensive positions.

In the south-west of Ukraine, the armed forces said "the situation remains tense."

They claimed that "armed formations" in the pro-Russian area of Transnistria in Moldova, as well as Russian troops there, are in full combat readiness. Transnistria, a breakaway territory within Moldova, has housed Russian troops for decades.

The General Staff confirmed clashes on Snake Island, a small island off the Romanian and Ukrainian coastline. It said that, during Saturday, one Russian Mi-28H helicopter as well as a number of drones had been destroyed by anti-aircraft missiles. The military's Operational Command (South) later published drone video purporting to show a Russian helicopter on Snake Island being destroyed.

3:08 a.m. ET, May 8, 2022

60 people feared dead after bombing of school shelter in Ukraine

From CNN's Lizzy Yee and Svitlana Budzhak-Jones

Images show the aftermath of a bombing in Bilohorivka, a village in the Luhansk region of Ukraine. 60 people are feared dead following the airstrike, according to Serhiy Hayday, head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration.
Images show the aftermath of a bombing in Bilohorivka, a village in the Luhansk region of Ukraine. 60 people are feared dead following the airstrike, according to Serhiy Hayday, head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration. (From Serhiy Hayday)

Sixty people are feared dead following an airstrike on Saturday on a school in the Luhansk region where 90 people were sheltering, according to a local official.

Serhiy Hayday, head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration, said 30 people sheltering in the school had been rescued, of which seven were injured. 

The bodies of two people were found in the debris, Hayday said in a Telegram post on Sunday, adding that it is "likely that all of the 60 people left under the building’s wreckage were killed."

A Russian aircraft had dropped a bomb on the school in the village of Bilohorivka, which is some seven miles from the frontlines, according to Hayday.

The strike hit at around 4:37 p.m. local time on Saturday, causing fires to break out that took almost four hours to extinguish, he said.

1:16 a.m. ET, May 8, 2022

Analysis: Putin has put himself at the center of Russia’s Victory Day. But he has little to celebrate

Analysis from CNN's Angela Dewan

Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Getty Images)

President Vladimir Putin takes Russian anniversaries seriously. 

It was no coincidence that his invasion of Ukraine came a day after Defender of the Fatherland Day, a celebration of Russia’s military achievements. It was on that same occasion in 2014 that Putin took the first step in annexing Crimea from Ukraine, through orchestrated pro-Russian protests on the peninsula.

The leader had clearly hoped to have more to celebrate by this Victory Day on Monday, the country’s most patriotic of dates, marking the Soviet Union’s role in defeating Nazi Germany in World War II.

Russia’s justification for war in Ukraine suggested a deadline for success by Victory Day.

Even though the Kremlin’s well-oiled propaganda machine has been going at full steam since the February invasion, it will be difficult for Putin to twist Russia’s losses into true victory on Monday.

If anything, the operation in Ukraine has been an embarrassment for him – at least on the international stage.

Read the full analysis:

12:00 a.m. ET, May 8, 2022

It's 7 a.m. in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know

The Ukrainian government said "all women, children and elderly people" have been rescued from the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol and President Volodymyr Zelensky said they are now preparing to evacuate the wounded, medics and the military from the complex.

Here are the latest developments on the war in Ukraine:

  • Civilians rescued from Azovstal: After months of being trapped in Mariupol's Azovstal steel plant blockaded by Russian forces, the Ukrainian government said "all women, children and elderly people" have now been evacuated from the complex. More than 100 civilians, including children, were thought to be still inside the plant as of Saturday morning. President Zelensky said more than 300 civilians have been rescued from Azovstal since the start of evacuations more than a week ago, in an effort coordinated by the UN and Red Cross.
  • Next phase of evacuations set to start: Zelensky said his government is now preparing for the second stage of the evacuation mission from Azovstal, focusing on "the wounded and medics." They are also working to evacuated Ukrainian military personnel from the plant. Zelensky said the government would try to establish humanitarian corridors for all residents of Mariupol and surrounding settlements on Sunday.
  • School shelter bombed: A high number of casualties are feared after Ukraine accused Russia of dropping a bomb on a school in the Luhansk region where 90 people were taking shelter. Serhiy Hayday, the head of the Luhansk region military administration, said a Russian aircraft had dropped a bomb on the school in the village of Bilohorivka, which is about 7 miles from the front lines. 
  • G7 meeting with Zelensky: On Sunday, US President Joe Biden will meet virtually with the Ukrainian President and his G7 counterparts during a meeting of the G7 forum, deliberately scheduled ahead of Russia's Victory Day. Sanctions will be on the agenda for the meeting.
  • Odesa strikes: Russia fired six cruise missiles at the southwestern port city of Odesa on Saturday, according to Ukraine's military. Video from the city shows thick columns of black smoke in several locations. The United Nations has called to reopen the port to help ease a global food crisis.
  • Snake Island combat: The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that its forces in the area of Snake Island off the coast of Ukraine have shot down several Ukrainian aircraft and drones. Earlier, the Ukrainian military also reported combat around Snake Island but did not comment on any losses. It released drone footage which, it said, showed its forces destroying a Russian landing craft on the island. It said that two antiaircraft missile systems had also been hit. 
  • Kyiv warning: The mayor of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv has urged citizens to "be aware" and stay inside Sunday into Monday, around Russia's symbolic annual "Victory Day." Western officials have warned that Putin could formally declare war on May 9, allowing him to step up his campaign and mobilize reserves.

11:43 p.m. ET, May 7, 2022

What we know about the Mariupol evacuations

The Ukrainian government said "all women, children and elderly people" have been rescued from the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol and President Volodymyr Zelensky said they are now preparing to evacuate the wounded, medics and the military from the complex.

Here's what we know:

  • More than 300 civilians have been rescued since the start of evacuations from the besieged Azovstal steel plant, Zelensky said in his nightly address on Saturday.
  • The evacuations began more than a week ago and are being coordinated by the UN and International Committee of the Red Cross.
  • It came as civilians and Ukrainian soldiers — among the last defenders of the city — had been holding up at the plant for about two months, blockaded by Russian troops.
  • On Wednesday, Ukrainian defenders in the plant said there were "bloody battles" with Russian forces inside the complex after they broke in.
  • Food, water and medicine were running low.
  • Early on Saturday, it was thought that more than 100 civilians, including children remained in the sprawling complex.
  • Ukraine Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said "all women, children and elderly people" were evacuated from the Azovstal steel plant on Saturday.
  • The rescue marks the end of the first phase of evacuations.
  • A senior Russian official has agreed that the evacuation of civilians from the Azovstal steel plant has been completed.
  • Col. Gen. Mikhail Mizintsev, head of Russia's National Center for Defense Management, said that Russia had evacuated a total of 51 civilians from Azovstal since May 5.
  • Authorities are now preparing for the second stage of evacuations for the wounded, medics, and military.
  • Zelensky said they are also looking at diplomatic options to get the remaining Ukrainian soldiers out.

The wider situation in Mariupol:

  • Zelensky also said the government would try to establish humanitarian corridors for all residents of Mariupol and surrounding settlements on Sunday.
  • The self-declared Donetsk People's Republic said that a total of 152 people were evacuated from Mariupol on Saturday.
  • It's unclear whether the total includes any civilians who were trapped at the Azovstal steel plant.
11:11 p.m. ET, May 7, 2022

More than 300 civilians have now been evacuated from Azovstal steel plant, Zelensky says

From CNN Staff

People evacuated from Mariupol stand near a bus at a temporary accommodation center in Bezimenne, Ukraine on May 7.
People evacuated from Mariupol stand near a bus at a temporary accommodation center in Bezimenne, Ukraine on May 7. (Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters)

More than 300 civilians have been rescued since the start of evacuations from the besieged Azovstal steel plant, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address on Saturday.

It marked the end of the first phase of evacuations, which started just over a week ago, prompting a thank you from the Ukrainian leader.

"I am grateful to the teams of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations for helping us carry out the first phase of the Azovstal evacuation mission. More than 300 people were saved, women and children."

Authorities are now preparing for the second stage of evacuations for the wounded, medics, and military.

As of Saturday, the Russian army has destroyed or damaged nearly 200 cultural heritage sites, Zelensky added.