May 10, 2023 - Russia-Ukraine news

By Heather Chen, Christian Edwards, Hannah Strange, Aditi Sangal, Lianne Kolirin and Tori Powell, CNN

Updated 12:03 a.m. ET, May 11, 2023
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11:08 a.m. ET, May 10, 2023

Russian troops won't let Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant staff evacuate with their families, Ukraine's military says

From CNN's Olga Voitovych in Kyiv

Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine on March 29.
Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine on March 29. (Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Russian soldiers are preventing employees of the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant from evacuating a nearby frontline town with their families, Ukraine's military said Wednesday. 

"In Enerhodar, the Russian occupiers organized a so-called 'evacuation' for family members of Zaporizhzhia NPP employees — yet employees of the power plant are not allowed to leave the city," Ukraine's General Staff of the Armed Forces said in a statement.

Russia-backed authorities have ordered the evacuation of thousands of civilians along the southern front as a Ukrainian counteroffensive looms.

Enerhodar, where most of the nuclear plant’s staff live, was among 18 settlements whose residents were evacuated over the weekend. The evacuees were moved to recreation centers and hotels in the southern towns of Berdiansk and Kyrylivka, while others were taken to Russia's Rostov region, Ukraine's military said.

Remember: The Zaporizhzhia plant is Europe’s largest nuclear power station and has been held by Russian forces since early in the invasion last year. It is mostly operated by a Ukrainian workforce.

The plant's position on the front lines means shelling in the surrounding towns and near the facility is common. The UN's nuclear watchdog again raised concerns earlier this week about safety at the plant, describing the situation as being "increasingly unpredictable."

10:40 a.m. ET, May 10, 2023

Russia claims its military hit Ukrainian ammunition depot in Zaporizhzhia region

From CNN's Katharina Krebs in London

The Russian defense ministry claimed on Wednesday that Russian forces had hit the ammunition depot of the Ukrainian army’s 65th mechanized brigade in the Zaporizhzhia region – an area that has seen a rise in shelling by both sides in anticipation of a Ukrainian counteroffensive. 

"An ammunition depot of the 65th mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was destroyed near the village of Preobrazhenka, Zaporizhzhia region," said the ministry in its daily briefing. There’s been no word from the Ukrainian side.

In addition, the ministry said that Russian assault detachments continued to move further into the northwestern and western outskirts of Bakhmut, while Russian airborne forces were "suppressing enemy actions on the flanks."

Some context: The ministry’s version of events around Bakhmut is at odds with that of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, who says he lost 500 fighters because one Russian army unit had abandoned its positions south of Bakhmut, allowing Ukrainian forces to take a swathe of territory.

In an angry video message, Prigozhin said Russian units were “running away.”

9:29 a.m. ET, May 10, 2023

Russia’s war in Ukraine is informing China’s view on Taiwan, NATO chief says

From CNN's Angus Watson

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is informing China’s calculations on a possible invasion of Taiwan, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told CNN Wednesday.

“What happens in Europe matters for Asia, and what happens in Asia matters for Europe,” Stoltenberg told CNN.

“Security is global,” Stoltenberg said. “Beijing is watching closely what happens in Ukraine, the price President Putin is paying but also the potential rewards. So what happens in Ukraine actually matters for the calculations Beijing, China's making regarding, for instance, Taiwan.”
8:02 a.m. ET, May 10, 2023

"Remain calm" in search of "political solution" in Ukraine, China's foreign minister says

From CNN's Angus Watson

Qin Gang, Minister of Foreign Affairs of China speaks during a visit to Berlin, Germany, on May 9.
Qin Gang, Minister of Foreign Affairs of China speaks during a visit to Berlin, Germany, on May 9. (Thomas Trutschel/picture-alliance/dpa/AP)

China’s foreign minister has warned against an "emotional" view of the war in Ukraine, saying on a visit to Germany that "the only way out is to remain calm and rational and create conditions for a political solution."

Foreign Minister Qin Gang met with his counterpart Annalena Baerbock in Berlin on Tuesday. 

Speaking at a regular press briefing in Beijing Wednesday, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Qin used the trip to state that "China is neither a conflict maker nor a participant in the conflict, but an advocate of peace and a promoter of peace talks."

The ministry said Qin urged Germany to "play a leading role and put forward concrete proposals for the construction of a balanced, effective and sustainable European security framework."

On Tuesday, Baerbock called on China to promise it will not help Russia avoid European sanctions.

"It is particularly critical if Russian weaponry companies obtain war-related goods," she said, adding that all countries — China included — should take action to oblige their companies. "Neutrality means taking the side of the aggressor," Baerbock said. 

Some background: Beijing has provided Moscow with a diplomatic lifeline as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has seen Moscow sanctioned by Western governments. China has refused to condemn Russia’s invasion or make any public call for Russia to withdraw its troops. Its officials have instead repeatedly said that the "legitimate" security concerns of all countries must be taken into account and accused NATO and the US of fueling the conflict.

9:41 a.m. ET, May 10, 2023

It's mid-afternoon in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know

From CNN staff

Russia had hoped to welcome its annual Victory Day on Tuesday with news that Ukraine’s eastern city of Bakhmut – which Russian forces have for months tried to capture – had finally fallen. But “they were not able to capture Bakhmut,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared in Kyiv. And today, Russian forces have suffered another setback in the area.

Here are the latest developments:

  • Russia repelled near Bakhmut: The Ukrainian military has inflicted “huge losses” on Russian troops in a successful counterattack near Bakhmut on Wednesday, according to officials. A Ukrainian commander claimed his soldiers had “completely destroyed” the 6th and 8th companies of “the 72nd Brigade of the Russian Federation.” A spokesperson for the Ukrainian military said that if Russia’s Wagner mercenaries “don’t get more personnel or change their tactics,” they “will no longer exist in this area."
  • Zaporizhzhia power plant lockdown: Further south, Ukraine says Russia is not allowing Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant staff to evacuate a nearby frontline town, while their families have already left. Russian-backed authorities have ordered the evacuation of thousands of civilians as a Ukrainian counteroffensive looms.
  • Japan seeks NATO ties: Japan is in talks to open a NATO liaison office, the first of its kind in Asia, the country’s foreign minister told CNN in an exclusive interview Wednesday. Hayashi said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has had repercussions far beyond Europe’s borders, forcing Japan to rethink national security.
  • Ukrainian Eurovision initiative: The Ukrainian duo TVORCHI, who are representing their country at this year’s Eurovision contest, are raising funds for equipment to help Ukrainian babies born prematurely due to war stressors. The pair said the number of premature births in Ukraine has increased since the start of the war “because their mothers experienced stress during pregnancy due to explosions, shelling and a constant sense of threat.”
  • France labels Wagner “terrorists”: French lawmakers approved a motion on Tuesday calling on the French government and the European Union to list the private Wagner military group as a terrorist organization. Wagner – whose “meat-grinder” tactics in Bakhmut have become infamous – is currently on the sanction lists of the United States, the United Kingdom and the EU.
  • Journalist’s death: Arman Soldin, a video journalist for Agence France-Presse, was killed by rocket fire near the embattled city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday, the news agency said. "We share the pain of his family and all his colleagues," French President Emmanuel Macron said in a tweet. Soldin was 32.

Here's where the state of control stands in Ukraine:

6:57 a.m. ET, May 10, 2023

Ukrainian Eurovision duo launch fundraiser for equipment to aid premature war babies 

From CNN's Mariya Knight in Atlanta

Tvorchi, representatives for Ukraine, attend the Eurovision Song Contest 2023: Liverpool Opening Ceremony Turquoise Carpet outside St George's Hall in Liverpool, England, on May 7.
Tvorchi, representatives for Ukraine, attend the Eurovision Song Contest 2023: Liverpool Opening Ceremony Turquoise Carpet outside St George's Hall in Liverpool, England, on May 7. (Anthony Devlin/Getty Images)

The Ukrainian duo TVORCHI, who are representing their country at this year’s Eurovision contest, have teamed up with Visa and the fundraising platform UNITED24 (launched by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky), to raise funds for equipment to help Ukrainian babies born prematurely due to war stressors. 

During the Eurovision opening ceremony that took place on Sunday in the English city of Liverpool, the duo wore costumes with the names and the weights of Ukrainian babies born prematurely displayed on their jackets. 

“Sofia, 1340 grams. Marichka, 804.6 grams. Nikita, 1280 grams. Alice, 1600 grams. Denis, 900 grams...These names and weights are displayed on our costumes, that we wore on the turquoise Eurovision runway,” the TVORCHI duo wrote in an Instagram post on Monday. “They belong to children who were born in Ukraine during the war, very tiny. More often, because their mothers experienced stress during pregnancy due to explosions, shelling and a constant sense of threat.” 

“These babies survived -- their little hearts were saved by intensive care incubators,” the duo added. 

According to UNITED24, “because of the war, the number of such newborns has increased by at least 15% and behind this figure there are thousands of vulnerable children who were born prematurely and cannot survive without special assistance.” 

The goal of the initiative is to attract international support to raise 10 million hryvnias (around $270,000) for the purchase of 10 incubators for Ukrainian infants, UNITED24 says.

Eurovision is traditionally hosted in the country that won the contest the previous year. Ukraine won the contest in 2022 but cannot host it due to the ongoing conflict, so the United Kingdom is hosting on its behalf.

The theme of Eurovision 2023 is "United by music" and the final takes place on Saturday May 13.

5:14 a.m. ET, May 10, 2023

Three Russian regions on border with Ukraine attacked by drones, say Russian governors

From CNN's Anna Chernova

Three sites in Russian regions on the border with Ukraine were attacked by drones early Wednesday, according to local authorities.

They say two drones launched strikes in the Voronezh, Belgorod and Kursk regions. 

The drones attacked a military facility in Voronezh, according to a statement by the region's governor, Alexander Gusev.

“Early this morning, an attack attempt by two enemy UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] was thwarted at a Voronezh military facility,” he said in a Telegram post. The governor added that counter-actions caused one drone to deviate from its course and fall, while the second drone was “destroyed by fire damage.”

Drone attacks were also reported in the Belgorod and Kursk regions earlier in the day.

The governor of the Kursk region, Roman Starovoit, said an enemy drone was shot down. The debris fell in the village of Tolmachyovo near Kursk, causing damage to a gas pipe and the facade of a house, but did not cause any injuries.

Separately, the governor of the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said Wednesday an enemy drone explosion during an overnight attack on the village of Olkhovatka damaged several buildings and a car.

“It appears that an enemy drone exploded. Two residential buildings, a library, a post office, an urgent care center, and one car were damaged,” Gladkov said.

Some context: Drones have played a prominent role in the war. Most drones are small and versatile, able to fly through poor weather and travel for hundreds of miles. Russia has used drones throughout the conflict to bombard Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.

In March, Russia’s Defense Ministry accused Ukraine of launching a spate of attempted drone strikes targeting infrastructure deep inside Russia. Last week, a video emerged on social media which showed a bright flash and puff of smoke over a part of the Kremlin. Russia claimed the incident was a drone strike launched by Ukraine to kill President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine has vehemently denied the accusation.

Russian reports of Wednesday's drone attacks come amid rumors that Ukraine is set to launch its long-anticipated counteroffensive.

5:29 a.m. ET, May 10, 2023

Ukrainian military claims successful counterattack near Bakhmut 

From CNN's Tim Lister and Seb Shukla

Andriy Biletsky attends a rally in Kyiv, Ukraine on March 9, 2019.
Andriy Biletsky attends a rally in Kyiv, Ukraine on March 9, 2019. Gleb Garanich/Reuters

The Ukrainian military has inflicted “huge losses” on Russian forces in a successful counterattack near the eastern city of Bakhmut on Wednesday, according to Ukrainian officials.

Speaking in a video shared on Telegram, Andriy Biletsky, head of Ukraine's 3rd Assault Brigade, said "units of the 72nd Brigade of the Russian Federation were defeated."

The "6th and 8th companies of the division" had been "completely destroyed" along with a significant number of armored fighting vehicles, he added.

Biletsky said a "significant number of prisoners" were taken and "the 3rd Assault unit of Wagner also suffered heavy losses," referring to the Russian private military company -- or mercenary group -- that is playing a major role in the battles around Bakhmut.

The offensive action "completely freed" an area 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) wide and 2.6 kilometers (1.6 miles) deep of Russian forces, he said. No exact location was given.

The spokesperson for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Serhii Cherevatyi, added that the battle was “still ongoing” but that “the enemy is suffering huge losses in this area.” He said that 203 were killed and 216 wounded.

He also noted that there was “no shortage of shells, but a shortage of people”. The spokesman said that there had been 524 attacks on Ukrainian positions around Bakhmut. Russia has suffered heavy losses in their months-long battle for the city, but have not yet been able to capture it.

“If they [Wagner] don’t get more personnel or change their tactics, in the near future, PMC Wagner will no longer exist in this area,” Cherevatyi added.

Some context: Bakhmut is the site of a long, drawn-out assault by Russian forces, including Wagner mercenaries, that has driven thousands from their homes and left the area devastated. But despite the vast amounts of manpower and resources Moscow has poured into capturing the city, they have been unable to take total control.

1:46 a.m. ET, May 10, 2023

CNN Exclusive: Japan's foreign minister reveals NATO liaison office talks, says Ukraine war makes world less stable

From CNN's Jessie Yeung in Hong Kong and Marc Stewart in Tokyo

Yoshimasa Hayashi speaks to CNN on Wednesday.
Yoshimasa Hayashi speaks to CNN on Wednesday. CNN

Japan is in talks to open a NATO liaison office, the first of its kind in Asia, the country’s foreign minister told CNN in an exclusive interview on Wednesday, saying Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made the world less stable.

“We are already in discussions, but no details (have been) finalized yet,” Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said on Wednesday.

Hayashi specifically cited Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year as an event with repercussions far beyond Europe’s borders that forced Japan to rethink regional security.

“The reason why we are discussing about this is that since the aggression by Russia to Ukraine, the world (has) become more unstable,” he said.
“Something happening in East Europe is not only confined to the issue in East Europe, and that affects directly the situation here in the Pacific. That’s why a cooperation between us in East Asia and NATO (is) becoming … increasingly important.”

The Nikkei Asia first reported plans to open the office in Japan last Wednesday, citing unnamed Japanese and NATO officials.

In a statement to CNN last week, a NATO spokesperson said: “As to plans to open a liaison office in Japan, we won’t go into the details of ongoing deliberations among NATO allies.” She added that NATO and Japan “have a long-standing cooperation.”

Russia’s invasion drove non-aligned Finland and Sweden to abandon their neutrality and seek protection within NATO, with Finland formally joining the bloc last month.

An office in Tokyo would be hugely consequential, as the war in Ukraine and deepening divisions within Asia have seen countries like Japan and South Korea draw closer to their Western partners — and present a united front against perceived threats closer to home, such as North Korea and China.

Read more here.