"Famous, historic monasteries have been shut down or seized by authorities, monks expelled, and churches have been raided by far-right nationalist militant groups. As for the other side, Russian aerial raids have often devastated whole Ukrainian neighborhoods, includingdestruction of local churches.
In a fresh incident, Russian government and media sources say a Ukrainian drone was sent across the border and struck an iconic, historic church in Belgorord region, which set the church on fire.
Local Belgorod governor Vyacheslav issued a statement on Telegram Saturday saying "the enemy is striking our holy sites again – an enemy drone has attacked Saint George Church in the village of Tolokonnoye."
Emergency crews were able to extinguish the blaze, but not before the church's domes caught on fire." ZH
"253 combat clashes between Ukrainian Defense Forces and Russian invaders were recorded.
Russian airstrikes targeted the following settlementss: Mkhy in Chernihiv region, Myropilske, Krasnopillia, Chernatske in Sumy region, Shevchenko Pershe, Zelene Pole, Novopil, Komyshuvakha in Donetsk region, Temyrivka, Novodarivka, Huliaipole, Malynivka, Novoandriivka in Zaporizhzhia region.
In the Kharkiv sector, five clashes occurred near Vovchansk.
In the Kupiansk sector, six enemy attacks were repelled near Zahryzove and toward Novoosynove and Hlushkivka.In the Lyman sector, the Russians carried out 16 attacks attempting to advance near Ridkodub, Lypove, Yampolivka, Kolodiazi, Torske, and toward Hryhorivka.
In the Siversk sector, Russian forces attacked three times toward Ivano-Dariivka and Hryhorivka.
In the Kramatorsk sector, the Ukrainian defenders repelled six enemy assaults near Chasiv Yar and toward Maiske, Predtechyne, Bila Hora.
In the Toretsk sector, Russian forces carried out seven attacks near Toretsk, Krymske, and Dyliivka.
In the Pokrovsk sector, Ukrainian forces halted 113 enemy attacks near Stara Mykolaivka, Zelene Pole, Myroliubivka, Yelyzavetivka, Lysivka, Promin, Shevchenko, Oleksandropil, Kotlyne, Novoserhiivka, Novooleksandrivka, Kotliarivka, Troitske, Andriivka, and toward Romanivka, Malynivka, Nova Poltavka, Myroliubivka, Oleksiivka.
In the Novopavlivka sector, 66 Russian assaults were repelled near Kostiantynopil, Burlatske, Novosilka, Rivnopil, Pryvilne, and toward Odradne, Zelene Pole, Novopil, Shevchenko, and Bahatyr.
In the Huliaipole sector, no combat clashes were recorded.
In the Orikhiv sector, three unsuccessful enemy attacks occurred near Novodanylivka, Novopokrovka, and Kamianske.
In the Prydniprovske sector, one failed Russian attempt to approach Ukrainian defenses was recorded.
In the Kursk sector, there were 23 clashes; Russian forces launched 256 artillery strikes (10 from MLRS), and seven airstrikes with 15 guided bombs." Ukrin
"Ukrainian uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) equipped with R-73 air-to-air missiles are reported to have hit a Russian Su-30 fighter jet near the port of Novorossiysk. A historic strike has been carried out by soldiers from Group 13, a special DIU unit, using a missile from a Magura uncrewed surface platform. A multi-purpose fighter jet belonging to the aggressor state of Russia, with an estimated cost of about US$50 million, burst into flames in the air and eventually crashed into the sea, to the bottom of the ruthless Neptune's domain." Ukrin
"The right-wing Reform UK party has won 677 out of more than 1,600 seats in England’s local elections, while the Labour and the Conservative parties suffered heavy defeats across the country.As results began to trickle in on Friday, the party led by firebrand and Brexit proponent Nigel Farage emerged as the strongest performer in contests held in 23 local authorities across England, winning control of ten councils. These included eight taken from the Conservatives – Derbyshire, Kent, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, North Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire and West Northamptonshire — along with Doncaster from Labour and Durham, where no party previously had a majority.
Reform also won hard-fought parliamentary by-elections in Runcorn and Helsby, snatching victory from Labour by just six votes after a recount. As a result, the party now controls five seats in the UK Parliament.
According to a BBC projection, if a general election were held today, Reform UK would receive 30% of the vote, ahead of Labour at 20% and the Conservatives at 15%. However, the next general election is not due until May 2029." RT
"Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has claimed that US President Donald Trump adjustedhis view of the Russia-Ukraine conflict following their brief, impromptu meeting at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican last week. According to him, the discussion stood in sharp contrast to the heated argument the two had in the White House in February. “I think the conversation I had with Trump was the best we’ve had so far. It was possibly the shortest, but also the most substantive. With all due respect to our teams, I believe the tête-à-tête format worked well. The discussion had the right atmosphere,” Zelensky told reporters." RT
"Both Israel and Turkey have long been the major regional players with a "hidden hand" inSyria - with both at times covertly leading the drive to weaken and overthrow the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad.
Israeli tanks and ground units have moved up toward Damascus from the South, and Turkey 's "Syrian National Army" proxy fighters have been active in Aleppo province and in northern Syria.
Turkey has also reportedly been involved with the new Syrian government under al-Qaeda linked Jolani (Sharaa), establishing anti-air defense infrastructure at Syrian bases, particularly near Palmyra in the center of the country." ZeroHedge
"Russian and Belarusian citizens who reside in Lithuania will have their residence permits revoked if they travel to Russia or Belarus more than once within a three month period, Lithuanian media outlet LRT reported on May 3.
According to the country's Interior Ministry, a total of 14,652 Russian citizens hold a valid residence permits in Lithuania." KI
"Israel’s military will mobilize thousands of reservists in the coming days, it said Saturday, inwhat appears to be an expansion of its offensive in Gaza as talks aimed at securing a ceasefire languish.
The call-up follows reports that the Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir on Friday presented a plan to intensify pressure on Palestinian militant group Hamas to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz." ms
"Workers throughout China are flooding the streets in revolt as U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs slam the fragile Chinese export economy.
From the cramped streets of Sichuan in the southwest to the cold outskirts of Inner Mongolia in the northeast, furious workers are demanding back pay and protesting mass layoffs as factories shutter under pressure from Trump’s tariffs.Outside a LED light manufacturing plant near Shanghai, thousands of unpaid workers shouted furiously at company managers over wages that haven’t been paid since January.
In central China’s Dao County, a similar scene unfolded outside a sporting goods store after the company abruptly shut down last week without paying employees.
In the northeast city of Tongliao, construction workers climbed onto rooftops and threatened to jump if their wages were not paid.
The wave of unrest follows a brutal plunge in China’s export orders, now at their lowest since the COVID lockdowns. Goldman Sachs estimates up to 16 million Chinese jobs could vanish as Trump’s tariffs bite deeper into the regime’s weak underbelly.
Trump said the tariffs placed on China are having their intended effect.
“They were making from us a trillion dollars a year. They were ripping us off like nobody’s ever ripped us off,” he stated. “They’re not doing that anymore.” DailyCaller
"As a result of Russian shelling of Donetsk region at least two people were killed and another was injured." Ukrin
"Since the day started, there have already been 123 combat engagements between the Ukrainian Defense Forces and Russian troops, with the most intense fighting occurring in the Novopavlivka and Pokrovsk sectors of the front.
In the Kharkiv sector, the enemy twice attempted to assault the Ukrainian positions near Vovchansk.In the Kupiansk sector, Russian forces have been storming the Ukrainian defensive positions near Zahryzove since the beginning of the day, the battle is still ongoing.
In the Lyman sector, the Russians attacked the Ukrainian positions nine times near Ridkodub, Yampolivka, Kolodiazi, Torske, and toward Hryhorivka. One battle is currently ongoing.
In the Kramatorsk sector, the Ukrainian defenders repelled three enemy attacks near Chasiv Yar, as well as toward Maiske and Bila Hora. One battle is still in progress.
In the Toretsk sector, the Russians attempted one assault near Krymske.
In the Pokrovsk sector, Russian forces remain highly active, with 46 engagements of varying intensity reported today. Ukrainian units are defending against enemy assaults in areas around Stara Mykolaivka, Zelene Pole, Myroliubivka, Yelyzavetivka, Lysivka, Shevchenko, Kotlyne, Novoserhiivka, Novooleksandrivka, Kotliarivka, Troitske, Andriivka, and toward Nova Poltavka, Myroliubivka, and Oleksiivka. "Our defenders are giving the occupiers a worthy response; 10 battles are still ongoing," said the General Staff.
The enemy also struck Shevchenko Pershe with guided aerial bombs.
In the Novopavlivka sector, Russian forces attempted to break through 50 times in areas around Kostiantynopil, Novosilka, Rivnopil, Pryvilne, and toward Odradne, Zelene Pole, Novopil, Shevchenko, and Bahatyr. 28 battles are still ongoing.
Russian airstrikes targeted Zelene Pole, Novopil, Komyshuvakha, Temyrivka, and Novodarivka.
In the Huliaipole sector, the enemy used unguided air rockets against Malynivka and Huliaipole. Ukrainian forces repelled two attacks near Novodanylivka and Kamianske.
In the Kursk sector, the Ukrainian defenders repelled five attacks, while four other engagements are ongoing. Russian forces conducted one airstrike using two guided bombs and carried out 119 shellings, including five with multiple rocket launcher systems." Ukrin
"The Russian military repelled a series of Ukrainian drone raids overnight on Thursday,downing a total of 121 UAVs, the Defense Ministry has said. In a statement on Friday, officials reported no damage to the port city of Sevastopol, home to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, following the attack.
The majority of the aircraft-type drones – 89 in total – were intercepted over Crimea, and another 23 over the Black Sea, according to the statement." RT
"U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has sharply criticized Berlin for designating Alternative for Germany (AfD), the country’s most popular party according to recent polling, as “extremist.” Such actions have nothing to do with democracy, he has warned.
“Germany just gave its spy agency new powers to surveil the opposition,” America’s top diplomat wrote on X on Friday. “That’s not democracy – it’s tyranny in disguise.”
Earlier in the day, the German domestic security service (BfV) announced the decision to officially designate AfD a “confirmed extremist entity.” This legal status allows the BfV to deploy surveillance and intelligence measures to monitor the party’s activities without restriction." RT
"199 combat clashes between Ukraine’s Defense Forces and Russian invaders along the frontline.
In the Kharkiv sector, eight battles occurred near Vovchansk, Kamianka, Topoli, Novovasylivka, and Lyptsi.In the Kupiansk sector, Ukrainian forces repelled five attacks near Novoosynove, Hlushkivka, Nova Kruhliakivka, and Zahryzove.
In the Lyman sector, the enemy carried out 27 attacks attempting to advance near Nadiya, Yampolivka, Kolodiazi, Torske, Ridkodub, and Zelena Dolyna.
In the Siversk sector, four clashes occurred near Verkhniokamianske and Hryhorivka.
In the Kramatorsk sector, Ukraine’s Defense Forces repelled six Russian assaults near Chasiv Yar, Novomarkove, and Bila Hora.
In the Toretsk sector, the Russians lunched four attacks near Shcherbynivka, Druzhba, and Dyliivka.
In the Pokrovsk sector, Ukrainian defenders successfully repelled 64 Russian attacks near Zvirove, Yelyzavetivka, Promin, Vodiane Druhe, Oleksandropil, Malynivka, Lysivka, Dachenske, Kotlyne, Udachne, Novoserhiivka, Nadiivka, Novooleksandrivka, Kotliarivka, Troitske, and Andriivka. In addition to these, Russian forces also launched attacks toward Pokrovsk, Romanivka, Stara Mykolaivka, Nova Poltavka, Myroliubivka, Bahatyr, and Oleksiivka.
In the Novopavlivka sector, Ukrainian forces halted 15 assaults near Kostiantynopil, Novosilka, Pryvilne, Vilne Pole, and toward Bahatyr and Shevchenko." Ukrin
"Ukraine and the United States on April 30 signed a long-awaited minerals agreement that establishes a joint investment fund in Ukraine, First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced."I am grateful to everyone who worked for the agreement and made it more meaningful. Now the document is such that it can ensure success for both our countries — Ukraine and the United States," Svyrydenko said.
Svyrydenko traveled to Washington April 30 to sign the framework agreement on behalf of Ukraine. She signed the document along with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
The signing of the minerals deal follows months of negotiations that at times became contentious. The U.S. and Ukraine were set to sign the deal in late February, but the plan fell apart following the infamous White House argument between President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump." KievIndpendent
