Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,163

On Friday, May 2, 2018, this is how things are going.

Fighting

• In a recent drone attack in partially occupied Kherson that left at least seven people dead and more than 20 wounded, Russia accused Ukraine of deliberately targeting civilians.
• The region’s Moscow-appointed governor claimed that the drone strike hit a market in the town of Oleshky in Kherson at around 9:30 am local time because of the May 1 public holiday.
• Although neither side’s claims have been independently verified, the Ukrainian military claimed the attack targeted Russian troops and that only military personnel were killed.
• A Russian drone attack in Zaporizhzhia, southeast of Ukraine, on Thursday night caused a building to burn, injuring 14 people, with no injuries.
• The SBU Security Service in Ukraine announced that it had detained a suspect and thwarted the attempted murder of prominent activist and video blogger Sergiy Sternenko. Since 2014, Stickenko has been actively engaged in anti-Russian activism.

Diplomacy

• Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, described the landmark mineral agreement signed with the US as a “truly equal agreement that opens up the door for quite a lot of investment in Ukraine.”
• According to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, the European Union is putting new sanctions on Russia in place. The 27-member bloc would impose sanctions on this as its 17th round.
• According to a Wall Street Journal exclusive report, Lindsey Graham, a senator from the United States, has become one of the loudest supporters of Ukraine in Washington. Close ally of Trump, Graham, is urging countries that purchase Russian energy and uranium to impose new sanctions and slap-ad tariffs.

• In an interview with Fox News, US Vice President JD Vance claimed that the conflict in Ukraine is “not going anywhere” and that it is “not going to end any time soon.” Now that each side knows what the other’s terms for peace are, Vance said, it’s up to the Russians and Ukrainians.
• Julie Davis, a career diplomat with Russian-speaking speaking accents, has been chosen by the Trump administration as their preferred Ukrainian diplomat. Davis will become Kyiv’s charge d’affaires, having worked in the former Soviet Union and the former Soviet Union. To become an ambassador, she will need to have her Senate approval.
• Even if it irritates his EU neighbors, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic says he will fulfill his promise to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow the following week.
• Russia is hosting celebrations to commemorate World War II’s 80th anniversary.