Chronicle of the war with Ukraine. Day 70

23:46

The investigator toughened the charges against Anton Zhuchkov and Vladimir Sergeev, who were detained at an anti-war rally in Moscow, writes Novaya Gazeta.ru. Europe".

From preparation for hooliganism with the use of weapons, the charge was reclassified to preparation for a terrorist attack. If under the first article threatens up to seven years in prison, then under the second - up to 20 years.

The decision of the investigator became known at a meeting of the Khamovnichesky court, where the issue of extending the arrest was considered. Judge Diana Mishchenko granted the request of the investigator, leaving the accused in jail.

Vladimir Sergeev did not object to the extension of the arrest, telling the lawyer: "Let everything remain as it is." He added that he fully admits his guilt.

The lawyer of the second defendant, Dmitry Sotnikov, said that his client Zhuchkov said during interrogation that “he went to the square only to commit an act of suicide as a sign of protest against military operations on the territory of Ukraine.”

In the initial testimony, Sergeev also said that he wanted to commit suicide because he was “ashamed of what is happening in Ukraine now.” They both insisted that they did not want to harm anyone and were going to throw a Molotov cocktail into a paddy wagon, where there would be no security forces or detainees nearby.

Sergeev and Zhuchkov were detained on March 6 at Pushkin Square, where an anti-war rally was taking place. According to investigators, the defendants made two homemade incendiary devices in glass bottles and filled them with kerosene and butane in order to set fire to the service vehicles of the security forces.

After their arrest on March 6, both defendants did not get in touch for several days. They were found only on March 12 in the hospital at the Sklifosovsky Research Institute for Emergency Medicine.

23:22

The Kaliningrad auto holding "Avtotor" announced the allocation of land plots for vegetable gardens to its employees.

Workers are promised to be presented with plots of 1,000 square meters (10 acres). For this, two plots owned by the company with a total area of ​​300 hectares will be used.

Areas are distributed by lottery. “In order to ensure the future harvest in the gardens of factory workers, AVTOTOR organized the sale of high-quality seed potatoes of domestic production,” the message says.

Avtotor employees assembled BMW, Hyundai, KIA cars. In early March, BMW announced that due to the war in Ukraine, it was stopping car exports to Russia and local assembly.

Last week, Avtotor sent some of its employees on corporate leave from May 1 to May 22.

22:59

Ukrainian journalist Oleksandr Makhov died under fire, according to the Ukraine 24 TV channel. Immediately after the start of the Russian invasion, he was drafted into the army.

“Oleksandr worked for many years on the channels “Ukraine” and “Ukraine 24” and covered events on the front line. Oleksandr served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” the statement said.

As clarifies Ukrayinska Pravda , the journalist's fiancée Anastasia Blishchik wrote on her Facebook page : “I can't believe it! It can not be true! And he's alive. Please tell me this is a bug!!! Tell".

21:49

The Russian Defense Ministry announced that the Russian military will open a humanitarian corridor for the evacuation of civilians from Azovstal on May 5, 6 and 7 from 8:00 to 18:00. The agency promises to withdraw its forces to a safe distance and cease fire.

The statement clarifies that such a decision, "based on humane principles," was taken by the leadership of Russia.

21:22

Vitaly Koltsov, 45, was arrested in Moscow for throwing Molotov cocktails into a paddy wagon on Revolution Square on May 2, reports . Mediazona

A criminal case was opened against Koltsov for encroachment on the life of a National Guard (Article 317 of the Criminal Code). Under this article threatens from 12 years in prison to life imprisonment. The investigation explains this qualification by the fact that a Muscovite threw two Molotov cocktails when Alexander Fedyaev, a fighter of the National Guard, was in the paddy wagon. At the same time, there is no data on whether the security official was injured in the case file.

Koltsov is the father of three children, a graduate of the Faculty of Philosophy of the Russian State University for the Humanities. According to Vot so, he and his wife asked not to send him to a pre-trial detention center, but to put him under house arrest. The Muscovite admitted that he threw a Molotov cocktail, but denies the intent to attempt on the life of a security official.

Koltsov's wife Valeria asked for a milder measure of restraint so that her husband would continue to help her with the children - the youngest is only 9 months old: “I ask you to place my husband under house arrest so that he can be with his youngest son and help raise the eldest. Our family really needs this."

However, Khamovnichesky court judge Diana Mishchenko arrested the Muscovite for two months.

In court, Koltsov managed to tell his lawyer that during the arrest he was hit several times on the back of the head.

At the meeting, the Muscovite did not speak about the motives for his act, but it is known that in recent years he participated in opposition actions, and the anti-fascist telegram channel Nechaevshchina writes that Koltsov's act on Revolution Square was an anti-war action.

20:47

Mayor of Dnipro Boris Filatov reported about the shelling of the city center.

According to Alexander Kamyshin, head of the Ukrainian Railways Department, the Russian military launched a missile attack on the Dnipro railway infrastructure. None of the railroad workers were hurt.

Authorities do not specify which object was hit. It is possible that the Dnipro railway station, which is located in the city center, was damaged.

20:35

The commander of the Central Military District of Russia, Colonel-General Alexander Lapin, awarded his tanker son, who led the failed Chernigov offensive, reports the BBC.

The publication drew attention to the plot of the TV channel of the Russian Ministry of Defense Zvezda, published on March 29. The story says that Lapin presented orders and medals to the military, "who showed courage and heroism in the liberation of settlements in the Chernihiv region." At the same time, on the same day, the Ministry of Defense announced a retreat from this area.

According to the BBC, among the recipients was 36-year-old Lieutenant Colonel Denis Lapin, son of Colonel General Lapin and commander of the 1st Guards Tank Regiment. He was recognized by relatives of employees who served in the same unit with him.

Even before the award, two employees from the Lapin regiment - his deputy Yevgeny Starodubov and captain Rasim Tagiev - were captured by the Ukrainians. In captivity, Tagiev said that before being sent to Ukraine, the command spoke only about the exercises, and after crossing the border, the tankers lost contact with the command.

The Ukrainian special services published interceptions of conversations of employees from Denis Lapin's unit. They discussed the capture of colleagues and the imminent rewarding of Lapin:

“In short, you want to neigh? Here Colonel Lapin is also given the Order of Courage, and ***** [many] tankers died, ***** [many] in captivity. In short, we're stuck here. Lapin says, "**** [don't give a damn] about the artillery, we're moving on. We're generally not considered human beings."

Another intercept, released by the SBU on April 6, discussed the awarding ceremony that had already taken place:

“Here television came here, we weren’t there, we left for the exit, the generals arrived, they handed the Order of Courage, and the boys started brainwashing the generals: we’ll put down weapons now, you go to ***, there is no support, there is no defense, climb in, general , with me in the trench, stay here for a day. <...> And put your son here, bitch, to whom he came to present the Order of Courage. Climb into the trench with us and sit. How they **** started [to sort things out], television is filming ... ".

Senior intelligence officer Aleksey Saveliev from the part of the general's son, having been captured, said that it was Lapin Jr. who gave the command to cross the border. At the same time, he calls Lapin a colonel and commander of a unit, and not a regiment. Captain Vasily Pichugin, on a similar record in captivity, said that Lapin entered the territory of Ukraine with them on February 24. Some captured soldiers said that their tanks stalled after crossing the border.

The BBC found 19 recordings of interrogations of prisoners of war from Lapin's unit. The publication also knows three cases when the military from his regiment went missing.

A relative of one of the missing claims that the command set the task for the military to march through the territory of Ukraine and occupy the Kiev Borispol airport.

19:51

Deputy of the Ukrainian ruling party Servant of the People David Arakhamia said that the Russian military had already entered the territory of Azovstal. The military, who are on the territory of the plant, got in touch with the Ukrainian authorities.

“The second day, an attempt to storm the plant continues. Russian troops are already on the territory of Azovstal, quotes the deputy. ” Radio Liberty

The Russian authorities do not confirm the storming of the plant. In addition to the Ukrainian military, about 200 civilians are believed to remain at Azovstal.

19:35

19:32

The international database of scientific publications and their citations in scientific journals Web of Science has become unavailable in Russia, the reports . Russian research telegram channel

“According to numerous testimonies of colleagues, Clarivate Analytics services have become unavailable in Russia. Clarivate maintains one of the two leading international scientometric Web of Science databases (it allows you to track article citations, journal ratings, organization statistics, etc.)," ​​the channel reports.

In the comments to the post, they write that this also affected the Higher School of Economics and St. Petersburg State University.

Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexei Khokhlov confirmed this information in his channel: “Web of Science has become unavailable in Russian scientific institutes and universities known to me.”

In March, Clarivate announced it was ceasing commercial activities in Russia and suspending evaluations of new publications from Russia and Belarus on Web of Science. This decision of the company was a reaction to the invasion of Ukraine.

18:45

The Kuibyshevsky District Court of St. Petersburg decided that the picket with a quote from George Orwell's 1984 "War is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength" does not discredit the Russian army, the press service of the city's courts . reports

On February 24, Alexei Podgornykh, a Petersburger, went out to Nevsky Prospekt with a poster with this inscription, supplementing it with the words “Enough of distortions.”

For this poster, the police drew up a report on Podgorny under the article on discrediting the Russian Armed Forces (part 1 of article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses). However, the judge did not agree with this assessment and dismissed the case for lack of corpus delicti.

“The court said that the poster contains antonyms and phrases. It does not contain any appeals, including a call to prevent the use of the Russian Armed Forces outside the country in order to maintain peace and balance, ”the press service specified.

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Russian courts have twice recognized pickets with quotes from President Vladimir Putin as discrediting the army. In St. Petersburg, the reason for the fine under this article was Putin's phrase: “The war brought so much grief that it is impossible to forget it. There is no forgiveness for those who again plot aggressive plans.” In Yekaterinburg: "War makes it easier to cover up your failures in economic and social policy." of Leo Tolstoy also fell under the same article The citation .

18:24

The Moscow Arbitration Court, on the suit of NTV, arrested the assets of the Russian division of Google for 500 million rubles, follows from the file of the court, which drew the attention of Mediazona.

The TV company demanded to restore access to its YouTube channel.

Google blocked the channel of NTV and other Russian media controlled by the authorities after the start of the war in Ukraine.

18:10

17:44

The Associated Press, in its investigation , concluded that about 600 people were killed in a Russian military strike on the Drama Theater in Mariupol. Prior to this, the Mariupol City Council, citing an eyewitness, reported 300 dead.

The agency journalists spoke with 23 survivors, rescuers and people who know how the building was arranged as a bomb shelter.

During the attack on the theater there were about 1,200 people in it. AP interviewees said that at least 100 people were in the field kitchen on the street and none of them survived - the blow fell on the theater stage and field kitchen.

The article also cites the testimonies of several people who heard military aircraft in the theater area.

Two munitions experts said the extent of the destruction indicated the use of a 500-kilogram bomb from a Russian military aircraft.

According to AP, after the shelling of the Mariupol maternity hospital, two or three pregnant women moved to the Drama Theater. They were given the most comfortable dressing rooms on the second floor behind the stage - they probably died as a result of the strike on the theater.

“The AP investigation also refutes Russian claims that the theater was destroyed by Ukrainian forces and served as a Ukrainian military base. None of the witnesses saw the Ukrainian military operating inside the building. And no one doubted that the theater had been destroyed by a Russian airstrike, aimed precisely at a civilian target, which, as everyone knew, was the largest air-raid shelter containing children, ”the agency notes.

15:57

The Russian military broke through to Azovstal in Mariupol, Ukrayinska Pravda writes , citing unnamed sources. The mayor of Mariupol, Vadim Boychenko, also reported about "heavy fighting" on the territory of the plant, CNN reports . There is no connection with the Ukrainian military.

“Our brave guys are defending this fortress, but it is very difficult, because heavy artillery and tanks are firing all over the fortress, aviation is working, ships have approached and are also shelling the fortress. <...> We must understand that people are still dying,” Boychenko said.

Press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov today claimed that there was no storming of the plant. The head of the Russian Defense Ministry, Sergei Shoigu , said that the Ukrainian military, who are on the territory of Azovstal, refused to lay down their arms, now they are “securely blocked” at the plant.

The Ukrainian authorities report that there are still civilians on the territory of the plant, and only a part of the people managed to be evacuated. The mayor of Mariupol also told Ukraine 24 that there were more than 30 children at Azovstal.

15:24

The UK has imposed sanctions against another 63 Russians and companies.

The list included VGTRK, PJSC Kamaz, TV presenter Nailya Asker-Zade, assistant to the president Maxim Oreshkin, head of Otkritie bank Mikhail Zadornov, chairman of the board of Sovcombank Dmitry Gusev, as well as journalists Yevgeny Poddubny, Alexander Kots and Dmitry Steshin.

15:07

In the city of Sovetsk, Kaliningrad Region, activist Igor Baryshnikov is being searched in connection with the case of “fake news” about the Russian army (Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code), writes with reference to lawyer Maria Bontsler. Sever.Realii

It is not yet clear what status Baryshnikov is in in the case and why a criminal case has been initiated. With the activist himself, according to the publication, it is not possible to contact.

14:30

Russian troops shelled a school in the Esman community of the Sumy region early in the morning, writes the head of the regional administration Dmitry Zhivitsky.

“Two shots from a helicopter, two from the ground. Hit on the school and infrastructure, ”he wrote.

13:18

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia put journalist Alexander Nevzorov on the wanted list.

On March 22, a criminal case was opened against him under the article about “fake” about the Russian army (Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code) because of the video about the shelling of the maternity hospital in Mariupol. The Ministry of Justice also included him in the register of "foreign agents".

12:46

The Russian military took out about 100,000 tons of grain from the Luhansk region, another 30,000 tons were destroyed in the elevator in the city of Rubizhne, reports . the head of the regional administration, Sergei Gaidai,

According to him, this is the volume of needs of the inhabitants of the region for almost three years. “This is only verified data. How much, in fact, is still unknown. <...> The annual demand of the Luhansk region within its borders until February 24, 2022 amounted to 60 thousand tons of grain. Together with the territories occupied in 2014 - 240 thousand tons. However, more than 90% of the land for the needs of farmers was concentrated in the northern part of the region, which the enemy occupied in 2022 and where fighting is still ongoing, ”writes Gaidai.

The sowing campaign, the head of administration notes, has not started only in the Lugansk region.

12:16

Due to the shelling of the village of Mikhailovka in the Luhansk region by the Russian military, a priest died, writes the head of the regional administration Sergei Gaidai.

According to him, as a result of a fragmental wound, the rector of the church of St. Theodosius of Chernigov in Mikhailovka, Hieromonk Parthenius, died. Gaidai noted that since the end of February, 15 religious buildings have been damaged in the region, and there are also wounded clergy.

12:07

The Russian Foreign Ministry imposed sanctions against 63 Japanese citizens. Among them are Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, Secretary General of the Cabinet of Ministers Matsuno Hirokazu, as well as journalists and other politicians.

They will be banned from coming to Russia.

11:16

The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed yesterday's evening shelling of railway stations in Ukraine.

“Long-range air and sea-based weapons destroyed 6 traction electrical substations near the railway stations of Podbortsy, Lvov, Volonets, Timkovo and Pyatikhatka, through which the Ukrainian group in the Donbass was supplied with weapons and ammunition made in the United States and European countries,” the ministry said.

10:59

A fire at an oil depot in Makeevka killed one person and injured two more, according to the telegram channel of the headquarters of the territorial defense of the self-proclaimed DPR.

“As a result of the shelling of the VFU at the oil depot in Makiivka, 4 large-capacity tanks ignited, 5,000 cubic meters each,” the report said.

10:49

The crew of the cruiser "Moskva" could be more than half of the conscripts, reports "Agency" with reference to a source who communicates with the parents of the missing sailors, and a source who spoke to the officers of the Black Sea Fleet.

“It all comes down to about 300 conscripts. This is a common practice on all ships. <...> We need bring-give sailors, all Navy conscripts are distributed among the ships, ”says one of the interlocutors of the publication. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, there were 424 people on the cruiser.

Two officers who served on the cruiser Moskva in 2010-2017 and 2010-2020 estimated the number of conscripts on the ship during their years of service at half. The former deputy editor-in-chief of the Flag of the Motherland newspaper of the Black Sea Fleet, captain 1st rank in reserve Sergei Gorbachev also told the Agency that there were always conscripts on the Moscow: “The crew is a living machine, replace part of it, send conscripts home to mom , and contract soldiers - to carry out combat missions, it is quickly impossible.

9:37

The Ministry of Defense of Belarus announced a "sudden check of the reaction forces", informs . BelTA

“Close attention is paid to supporting systems, which should create favorable conditions for the actions of combat military units. The ongoing activities are one of the most effective forms of troop training and do not pose any threat either to the European community as a whole or to neighboring countries in particular,” the agency said.

The purpose of the audit is “to assess the readiness and ability of personnel to respond quickly to the possible occurrence of crisis situations.”

9:30

9:11

Due to the shelling of the village of Zheleznodorozhnoye in the Zaporozhye region, two people were killed, reports the regional military administration . A school and 12 houses were damaged.

Results of the 69th day of the war

Explosions thundered in several regions of Ukraine in the evening. Three power plants were damaged in Lvov, a railway facility was damaged in the Kirovohrad region, and an infrastructure facility in Transcarpathia. In the Vinnitsa, Odessa and Kyiv regions, the air defense system worked.

Russian troops again shelled the territory of Azovstal. The Ukrainian authorities claim that there are still civilians there.

On May 3, 21 civilians were killed in the Donetsk region, and another 27 people were injured.

Russia has dropped to 155 out of 180 in the 2022 Press Freedom Index compiled by the international organization Reporters Without Borders.

Since the beginning of the war, the Investigative Committee of Russia has opened 35 criminal cases under a new article about “fakes” about the Russian army.

Photo: Andre Luis Alves, Anadolu Agency/ddp/Vida Press