An official appointed by Russia in Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region reported that the death toll from shelling by Ukraine's military in the town of Tokmak had climbed to 16 people. Yevgeny Balitsky, the primary Moscow-appointed figure in the region, shared on the Telegram messaging app that 20 individuals were wounded in the shelling on Friday night, with 12 in critical condition. Reuters news agency could not independently verify the reported events, and there has been no response from Ukraine regarding the alleged attacks.
Zaporizhzhia is among the Ukrainian regions that have been partly occupied by Russian forces and targeted for annexation since Moscow initiated its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Ukrainian troops stationed in the frontline town of Chasiv Yar, facing relentless attacks from Russian forces, have been supplied with additional drones and weaponry, according to Oleksandr Syrsky, the commander-in-chief of Kiev's armed forces. Syrsky, in a Facebook post following his visit to the troops defending the battered town, stated that measures were taken to significantly reinforce the brigades with ammunition, drones, and electronic warfare equipment.
Syrsky noted that Russia is concentrating its efforts to breach Ukrainian defenses west of Bakhmut, a town in the Donetsk region captured by Russia last May. He warned that Russia's objective is to capture the town of Chasiv Yar, situated 20 kilometers west of Bakhmut. Chasiv Yar has suffered extensive damage from shelling and is currently under constant fire, according to Ukrainian reports.
Syrsky disclosed that Russia's military leadership has set a deadline to seize Chasiv Yar by May 9, coinciding with Russia's commemoration of Soviet victory in World War II. Subsequently, Russia aims to establish conditions for further advancement towards the large city of Kramatorsk and its environs.
The Russian Ministry of Defence announced that its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 10 drones launched by Ukraine over the Krasnodar region in southern Russia, along with five drones over the Black Sea. The ministry, in a statement on the Telegram messaging app, did not specify any damage resulting from the attacks.
Ukraine's air force declared that its air defence systems successfully neutralized all 10 attack drones launched by Russia at Ukraine. The air force, via the Telegram messaging app, reported that Russia also launched four missiles from anti-aircraft systems, though the fate of these missiles was not disclosed.
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) commended the transition to a cold shutdown of all six reactor units at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine. Despite ongoing safety concerns, the completion of this shutdown on Saturday marked a positive development. The IAEA Director General, Rafael Grossi, stated that with the conclusion of the winter heating season in nearby Enerhodar, where most plant staff reside, unit 4 was switched from hot to cold shutdown on Saturday, bringing all six reactor units to cold shutdown status for the first time since late 2022. Grossi's statement expressed appreciation for this step, which the Agency had recommended for some time as it enhances the overall safety of the facility.
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