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they have donated to Ukraine," Stoltenberg said in an interview with the Economist. "Especially now when a lot of the fighting is going on in Kharkov, close to the border [with Russia], to deny Ukraine the possibility of using these weapons against legitimate military targets on Russian territory makes it very hard for them to defend themselves."
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said that he objects to allowing Ukraine use Western weapons against military targets in Russia. "We have clear rules for the use of the weapons we supply. We have agreed them with Ukraine and they are in force," the DPA news agency quoted him as saying at a meeting with people. According to Scholz, there are no grounds to change these rules.
After Putin's inauguration on the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation, Russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine with missiles and drones. On May 8, the Russian military attacked Ukrainian energy infrastructure facilities in six regions. There is also damage to gas infrastructure in the western part of Ukraine. Private energy company DTEK reported enemy shelling at three TPPs, resulting in seriously damaged equipment. "This is the fifth massive shelling of the company's energy facilities in the past month and a half," DTEK added. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the DTEK thermal power plant has been fired upon about 180 times. About 50% of Ukraine's energy infrastructure has been damaged by Russian shelling; the amount of damage reaches $12.5B, and it has increased by more than $1B in the last two weeks alone. On Wednesday, the Russian military also attacked the railway infrastructure in Kherson, damaging tracks and the city station in an attempt to prevent Western aid deliveries to the frontlines. The Air Force specified that the enemy launched 55 missiles and 21 attack drones into Ukraine, but air defenses shot down 39 missiles and 20 drones.
Russia's war against Ukraine 'unlikely to end anytime soon.’ Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine is unlikely to end anytime soon, Director of U.S. National Intelligence Avril Haines said on May 2, according to Reuters. Moscow is likely to continue its "increasingly aggressive tactics" against Ukraine, including attacks on energy infrastructure, according to Haines.
Russia has the right to strike British facilities in Ukraine and outside that country, if London's threats Kiev may carry out attacks with British weapons on Russian territory materialize, Zakharova has told TASS.
Nepalese mercenaries desert Russian army in droves. The Nepalese soldiers, assigned to military unit number 29328 of Russia's Armed Forces, are deserting due to heavy losses, non-payment of salaries, and commanders' abuse, "including executions for refusing to follow orders," Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) said on May 1.
64 RUSSIA Country Report June 2024 www.intellinews.com