On Monday, May 2, Ukraine awaited about a hundred civilians evacuated from the Azovstal metallurgical plan in Mariupol. Russia prepared heavier attacks in the Donbas to reach the city of Slovyansk. Media reported on Moscow’s plans to attack Moldova, Ukrainian public broadcaster Ukrinform, British public broadcaster BBC and Belarusian Nexta TV report.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that about one hundred civilians evacuated from the Azovstal metallurgical plan in Mariupol over the weekend with the help the Red Cross and the UN are expected to arrive in Ukrainian-controlled Zaporizhia on Monday.
See a video of the evacuation as published by the Mariupol defenders, the Azov Regiment, who has not surrendered to Russia two months after being surrounded by Russian forces in the Azov Sea port city.
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— Maria Avdeeva (@maria_avdv) May 1, 2022
Increase in Donbas offensive prepared
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces wrote in its report on the operative, military situation in the country in the last 24 hours to Monday morning that Russian troops were creating conditions and making preparations for the offensive on Sloviansk, Donetsk region, and Sievierodonetsk, Luhansk region.
As quoted by Ukrinform, the General Staff noted that Russia continued to carry out a large-scale armed aggression against Ukraine and offensive operations in the Donbas region. In particular, Russian troops in the direction of Popasna, Luhansk region, strengthened their ranks with one battalion tactical group deployed from Mariupol.
«In the Popasna direction, the enemy attempted to improve its tactical positions near Popasna. One battalion tactical group was deployed from the Mariupol direction to enhance Russian troops,» according to the General Staff.
In the north-east direction, Russian troops continued to shell the city of Kharkiv and such settlements as Udy and Prudianka. In the Izium direction, the enemy conducted offensive operations in the Izium-Barvinnkove and Izium-Sloviansk directions. Russian troops were firing at Ukrainian positions.
In the Donetsk direction, Russian occupation forces were conducting offensive operations all over the contact line. In the Lyman direction, the invaders opened fire on the positions of Ukrainian forces on the Lyman-Siversk border to push them back and create conditions for the offensive on Sloviansk.
In the Sievierodonetsk direction, Luhansk region, the invaders focused their efforts to gain full control over Rubizhne and make preparations for the offensive on Sloviansk.
In order to increase the air-defense system, Russian troops deployed additional anti-aircraft missile systems within the temporarily captured and occupied areas of Luhansk Region and Zaporizhzhia Region.
In the southern Tavriiskyi and Southern Bug directions, the invaders sought to improve its tactical positions and opened fire. In the Tavriiskyi direction, Russian troops are regrouping, accumulating fire damage systems, hardening positions, replenishing ammunition and fuel stocks.
In the Southern Bug direction, Russian invaders were attempting to reach the administrative borders of Kherson Region, seeking weak spots in the Ukrainian defence lines. In the direction of Mykolaiv, the invaders conducted air reconnaissance, using three unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Russian troops launched artillery strikes on Ukrainian positions.
To in the north, the Volyn and Polissia directions, the separate units of the Belarusian Armed Forces continued to cover the Ukrainian-Belarusian state border in Brest Region and Gomel Region. The threat of missile strikes from the territory of Belarus was persisting and continues to endanger northern Ukraine.
Could Moldova be invaded as well?
The Times reported quoting unnamed sources in the Ukrainian military intelligence, that the Kremlin had approved a plan to invade Moldova to the west of Ukraine.
As quoted by Ukrinform, the sources substantiated this by saying that some activity was seen in the airport of Tiraspol, the capital of the Russian-backed separatist region of Transnistria. Russia could attempt to move its troops on Il76 planes and helicopters from the occupied Crimea. Also, protests and riots could be under preparation in Moldova’s capital Chisinau.
The operation to move troops to Moldova seems hard to carry out as Russia has no sufficient capabilities to safely complete this route without risking its planes being downed by Ukrainian air defence in Odesa region, Ukrinform and The Times report.