Drone strike on the Kremlin and massive shelling of Kherson Oblast: today’s highlights

Attack on the Kremlin

The press service of Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the Ukrainian side allegedly tried to strike at the Kremlin on the night of May 3. It claims that the Russian military “disabled two drones”. There were allegedly no casualties. They say that “Russia reserves the right to respond wherever and whenever it deems necessary”.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy's press service said it had no information about nighttime drone attacks on the Kremlin. What happened in Moscow is “obviously an escalation of the situation before May 9, an expected reception from our opponents”. Zelenskyy added that Ukraine would not waste weapons on such attacks.

CNN writes that the US was not warned about a possible drone attack on the Kremlin. Politico adds that the Biden administration is trying to understand whether the attack was ordered by Ukraine, carried out by a certain pro-Ukrainian group, or was a Russian “false flag” operation.

Massive attacks on Kherson Oblast

The occupiers have been massively shelling Kherson Oblast since the morning, striking at civilian infrastructure. In Kherson, a passenger railroad car was hit at the station and a hypermarket.

According to the latest reports, 21 people have been killed and 48 have been wounded.

New aid package from the United States

The United States Department of Defense has announced additional military assistance to Ukraine in the amount of $300 million. The package includes Hydra-70 missiles for airplanes and helicopters, as well as ammunition for HIMARS and 155-mm howitzers.

Zelenskyy in Finland

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Finland on May 3 for an unannounced official visit. He held talks with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö on Ukrainian defense and Helsinki's support for Ukraine. Afterward, they gave a joint press conference.

Zelenskyy also took part in a summit between the Nordic countries and Ukraine. As a result, the five Nordic NATO member states – Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden – issued a joint statement in support of Ukraine. They emphasized that they would continue to provide military and other assistance to Ukraine, and promised to support Ukraine on its path to the EU and NATO.

Expanding the grounds for dismissal from military service

The Verkhovna Rada has approved a law stipulating that during martial law, people whose close relatives were killed or went missing while ensuring national security and defense, including repelling Russian aggression, will also be discharged from military service.

Close relatives are a husband, a wife, a son, a daughter, a father, a mother, a grandfather, a grandmother, or a sibling (full or half). The innovation applies to both those mobilized and those serving under contract.

Other news:

• Russia carried out 41 air and 2 missile strikes over the last day. Another 25 attacks were made from MLRS, the General Staff reports.
• According to media investigation, Russian ships were at least three times near the sites of explosions on Nord Stream.
• Curfew is to be introduced in Kherson for more than two days.
• Ukrainian MPs approved the “Anti-Pushkin” law: it will help dismantle monuments related to Russia or the USSR.
• The Russian Federal Security Service claims to have detained Ukrainian agents in Crimea. The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine called it disinformation.
• NATO intelligence chief warns that Russia may damage undersea cables to retaliate against the West.
• In Belgrade, a student opened fire in a school: a guard and 8 children were killed.
• In Lviv Oblast, a teacher fought with a student. Police drew up a report on her for bullying.