Preparations for the new stage of evacuation from Azovstal and new aid from partners (LAST NIGHT'S HIGHLIGHTS)

Women collect things in their apartment destroyed by Russian aircraft in Bakhmut, May 7, 2022 AP Photo / Evgeniy Maloletka

Ukraine to prepare the second stage of the evacuation mission from Azovstal in Mariupol to save the lives of the wounded and medics; UK to provide an additional $1.6 billion in military assistance for Ukraine. Here is what you may have missed from the night of May 8.

Evacuation from Azovstal continues

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the preparation of the second stage of the evacuation mission from Azovstal in Mariupol to save the lives of the wounded and medics.

Earlier, more than 300 elderly people, women, and children were rescued from Azovstal with the support of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations. As for now, all civilians have been evacuated from the plant.

"Of course, if everyone fulfills the agreements. Of course, if there are no lies. Of course, we are also working to evacuate our military — all the heroes defending Mariupol. It is extremely difficult but important. I am sure everyone understands the main reason for this difficulty," Zelensky said.

He also emphasized that the authorities are not losing hope and are looking for a diplomatic option that can work.

At the same time, Acting Commander of the Rear Admiral Mykhailo Bilynskyi 36th Separate Marine Brigade Serhiy Volynsky (call sign Volyna), who is defending Mariupol, says he hopes for a miracle and that a solution will be found to save Ukrainian service members, "Time is running out, and time is our lives!"

Help from partners

Ukraine will receive $1.5 billion from the World Bank to cover public sector workers' salaries. The money will be used to reimburse state budget expenditures to pay employees of state bodies and budgetary institutions in the field of education at the national and regional levels.

The UK will provide Ukraine with another £1.3 billion in military aid ($1.6 billion). The government made this commitment on the eve of a video call between G7 leaders and President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Return of Kyiv residents to the capital 

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko says that after May 8-9, the residents who left the city may gradually return to the capital. However, the threat to the capital remains.

There are currently 2.2 million people in Kyiv. Before the war, there were usually 3.5 million people staying in the city for the night. The lowest number of people in the capital since the beginning of the full-scale war was about 1 million people.

Fake rallies in Zaporizhzhia Oblast

Russian occupation forces are trying to hold 'celebration' events on May 9 in the occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, reports Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration. For example, in Enerhodar, Russian troops took away documents from the locals and promised to give them back on May 9, hoping to gather a large number of people to create an image for Russian TV.

Every fourth Ukrainian in Poland found a job

More than 100,000 working-age Ukrainians out of the 400,000 who fled the war and now stay in Poland have found a job, says Polish Interior Ministry. The officials add that those people are officially registered and work legally.

At the same time, Poland wants to develop a systemic solution to help people who have fled Ukraine to Poland to adapt and become independent in the new country.

Fires in Kherson Oblast

Forest fires are raging in the Kherson Oblast near the villages of Heroiske and Ivanivka. Russian soldiers cannot put out the fire and forbid locals to do it, says Oleksandr Musienko, Head of the Chulakivka village community. The official called for help, warning that local elderly people could be threatened with death by fire or smoke.