Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived at Amsterdam's airport late Wednesday for an unannounced visit to the Netherlands, with a trip to the International Criminal Court on his agenda, local media reported. This came after his visit to Finland for talks with Nordic leaders. Read our live blog to see how all the day's events unfolded. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).
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3:30am: Ukrainian president arrives in Netherlands
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to make a visit to the Netherlands on Thursday, where he will deliver a speech and will have meetings with Prime Minister Mark Rutte and members of parliament, the Dutch government said.
The Dutch foreign ministry said Zelenskiy was expected to deliver a speech titled "No Peace Without Justice for Ukraine."
Citing security concerns, government spokespersons declined to provide further details on Zelensky's visit, which would be his first to the country. The Ukrainian leader has visited several foreign capitals including London, Paris and Washington, DC since Russia's 2022 invasion.
Dutch news agency ANP reported that Zelensky arrived in the Netherlands by airplane late on Wednesday after a visit to Finland.
03:15am: Explosions heard in Kyiv, other Ukrainian cities
Explosions were heard in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and other cities in the early hours of Thursday morning, officials and media outlets said, with some local authorities reporting that anti-aircraft defences were at work.
Russia has regularly bombarded Ukraine since October last year, striking at a variety of targets. The latest blasts were reported less than 24 hours after Kyiv said 21 people died in a Russian strike on the city of Kherson.
"Air defences are working in the Kyiv region," the regional military administration said on Telegram. Reuters eyewitnesses in the city said there had been at least one loud blast.
Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne reported explosions in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia. Yuri Malashko, the head of the Zaporizhzhia regional military administration, said on Telegram that anti-aircraft defences were at work.
Local media also reported blasts in the Black Sea port of Odesa. Air alerts have been sounded in most of the eastern half of the country, according to an official government map.
03:05am: Part of south Russia oil refinery catches fire after drone attack, reports Russian media
Part of an oil refinery in southern Russia is on fire after it was hit by a drone attack, Tass news agency cited local emergency services as saying early on Thursday.
Tass said the incident occurred at the Ilsky refinery near the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. It cited a source as saying a fuel reservoir was on fire but gave no details.
Ukraine rarely claims responsibility for what Moscow says are frequent drone strikes against infrastructure and military targets, particularly in regions close to Russia.
Last June the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in Russia's Rostov region, bordering Ukraine, suspended operations after two unmanned aerial vehicles attacked its facilities.
5:50pm: Ukraine's Zelensky doubles down on denying Kremlin allegations
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters aon Wednesday said at a joint press conference with Nordic leaders in Helsinki, "We didn't attack Putin. We leave it to the tribunal. We fight on our territory, we are defending our villages and cities."
5:24pm: Russian strikes kill 16 in southern Ukraine
Russian strikes on Ukraine's southern Kherson region killed 16 people on Wednesday, local prosecutors said, as authorities introduced a curfew in the main city of Kherson starting Friday.
"A massive attack by the occupiers on civilians in the Kherson region: death toll rises to 16," the Kherson region prosecutor's office said in a statement.
It said 12 of the victims were killed in the city of Kherson and that "around 22 civilians" were wounded. Officials earlier said three people were killed in a strike on Kherson's only working hypermarket.
Officials also announced Wednesday that Kherson will be under curfew for 58 hours from Friday.
5:14pm: Nordic nations back Ukraine for eventual EU, NATO membership
Nordic nations support Ukraine in its efforts to eventually become a member of the European Union and NATO, leaders of Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland said in a joint statement with President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday.
"The Nordic countries will continue their political, financial, humanitarian and military support for as long as it takes," the joint statement said.
4:31pm: US cannot validate accusation that Ukraine attempted to kill Putin
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday said he can not validate Russia's accusation that Ukraine tried to assassinate Putin in a drone attack, but said he would take anything coming from the Kremlin with a "very large shaker of salt."
Asked if the United States would criticise Ukraine if it decided on its own to strike back in Russian territory, Blinken said those were decisions for Ukraine to make about how to defend itself.
4:13pm: EU envoys seal deal on joint ammunition buying for Ukraine
European Union countries finalised a scheme on Wednesday to jointly buy ammunition for Ukraine after weeks of wrangling that had frustrated leaders in Kyiv.
Ambassadors from the EU's member countries approved the deal at a meeting in Brussels, ending a dispute over how much of the business from the munitions contracts should stay in Europe.
Sweden, current holder of the EU's rotating presidency, said the ambassadors approved the decision "to support the Ukrainian Armed Forces through 1 billion euros ($1.10 billion) for joint procurement of ammunition and missiles".
Details of the compromise were not immediately available.
4:12pm: Russian official demands 'destroying the Kyiv regime' after alleged attack
A high-ranking Russian official on Wednesday called for "destroying the Kyiv regime" after an alleged drone attack on the Kremlin that Moscow said was a Ukrainian attempt on the Russian president's life.
"We will demand the use of weapons capable of stopping and destroying the Kyiv terrorist regime," Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the Russian Duma and Putin ally, said. "No negotiations can take place with the regime of Zelensky."
3:40pm: Kyiv and other Ukrainian regions announce air alerts
Kyiv and some central and eastern Ukrainian regions announced air alerts on Wednesday, shortly after the Kremlin accused Ukraine of attacking the Kremlin with drones overnight in a failed attempt tor Putin.
A senior Ukrainian presidential official denied the accusation and said it indicated Moscow was preparing a major "provocation".
3:07pm: Zelensky says this year will be 'decisive for victory'
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday said this year will be "decisive" as he reaffirmed his call for heavier weapons ahead of Ukraine's counter-offensive against Russia, during a surprise visit to Finland.
"I believe that this year will be decisive for us, for Europe, for Ukraine, decisive for victory," he told reporters during a joint press conference with his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto.
Zelensky thanked Niinisto, whose country became NATO's newest member in April, for its military support so far and said the two have agreed to speed up further deliveries.
2:50pm: Ukraine denies involvement in alleged Kremlin drone attack
A senior Ukrainian presidential official said on Wednesday that Kyiv had nothing to do with any drone attack on the Kremlin, adding that such a move would achieve nothing for Kyiv on the battlefield and would only provoke Russia to take more radical action.
Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said in comments sent to Reuters that the allegation that Kyiv was behind the attack, and Russia’s arrest of alleged Ukrainian saboteurs, could indicate Moscow was preparing for a large-scale “terrorist” attack against Ukraine in coming days.
“In my opinion, it is absolutely obvious that both reports about an attack on the Kremlin and, simultaneously, the supposed detention of Ukrainian saboteurs in Crimea … clearly indicates the preparation of a large-scale terrorist provocation by Russia in the coming days.”
1:40pm: Russia says Ukraine tried to attack Kremlin with drone in attempt to kill Putin
Russia said Wednesday it had shot down two drones aimed at Vladimir Putin's residence in the Kremlin in what it called a "terrorist" assassination attempt against the Russian president.
"Two unmanned vehicles were aimed at the Kremlin... the devices were put out of action," the Kremlin said in a statement, adding that this had happened during the night between Tuesday and Wednesday.
The remnants of the downed drones fell inside the Kremlin but did not injure anyone, the statement added.
It said the operation was "a planned terrorist act and an attempt on the life of the President of the Russian Federation."
In a statement, Moscow’s mayor Sergei Sobyanin said drone flights would be prohibited in the Russian capital unless a special permit had been obtained from "government authorities".
1:36pm: Russia says it destroyed ammunition depot in Ukraine's Sumy region
Russia's Defence Ministry said on Wednesday that it had destroyed an ammunition depot in Ukraine's Sumy region, Russian state-owned news agency TASS reported.
1:14pm: Zelensky to visit Germany on May 13,14
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to travel to Germany on May 13 and 14, German federal police told Reuters on Wednesday, confirming earlier media reports.
"At the invitation of the Federal Chancellor, the President of Ukraine, Mr Volodymyr Zelensky, is expected to make an official visit to Berlin and Aachen from May 13 to 14," the federal police said in a written statement.
German newspaper Tagesspiegel reported earlier on Wednesday that the Ukrainian leader would be received by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz with military honours on May 14 before flying to Aachen later in the day to receive the 2023 Charlemagne Prize.
12:42pm: EU unveils ammo production plan as war in Ukraine rages
The EU on Wednesday presented a proposal to boost ammunition production in Europe to replace depleted stocks as it arms Ukraine in its war against Russia.
The European Commission put forward draft legislation that would pour 500 million euros ($550 million) from the EU budget to increase ammunition production.
EU internal market commissioner Thierry Breton said he hoped the proposal would become law by the end of next month.
11:45am: Zelensky in Finland to meet Nordic leaders
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Finland on Wednesday for talks with Nordic leaders on his country's war with Russia and its relations with Europe, governments of the region said.
Zelensky will hold bilateral talks with Finland's President Sauli Niinisto followed by a news conference before joining a regional summit and a second meeting with media, Niinisto's office said in a statement. The wider summit will include Niinisto as well as the prime ministers of Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland.
"The theme of the summit is Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, the Nordic countries' continued support for Ukraine, Ukraine's relationship with the EU and NATO, and Ukraine's initiative for a just peace," Niinisto's office said.
The Ukrainian president's visit to Finland, one of only a few journeys he has made abroad since Russia's invasion last year, was announced only after his arrival amid tight security arrangements in the Finnish capital.
11:01am: At least three civilians killed in Russian attack on Kherson hypermarket
At least three civilians were killed in a Russian attack on a hypermarket in the southern Ukraine city of Kherson on Wednesday, the Ukrainian prosecutor's office and the Interior Ministry said.
Five civilians were also wounded in the attack, they said. The prosecutor's office said that, according to initial information, Russian forces had attacked the city with artillery.
10:42am: Ukraine's Kherson announces 58-hour curfew from Friday
The city of Kherson near the front line in southern Ukraine will be under curfew for 58 hours from Friday evening, a local official said, as Ukraine prepares for a spring offensive.
"During these 58 hours, it is forbidden to move on the streets of the city. The city will also be closed for entry and exit," said Kherson regional military administration head Oleksandr Prokudin via Telegram, advising residents to stock up on food and medicine.
Prokudin said residents could go for short walks near their houses or visit shops but should carry identity documents with them.
8:59am: Russia says seven Ukrainian agents arrested in Crimea
Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said on Wednesday that seven people connected with Ukrainian intelligence had been detained in Crimea, state-owned news agency TASS reported.
In a statement, the FSB said that attacks against Russian-backed Crimea governor Sergei Aksyonov and other officials had been thwarted.
8:17am: Russia, Ukraine, Turkey deputy defence ministers to discuss grain deal
The deputy defence ministers of Russia, Ukraine and Turkey will meet in Istanbul on Friday to discuss a deal that allows the exports of Ukrainian grains on the Black Sea, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar was quoted as saying on Wednesday.
"During the meeting, some issues starting with the grain initiative will be discussed," state-owned Anadolu Agency quoted him as saying about the meeting scheduled to take place in Istanbul.
"In this regard, we can say that the sides are looking warmly at the extension of the duration. Our wish is that this initiative is extended without any trouble," he said.
7:21am: Ukraine says Russian strikes hit Dnipro but most drones destroyed
Russia launched a third nightly round of attacks on Kyiv in six days, authorities in the Ukrainian capital said on Wednesday, but a drone hit a building in the Dnipropetrovsk region as Moscow steps up attacks on its neighbour.
Ukraine's Air Force Command said its forces destroyed 21 of the 26 Iranian-made Shahed drones launched by Russia, while Kyiv officials said air defence systems eliminated those sent over the city, with no initial reports of casualties or destruction.
"All enemy targets were identified and shot down in the airspace around the capital," Kyiv's military administration said on the Telegram messaging app, citing initial details.
3:49am: Fuel storage facility in Russia's Krasnodar on fire, governor says
A fuel storage facility in Russia's Krasnodar region was on fire in the early hours on Wednesday, the region's governor said, adding that according to preliminary information there are no casualties.
"The fire has been classified as the highest rank of difficulty," Veniamin Kondratyev, the governor of the Krasnodar region which lies in Russia's southwest across the Sea of Azov from Ukraine, said on the Telegram messaging app.
2:33am: Zelensky says Kyiv not warned of US secret docs leak
Washington did not warn Kyiv about the top-secret documents leaked to internet chat rooms – containing sensitive information about Ukraine's war effort – before the news broke in the media last month, President Volodymyr Zelensky told the Washington Post.
The embarrassing security breach revealed US unease about a coming counteroffensive by Kyiv's forces against Russian troops as well as concerns about Ukrainian air defenses.
"I did not receive information from the White House or the Pentagon beforehand," Zelensky told the newspaper in an interview in Kyiv Monday.
"We did not have that information. I personally did not. It's definitely a bad story," he said, calling the situation "unprofitable".
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Key developments from Tuesday, May 2:
Ukrainian forces shelled a village in the Russian Bryansk region bordering Ukraine early on Tuesday, the local governor said in a social media post, a day after an explosion derailed a freight train in the region.
The EU announced it will put forward a plan to boost its production capacity of artillery shells to one million a year, as it scrambles to arm Ukraine and replenish its own stocks after decades of under-investment in defence.
Read yesterday's blog to see how the day's events unfolded.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
