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- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls for more weapons to break Mariupol siege.
- Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the US House of Representatives, says US aid will help Kyiv defend “democracy for the world”.
- Ukrainian officials say the country’s forces have recaptured villages from Russian troops north and north of Kharkiv.
- Ukraine’s gas system operator says it will declare force majeure on the transportation of gas through the Sokhranivka entry point, with flows stopping on Wednesday.
Here are all the latest updates:
US ambassador nominee for Ukraine seeks quick embassy reopening
The Biden administration’s nominee for US ambassador to Ukraine has said she would work to make Russia’s invasion of that country a “strategic failure”.
Bridget Brink told senators she would push to fully reopen the US embassy in Kyiv and take up her work in the country, but said she could give no timeframe for that. She noted the outside of the embassy complex, which closed before the invasion, appeared to have what she called superficial damage.
“What we are trying to do as an administration is move security items as fast as possible to Ukraine,” Brink said.
Ukraine to halt key Russian gas transit to Europe, use alternative
Ukraine has said it would suspend the flow of gas through a transit point which it said delivers almost a third of the fuel piped from Russia to Europe, blaming Moscow for the move and saying it would move the flows elsewhere.
GTSOU, which operates Ukraine’s gas system, said it would suspend flows via the Sokhranivka route from Wednesday, declaring “force majeure”, a clause invoked when a business is hit by something beyond its control.
The company said in a statement that it could not operate at the Novopskov gas compressor station due to “the interference of the occupying forces in technical processes”, adding that it could temporarily shift the affected flow elsewhere, to the Sudzha physical interconnection point located in territory controlled by Ukraine.
But Gazprom, which has a monopoly on Russian gas exports by pipeline, said it was “technologically impossible” to shift all volumes to the Sudzha interconnection point, as GTSOU proposed.
Gas prices hit new record in US
US gas prices have reached a record high as Biden says fighting inflation is his top domestic priority.
The average price at the pump hit $4.37 per gallon, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA), surpassing the last record of $4.33 set on March 11. The average price per gallon a year ago was $2.97.
On Tuesday, Biden blamed what he called “Mr Putin’s war in Ukraine” and the COVID-19 pandemic for inflation, including increased gas prices.
Ukraine pushes back Russian troops near Kharkiv: Defense ministry
Ukraine has its forces recaptured villages from Russian troops north and northeast of Kharkiv, in a counter-offensive that could signal a shift in the war’s momentum and jeopardise Russia’s main advance.
Ukrainian troops in recent days recaptured the settlements of Cherkaski Tyshky, Ruski Tyshki, Borshchova and Slobozhanske, north of Ukraine’s second-largest city, said Tetiana Apatchenko, a press officer with the main Ukrainian force in the area.
Defense Ministry adviser Yuriy Saks also said Ukraine was pushing Russian forces out of range of Kharkiv, located in the north country’s, which has been under perpetual bombardment since the war began.
“The military operations of the Ukrainian armed forces around Kharkiv, especially the north and northeast of Kharkiv, are sort of a success story,” Saks told the Reuters news agency.
Leonid Kravchuk, independent Ukraine’s first president, dies
Leonid Kravchuk, who led Ukraine into independence amid the collapse of the Soviet Union and served as its first president, has died, Ukrainian officials have said. He was 88.
Andriy Yermak, head of Zelenskyy’s office, confirmed Kravchuk’s death on the social media app Telegram. Kravchuk had been in poor health and underwent a heart operation last year.
Kravchuk led Ukraine as its Communist Party boss in the waning years of the Soviet Union before holding the Ukrainian presidency from 1991 through 1994.
He was a driving force in Ukraine’s declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and later that year joined leaders of Russia and Belarus to sign an agreement that formally declared that the Soviet Union ceased to exist.
Italy to take in dozens of Ukrainian orphans
The Italian Foreign Ministry has said 63 Ukrainian orphans will be flown from Krakow, Poland to Trapani, Sicily.
The transport was organized by the Pope John XXIII Community, along with Italian diplomats in Ukraine and Poland.
“This humanitarian evacuation confirms Italy’s commitment to assisting civilians hit by the conflict in Ukraine,” the ministry said in a statement.
US House to vote on $40bn Ukraine aid package: Pelosi
The US House of Representatives will vote on a $40bn military and humanitarian aid package for Ukraine on Tuesday night, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said.
The legislation is expected to pass in the House and then the Senate within the coming days.
US President Joe Biden had asked Congress to approve an additional $33bn in aid for Ukraine, warning that previously authorised funds were running out, but US lawmakers decided to increase that total to $39.8 billion.
“This package, which builds on the robust support already secured by Congress, will be pivotal in helping Ukraine defend not only its nation but democracy for the world,” Pelosi said in a letter to House members urging quick passage.
Zelenskyy asks for more weapons to unlock Mariupol siege
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told Maltese lawmakers that despite pleas, Ukraine has not received the amount of weapons it would need to unblock the siege of Mariupol and free the city.
But Zelenskyy said Ukrainian defenders “still continue their resistance in the plant of Azovstal”.
“We are using all possible diplomatic instruments to rescue them, but Russia doesn’t allow for any of the proposed options. We have asked our partners to provide weapons in order to unblock Mariupol and rescue both civilians and military personnel,” he said.
Hello and welcome to Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the war in Ukraine.
Read all the updates from Tuesday, May 10 here.
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