With the Ukraine war continuously on since the past 74 days, there is no sign of peace. Day before it marks the victory of Soviet Union over the Nazi Germany in the Second World War, Russia has intensified its attack in the neighbouring country. Moscow's defence ministry on Sunday said its high-precision missiles destroyed weapons and military equipment supplied to the Ukrainian forces from the United States and other western countries at a railway station near Soledar.
Here are the top developments unfolding in warzone Ukraine on the 74th day.
1. US First Lady Jill Biden's unannounced visit to Ukraine was the highlight of the day. After spending Mother's Day with displaced Ukrainian mothers in Slovakia, Biden surprised everyone when she secretly travelled to the town of Uzhhorod, about a ten-minute drive from a Slovakian border village. She was welcomed by her Ukrainian counterpart Olena Zelenska. Zelenska thanked Biden for her “courageous act” and said, “We understand what it takes for the U.S. first lady to come here during a war when military actions are taking place every day, where the air sirens are happening every day -- even today.”
2. After Jill Biden, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau made an announced visit to the Ukrainian town of Irpin, AFP reported. Irpin Mayor Oleksandr Markushyn posted pictures on an official social media channel with pictures of Trudeau writing that the Canadian prime minister "came to Irpin to see with his own eyes all the horror that the Russian occupiers had done to our city."
3. The United States will impose fresh sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said after his discussions with his American counterpart Antony Blinken.
4. The Group of Seven or G-7 leaders have said that the group will reinforce Russia's economic isolation and ‘elevate' a campaign against the Russian elites who are supporting Vladimir Putin. After meeting virtually with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the leaders said they would cut off key services on which Russia depends, reinforcing the isolation of Russia "across all sectors of its economy."
5. The US State Department on Sunday announced a raft of visa bans and a new policy of visa restrictions on more than 2,500 Russian military officials and Russian-backed forces in Ukraine, according to a department fact sheet, Reuters reported. The State Department also said it designated eight Russian maritime-related companies and added 69 vessels to a US Treasury Department sanctions list.
