At 4:33 on May 2, Beijing time:
Russian Foreign Minister: Russia’s purpose is not to change the Kyiv regime, but to ensure the safety of the people in eastern Ukraine
On May 1, local time, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview that Russia’s purpose is not to change the Kyiv regime, and only the United States will do such a thing. Russia wants to ensure the safety of the people of eastern Ukraine, so that they are not threatened by the militarization of Ukraine, and that Russia’s security is not threatened from Ukrainian territory.
He noted that Kyiv was sabotaging talks with Moscow and its position changed frequently. Authorities in Kyiv are trying to get the remaining militants out of the Azov steel plant, where Western officials and mercenaries may be among them.
Lavrov said the United States and Canada played a leading role in training Ukrainian extremists, among other things, according to the released materials.
Lavrov said it was known to President Vladimir Putin that Russia had “unprecedented weapons” at its disposal. Putin announced new developments in a speech three years ago. The first is hypersonic weapons. Russia is forced to develop hypersonic weapons because Russia knows very well that the US missile defense system is directed against Russia.
Regarding paying for gas in rubles, Lavrov said the West has stolen $300 billion from Russia, most of which is used to pay for gas and oil supplied by Russia. Russia cannot continue to tolerate Western theft. Russia therefore proposes that when dollars and euros are remitted to GazpromBank, they cannot be considered paid, but only when converted into rubles, so that rubles cannot be stolen.
In response to a reporter’s question on whether the conflict would end before Victory Day on May 9, Lavrov said that the Russian military would not artificially adjust its operations to any date, including Victory Day. The speed of Russian operations in Ukraine depends first and foremost on the need to minimize any risk to civilians and Russian military personnel.
At 2:13 on May 2, Beijing time:
Zelensky says evacuations from Mariupol will continue
On the evening of May 1, local time, Zelensky released a video saying that the task of evacuating 100 people from the Azov Steel Plant was completed that day. He said that the ceasefire system will last for two days, and the evacuation of personnel from Mariupol will continue at 8 am on the 2nd.
Beijing time at 1:45 on May 2:
Russians say they hit 7 Ukrainian military installations
The Russian Defense Ministry said on May 1 that the Russian Aerospace Forces used high-precision missiles to hit seven Ukrainian military installations. These include 4 staging points for Ukrainian troops and weapons and equipment, and 3 rocket and artillery weapons and ammunition depots in Donetsk and Kharkov regions, respectively.
In addition, the Russian army destroyed two sets of Ukrainian S-300 air defense missile systems in Zaporozhye and other places. Russian air defense forces shot down two Ukrainian Dot-U missiles over settlements in Zaporozhye Oblast.
At 23:45 on May 1st, Beijing time:
Russian Defense Ministry: 80 civilians have been evacuated from Azov steel plant
On May 1, local time, the Russian Ministry of Defense issued a statement on the evacuation of civilians from the Azov steel plant. At the initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin, 80 civilians, including women and children, held by Ukrainian nationalists have been evacuated from the Azov steel plant in Mariupol, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
Russian troops and Donetsk militants went into a state of “silence”, opening a humanitarian corridor for the safe evacuation of civilians.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the civilians were evacuated to an unnamed village in Donetsk, where they will spend the night and receive food and necessary medical assistance. Civilians who wish to travel to areas controlled by the Kyiv regime will be handed over to UN and ICRC representatives.
At 22:58 on May 1st, Beijing time:
Zelensky: Evacuation of civilians from Azov steel plant has begun
On May 1, local time, Zelensky said on social platforms that he began to evacuate civilians from the Azov Steel Plant. “The first team of about 100 people is en route to the controlled area. We will meet them tomorrow in Zaporozhye. (Our team) is working with the UN representative to evacuate the remaining civilians from the factory.”
A spokesman for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs confirmed on May 1 that the United Nations was conducting a “safe passage operation” to help evacuate civilians from the Azov steel plant in the city of Mariupol. The operation, which began on 29 April, is currently being carried out in cooperation with the ICRC, Russia and Ukraine.
At 21:21 on May 1st, Beijing time:
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the establishment of IT security departments in every department, agency and backbone organization
On May 1, local time, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a presidential decree on additional measures to ensure Russian information security. Putin ordered the establishment of IT security departments in every department, agency and backbone organization. According to the regulations, from January 1, 2025, Russian state-owned enterprises and institutions are prohibited from using information security equipment produced by unfriendly countries.
At 21:19 on May 1st, Beijing time:
Putin signs law prohibiting Russian credit institutions from submitting account information abroad
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on May 1 that restricts Russian credit institutions from providing information to foreign countries. The new law prohibits Russian banks and credit institutions from providing foreign authorities, including the judiciary, with information requested by them about bank clients and their transactions, as well as client representatives, beneficiaries and account and asset holders.
The law also stipulates that Russian banks and credit institutions may submit relevant information to foreign institutions within the scope of international tax information cooperation if the account holder is subject to foreign tax laws governing the holding of foreign accounts.
At 20:57 on May 1st, Beijing time:
Russia scraps visa simplification regime for officials from EU and some unfriendly countries
On May 1, local time, according to the official Russian legal information portal, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law to cancel the simplified visa system for officials from the European Union and some unfriendly countries. The decree concerns visa facilitation agreements between Russia and Denmark, Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland and Switzerland.
According to the signed law, Russia cancels the simplified procedures for submitting documents and issuing one-year multiple-entry visas for official delegations and journalists of relevant countries, and cancels the issuance of five-year multiple-entry visas for members of the government, parliament and courts. In addition, visa fees for official delegations and members of governments and parliaments of the countries concerned are no longer free, and diplomatic passport holders are no longer visa-free.
At 17:49 on May 1st, Beijing time:
Russian Defense Ministry says 46 civilians evacuated from Azov steel plant
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that on April 30, two groups of 46 civilians were evacuated from their residences near the Azov steel plant in Mariupol.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that in the afternoon, the first group of 25 civilians was evacuated safely, and later that day, the second group of 21 civilians was also evacuated to a village in Mariupol.
All evacuated civilians received accommodation, food and necessary medical assistance, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
At 17:08 on May 1st, Beijing time:
Russian Ministry of Defense: The Russian army used “Onyx” high-precision missiles to hit the military airport near Odessa
On May 1, local time, the Russian Ministry of Defense said that the Russian army used “Onyx” high-precision missiles to hit a military airfield near the city of Odessa on the Black Sea, destroying a warehouse containing weapons and ammunition provided by the United States and European countries. , blowing up the airport runway.