In a wide-ranging interview with The Washington Post, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he has not had any conversations with the White House about the massive leak of highly classified U.S. intelligence documents shared on the Discord messaging platform.
Ukraine live briefing: Zelensky says Discord leaks on Ukraine ‘not beneficial’ to U.S.; explosions heard in Kyiv
“It is unprofitable for us,” Zelensky said. “It is not beneficial to the reputation of the White House, and I believe it is not beneficial to the reputation of the United States.”
After midnight local time, an air-raid alert sounded throughout Kyiv. Two loud explosions could be heard in the city center after that. The blasts were the sounds of air defense intercepting projectiles, local officials said.
Here’s the latest on the war and its ripple effects across the globe.
Key developments
- Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the Discord leaks with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba during a call in April after news of the leak had broken, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomatic discussions. The call had been previously scheduled to discuss a NATO meeting, the official said.
- More than 20,000 Russian troops have been killed and 80,000 have been wounded in Ukraine since December, according to an estimate from the U.S. National Security Council. The numbers are based on “intelligence that we were able to corroborate over a period of some time,” NSC spokesman John Kirby said. He declined to discuss Ukrainian casualties. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that the Pentagon’s estimate of 100,000 Russians dead or injured was fabricated. “They do not have such data,” he said.
- Of the 20,000 Russians killed, half were part of the Kremlin-backed Wagner mercenary group involved in the heavy fighting in the eastern city of Bakhmut, U.S. officials said. Many Wagner fighters are ex-convicts who did not receive sufficient military training, U.S. officials have said.
- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told top military officials in a Tuesday meeting that Russia must “quickly double” its production of high-precision weapons, saying the Russian military’s “activities” in Ukraine “depend heavily” on timely reinforcements of weapons and ammunition.
- For the second time in two days, Russia said that a train had derailed in the Bryansk region. Once again, no injuries were reported. Russian Railways blamed the incident, in which 20 freight cars went off the tracks, on “interference by unauthorized persons.” Russia has accused pro-Ukrainian groups of carrying out attacks in the area.
- Denmark announced that it will donate about $250 million worth of additional military equipment to Ukraine, Reuters reported.
- New Zealand’s prime minister had his first phone call with Zelensky since becoming leader in January. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, who is visiting Britain to attend King Charles III’s coronation, will shake hands with New Zealand troops who are helping to train Ukrainian forces in Britain. Hipkins said he will also make announcements on additional support that New Zealand plans to provide Ukraine.
Battleground updates
- Ukraine is almost done preparing for a fresh spring counteroffensive against Russian forces, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said, according to local media. The push has been framed as a make-or-break opportunity to recapture territory held by Russian forces, which totals about one-fifth of the country.
- Russia conducted 19 missile strikes during the “last day,” Ukraine’s military said in an updated statement early Tuesday. The attacks hit residential buildings, schools, hospitals and kindergartens, it said.
- Russian forces are continuing offensive operations in Bakhmut, including airstrikes against the city, Ukraine’s military said early Tuesday. Russian military bloggers are claiming that Wagner forces are advancing at a pace of one or two blocks per day, the Institute for the Study of War reported.
Global impact
- Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, denied illegally transferring thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia in an interview with Vice News. Lvova-Belova called allegations that she is a war criminal “funny.” In March, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Lvova-Belova for the war crime of “unlawful deportation and … transfer” of children from regions in Ukraine occupied by Russian troops.
- Black Sea grain talks will take place Wednesday, Reuters quoted a senior Ukrainian official as saying. But Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that it had received no information about the meeting. The fragile deal among Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations, which allows shipments of grain from Ukrainian Black Sea ports despite the war, will expire May 18 unless renewed.
Analysis from The Post
A week after Tucker Carlson’s exit, McCarthy goes big for Ukraine: While on a visit to Israel, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) spoke in favor of continued U.S. support for Ukraine, without repeating his previous comments about how he would not back a “blank check” for the beleaguered country, Aaron Blake reports. McCarthy made the remarks just days after Fox News parted ways with Tucker Carlson, who was one of the staunchest advocates for cutting U.S. support for Ukraine.
Natalia Abbakumova contributed to this report.