ទម្លាយខ្ទិច ល្បិចរបស់ប្រពន្ធ និងម្តាយក្មេក

 កូនប្រសាប្រុស​ លឹម​ ហុង​ ស៊ូទ្រាំនិងទង្វេីរ​ ល្បិចពិសពុលរបស់ម្ដាយក្មេក​ ទ្បាយ​ សេង​ និងប្រពន្ធលែងបាន​ ដាច់ចិត្តសុំកូនៗទាំង៥នាក់បញ្ចេញរឿងពិត ឲ្យមហាជនបានដឹង​ និងប្រកាសលេខទូរស័ព្ទ​ 069 696 796​ ឲ្យម្ចាស់បំណុល​ អាចមកជួបរកដំណោះស្រាយជាមួយលោក​ ដែលអតីត​ប្រពន្ធលួចយកប្លង់ដី ប្លង់ផ្ទះ និងមានជាច្រេីនកន្លែងទៀត យកទៅបញ្ចាំគេ​ ហេីយរត់ចោលស្រុក ទុកឲ្យ លោក​ លឹម​ ហុង​ ដែលជាអតីតប្ដីអ្នកទទួលរាប់រងចិញ្ចឹមកូនៗ៥នាក់​ រួមទាំងម្ដាយក្មេកទៀត​ ចុងក្រោយម្ដាយក្មេក​ ទ្បាយ​ សេង​ បង្កាច់បង្ខូចកេរ្តិ៍ឈ្មោះ​ កូនប្រសារថែមទៀតមិនខ្លាចបាប។

លោក​ លឹម​ ហុង​ បុរសពោះម៉ាយតស៊ូតែម្នាក់ឯង ចិញ្ចឹមកូនៗប្រុសស្រីចំនួន៥នាក់ ឲ្យបានរស់ បានរៀនខ្ពង់ខ្ពង់​ ដោយទប់លែងជាប់ ទ្រាំលែងបាន និងទង្វេីរដ៏ខ្មៅខ្វក់ ល្បិចពិសពុលរបស់ម្ដាយក្មេក និងអតីតប្រពន្ធ​ ឈ្មោះ​ សូត្រ​ ស្រីយ៉ា​ ក៏បានដាច់ចិត្ត ទំលាយរឿងរាវពិតដល់មហាជនទាំងអស់ឲ្យបានដឹង និងប្រកាសជាសាធារណះ ឲ្យម្ចាស់បំណុលដែលប្រពន្ធរបស់លោកលួចយក ប្លង់ផ្ទះ ប្លង់ដី ដែលជាទ្រព្យសម្បត្តិរួមយកទៅបញ្ចាំដេីរសុីចាយហុឺហា​ ហាយសូរ​ ៕

គួររំលឹកផងដែរថាកាលពីថ្ងៃទី៦​ ខែមិថុនា​ ឆ្នាំ​២០២៣​ នៅផ្លូវបេតុង​ ភូមិខ្ទរ​ សង្កាត់ព្រែកលាប​ ខណ្ឌជ្រោយចង្វារ​ វេលាម៉ោង៨ជាងព្រឹក​ លោក​ លឹម​ ហុង​ បានប្រាប់​ កូនប្រុសបង្កេីតឲ្យប្រាប់អតីតម្ដាយក្មេករបស់លោកដែលធ្លាប់រស់នៅក្នុងផ្ទះរបស់លោក ឲ្យគាត់រេីឥវ៉ា់ចេញពីផ្ទះរបស់លោកទៅ ព្រោះតែលោកបានឆែកកាំមេរ៉ា​ សារថយក្រោយ ដែលប៉ុន្មានថ្ងៃកន្លងមក បានឃេីញម្ដាយក្មេករបស់​ លោក​លួចឥវ៉ាន់ ក្នុងផ្ទះដូចជាដែកនិងឈេីល្អៗ យកទ្បានដឹកចេញទៅ​ ជាច្រេីនលេីកច្រេីនសារ ហេីយទោះ​ លោកព្យាយាមនិយាយហាមឃាត់យ៉ាងណាក៏មិនស្ដាប់​ មានពេលខ្លះអតីតម្ដាយក្មេកលោក ខ្លាចលោកដឹង ម្ដាយក្មេកលួចបង្វិលកាំមេរ៉ាសុវត្តិភាព ដេីម្បីកុំឲ្យអតីតកូនប្រសារមេីលកាំមេរ៉ាមកឃេីញពីសកម្មភាព ដែលម្ដាយក្មេកកំពុងលួចឈេីល្អៗ ក្នុងផ្ទះយកទៅលក់​ ៕

កូនប្រុសបង្កេីតរបស់អតីតម្ដាយក្មេក​ លោក លឹម​ ហុង​ បានមកប្រមែលប្រមូលឥវ៉ានផ្ទាល់របស់ម្ដាយគាត់យកមកដាក់នៅខាងក្រៅរបងមុខផ្ទះ​ និងបានខលហៅម្ដាយអោយមកតែម្ដាយបានឆ្លេីយថាចាំមួយភ្លេតៗ ដោយម្ដាយនិយាយដេីម្បីអូសបន្លាយពេលវេលារហូតដល់ម៉ោង៧យប់​ រៀបចំហៅឲ្យអ្នកសារព័ត៌មានដែលជាមិត្តភ័ក្ករបស់កូនប្រុសខ្លួនបង្កេីត មកផ្សាយថាកូនប្រសារ បណ្ដេញម្ដាយក្មេកចេញពីផ្ទះ ដោយគ្មានមូលហេតុ ហេីយបាននិយាយរៀបរាប់ថា ផ្ទះនេះមានចំណែករបស់ម្ដាយក្មេក​ ដោយមេីលឃេីញតាមកាផ្សព្វផ្សាយព័ត៌មាន មិនពិតប្រាកដ៌​ លោក​ លឹម​ ហុង​​​ ក៏បាននិយាយទាក់ពាក្យសម្ដីគ្នាជាមួយ និងអតីតម្ដាយក្មេករហូត ដល់ប្រេីភារសារមិនសមរម្យដាក់គ្នាទៅវិញទៅមក​ ធ្វេីឲ្យផ្អេីលដល់អ្នកភូមិខ្ទរ និងសមត្ថកិច្ចមូលដ្ឋាន ចុះមកដល់ ដឹងច្បាស់ថា ផ្ទះនេះជាផ្ទះរបស់កូនប្រសារ ទេីបសមត្ថកិច្ចអាជ្ញារធរមូលដ្ឋាន បានអញ្ចេីញអ៊ុំស្រី ដែលជាអតីតម្ដាយក្មេកចេញពីមុខផ្ទះកេីតហេតុ កុំឲ្យបង្កជាជម្លោះបន្តទៀត ខ្លាចរឿងតូចទៅជារឿងធំ​ តែអតីតម្ដាយក្មេកនិងមនុស្សប៉ុន្មាននាក់ទៀតដែលជាកូន និងមិត្តភ័ក្កកូនគាត់មិនស្ដាប់ពួកគាត់បាននាំគ្នាទៅឈពួនសំងំ នៅទី​ងងឹត​ ដល់ម៉ោង១រំលងអាធ្រាត្រ លោក​ លឹម​ ហុង​ បានបេីករថយន្តចេញពីផ្ទះក៏វ៉ាក់អ៊េីឃេីញមនុស្សប្លែកមុខលោកក៏ចុចសុីផ្លេររថយន្តដេីម្បីឲ្យឲ្យអ្នកភូមិនិងផ្ទះជិតខាងបានដឹងថាថ្មេីរនេះ ហេីយមានមនុស្សប្លែក នៅឈក្នុងភូមិនិងជៀសវាងការបេីករថយន្ត ទៅអាចប៉ះពារក្រែងមានគ្រោះថ្នាក់​ ៕

រហូតមកដល់ថ្ងៃជាបន្តបន្ទាប់ទៀតដោយអ៊ុំស្រី គ្មានប័ណ្ណកម្មសិទ្ធគ្មានប្លង់ផ្ទះ គ្មានឈ្មោះរស់នៅ ក្នុងផ្ទះកេីតហេតុដែលជាផ្ទះរបស់កូន​ប្រសារ​ គាត់ក៏បានទៅរស់នៅទីកន្លែងផ្សេងទៀត​ ប៉ុន្តែដោយអតីតម្ដាយក្មេកកេីតទុកមិនសុខចិត្ត លែងបានរស់នៅផ្ទះរបស់អតីតកូនប្រសារ​ ម្ដាយក្មេក​ ទ្បាយ​ សេង​ បានព្យាយាមឲ្យអ្នកសារព័ត៌មានផ្សព្វផ្សាយ រឿងជម្លោះដែលប៉ះពាក្យសម្ដីគ្នា ជាមួយនិងអតីតកូនប្រសារដ៏ដែលៗ ជារៀងរាល់ថ្ងៃ​ ទេីបមកដល់ពលេនេះថ្ងៃនេះ​លោក​ លឹម​ ហុង​ អត់ធ្មត់ ស៊ូទ្រាំ និងទង្វេីរអតីតម្ដាយក្មេកលែងបាន ក៏ដាច់ចិត្តសួរកូនៗប្រុសស្រីទាំង៥នាក់ ថា​យាយរបស់កូនមួលបង្កាច់ប៉ាៗខំចិញ្ចឹមគាត់ ជាង២០ឆ្នាំមកហេីយ និងទុកចិត្តគាត់ណាស់មិនគួរណាគាត់ លួចទ្រព្យសម្បត្តិក្នុងផ្ទះលក់អស់ជាច្រេីនលេីកច្រេីនសារ​ កូនៗក៏ឆ្លេីយថាប៉ាធ្វេីតាមនិងទៅកូនធំៗ កូនរៀនបានខ្ពង់ខ្ពស់ ហេីយកូនចេះគិតហេីយថាអ្វីល្អអ្វីអាក្រក់​ ៕

លោក​ លឹម​ ហុង​ បានរៀបរាប់ទៀតថា ក្រទ្បែកទៅមេីលអតីតភរិយារបស់លោកឯនោះវិញ ក៏ធ្វេីបាបលោកដែលជាអតីតប្ដីខ្លាំងណាស់​ ពោលគឺមុនឈានដល់កាបែកបាក់ដាក់ពាក្យលែងលះគ្នា​ អតីតភរិយារបស់លោក​ បានលួចប្លង់ផ្ទះ ប្លង់ដី ដែលជាកម្មសិទ្ធរួមរបស់លោក យកទៅបញ្ចាំយកប្រាក់រាប់លានដុល្លារដេីរសុីចាយ ហុឺហា ហាយសូររហូតដល់ ម្ចាស់បំណុលគេមកទាប្រាក់ ទេីបលោកបានដឹងថាភរិយារបស់លោកតែងតែ លួចឯកសារប្លង់ផ្ទះម្ដងមួយកន្លែងៗ យកទៅបញ្ចាំគេស្ទេីរអស់ពីក្នុងផ្ទះ ក្នុងទូរសំងាត់​ រាល់សកម្មភាពដែលអតីតភរិយារបស់លោកលួច ប្លង់ផ្ទះ ប្លង់ដី កយទៅបញ្ចាំគេ គឺធ្វេីសកម្មភាពនៅពេលយប់ ពេលដែលលោកទៅបំពេញការងាររកសុីនៅឯក្រៅប្រទេស​ ៕

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck score a split decision with ‘The Mother’ and ‘Hypnotic’

 One of Hollywood’s most famous power couples score a split decision starring in separate thrillers hitting the market the same day, as Ben Affleck’s lower-profile “Hypnotic” significantly outshines Jennifer Lopez’s just-in-time-for-Mother’s Day Netflix movie, “The Mother,” which comes across as an ultra-violent Hallmark card.

Lopez puts on her Liam Neeson hat in a movie whose abundant action is either enhanced or undermined, take your pick, by its unintentional giggles. The kill count generally provides the requisite thrills, but everything else seems stitched together from genre clichés.

The opening sequence sets the tone, with Lopez portraying a well-trained sniper who served in Afghanistan, negotiating a witness-protection deal in exchange for her testimony against two very bad guys, having been in relationships with both of them. After a violent raid she’s taken into FBI custody, allowing Edie Falco to appear for about 45 seconds, just long enough to force the nameless assassin to give up her newborn daughter in order to protect her.

Twelve years later, Lopez’s character is maintaining her anonymity by hanging out in the Alaskan wilderness when the girl, Zoe (Lucy Paez), has her cover blown, forcing her biological mom and an FBI agent (“Power’s” Omari Hardwick, like most of the supporting cast, deserving better) to dash off to retrieve her. They do, setting up a chance for mother and daughter to get to know each other – bonding between lessons in combat techniques – before the inevitable showdown.

Directed by Niki Caro (“Mulan”), “The Mother” gives Lopez (who doubled as its producer) an opportunity to snap off tough one-liners a la “Taken.” Realizing the girl is serving as bait in a trap, her proposed solution is to “Kill every last one of them.”

Joseph Fiennes and Gael Garcia Bernal can’t class up the joint as the bad boys from her past, who both excel at holding grudges. Yet beyond the inevitable tween-behaving-stupidly moments, there are head-scratching sequences, like a snowmobile chase that appears to have parachuted in from a James Bond movie.

Lopez has kept busy since her well-deserved Oscar nomination for “Hustlers,” but that’s come in the form of mostly forgettable vehicles, including the rom-com “Marry Me” and “Shotgun Wedding.” While she has admirably taken control over her career as a producer, her sniper character’s aim is considerably truer than her recent choices of material.

For Netflix, of course, just the image of Lopez across its home page – pointing a rifle under a big furry hat – is probably enough, and plenty of subscribers will likely be inclined to give “The Mother” a shot.

At one point, the mother speaks of Zoe’s ordeal by saying, “Let this all just be a bad memory.” “The Mother” isn’t quite that bad, but that sentiment resonates a more than it should.

Affleck fares considerably better in “Hypnotic,” a spare thriller from director/co-writer Robert Rodriguez that has the feel of a “Twilight Zone” episode, with no shortage of twists along the way.

Affleck plays Danny Rourke, a detective still devastated by the abduction of his young daughter. A strange tip connects him back to the crime, and to a psychic (Alice Braga) who tells him seemingly unrelated crimes are the work of a powerful hypnotic (William Fichtner, appropriately creepy), who can exercise a kind of mind control, prompting people to carry out whatever acts he desires.

There’s a lot more to it than that, including mind-bending visuals underscoring that it’s not always possible to believe your eyes against such an opponent. The sort-of possession involved evokes the Denzel Washington thriller “Fallen,” which had a more macabre tone but echoed the sense danger could come from anywhere.

“Hypnotic” becomes a little strained over its final act, but for the most part it’s fast-paced and clever, capitalizing on Rodriguez’s economical filmmaking style, which includes shooting and editing the film while enlisting family members in other key roles.

Although the movie is premiering theatrically, it’ll likely be streaming sooner than later, where it should play well.

As for Affleck, he actually has his own directing effort, “Air,” hitting Amazon Prime after a solid theatrical run. If the combination makes this a big weekend in the Affleck-Lopez household, it’s a better one for the first half of that equation.

Trump's comments about violence during Jan. 6 attack on Capitol

Trump's comments about violence during Jan. 6 attack on Capitol

Former President Donald Trump asserted Wednesday night that “a couple” of the January 6 rioters “probably got out of control,” comparing the insurrection to left-leaning protests that turned violent in other cities.

Facts First: This statement is false. Hundreds of rioters have been charged with violence toward police on January 6 and Trump downplaying of the violence and equivocating the insurrection with social justice protests fails to recognize the severity of the attack on the Capitol.

The January 6 riot of by Trump supporters who overran the Capitol has resulted in the largest law enforcement response in modern history – because of the sheer amount of violence on the ground, especially toward police, that day.

The number of rioters who’ve been charged with violence toward police is in the hundreds.

According to the Justice Department this week, 346 people face federal charges for assaulting, resisting or impeding officers or other employees. That includes more than 100 people charged with using a weapon or causing serious injury to an officer. About five dozen have pleaded guilty to felony charges for these types of crimes.

And the FBI is still seeking information to identify more than 220 others who may have committed violent crimes on the Capitol grounds.

Even Trump-appointed federal judges have countered claims that left-leaning rioters in Portland, for instance, acted similarly to the pro-Trump crowd on January 6.

Judge Trevor McFadden wrote when handling a January 6 rioter’s case in 2021: “Although both Portland and January 6 rioters attacked federal buildings, the Portland defendants primarily attacked at night, meaning that they raged against a largely vacant courthouse. In contrast, the January 6 rioters attacked the Capitol in broad daylight. And many entered it.”

And another federal judge in DC, Carl Nichols, wrote: “The Portland rioters’ conduct, while obviously serious, did not target a proceeding prescribed by the Constitution and established to ensure a peaceful transition of power. Nor did the Portland rioters, unlike those who assailed America’s Capitol in 2021, make it past the buildings’ outer defenses.”

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Trump's claims about E. Jean Carroll and the civil trial jury verdict

A day after a Manhattan federal jury found former President Donald Trump sexually abused and defamed the writer E. Jean Carroll, Trump claimed that the jury in the civil trial found he did not rape her and said he “didn’t do anything else either.”

“They said 'he didn’t rape her,' and I didn’t do anything else either,” Trump said.

Facts First: This statement requires more context. While the jury did not find that Carroll had proven rape, it did find that she proved Trump committed sexual abuse, sufficient to hold him liable for battery.

Carroll alleged Trump raped her in a Bergdorf Goodman department store in the mid-1990s and then later defamed her when he denied her claim.

In the civil suit, the jury had to determine whether Carroll’s legal team proved that Trump committed battery against Carroll by a preponderance of the evidence.

While it did not determine that Carroll’s team had proven rape – the state’s law says that a person is liable for rape when a person forces sexual intercourse with another person without their consent – it did find that they proved Trump committed sexual abuse.

The jury had been instructed that a person is liable for sexual abuse when they subject another person without consent to sexual contact, which under New York law means “any touching of the sexual or other intimate parts of a person for the purpose of gratifying the sexual desire of either party.”

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Some New Hampshire voters say Trump focused too much on 2020 election and should instead look forward

Undeclared and Republican voters from New Hampshire, who were in the audience for the CNN town hall with Donald Trump, said that the former president should have focused more on the future instead of the 2020 election.

CNN asked voters about their thoughts on Trump's overall performance as well. Out of eight audience members participating in the post-town hall discussion, only one said that they would vote for Trump in 2024. The rest said they remain undecided.

 

 

SpaceX and startup Vast hope to put the world’s first private space station in orbit

 a California-based startup and one of the newest entrants in the world of privatized spaceflight — plans to use a SpaceX rocket to launch what it hopes to be the world’s first commercial space station and ferry passengers to and from the orbiting outpost.

It’s not clear how much the agreement, announced by Vast on Wednesday, will cost. Company leadership declined to comment on the matter to CNN. Nor is it clear how much a trip to the proposed space station would cost visitors, which could include professional astronauts or tourists.

Jed McCaleb, the founder and CEO of Vast who previously made a fortune in the cryptocurrency business, said in a statement that the company is “thrilled to embark on this journey of launching the world’s first commercial space station, Haven-1, and its first crew, Vast-1.”

McCaleb said he is investing $300 million of his own money into the effort, and he does not plan to seek outside investment for Vast until the company has its proposed space station built and can generate revenue. He added that he acknowledges the overall project will likely cost him more than $300 million.

It is not certain that Vast will indeed become the first company to put a private space station in orbit. Vast says it’s aiming for a launch date as early as August 2025. Developing a space station, however, is an exceedingly complex endeavor, requiring extensive testing and key technology such as life support systems.

McCaleb said Vast will have an advantage because it can leverage the life support systems already developed for SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, which the company plans to use to carry passengers to its space station.

Vast will equip its Haven-1 space station with the necessary consumables — such as oxygen and other life-sustaining materials — but the company won’t have to develop a life support system from scratch, McCaleb told CNN.

Other companies — including several with backing from NASA — are also working to develop private space stations. NASA, along with its global partners, is seeking to use a privately developed space station to replace the aging International Space Station, which has been continuously inhabited in low-Earth orbit since 2000.

The Biden-Harris administration and officials in Canada, Japan and participating countries of the European Space Agency authorized the ISS to stay in operation through 2030. But the other key partner on the International Space Station, Russia, has said it will only guarantee participation through 2028.

It’s not clear how much of the $300 million McCaleb has allocated to the Haven-1 project will go to SpaceX for launch services. Vast did not share financial details about its agreement with the company.

“The Dragon team and the team and leadership (at SpaceX) really want to build a Falcon 9-based space station,” said Max Haot, Vast’s president. Haot led the aerospace company Launcher before it was acquired by Vast in February. “So we’re very, very aligned.”

Vast’s simple, single-structure Haven-1 space station will be able to launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, the workhorse vehicle that SpaceX has been launching for more than a decade.

After the spacecraft is sent into orbit, SpaceX would provide training to four members of the as-yet-unnamed crew for a mission dubbed Vast-1.

“Vast is selling up to four crewed seats on the inaugural mission to Haven-1,” the company said in a news release. “Expected customers include domestic and international space agencies and private individuals involved in science and philanthropic projects.”

Initially, the company plans for Haven-1 to operate independently, free-floating in Earth’s orbit. Later, the company plans to attach the spacecraft as a module to a larger space station.

Vast said its ultimate goal is to create a massive orbiting space station with artificial gravity that could be launched atop a SpaceX Starship vehicle, a rocket still in the development stages that exploded midair during its inaugural test flight in April.

 

European grain restrictions are "absolutely unacceptable," Zelensky says

 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday criticized “protectionist measures” from neighboring countries which limit imports of Ukrainian grain, saying they are “absolutely unacceptable.” 

The EU last week adopted a temporary measure that bans wheat, maize, rapeseed and sunflower seed originating in Ukraine from being exported to Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, after those countries raised concerns over local farmers being undercut by a bottleneck of cheap Ukrainian grain. 

“Unfortunately, we have encountered problems where we should have continued to see strong signs of solidarity, in proportion to the threats that exist today — tough and even brutal, for wartime, protectionist measures from our neighbors," Zelensky said at a joint news conference with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen,
“Any restrictions on our exports now are absolutely unacceptable because they do not strengthen all of us in Europe, instead they strengthen the aggressor's capabilities,” he added. 

Addressing Zelensky's concerns, von der Leyen described the grain topic as a "challenging situation" and vowed to set up a joint "coordination platform" to get grain exports "fully functioning again.”

"The immediate priority now is that the grain transit goes seamlessly and at the lowest possible cost outside of Ukraine towards the European Union,” she said.

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Russia is attempting to destroy values because it's afraid of Ukraine’s path to EU, bloc's chief says

 

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Tuesday that Russia is seeking to destroy values of freedom in Ukraine because it is afraid of the country’s path to the European Union.

"We Europeans cherish our liberty, our democracy, our freedom of thought and speech," von der Leyen said alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a visit to Kyiv to mark Europe Day. 

"Ukraine is fighting for the ideals of Europe that we celebrate today. In Russia, Putin and his regime have destroyed these values," she said.

"They are afraid of the success you represent and the example you show, and they are afraid of your path to the European Union," she said.

Von der Leyen added that Russia has "dramatically failed," and Ukraine is "fighting back successfully."

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Russia has failed to capture Bakhmut, Ukraine’s Zelensky says

Russia has failed to capture the eastern city of Bakhmut before the May 9 deadline — a day when Russia marks the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelensky said Tuesday

“They were not able to capture Bakhmut. This was the last important military operation that they wanted to complete by the ninth of May,” Zelensky said in a joint news conference with European President Ursula von der Leyen.

“Unfortunately, the city does not exist anymore. Everything is fully destroyed," he added.

Zelensky urges more ammo: The Ukrainian president also said ammunition the European Union has pledged to deliver to Ukraine is already needed on the battlefield, calling for faster deliveries. 

"Ukraine daily demonstrates efficiency of our defense against Russian aggression. Every intercepted terrorists' missile, every success of our warriors in defeating Russian attacks, these are the proofs that we can win over this aggressor," Zelensky said.

"The main thing is the proportionality of our abilities to the abilities that the aggressor has. And in this context, I have thanked Ursula for the readiness of the European Union to provide Ukraine this badly needed ammunition, one billion artillery shells, and we have also discussed the key issues, the speed of the procurement and delivery of this ammunition, because they are needed on the battlefield already now," he said. 

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin marked May 9 with the annual Victory Day parade and launched yet another scathing attack on the West, accusing it of holding Ukraine hostage to its anti-Russian plans. He also claimed that “real war” has been unleashed against Russia. 

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It’s mid-afternoon in Kyiv. Here’s what you need to know

Russia held its annual celebration to mark the Soviet Union’s role in defeating Nazi Germany in World War II. In past years, tens of tanks have streamed across Red Square as jets have ripped through the skies in a flex of Russia’s military might. But this year’s parade was a quieter affair: A single T-34 tank – a relic from the Soviet era – led out this year’s mechanized column, and the flypast was canceled.

Here are the latest developments:

• Prigozhin’s rant: Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin launched the latest in a series of rants directed at Russia’s military leadership – during the parade in Moscow. He claimed his troops were “blatantly lied to” after he received only “10%” of the support he had been pledged to help sustain his troops in Bakhmut. Prigozhin also questioned how Victory Day celebrations could be underway in Moscow, when “we haven’t earned that victory one millimeter.”
• Kyiv withstands Russian missile strikes: Ukraine’s air defense systems intercepted 23 of the 25 cruise missiles Russia fired overnight Tuesday, according to the Ukrainian air force. The Ukrainian military warned earlier this week that Russia is trying to wear down its air defenses ahead of the long-anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive. But, for now, Kyiv’s shields are holding firm.
• EU chief celebrates Europe Day in Kyiv: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is in Kyiv to mark Europe Day – a celebration of peace and unity on the continent. In a joint news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, she claimed Russia is trying to destroy liberty, democracy and freedom in Ukraine because they fear its burgeoning European future.
• More US support incoming: The United States is set to announce a $1.2 billion aid package to Ukraine as early as Tuesday, according to a US official familiar with the issue. The package – which will include drones, artillery ammunition and air defense missiles – comes as Ukraine’s long-anticipated counteroffensive looms.

 

Russian forces lash out indiscriminately as Ukraine increases military pressure on frontline towns

 In this vacant and damaged village, news of Russia’s evacuation of occupied towns along the southern front cannot come soon enough.

Ukrainian-held Mala Tokmachka, just over a mile (2 kilometers) from Russian-held territory in the Zaporizhzhia region, has been left ghostly and battered by shelling, leaving the central square pockmarked, and the school’s facade torn off. Shrapnel is mixed in with fallen pine cones.

Raisa, a local woman passing some Ukrainian soldiers on her bicycle, said the explosions had picked up recently and she had heard small arms fire from the nearby highway. “There is no way out for us,” she said, of the remaining 200 civilians. “We have no water, gas or power for more than a year.”

Just 9 miles (15 km) down the road is Polohy, a town that Russian occupiers said Friday they would evacuate, a process which local sources said had got underway at the weekend, although some Russian soldiers apparently remain in place.

The town is a focus for Ukraine’s spring counteroffensive. While Kyiv has said it will not announce its commencement so as to cause maximum surprise, recent statements from Russian officials in occupied areas about attacks have indicated at least its opening stages are likely underway.

Polohy is one of over a dozen frontline settlements that occupying forces announced Friday would be emptied of civilians. A Russian occupation official, Yuri Balitsky, said “we cannot risk the safety of people and will provide funds for organized travel, lump sum payments, accommodation and meals.” He added children would undergo rehabilitation and rest in children’s camps,” echoing the language of previous incidents that Ukraine has dubbed forced deportation and on which the International Criminal Court based a war crimes indictment against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ukrainian officials have said the evacuations are being used to provide cover for the departure of Russian troops, and claimed civilians are being sent to the coastal town of Berdyansk, and Russian soldiers to the heavily destroyed city of Mariupol.

It is as yet unclear what impact these evacuations – which on Sunday Russian occupation officials said amounted to 1,600 people – will have on Moscow’s ability to hold frontline towns. But it is a sign of possible weakness, and in during past Ukrainian offensives, Russian positions have collapsed very suddenly, even as their spokespeople were articulating their avowed defense. At the best, these mass departures are recognition by Russian forces that the fight ahead of them will likely be intense.

The evacuees are also being moved all the way to the coastline – a reflection of the terrain to be fought over. Russia, according to satellite imagery, has built a substantial line of defenses along its southern front in the Zaporizhzhia region.

Below this line of trenches and concrete, there are reports of some ongoing defenses, but not of a depth that would suggest Russia can easily afford to lose this initial frontline. Once Ukraine’s well-prepared offensive has pushed past this first boundary, there is a risk for Moscow that Kyiv’s move to the coast is a lot easier. That could be disastrous for the Russian occupation and Putin’s strategic hold of the land corridor that runs through Zaporizhzhia and connects the Crimean peninsula to the rest of occupied Ukraine and the Russian mainland.

Russia’s rage

In the Ukrainian-held city of Orikihv, one of the last major population centers before this frontline, the prospect of Russian forces being pushed decisively back cannot come fast enough. A constant artillery duel busies the horizon, together with intermittent mushroom clouds from enormous, often inaccurate Russian airstrikes.

Four hit on Thursday, destroying two civilian houses but apparently missing any construction that could be presumed to be a target. On Sunday morning, a CNN crew witnessed a jet flying overhead that dropped two missiles – one a $500,000 Kh31-P according to Ukrainian officials – which slammed into the town, 700 yards away. The missile appeared to have missed any potential target, causing a 10-foot-deep crater in an empty patch of land in the city center.

Orikhiv is persistently battered by Russia’s rage as Ukrainian military pressure increases. The town’s rescue team said there is no longer any pattern to the shelling, which seems to strike at random times and locations. Dmytro Haydar, a rescuer, described the delicate balance his team must find between responding to strikes quickly and being caught in the regular “double-tap” follow-up attacks that Russian jets often launch to hit first-responders and survivors. “We saw them, as they leave a trail in the sky,” he said of one jet attack. “We had to stand near the basement because they launched guided bombs. There’s no particular time of day or place for the strikes.” Haydar gestured towards the recent sound of outgoing artillery fire and said: “That’s not necessarily Ukrainian. It could be from the Russian-held town of] Nesterianka. The frontline is 3 kilometers away, and then it’s them.” The team’s chief, Andrew Grygorenko, said he was trapped at the start of the war in Russian-occupied Polohy, where he lived and worked as a rescuer. The Russians forced him and his men to continue their work. Grygorenko says his men one-by-one managed to escape. He evaded their tight scrutiny of his whereabouts when a local occupation official failed to turn up to work one day, and he drove a minibus of civilians out.

The regular effective targeting of Russian positions by Ukrainian firepower sparked a manhunt in the town for an informant. “They were searching for spotters, and those disloyal to the new power”, he said. “There are many missing people and many dead. We don’t know even the full picture. After liberation of our town, we will find many more there.”

 

Ukrainian mayor: Fuel, ATM and internet problems arise in Zaporizhzhia region as Russia evacuates civilians

 The evacuation of some civilians from Russian-occupied towns on the front lines in the Zaporizhzhia region has led to fuel shortages and problems with ATMs and the internet, according to Enerhodar Mayor Dmytro Orlov.

While Orlov is not currently in the occupied region, he said the evacuation announcement led to “if not panic, then a mood close to it.”

The first wave of evacuations that began Saturday morning was not massive, he said in a Telegram post Sunday.

“Some people who wanted to leave were put onto buses. Some left in their own vehicles. Accordingly, gas stations ran out of fuel yesterday. ATMs are not working or are working with big restrictions, and there is virtually nowhere to withdraw money. The internet has partially disappeared. But the prices of food and medicine, on the contrary, have risen significantly," Orlov said.

Russian forces had removed medical equipment from the city’s hospital, asked patients to evacuate, and a number of hospital departments had ceased operations, he added.

 

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New round of EU sanctions aims to stop Russia from bypassing previous sanctions, spokesperson says

An 11th round of European Union sanctions against Russia will focus on how to effectively cut off ways for Moscow to bypass any existing European sanctions, the EU Commission announced Monday. 

“[The goal] is to prevent Russia and its military industrial complex from finding a way to reach goods banned for them [by previous sanctions],” the European Commission's chief spokesperson Eric Mamer said at a news conference. 

On Sunday, the Financial Times reported that a new EU package of sanctions under consideration lists seven Chinese companies accused of selling equipment to Russia that could be used in weapons. The sanctions list would need unanimous approval from the 27 member states before it can be enforced.

China said Monday it opposes any measures against trade based on its relationship with Russia. "We urge the EU not to take the wrong path, otherwise China will firmly guard our legal rights," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a news conference Monday. 

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China opposes alleged EU proposals to sanction companies

China's foreign ministry said it opposes any measures against trade based on its relationship with Russia.

This comes in response to reports of proposed sanctions by the European Union on Chinese companies over their alleged involvement in supporting Russia's war machine.

"We noted the relevant reports. China is firmly opposed to illegal sanctions or long-arm jurisdiction over China because of Sino-Russian cooperation," Wang Wenbin, a foreign ministry spokesperson, said at a regular press briefing on Monday

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin is pictured during a news briefing in Beijing, China, on April 26. Florence Lo/Reuters

.

On Sunday, the Financial Times reported that seven Chinese companies accused of selling equipment to Russia that could be used in weapons had been listed in a new package of sanctions to be discussed by EU member states this week, which had been seen by the FT. The sanctions list needs unanimous approval from the 27 member states before it can be enforced.

"The economic and trade cooperation between China and Russia is open and frank. It never targets any third party, nor does it tolerate any third-party interference or coercion," Wang added, telling reporters that China would take firm action to safeguard its interest.

A spokesperson for the Swedish presidency declined to comment before an initial discussion among EU ambassadors. Meanwhile, China's state councilor and foreign minister are embarking on a week-long European visit, with stops in Germany, France, and Norway.

China has maintained that it has not supplied weapons to support Russia in its war in Ukraine, and Wang reiterated that Beijing holds an "objective and impartial position" on the war and supports peace talks. Chinese state-owned defense firms have maintained trade relationships with sanctioned Russian defense companies over the past year. A CNN review of customs records of key companies showed no evidence that any of the goods exchanged are directly feeding Russia’s war.