May 4, 2024
Ukraine war in the live ticker
+++ 03:40 Green politician: Russia threatens our freedom +++
After new findings about suspected Russian cyber attacks on the SPD, among others, Green Party domestic politician Konstantin von Notz is calling on the federal government to take decisive action. “State-organized influence operations from Russia, China and other authoritarian states pose a massive threat to our freedom and security,” says von Notz, who heads the parliamentary committee to control the secret services, to the “Rheinische Post”. The blatant and serious risks have been known for a long time. “Politically, we must finally approach them in a completely different way than before and make our democracy much more defensive.”
+++ 02:39 Injured in drone attack on Kharkiv +++
Two Russian drones have attacked civilian targets in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city. Three people were injured, writes Ihor Terekhov, mayor of the city, in the messaging app Telegram. A 13-year-old child and a woman were among the injured. A fire had also been lit and the emergency services were on site.
+++ 01:18 Ukrainian central bank liberalizes currency +++
Ukraine’s central bank is introducing the most extensive measures to liberalize Ukraine’s currency since the Russian invasion began around two years ago. These aim to ease restrictions on businesses. Most of the new regulations come into force today, May 4th. A package of liberalization measures had been expected for some time to support the economy and ease restrictions on capital outflows and strict exchange controls imposed after the February 2022 invasion. The Ukrainian economy shrank by about a third in the first year of the war. According to the new regulations, foreign exchange restrictions on the import of goods and services will be lifted, restrictions on the repayment of newly taken foreign loans and restrictions on the transfer of foreign currencies from representative offices to parent companies will be relaxed.
+++ 00:21 Moscow bans sugar exports – fear of price increases +++
Russia largely bans sugar exports until the end of August. The measure aims to “maintain the stability of the domestic food market,” the government in Moscow announced in the evening. Exports to the ex-Soviet republics of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia are exempt from the export ban – but only in limited quantities. The Russian Ministry of Agriculture proposed the ban in March. The authority explained that otherwise there could be a risk of a price increase. The business newspaper “Kommersant” reports, citing experts, that such fears were probably triggered by increased sugar exports since last autumn.
+++ 23:20 SPD leader Klingbeil: “The Kremlin doesn’t like what we’re doing” +++
SPD leader Lars Klingbeil is demanding better protection against attacks from the Kremlin as a consequence of the Russian hacker attack on the SPD headquarters. “In the future, we will no longer have to organize security in Europe with Russia, but in front of Russia,” says Klingbeil to the “Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger”. “It’s obvious: Putin’s regime doesn’t like how clearly we have sided with Ukraine,” Klingbeil continues. “We will not be intimidated by such attacks.” The SPD has come to terms with its Russia policy of the past few years and has taken a new course, emphasizes the party leader.
+++ 22:07 Zelenskyj: “We are currently facing a new phase of the war” +++
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned of an imminent increase in Russian attacks. “We are now facing a new phase of the war,” Zelensky said during a tribute to soldiers in the Khmelnytsky region, according to a video. He then adds: “The occupiers are preparing to attempt to expand offensive operations. Together we must (…) do everything we can to thwart this Russian attack plan.”
You can read all previous developments here.