Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu held a press conference on May 2, where he announced that Ukraine has lost 111,000 people since the beginning of this year, and over 21 thousand units of weapons and military equipment. US and NATO demands that Ukraine prevent the continued Russian onslaught led, in April, to 1,000 more Ukrainian casualties, he said. Since the beginning of the year, Shoigu reported, Russian troops have taken control of 547 square km of territory of new Russian regions. Over the past two weeks, the Russian Armed Forces have liberated three settlements in the DPR—Novobakhmutovka, Semyonovka and Berdychi.
Russian authorities have exhibited captured weapons and tanks on Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow, the site of Victory Park, where much of the equipment and tanks from WWII have been exhibited.
Shoigu also announced that there would be Victory Day parades on May 9th in seven “hero cities,” and in eighteen other cities where there are the headquarters of military districts. There is significant concern that NATO and their Ukrainian satraps will be planning some provocation for May 9th, in order to disrupt or sour the celebrations. On May Day, there were attacks with ATACM missiles on the Crimean bridge; they were shot down.
