About us: The Active Community Initiative, launched by activists of the Respublika Institute after the Euromaidan (2014), focused on activating and involving Ukrainians in the decision-making process. The goal for 2025 is to activate and involve at least 1% of citizens in decision-making and promoting reforms in Ukraine on a systematic basis for the well-being of Ukrainian communities. Today we work in 30 communities in Ukraine.
Ukraine in Brief:
The 74th day of the Ukrainian people’s heroic struggle against the russian military invasion goes on.
The enemy is relentless in pursuit of offensive actions to establish full control over the Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson oblasts territories and retain the over-the-land corridor between the mentioned territories and the occupied Crimea.
There has been no active enemy action in the north of Ukraine.
There has been no active offensive enemy action in the direction of Kharkiv either. The main effort of the aggressor has been focused on the prevention of the advancement of Ukrainian troops. Russian occupation troops continue shelling military and civil infrastructure.
In the direction of Izyum, the invaders have been regrouping their units, replenishing stocks to increase their offensive capacity, and carrying out air reconnaissance missions with Orlan-10 UAVs to ascertain the positions of Ukrainian troops.
For the past 24 hours, the enemy has been stepping up its combat actions to approach the administrative limits of the Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts.
In Lyman direction, the enemy has been trying to assume full control of Oleksandrivka; it has also been using artillery to strengthen its positions on the northern outskirts of Shandryholovo. The attempts have been unsuccessful. In the direction of Severodonetsk, the aggressor has been trying to capture Rubizhne with no success report. In Popasna direction, it has been attempting to take positions in the town of Popasna and take control over a section of the highway between Popasna and Bakhmut.
The intensity of firing in the direction of Mariupol has decreased.
Enemy air reconnaissance missions have been stepped up in the direction of Zaporizhzhya.
The enemy has been continuing with its administrative and police measures in the temporarily occupied territories: e.g., rosgvardia (russian national guard) units have strengthened their filtration activities in the areas of Heroiske, Hola Prystan, and Kherson.
There is a probability of offensive onslaughts launched to improve tactical positions in specific individual directions.
Northern oblasts
Kyiv
There have been six air raid alerts in the city by 19:00 on May 8th. Bundestag Chairman Berbel Bas has arrived on a visit to Kyiv. She paid tribute to victims of WWII and nazi tyranny. She also met with Ukraine’s top officials.
The Kyiv City State Administration issued a reminder of extreme fire hazards on May 7-8th in Kyiv to city residents. Many wooded areas and shelterbelts in the capital boroughs are yet to be cleared from land mines, and there are cases of peaceful civilians tripping a mine.
Kyiv Oblast
The Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau paid a visit to Irpin today. The politician was able to see the destruction caused by russian occupation troops personally.
A resident of Zalissya, Brovary Raion, tripped over a landmine left by the russian military during a walk in a shelterbelt nearby. The wounds left him with no chance of survival.
The rescuers continue defusing explosive devices. The professionals rendered safe 394 of them yesterday. The emergency response teams brought power back to 854 households in Gostomel, Horenka, Bucha and Irpin, Bucha Raion, and the village of Kukhary, Vyshhorod Raion. Some 9.9 thousand homes in 12 population centers are still without power. The energy workers continue restoring the power supply.
The monitoring groups keep documenting the aftermath of hostilities in de-occupied population centers of the Kyiv Oblast. Destructions have been registered in 46 out of 69 Oblast communities (66.7%). More than 4000 residential buildings (private homes and multi-story buildings) have been flattened during armed hostilities in the Oblast.
Zhytomyr Oblast
There has been a constant air alarm in Oblast since last evening. The situation is under control. Zhytomyr Oblast continues to support migrants forced to leave their homes due to the war. Thanks to the state program “Shelter”, the families of Zhytomyr residents sheltered about 80 000 Ukrainian citizens who were forced to flee their homes to escape russian bombs and missiles. So far, almost 260 000 UAH have been allocated from the reserve fund of the state budget of Zhytomyr Oblast to compensate for the temporary accommodation of internally displaced persons (IDPs).
46 children under the age of one living in the Vilshany community received children’s kits with humanitarian aid.
Chernihiv Oblast
There is a constant air alarm in the Oblast. Two hiding places with abandoned russian ammunition were found in Chernihiv Oblast. In one of the villages of the Ivanovo community, the russian military set up a firing position just in a residential building. Police found seven abandoned boxes of mortar mines there. In another village, police retrieved three boxes of 30-mm shells for an automatic BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle.
Mosaic Soviet symbols were dismantled in the center of Novgorod-Siverskyi. It was installed on the facade of the building, which in soviet times housed an organization – a voluntary society to promote the ussr’s army, aviation, and navy.
Sumy Oblast
In the evening, powerful explosions were heard in Sumy Oblast.
Eastern oblasts
Kharkiv Oblast
The Head of the Oblast Military Administration visited the oncology center, which suffered from the russian shelling. However, the medical facility continues to operate. It is what the oncology center looks like after the shelling:
Donetsk Oblast
Kramatorsk
The situation in the city is quite uneasy. Air alarms are heard all day. No shelling or destruction was reported. The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), together with the Territorial Defense Forces, are preparing to meet the enemy. The evacuation of the population continues.
The AUI “Active Community” coordinator coordinated a humanitarian mission to evacuate people from Siversk. Now people are staying overnight in Kramatorsk and will go to Dnipro tomorrow.
Pokrovsk and Pokrovsk Raion
In the Avdiivka direction, a group of occupying troops continues offensive operations. In the Kurakhiv direction, with the support of artillery, the enemy is trying to resume offensive operations towards the settlement of Novomykhailivka. The AFU repel the enemy. Territorial Defense Forces are on duty in the community.
The last day in the community was relatively calm. No casualties or damage were reported. Utilities continue to operate normally. Pokrovsk was decorated with patriotic billboards.
The counties of the Pokrovsky community received “first aid kits” in case of emergencies. The headmen were given medical kits, which included medicines and bandages. They will replenish the simplest public shelters.
Bakhmut
The situation in the city is tense. The russians killed two civilians in Bakhmut.
In his speech on Remembrance and Reconciliation Day, Bakhmut Mayor Oleksiy Reva addressed the residents: “May peace, tranquility, and goodness reign in our blessed land. We defeated the Nazis – and we will defeat the russians!”
The coordinator of AUI “Active Community” advises on evacuation.
Volnovakha
The city is occupied. The invaders set up posts right in kindergartens. In the village councils, computers and equipment are being destroyed, and infrastructure is being ruined; entrepreneurs are required to re-register their businesses. The streets are being renamed. The Raion was renamed the Starobeshiv Raion. The city has a pass system: separate passes for people and vehicles.
The local citizens believe that the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) will recapture Volnovakha from the enemy. The Territorial Defense Forces urge citizens to move to safer areas. The Olhynka community residents live under constant shelling and explosions, filtration, and the pass system.
The situation in the Raion is terrible. People can simply disappear, and the russians can just shoot at cars for fun.
The AUI “Active Community” coordinator is looking for funding for the IDPs collective center in Uman. A private kindergarten gave its premises for this center for free. There, internally displaced children are provided with free meals while volunteers and teachers care for them.
Mariupol
The siege of Mariupol has been going on for 2.5 months now. Without aviation and artillery support, the Ukrainian military continues to defend the city. An intelligence officer from the Azov Regiment said that from February 24th to April 15th, the defenders killed more than 2500 russian invaders and wounded around 5000 of them.
The Ukrainian fighters held a press conference from the Azovstal Plant:
The invaders are trying to storm the Azovstal plant with heavy weapons. In particular, the enterprise’s premises, in the bomb shelters of which the defenders of the city are located, are bombarded by russian tanks and mortars. Snipers and infantry also are engaged.
Luhansk Oblast
The russians continue to attack peaceful towns and villages in the Luhansk Oblast. Yesterday, the russian occupying troops fired on Pryvillia from the “Grad” and “Uragan ” multiple rocket launchers. Two children and their 69-year-old grandmother were killed. The invaders also hit the school in Bilohorivka. According to preliminary data, 60 civilians were killed. It took them almost four hours to put out the fire.
The russians opened fire on Shypilove and destroyed a two-story building at night. According to preliminary information, 11 people were trapped under the rubble. Also, four houses were damaged in Rubizhne, nine in Severodonetsk, and two in Lysychansk. Lysychansk and Severodonetsk are left without electricity due to another russian airstrike.
Southern oblasts
Zaporizhzhia Oblast
Active hostilities continue on the territory of Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Most of the territory is under russian occupation. The enemy is trying to restrain the actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) and destroy the Ukrainian artillery units, and also does not allow the wounded and dead soldiers to be carried away from the battlefield.
The Ukrainian soldiers resist the russian invaders. Over the past day, our military destroyed 4 russian drones, 3 Grad multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), a 2S1 Gvozdika 122-mm self-propelled howitzer, a 120-mm mortar, and an armored fighting vehicle (AFV). The AFU units of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, in the area of the settlement of Polohy, successfully inflicted fire damage on the russian occupation troops, destroying some of their weapons and military equipment. The enemy personnel left their positions.
Russian occupation troops attacked the hospital in Orikhiv. According to preliminary information, the hospital was empty at the time of the shelling.
In occupied Melitopol, the russians continue to loot industrial facilities. The invaders carried away all products and equipment from the Biol Plant. The stolen property is transported by rail to the occupied Crimea. Most of the cargo is galvanized steel sheets in coils.
The russians are trying to hold events to celebrate May 9th in the occupied territories. Relevant preparations are taking place in Enerhodar, Kamianka-Dniprovska, and other settlements temporarily occupied by russian invaders.
Evacuation corridors in the Zaporizhzhia Oblast operate only for entry into the city of Zaporizhzhia. The AUI “Active Community” team continues to work to deliver charitable aid (food products and medical equipment) to the Ukrainian defenders and IDPs.
Odesa Oblast
The situation is tense. There are constant rocket attacks. There are direct hits. As a result of rocket fire on Odesa by russian missiles on May 7th, 252 apartments were destroyed. During the nighttime, the russians launched six missile strikes on the territory of Odesa Oblast. Air defense showdown two missiles.
The Territorial Defense Forces fortify their positions in Oblast and train newcomers. The local authorities say the necessity to stay in bomb shelters during air-raid warnings. There is a high probability of another shelling. People are united, and they actively help the AFU, the Territorial Defense Forces, and IDPs.
At noon, a russian cruise missile and a drone “Forpost” were destroyed in Odesa Oblast. Also, Ukrainian soldiers destroyed a russian helicopter and a boat on Zmiinyi Island. The russian landing troops tried to disembark.
The AUI “Active Community” coordinator informs the citizens about humanitarian, social, and psychological help.
Central oblasts
Dnipropetrovsk Oblast
The russian soldiers have intensified shelling along the entire 100-kilometer frontline in Kherson Oblast and the southern part of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. They attack with multiple launch rocket systems, bombardment artillery, and tanks.
In Kryvyi Rih Raion, Ukrainian soldiers shot down three russian drones.
In Dnipro, russkiy mir (russian world) female lover was detained. She appealed to russia to “take away left-bank Ukraine” and “the chechens to bring order here”. Two 10th-graders supporting russia’s actions were also detained. Together with parents, they took part in preventive talks.
In Kryvyi Rih, the special services detained a russian agent collecting data on the defense of Mariupol and borders in Kryvyi Rih.
In Synelnykove Raion, a 12-year-old boy found ammunition from a cluster shell and brought it home. It detonated, and the boy died.
In Dnipro, the volunteers weave camouflage nets, sew clothes and cook thousands of varenyky daily. They sew load-bearing vests, balaclavas, and fleece sweaters for Ukrainian soldiers. https://adm.dp.gov.ua/news/pletut-sitki-liplyat-vareniki-shiyut-balaklavi-artisti-teatriv-dnipropetrovshchini-doluchilisya-do-volonterstva
The affected residents of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast will receive food kits and hygiene products. They will be given to the neediest. The VARUS shops trade network organized it.
Kirovohrad Oblast
The situation is under control. The air-raid warnings go off one by one. The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) guard the Oblast borders and military facilities. The Territorial Defense Forces stand guard at checkpoints and patrol the city along with the police officers.
On the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during World War II and Victory over Nazism, people in Kropyvnytskyi honored the heroic acts of the Ukrainian people during the war against Nazism. These days, Ukraine also honors the memory of soldiers who have died since 2014 till nowadays, defending the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
The AUI “Active Community” coordinator joined the process of weaving camouflage nets and sorting clothes and food products brought for the AFU by the citizens.
Poltava Oblast
There was one air-raid warning in Poltava Oblast on the night of May 7th. There will be no official events these days, but there will still be an opportunity to visit the World War II monuments and memorials. Everyone will be able to honor the memory of the fallen beyond the curfew and in the absence of air-raid warnings.
This year Poltava Oblast plans to sow about 30 000 hectares of vegetable crops and 54 000 hectares of potatoes on all kinds of farms. It is 5000 hectares more than last year to have enough food during the war.
In Poltava, as a part of the “PoSady” spring campaign, seeds were distributed to retirees and IDPs for free so that people could plant vegetables and grow them for themselves. Poltava volunteers make trench candles for the soldiers at the frontline.
Vinnytsia Oblast
As of May 8th, armed groups in the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova and units of the task force of russian occupation troops are on alert. Accordingly, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) military were transferred to an enhanced service mode. Territorial Defense Forces were on duty in the community.
In the city of Vinnytsia, the Youth Council, the Municipal Guard, and the staff of the first technical school held a riot. Immigrants joined her. People went to work to make the city clean.
People are actively involved in activities supporting the AFU and affected citizens. For example, 81-year-old Hanna Pestova from Vinnytsia sews bulletproof vests, knee pads, and mattresses for the defenders of Ukraine. She came up with the design of the mattresses herself so that they would be warm, light, and mobile.
The AUI “Active Community” coordinator talked to IDPs from Donetsk about problematic issues.
Zhmerynka
The situation in the city is calm – no fighting in the community. Troops patrol key positions. The Mayor congratulated everyone on the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation and stressed the importance of this date for today’s history. People are a little used to it, but the number of air alarms has been confusing citizens lately.
Western oblasts
Lviv Oblast
Drogobych
Twice sirens sounded the air alarm – there were threats of airstrikes from the Caspian and Black Seas.
The world’s first Tree of Peace was opened in Truskavets. It is an atypical tree. It is equipped with a wireless Wi-Fi hotspot with high-speed internet, a video surveillance camera, an alarm button for video chat and security, solar panels that give autonomy, and an interactive information panel. Thanks to this, everyone will be able to see any city in the world in real-time, greet casual passers-by, and communicate with them.
People will be able to exchange views with their fellow citizens and citizens of other countries. In total, 27 such Trees of Peace are planned to be planted worldwide. Some of them will be located in Ukraine and others – abroad. The following trees will be installed in Kyiv, Lviv, Bucha, Borodyanka, Mariupol and Warsaw, Nice, Paris, and Lisbon. This series of Trees of Peace will help the truth about Ukrainian realities to penetrate information spaces without obstacles.
262 IDPs were resettled in Lviv Oblast per day. In total, in the period from February 24th: 341 464 people. Municipal and state institutions in Oblast can accommodate almost 11 600 people.
Rivne Oblast
The general situation is relatively calm. As of 5 pm, there were three air alarms. The AFU patrol the border with belarus. Territorial Defense Forces are patrolling and on duty at checkpoints.
In Rivne, on May 8th, on the eve of Mother’s Day, an event was held for the mothers of the fallen Heroes. The mothers, wives, and sisters of the Heroes who died defending Ukraine were gathered in the City House of Culture. According to the mayor of Rivne, this is the only event on May 8-9th, which was decided not to cancel.
The Volodymyrets community is in grief. Today they saw off their compatriot Anatoliy Pashko, who died on May 3rd in a battle in the Izium district of Kharkiv Oblast.
Korechchyna Volunteer Front: villagers and all concerned sent postcards and goodies to the defenders of Ukraine.
Flowers were laid in the city to the graves of the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred, ATO/Joint Forces Operation, and the russian-Ukrainian war.
Khmelnytskyi Oblast
In the Khmelnytskyi Oblast, the State Security Service of Ukraine military counterintelligence neutralized the three-person enemy sabotage and reconnaissance force planning sabotage in the Oblast.
Khmelnytsky decided to support the fighters of the Azov Regiment, who, together with other defenders, heroically defend Mariupol. An open-air concert was held on the territory of one of the local schools. Dancers of the ensemble “Cossack Jury” and the famous bard Igor White performed. During the event, money was collected for the needs of the military.
Artifacts related to the russian-Ukrainian war are being collected at the Khmelnytsky City History Museum. Exhibits can include personal belongings of soldiers and volunteers from the front line, household items of people affected by the war, and photographs, documents, and audio evidence.
The AUI “Active Community” coordinators provided informational support and assistance to IDPs. They advise on possible aid and opportunities for IDPs in the Khmelnytskyi community.
Kamianets-Podilskyi
The situation is stable. There were two air alarms. The mayor congratulated everyone on Mother’s Day. He warned that there would be no mass events in the city, but several meetings were planned – the mayor with the mothers of the fallen Heroes, mothers-heroines, and women of the social center “Care” who visited the institution. Utilities are working. Public buses go on routes. The people of Kamianets-Podilskyi laid flowers at the memorial with the names of their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents who died in World War II.
The AUI “Active Community” coordinators joined the Victory Gardens program: they planted vegetables in their garden. They joined the Divine Liturgy for Peace in Ukraine in the Holy Trinity Church of the city.
Zakarpattia Oblast
US First Lady Jill Biden visited Uzhgorod. Ms. Biden met with Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska. Jill Biden and Olena Zelenska visited a school in Uzhhorod, where they resettled IDPs from oblasts of Ukraine, where hostilities continue. The visit of First Lady Jill Biden is a demonstration of support for Ukraine by high-ranking US officials. For obvious reasons, the visit to Uzhhorod was not announced, kept as secret as possible, and closed to the media. Only the White House press service was present at the meeting. Jill Biden has now left Ukraine.
There will be no curfew in Zakarpattia Oblast. At least so far, there are no grounds for its introduction. It was announced by the Head of the Zakarpattia Oblast Military Administration, Viktor Mykyta.
“Zakarpattia Legion” was awarded the presidential award “For Courage and Courage”.
Last modified: 10 Травня, 2022
