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Day: May 8, 2022
By Associated Press
Russian forces fired cruise missiles at the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa on Saturday and bombarded a besieged steel mill in Mariupol, hoping to complete their conquest of the port in time for Victory Day celebrations. Ukraine announced that all women, children and older adults had been evacuated from the mill, a key Russian war objective.
Meanwhile, Russia held a dress rehearsal on Saturday for the military parade to commemorate Victory Day on May 9, when the country marks the defeat of Nazi Germany during World War II.
This year’s Victory Day, which falls on Monday, won’t just honor a conflict that ended 77 years ago. Many Russians will be thinking about the thousands of troops in neighboring Ukraine. Signs of support for the military have grown across the country since Feb. 24, with the letter “Z” appearing on billboards and signs in the streets and subways, and on television and social media.
In a sign of the unexpectedly effective Ukrainian defense that has sustained the fighting into its 11th week, Ukraine’s military flattened Russian positions on a Black Sea island that was captured in the war’s first days and has become a symbol of resistance. Western military analysts also said a Ukrainian counteroffensive was advancing around the nation’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, even as it remained a key target of Russian shelling.
The largest European conflict since World War II has developed into a punishing war of attrition that has killed thousands of people, forced millions to flee their homes and destroyed large swaths of some cities. Ukrainian leaders warned that attacks would only increase in the lead-up to Russia’s Monday holiday commemorating Nazi Germany’s defeat 77 years ago, and President Volodymyr Zelensky urged people to heed air raid warnings.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday that Zelensky and his people “embody the spirit of those who prevailed during the Second World War.” He accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of trying “to twist history to attempt to justify his unprovoked and brutal war against Ukraine.”
“As war again rages in Europe, we must increase our resolve to resist those who now seek to manipulate historical memory in order to advance their own ambitions,” Blinken said in a statement as the United States and United Kingdom marked the Allied victory in Europe.
The most intense fighting in recent days has been in eastern Ukraine, where the two sides are entrenched in a fierce battle to capture or reclaim territory. Moscow’s offensive there has focused on the industrial Donbas region, where Russia-backed separatists have been fighting since 2014 and occupy some areas.
Moscow also has sought to sweep across southern Ukraine to both cut off the country from the sea and connect its territory to the breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria, long home to Russian troops. But it has struggled to achieve those objectives.
On Saturday, six Russian cruise missiles fired from aircraft hit the region of Odesa, where authorities have a curfew in place until Tuesday morning. Videos posted on social media showed thick black smoke rising over the city as sirens wailed.
Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press showed Ukraine targeting Russian-held Snake Island in a bid to impede Russia’s efforts to control the Black Sea. An image taken early Saturday by Planet Labs PBC showed that most of the island’s buildings had been destroyed by Ukrainian drone attacks, as well as what appeared to be a Serna-class landing craft against the island’s northern beach.
The image corresponds with a Ukrainian military video showing a drone striking the Russian vessel, engulfing it in flames. Snake Island, located some 35 kilometers (20 miles) off the coast, figured in a memorable incident early in the war when Ukrainian border guards stationed there defied Russian orders to surrender, purportedly using colorful language.
In Mariupol, Ukrainian fighters made a final stand against a complete Russian takeover of the strategically important city, which would give Moscow a land bridge to the Crimea Peninsula, annexed from Ukraine during a 2014 invasion.
Satellite photos shot Friday by Planet Labs PBC showed vast devastation at the sprawling Azovstal seaside steel mill, the last pocket of Ukrainian resistance in the city. Buildings had gaping holes in the roofs, including one under which hundreds of fighters are likely hiding.
Rescuers finished the evacuation of civilians Saturday after a week of Russian shelling and on-and-off convoys to get people out of Mariupol.
“The president’s order has been carried out: All women, children and the elderly have been evacuated from Azovstal,” Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said, without elaborating. “This part of the Mariupol humanitarian operation has been completed.”
Russian Col. Gen. Mikhail Mizintsev also confirmed the evacuations.
The Russian news agency Tass had reported that 50 civilians were evacuated Saturday, a day after a similar number left. The latest evacuees followed roughly 500 others who were allowed to leave the plant and other parts of the city in recent days.
The situation at the plant has drawn the world’s attention, with the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross desperately trying to organize evacuations.
In recent days, fighters inside had described bringing out small groups of civilians who had been hiding there for weeks. The fighters said via social media that both they and the Russians have used a white flag system to halt fighting in order to get civilians out.
But Russian forces have intensified fire on the mill with mortars, artillery, truck-mounted rocket systems, aerial bombardment and shelling from the sea, making evacuation operations difficult.
Three Ukrainian fighters were killed and six more were wounded during Friday’s evacuation attempt. Capt. Sviatoslav Palamar, the deputy commander of the Azov Regiment, said his troops had waved white flags and accused Russian forces of firing an anti-tank weapon at a vehicle.
It remains unclear what will happen to the estimated 2,000 fighters at Azovstal, both those still in combat and the hundreds believed to be wounded. In recent days the Ukrainian government has been reaching out to international organizations to try to secure safe passage for them. The fighters have repeatedly vowed not to surrender.
Zelensky said early Saturday that “influential states” were involved in efforts to rescue the soldiers. He did not mention any by name, but added, “We are also working on diplomatic options.”
Russian forces have probed the plant and even reached into its warren of tunnels, according to Ukrainian officials.
But they struggled to make significant gains elsewhere in the country.
Kharkiv, which was the first Soviet capital in Ukraine and had a pre-war population of about 1.4 million, remained a key target of Russian shelling in the northeast. Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Saturday that the Russian military also hit large shipments of weapons from the U.S. and other Western countries with Iskander missiles in the region. His claims couldn’t be independently verified.
But Western military analysts said Ukrainian forces were making progress in securing positions around the city. The Ukrainian army said it retook control of five villages in the area and part of a sixth.
A Washington-based think tank, the Institute for the Study of War, said in its most recent assessment that Ukraine may be able to push Russian forces “out of artillery range of Kharkiv in the coming days,” providing a respite for the city and an opportunity to build the defenders’ momentum “into a successful, broader counteroffensive.”
Also Saturday, a Russian missile destroyed a national museum in the Kharkiv region dedicated to the life and work of 18th-century philosopher Gregory Skovoroda, the local council said. It posted photographs on Facebook showing the building engulfed in flames.
And in another eastern region, Luhansk, Gov. Serhiy Haidai said two boys aged 11 and 14 were killed by Russian shelling in the town of Pryvillia, while two girls aged 8 and 12 and a 69-year-old woman were wounded.
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(AP) — Ferrari stormed to the front of the grid for the inaugural Miami Grand Prix as Formula One championship leader Charles Leclerc and teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. locked up the front row in Saturday qualifying.
Video from the first day of the Formula One Grand Prix in Miami Beach. Photo Credit: Lisa Sofer Photography @F1 @grandprixdotcom @miamigrandprix @charleslecleric @Ferrari pic.twitter.com/yMqaDBsbDW
— The Jewish Voice (@JewishVoice) May 8, 2022
It’s the first time Ferrari will lead the field to green in the United States since Michael Schumacher won the pole at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2006. It’s the first front row this season for Sainz, who has been outqualified by Leclerc in all five sessions.
Leclerc has won three poles this year headed into Sunday, the first F1 race at the purpose-built circuit around Hard Rock Stadium. The race marks the first of two this year in the U.S. — which has not hosted two F1 races in the same year since 1984.
Photo Lisa Sofer
Leclerc turned to the roaring crowd and waved while being interviewed by Danica Patrick, the retired IndyCar and NASCAR driver.
“The fans are crazy. It’s incredible to be here in the U.S. and see how much the support has grown over the last few years,” Leclerc said. “I’ve seen so many people in the grandstands. It definitely motivates us.”
Photo Lisa Sofer
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen led the final qualifying segment until the Dutchman made a rare error and both Ferrari’s surged ahead of him in the final seconds. He’ll start third on Sunday; Leclerc and Verstappen have split the first four races, two wins apiece.
“It’s quite slippery outside of the normal racing line, but we’ll see. A lot of things can happen,” Verstappen said.
Sergio Perez was fourth as Red Bull locked out the second row. Earlier Saturday, Red Bull principal Christian Horner denied a rumor the team plans to sign Fernando Alonso for 2023 and said talks on an extension for Perez would begin during F1′s summer break.
“Checo’s doing a great job. He’s driving at a very high level. He’s more comfortable in the team this year,” Horner said. “We’re happy with the job he’s doing. However, we’ve only seen a sample of four races so it’s still early in the year.”
By Lisa Sofer
Valtteri Bottas qualified fifth, one spot ahead of former Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton. Bottas was replaced this year at Mercedes by George Russell, leading to speculation at Imola two weeks ago that Bottas holds a grudge based on his late-race battle with Russell for position.
“No, it’s points, were chasing points and always just really trying to maximize every opportunity, every position you can make,” Bottas said. “The target was more points rather than a person.”
Hamilton qualified sixth in a small improvement for Mercedes, which has struggled since the debut of its new car. He outqualified Russell, who was fastest in Friday’s second practice but failed to advance out of the second round and was 12th.
“I just don’t think I have the confidence in the car today,” Russell radioed his Mercedes team.
Hamilton, meanwhile, had both former First Lady Michelle Obama and director George Lucas watching from his pit. Hamilton had an eventful opening to the weekend when he arrived at the venue Friday wearing all the jewelry he could fit in protest of the FIA’s new crackdown on wearing bling while competing.
Hamilton said he has piercings he can’t remove and was willing to sign a liability waiver. The FIA, the governing body of F1, claims the jewelry is a safety hazard. On Saturday, it amended the ban to include wristwatches.
“It is clear that regulations are here to protect the drivers; on the other side, we need to keep the possibility on diversity and the means of expression and expressing yourself,” said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. “And we know that this is important for Lewis, so without going into detail where the piercing stayed… I’m sure they will come to a good resolution.”
It’s been a disappointing weekend for Haas F1, the team owned by California businessman Gene Haas, who also owns a NASCAR team with Tony Stewart. The team has been much improved at the start of this season from last year, when Haas was worst on the grid and failed to score a single point all year.
But in qualifying Kevin Magnussen, who has 15 points through the first four races, failed to advance out of the first round. Mick Schumacher did advance into the second round but only qualified 15th, one spot ahead of Magnussen, and the “American F1 team” will have a long Sunday drive to impress an expected 85,000 spectators.
At least half of the IndyCar paddock is in Miami for the event and that includes Michael Andretti and his father, 1978 F1 champion Mario Andretti. Michael Andretti failed last year to buy an existing F1 team and has since applied for expansion to start a new two-car team.
He hasn’t received any word back from the FIA or Liberty Media, the American company that owns F1. Andretti wants to bring Colton Herta, a 22-year-old IndyCar driver from California, to F1 but Herta has been signed to a testing contract by McLaren as Andretti awaits his fate.
The paddock did not sound eager to welcome two new cars to the grid anytime soon, as Wolff said Saturday he was against diluting the purse and other team principals stressed expansion must only be done if the team plans a legitimate effort.
The post Ferrari locks up front row for inaugural Miami Grand Prix appeared first on The Jewish Voice.
By David Hellerman
An IDF manhunt for two Palestinians suspected of killing three Israelis in Elad on Thursday continued on Saturday night.
Security officials said they believe Asad a-Rafai, 19, and Sabhi Abu Shaki, 20, are still capable of attacking more people.
Both are from the Palestinian village of Rumana, near Jenin.
Hebrew media reports said the IDF has expanded its search beyond Elad to nearby Arab communities and to an area by the security barrier.
Armed with an axe and a knife, the two killed three Israelis and injured seven other celebrating Independence Day at a park in the central town of Elad on Thursday.
Killed in the attack were Boaz Gol, Yonatan Havakuk and Oren Ben Yiftah.
Funerals for the three were held on Friday. They leave behind a combined 16 orphans.
Police said Ben Yiftah gave the Palestinians a ride to Elad, apparently unaware they were in Israel illegally.
Hebrew media reports said that Ben Yiftah was a driver and had given Rafa’i and Shaki rides to Elad numerous times. They said they were construction workers at a synagogue in the city.
The suspects are not known to be members of any terror organizations, but Israeli officials believe they were incited by Hamas’s Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar, who called on Palestinians to defend the Temple Mount by attacking Israelis.
The post Manhunt for Elad terrorists continues, still capable of more attacks appeared first on The Jewish Voice.
