Over 500 Ukrainian medical institutions destroyed by Russia have been restored

Ukraine's medical infrastructure has suffered extensive damage due to Russia's full-scale war, but efforts to restore it are underway. So far, 510 medical institutions have been fully restored.

The Ministry of Health reported that an additional 355 medical institutions have been partially reconstructed or are currently being restored.

"These include medical facilities in de-occupied territories, as well as those with minor damage like broken windows, roof damage, and facade issues. Most of the restored medical facilities are located in the Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv oblasts," the Ministry of Health stated.

Since the start of the invasion, Russian forces have damaged 1,591 medical institutions and completely destroyed 210. The worst-affected oblasts include Kharkiv, Donetsk, Mykolaiv, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.

The Russian military has also damaged 161 emergency medical vehicles, destroyed 261, and seized 125.

In addition, Kyiv has repaired 1,000 pieces of energy equipment destroyed by Russian bombardment, which accounts for about 70% of the equipment struck by missiles and Shahed drones. These numbers highlight the ongoing efforts to rebuild critical infrastructure in the face of relentless attacks.

Putin inaugurated for 5th term in office in ceremony largely boycotted by West

Russian President Vladimir Putin was sworn in on May 7 for his fifth term in office, in an elaborate ceremony that most Western countries refused to participate in. Putin easily secured another six-year term in a March election widely viewed as rigged.

Many European countries, including the U.K., Germany, Estonia, and Czechia, along with the U.S., boycotted the inauguration ceremony. Despite this, representatives from six EU countries—France, Hungary, Slovakia, Greece, Malta, and Cyprus—attended the event.

Josep Borrell, the EU's top diplomat, indicated that he advised EU member states to avoid attending the inauguration. Peter Stano, an EU foreign and security policy spokesperson, confirmed that the EU's ambassador to Russia was also instructed to avoid the ceremony. "The recommendation was for member states to avoid this event," Stano said. "Nevertheless, a few member states decided to proceed on their own."

Although some countries chose to attend, the majority of EU members followed the boycott. Stano emphasized that each country ultimately made its own decision based on national sovereignty and bilateral relations.

Putin's speech during the ceremony contained few references to Russia's broader geopolitical situation. He did not explicitly mention Ukraine, aside from briefly acknowledging soldiers fighting in what Russia calls a "special military operation," a euphemism to obscure its full-scale war against Ukraine. Putin noted that he would not "refuse to have dialogue" with the West, but added that the West had to choose between attempting to restrain Russia's development through pressure and aggression or seeking a path to cooperation and peace.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated that while the U.S. would not send a representative to the ceremony, it would recognize Putin as Russia's president. However, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry urged other countries and international organizations not to recognize Putin as the legitimate president of Russia, arguing that there were "no legal grounds for recognizing Putin as the democratically elected and legitimate president of Russia." The European Parliament passed a resolution in April condemning Putin's election as illegitimate, further reinforcing the international skepticism surrounding Putin's presidency.

Russian attacks on Sumy Oblast injured 3 people

 [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories – ed.]

Russian forces attacked Krasnopilia hromada [A hromada is an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories – ed.] in Sumy Oblast with artillery on May 6, injuring a man and two children, according to the Sumy Oblast Military Administration.

The administration reported that Russian forces attacked the border areas and settlements of Sumy Oblast 31 times over the past day, with a total of 169 explosions recorded. The following hromadas came under fire: Khotin, Yunakivka, Myropillia, Bilopillia, Vorozhba, Krasnopillia, Velyka Pysarivka, Nova Sloboda, Esman, Seredyna-Buda, and Znob-Novhorodske.

In Krasnopilia hromada, Russian forces used artillery, causing 17 explosions. A Lancet UAV strike and a VOG high-explosive fragmentation grenade drop from a UAV were also recorded. The artillery shelling injured a local resident, while two teenagers, aged 15 and 14, were also injured.

Vorozhba hromada experienced attacks from three FPV drones and an airstrike using guided bombs. In Esman hromada, Russian forces used mortars, causing six explosions, and artillery, causing 20 explosions. Additionally, an FPV drone strike was recorded.

Seredyna-Buda hromada was attacked with multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS) (four explosions) and artillery (18 explosions). Nova Sloboda hromada experienced artillery shelling, with 13 explosions, mortar attacks, and guided bomb airstrikes, causing three explosions.

In Myropillia hromada, Russian forces used two air-dropped mines and artillery, causing 27 explosions. Khotin hromada was struck with non-guided air-launched rockets from a helicopter (six explosions), MLRS (four explosions), and mortar fire (two explosions).

Bilopillia hromada faced mortar attacks with 18 explosions and guided bomb airstrikes, causing five explosions. Velyka Pysarivka hromada experienced seven artillery explosions. Znob-Novhorodske hromada was attacked with five air-dropped mines.

Finally, Yunakivka hromada was targeted by artillery, with three explosions recorded.

These ongoing attacks reflect Russia's continuous aggression and the significant threat posed to civilians and infrastructure in the region. Local authorities and emergency services are working to address the damage and assist those affected by the strikes.