Ukraine war latest: Ukraine strikes Russia's Tuapse oil refinery for 4th time; Zelensky announces major military reform
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Key developments on May 1:
- Zelensky announces pay raises, new service terms in army reform
- Russian daytime drone strike targets Ternopil in Ukraine’s west, injuring at least 11
- Ukrainian drones hammer Russia's Tuapse oil refinery for 4th time, tanks ablaze again, military confirms
- Ukraine strikes Russian airfield nearly 1,700 kilometers away, damages 4 fighter jets, military confirms
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on May 1 a major reform of Ukraine's armed forces focused on increasing pay for soldiers and changing recruitment and service rules, with implementation set to begin in June.
The updated contracts are expected to allow previously mobilized soldiers to leave service, with timelines yet to be determined, according to Zelensky's statement.
Dmytro Lytvyn, the president's communications adviser, told journalists on May 1 that the Defense Ministry and the General Staff will provide details and timelines on the discharge of military personnel, but did not specify when this would occur.
Zelensky said he had instructed officials to significantly raise salaries, prioritizing fairness based on combat duties, experience, and effectiveness.
The minimum salary for rear positions should be no less than Hr 30,000 (around $680), while infantry troops should receive significantly higher compensation, ranging from Hr 250,000 to Hr 400,000 (approximately $5,600-$9,000), depending on their combat tasks, the president said.
The reform will also change recruitment and service conditions, aiming to expand contract-based service to make service terms clearer and more predictable, according to Zelensky.
The changes would also set clear service terms and create conditions for the phased discharge of previously mobilized soldiers starting this year, based on defined timelines, the president added.
Zelensky said in his evening address that all aspects of the planned reform should be finalized in May, with the first "tangible" changes expected to take effect by June.
Russian daytime drone strike targets Ternopil in Ukraine's west, injuring at least 12
Russian forces carried out a mass daytime drone attack across Ukraine on May 1, injuring at least 12 people in Ternopil, a city about 130 kilometers (80 miles) from the Polish border, local authorities reported.
Explosions were reported in the city early in the afternoon and continued, with multiple blasts reported across the city.
Six injured were in the emergency room and one in the regional hospital as of 5 p.m. local time, according to Ternopil Mayor Serhii Nadal.
The local military administration said 36 aerial targets were detected over the city during the attack, 27 of which were shot down by Ukrainian air defenses.
Serhii Ziubanenko, head of the regional branch of the National Police, said 39 people were evacuated from the affected areas.
Ukraine's General Staff said the attack involved 409 drones between 8 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. from multiple directions in Russia and Russian-occupied territories. According to preliminary data, Ukrainian air defenses shot down 388 drones, while 16 others hit targets.
Ukrainian drones hammer Russia's Tuapse oil refinery for 4th time, tanks ablaze again, military confirms
Ukrainian drones hit an oil refinery in Tuapse, Krasnodar Krai, overnight on May 1, marking the fourth strike on the site in a month, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the General Staff confirmed.
The May 1 attack on the oil facility was carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine's "Alpha" Special Operations Center in cooperation with military intelligence (HUR) and the Unmanned Systems Forces.
The attack sparked a fire in oil tanks, sending a column of black smoke above the oil refinery, according to the SBU.
The extent of the damage is still being assessed, Ukraine's General Staff said.
Photos and videos of a fourth attack on the refinery and marine terminal emerged on social media in the early hours of May 1, with residents reporting explosions in the area, according to the Telegram monitoring channel Exilenova-Plus.
Local residents told the Russian Telegram channel Shot that air defense units were active over Tuapse, and that at least 10 drones had already been downed. Explosions and active gunfire were reported and restrictions were introduced at regional airports.
The Krasnodar Krai Operational Headquarters later reported that a drone attack had sparked a fire at the marine terminal in Tuapse.
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that a total of 141 drones were shot down across the country overnight.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims at the time of publication.
Ukraine previously confirmed attacks on Tuapse on April 16, 20, and 28. Following the third attack, a state of emergency was declared in the municipal district.
Ukraine strikes Russian airfield nearly 1,700 kilometers away, damages 4 fighter jets, military confirms
Ukrainian drones struck four Russian fighter jets on April 25, including two Su-57s, an Su-34, and another aircraft whose model was not specified, at the Shagol airfield in Chelyabinsk, Russia, Unmanned Systems Forces commander Robert "Magyar" Brovdi confirmed on May 1.
Ukraine's General Staff reported earlier that two fighter jets — a Su-57 and a Su-34 — were destroyed in the attack on the airfield. Updated information from the Unmanned Systems Forces indicates the damage was more extensive.
A satellite image published by Brovdi showed the remains of a vehicle used to service Russian aircraft. The commander added that damaged fighter jets were moved to enclosed hangars after the attack.
The damaged aircraft were located about 1,700 kilometers (around 1,060 miles) from the Ukrainian border, according to the General Staff.
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claims, and Russia has not commented on the reported strikes.
