It's 5:30 pm Thursday in Ukraine, what do we know?

10 year old, Vova, at the funeral for his mother, who was murdered in the Bucha massacre. Photo courtesy Emilio Morenatti, AP

What do we know in Ukraine?

• The Battle for Donbas has begun

• Vladimir Putin declared victory in Mariupol, despite failing to kill or capture Ukrainian forces inside the Azovstal steel and iron works. In a televised meeting, Putin told Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, "You successfully completed the combat effort to liberate Mariupol. Let me congratulate you on this occasion, and please convey my congratulations to the troops," While Mariupol represents Russia’s largest victory in the war thus far, their inability to seize the iron and steel works makes it incomplete

• Ukrainian Ombudsman, Lyudmyla Denisova, said a group of teenagers were forcibly deported from Donetsk and Luhansk to the Russian town of Vladimir.  Denisova said there were reports their parents had been killed

• UK intelligence says Russia is seeking to achieve a significant military success by Victory Day, May 9th. Victory Day commemorates Russia’s victory over the Nazis and the end of WWII

  max seddon @maxseddon

  Putin is hailing Russia's "liberation" of Mariupol after his forces completely destroyed during a two-month siege. He told defense minister Sergei Shoigu to block off the Azovstal metallurgical plant, where the last Ukrainian troops are holed up, "so that a fly can't get in."

Euromaidan PR @EuromaidanPR

In #Russia, one of their most advanced military research centers, which in particular was engaged in the development of air defense, suddenly caught fire. Fire area - one thousand square meters. #Ukraine #UkraineRussiaWar #UkraineWillResist

What else do we know?

• French President Emmanuel Macron took a step towards victory in the upcoming presidential election, with a combative and effective debate performance against Marine Le Pen on Wednesday. Macron attacked Le Pen on her ties to Russia and her criticism of the EU.  Macron’s lead had narrowed to only a couple of points recently but has widened in the run-up to the election

• In their new book, “This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden and the Battle for America’s Future,” New York Times reporters Jonathan Martin and Alex Burns, say both Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy privately wanted Trump either impeached or forced to resign after the January 6th Capitol riot.  More here