Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] 23:09 Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said at a briefing that reports about the development of plans in the United States to destroy the Russian Black Sea Fleet are not true: "I can tell you with certainty that this is not true."
Earlier, Reuters, citing its sources among US officials, reported that Washington was working on organizing the supply of long-range anti-ship missiles to Ukraine to lift the blockade of the Black Sea.
23:00 The International Olympic Committee will punish every athlete or sports official who openly supported Russia's war in Ukraine, said IOC President Thomas Bach.
22:57 A $40 billion aid bill to Ukraine is being transported to South Korea for signature by Biden, who is visiting there, a spokesman for the National Security Council told CNN.
22:55 Cars that were not allowed out of the occupied territory were parked near Vasylivka, Zaporozhye region, for three days. Tonight they started moving towards Zaporozhye, said the mayor of Energodar Dmitry Orlov. According to him, from the queue of a thousand cars, about a hundred have already passed.
22:36 Zelensky said in an evening address that Ukraine is offering partner states to sign a multilateral agreement and create a mechanism through which every victim of the actions of the Russian army will be able to receive compensation for their losses.
“On the basis of such an agreement, Russian funds and property located in the jurisdictions of the partner states should be seized or frozen, and then confiscated and sent to a specially created fund, from which all victims of Russian aggression will be able to receive appropriate compensation. This will definitely be fair. And Russia will feel the true weight of every missile, every bomb and every projectile it fires at Ukraine," the president said.
22:22 The Ramstein group of countries will hold a new meeting on Monday, May 23, to discuss further defense support for Ukraine. The meeting will take place online, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said at a briefing. More than 40 countries will take part in it, the full list of participants will be known later.
21:59 Zelensky, on the air of the all-Ukrainian telethon, said that the operation to safely exit the defenders of Mariupol is being carried out with the participation of Western partners, but the details have not yet been disclosed. According to him, to date, all civilians, doctors, and the wounded have been removed from Azovstal. "In the near future, not even one of these days, the export of all will be completed," the president added.
He also said that he was trying to negotiate the unblocking of the plant with partners - Turkey, Switzerland, Israel, France. Zelensky claims that he persistently asked in a conversation with each leader of the partner countries to provide weapons to unblock Mariupol by military means. According to the president, part of the military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were ready, in the event of the provision of heavy weapons, to go to the military deblockade of Mariupol, despite the risks.
21:51 The authorities of the Japanese city of Hiroshima decided not to invite the delegations of the Russian Federation and Belarus to the events on the occasion of honoring the memory of the victims of the nuclear attack on August 6, 1945.
21:48 The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation stated that the territory of Azovstal was "completely liberated." According to Moscow, since May 16, 2,439 Azov fighters and Ukrainian troops have laid down their arms and surrendered. Today, the last group of 531 Ukrainian soldiers surrendered.
Shoigu reported to Putin "on the completion of the operation and the complete liberation of Azovstal and the city of Mariupol." The underground facilities of the plant, he said, have already come under the full control of the Russian armed forces.
The Russian Ministry of Defense also reported that the commander of Azov "because of the hatred of the Mariupol residents and the desire of the townspeople to punish him for numerous atrocities, he was taken out of the territory of the plant in a special armored car."
21:43 Food prices around the world have already risen to historical levels due to the lack of Ukrainian grain on the market. The poorest countries on the planet suffer the most, for which hunger may soon become the main cause of high mortality, and the responsibility for this lies with the Russian Federation. For more details, see Putin's Weapons .
21:40 Zelensky said that many Ukrainian pilots died when trying to fly to Azovstal to help the defenders of Mariupol. He spoke about this in an interview on the occasion of the third anniversary of the inauguration as president, according to TSN. Zelensky also called all the defenders of Mariupol "absolutely heroic" - military, medical, and civilian.
According to the president, the pilots knew that in the absence of air corridors and with powerful enemy air defense, it was almost impossible to fly: “Fly to Azovstal and bring them medicine, food, water, pick up bodies, wounded. All this happened. I couldn't comment officially. Why? Because there were no air corridors to Azovstal because of their powerful air defense." He stressed that Ukraine "not just" asked the world to close the sky over its territory.
21:28 Zelensky, during an online meeting with Ukrainian students, said that Ukraine would build a new Mriya: "We wanted to build it, we needed $800 million. I turned to the President of Turkey with a proposal to build a second Mriya, but we did not find the money. But in this case, it's not a question of money, it's a question of ambition, it's a question of the image of our state and all the excellent professional pilots who died in this war."
21:25 Ukraine received 504 million euros from the World Bank donor trust fund. These are, in particular, funds from the United States and Great Britain, Shmyhal said. Also today, the European Commission paid Ukraine the second part of the tranche of macro-financial assistance in the amount of 600 million euros. According to the prime minister, in the coming months, Kyiv hopes to receive 9 billion euros from the EU, and almost 9 billion more dollars should come from the United States as financial assistance.
21:18 The United States will leave 100,000 of its troops in Europe for now, if Russia does not escalate and threaten Sweden, Finland or NATO members, writes CNN, citing US officials. At the same time, the number of US troops in Europe may temporarily increase if NATO conducts more military exercises in the region, or the US may establish additional bases in Europe if the situation changes.
The US increased its total force in Europe from about 60,000 to 100,000 even before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
21:09 On the evening of May 20, the Russians launched a missile attack on Kharkov, the State Emergency Service told Suspilny. According to preliminary data, the enemy fired a rocket at the Kievsky district of the city, as a result of the shelling a fire broke out.
20:54 The new package of American assistance provides for the supply of Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine, writes The Washington Post. Long-range artillery supplies are also expected.
20:42 The EBRD will provide Naftogaz with a loan of 300 million euros for the purchase of gas, Irina Kravchenko, deputy head of the bank in Ukraine, said. In addition, it is planned to provide a loan to Ukrzaliznytsia for 50 million euros to support liquidity, as well as to allocate 100 million euros each for tools to support agro-industrial companies and food retail, and pharmaceutical companies.
20:37 This afternoon, Russia fired three missiles at the Kharkiv region, two of which were shot down, and one hit the House of Culture in the center of Lozovaya, Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA, said. As a result of the blow, eight people were injured, among the wounded was a girl of 11 years old. All of them were close to the room. The victims received shrapnel wounds, seven of them were hospitalized.
20:26 Oleksiy Kuleba is returning to the post of head of the Kiev regional administration, who was replaced by Oleksandr Pavlyuk for the period of hostilities in the region, said Taras Melnychuk, a government representative in the Verkhovna Rada.
20:21 Mayor of Nikolaev Alexander Senkevich reports explosions in the city and asks to stay away from windows.
20:05 In the area of Chernobaevka, the enemy moved about 130 units of military equipment as part of the acquisition of units that suffered losses, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said.
19:48 The head of the Odesa OVA Maxim Marchenko said that after a rocket attack on an infrastructure facility in the region, no one was injured, while the facility itself was damaged.
19:43 In the Kherson region, residents were announced the issuance of Russian-style passports, said Ombudsman Lyudmila Denisova. According to her, in Skadovsk, Kherson region, a database of residents is being formed under the pretext of the upcoming passportization and social payments in Russian rubles.
19:41 Spain supports Ukraine's aspirations to become a member of the EU and is ready to support the country's admission to the European Union, unless the report of the European Commission recommends otherwise, said Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albarez, Sky News reports.
19:38 During the day, 416 Mariupol residents, including 46 children, were delivered from Mariupol to the filtration camp in Bezymennoye, Novoazovsky district. 512 people were deported to Russia from Bezymennoye after filtration, said Petr Andryushchenko, an adviser to the mayor of Mariupol.
19:32 Participants of the Summit of the International Transport Forum pledged to stop any cooperation with the Russian Federation and Belarus. All the delegations present also expressed their unanimous support for Ukraine, the Ministry of Infrastructure reported. In addition, the summit participants discussed specific measures to support Ukraine during the war and the participation of the international community in the post-war reconstruction of the country.
19:28 In Belarus, two missile divisions of the Tochka-U tactical missile system and a division of the Smerch multiple launch rocket system have been deployed at separate ranges. The threat of missile and bomb attacks and artillery shelling from the territory of Belarus remains, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said.
19:23 In Mariupol, the occupiers have completed the removal of the rubble and the removal of the bodies of the dead from the Drama Theater. The equipment has been removed, the zone is open, said Petr Andryushchenko, an adviser to the mayor of the city. The dead are buried under nameless numbers in a mass grave in Mangush, it is no longer possible to find out the number of dead in the Drama Theater.
19:20 The office of the Prosecutor General announced another suspect in the atrocities in the Kiev region - this is Senior Lieutenant Vasily Litvinenko, company commander of the 64th separate motorized rifle brigade of the Ground Forces of the RF Armed Forces as part of the 35th combined arms army. It was he who ordered the killing of civilians in the Kyiv region. In particular, Litvinenko was "senior" during the occupation of the village of Lipovka, Buchansky district.
19:06 As part of a new package of US military assistance in the amount of $100 million, towed howitzers, tractors for them and counter-battery radars were sent to Ukraine, the Pentagon said.
19:05 Shmyhal, at a meeting in Kiev with the Secretary for Interstate Relations of the Holy See, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, called for help in organizing safe corridors for the export of Ukrainian grain.
19:03 Reznikov said that today he had a "very productive meeting" via video link with German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht: "We discussed the launch of a new important project that will strengthen the capabilities of the Ukrainian army. Details will come soon. Thank you Christine for your participation and support!"
18:57 38 people were evacuated from the Lugansk region today, 12 of them are children. According to the head of the OVA, Sergei Gaidai, the police were also able to go to Belogorovka and take eight people from there. People from Lisichansk and Severodonetsk also left.
18:51 In the Bessarabian direction, Russian special services are spreading information about the mining of social infrastructure facilities and so-called government institutions in the cities of Tiraspol, Bendery, Dubossary and Rybnitsa. Thus, the enemy is trying to intimidate the population, reports the Command of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
18:41 A Russian missile hit one of the infrastructure facilities of the Odessa region, said Natalya Gumenyuk, head of the press center of the Defense Forces of southern Ukraine. A fire broke out at the scene, rescuers are working there. There is no threat to the life and health of the civilian population in the nearest settlements.
18:38 Volodymyr Lipandin from Feodosia, who was put on the wanted list by the Security Service of Ukraine in 2014, became the "head" of the police in Kherson, Anton Gerashchenko said.
18:31 The Russian invaders are shelling the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine north of Kharkov and Izyum, trying to advance in the Slavic direction, and also trying to establish a crossing over the Seversky Donets near the village of Yaremovka in the Izyum region, the General Staff said.
17:58 From tomorrow, May 21, the NBU lifts restrictions on setting the rate at which banks can sell cash. Previously, the exchange rate was not supposed to deviate from the official rate by more than 10%.
17:57 The head of the Nikolaev OVA, Vitaly Kim, reported on the missile attack: "The missiles hit where they hit. The smell of ammonia - there is a small lake. There is a smell, but the Ministry of Emergency Situations reports that everything is in order. The concentration is minimal, so don't worry."
17:43 Ukraine will receive the first 15 German anti-aircraft self-propelled guns Gepard in July. This was announced during a video chat between German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht and Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, DW reports. Another 15 units will be delivered during the summer. The aid package also includes almost 60,000 Cheetah ammunition and training for Ukrainian crews at Bundeswehr bases.
17:39 Canada introduces additional sanctions against Russian oligarchs and prohibits the import and export of luxury goods from Russia. The new measures will impose restrictions on 14 people, including Russian oligarchs, their families and close associates of Putin. The import ban will affect Russian goods, including alcoholic beverages, seafood and non-industrial diamonds, while the export ban will affect luxury goods such as shoes, clothing and jewelry.
17:26 The Ukrainian army needs a large amount of weapons for the counteroffensive, said the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense Kirill Budanov in an interview with The New York Times. So, according to him, the Armed Forces of Ukraine need medium and long-range missile systems, large-caliber artillery and strike aircraft.
“We are waging war on our own territory. If someone thinks that we should have restrictions on the use of certain types of weapons, I would like to remind you that Russia here uses absolutely all types of weapons that it has, from cruise missiles, which are launched from submarines, to strategic bombers. The entire spectrum of Russian weapons is used here, except for nuclear weapons," Budanov said.
17:18 Since the beginning of the open war on the territory of Ukraine, more security officials from the North Caucasus have died than during the armed conflict in the same region since 2014. According to the Caucasian Knot publication, 143 security officials have been killed in the North Caucasian Federal District over the past eight years of terror. And in the so-called "special operation" since February 24 of this year, only according to open data, it was possible to establish that at least 224 people died.
17:03 In each district of Kiev, a flower arrangement will appear, symbolizing the unbending spirit of the Ukrainian people during the war. According to the Kyiv City State Administration, the first such composition was the famous stamp depicting a Ukrainian soldier against the backdrop of a Russian ship. This is a panel measuring 14 by 4.5 meters, formed from several thousand flowers of different varieties near the Levoberezhnaya metro station.
17:01 Belarus does not intend to participate in the war in Ukraine and is not a party to this conflict, Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko said in an interview with Al Arabiya TV channel. According to him, "it is beneficial for the collective West to present Belarus as an aggressor or co-aggressor."
16:59 Russian troops today at about 15:00 launched a missile attack on a recreation center in Lozova, Kharkiv region. At least seven people were injured, including an 11-year-old child, Viktor Zabashta, director of the Center for Emergency Medical Assistance, told Suspilny. Firefighting and rubble removal continues, the State Emergency Service said.
16:56 In Kharkov on Tuesday, May 24, the subway will start working. And people who live at metro stations will be gradually relocated to "more or less safe places," Mayor Igor Terekhov said.
16:53 Zelensky held a meeting in Kiev with the heads of the upper and lower houses of the Parliament of Ireland, Mark Daly and Sean O'Farilo.
16:51 Sappers have completed demining in the de-occupied territories of the Kiev region, the OP reported.
| That was fast — the Russians only withdrew a few days ago. |
16:38 American intelligence is skeptical that a change in Russian public opinion about the war in Ukraine, even a significant one, will force Putin to stop hostilities, writes CNN. Intelligence also doubts that the war will lead to the removal of Putin from power, at least in the short term.
16:17 Zelensky on Ukraine's lawsuit against Russia: "42 states took Ukraine's side in the case against Russia at the International Court of Justice and announced their intention to join our lawsuit. I am grateful to the partners who chose the right side of history. This is the side of truth, international law and justice ".
16:03 Russian troops are working out conditional missile launches from new positions, Defense Ministry spokesman Alexander Motuzyanik said: "The aggressor is defining new frontiers for launching missiles on the territory of our state. As it became known to our intelligence, the Russian crew of Tu-22M3 long-range bombers practiced conditional missile launches from airspace of the northern part of Crimea.
16:01 Relatives of the military from Azovstal will create an organization to protect the rights of prisoners of war. They also intend to establish contact with Russian soldiers' mothers, relatives of the soldiers said at a briefing in Istanbul.
15:56 The French region of Ile-de-France allocated 1.1 million euros for projects to support Ukraine and develop cooperation with the Kiev and Chernihiv regions, the Ukrainian Embassy in France reported.
15:53 Europe will pay Russia a record 100 billion dollars for gas. As Citigroup analysts predict, due to rising gas prices this year, the Russian Federation may receive a record $ 100 billion from Europe, which is almost double the figure for 2021.
15:51 G7 finance ministers announced a new $19.8 billion in financial support to Ukraine.
15:50 The Italian Foreign Ministry confirmed the existence of a peace plan for Ukraine, submitted to the UN. It was also confirmed by the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Oleg Nikolenko.
15:48 The number of people in the filtration camps Bezymennoye/Kazatskoye in the Novoazovsky district has grown from 2,000 men to 3-4,000 over the past two weeks. The occupiers continue to take men from Mariupol to these filtration camps, Piotr Andryushchenko, an adviser to the mayor of the city, said. At the same time, not a single Mariupol citizen was released from the camp for five weeks.
The Russian military is actively disseminating information in private conversations that men are being prepared for mobilization into the “DPR” army due to the failure of mobilization in Donetsk and heavy losses at the front. It has already been instructed to conduct a census of men from 18 to 50 years old under the guise of forming a "labor reserve for removing rubble."
According to sources, the invaders plan to start a real and open mobilization of men in July-August after they receive DPR passports or Russian citizenship under a simplified procedure.
15:40 In the Black Sea, two ships of the Russian Federation with a total salvo of up to 16 Caliber missiles are ready for use, said Alexander Motuzyanyk, spokesman for the Ukrainian Defense Ministry.
15:33 Putin posthumously awarded the Order of Courage to one of the former leaders of the "DPR" Motorola (Arsen Pavlov), who was destroyed in 2016.
15:22 A missile attack was carried out on the Odessa region with the help of aviation. As reported in the operational command of Pivden, the blow fell on the beach toilet. According to preliminary data, no victims.
15:17 All the weapons that the United States provides are delivered to Ukraine in a very short time, sometimes in less than a day, said Dan Langgenkemp, a spokesman for the US Embassy in Ukraine.
14:55 The head of the Bundestag Defense Committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, accused the federal government of delaying the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine for too long: "You are waiting too long - everything could have already been delivered."
14:51 The Russian military blocked all exits from the occupied Kherson region to the territory controlled by Ukraine, the Pivden operational command reported. You can only go to the Crimea.
14:42 Finland received a message from Gazprom to stop gas supplies from Saturday morning, May 21, due to refusal to pay for gas in rubles. Moscow said it would cut off supplies to anyone who would not pay under the proposed scheme.
14:37 Sweden responded to Turkey's claims that it tacitly supports the Kurdistan Workers' Party. Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said that her country was one of the first to list the PKK as a terrorist organization: "Due to the widespread misinformation about Sweden and the PKK, we would like to recall that Olof Palme's government was the first after Turkey to list the PKK as a terrorist organization. back in 1984. The EU followed suit in 2002. This position remains unchanged.”
14:19 In the National Bank of Ukraine, the growth in the cost of currencies in exchange offices is associated with the introduced currency restrictions, the head of the NBU, Kirill Shevchenko, said in a comment to the EP. In particular, the conversion of funds from hryvnia accounts in the banking system into cash was banned in Ukraine and significantly restricted abroad. As a result, the currency deficit leads to a weakening of the hryvnia, he explained.
The NBU intends to weaken the hryvnia devaluation trend in non-bank exchangers, in particular by lifting a number of restrictions on currency trading by banks, Shevchenko said: help increase the liquidity of the cash segment of the foreign exchange market and stabilize the situation on it.
14:02 Gerhard Schroeder announced the impossibility of extending his powers on the board of directors of Rosneft, the company confirmed this. On the eve of the deputies of the European Parliament voted for the imposition of sanctions against Schroeder and other Europeans who "continue to receive money from Russia" if they do not stop cooperation with state-owned companies of the Russian Federation.
14:00 In Moscow, "Foreign Ministers" of the "DPR" and "LPR" Natalya Nikonorova and Vladislav Deynego met with the DPRK Ambassador to Russia Sin Hong Chol. The meeting was devoted to "consultations on formats and mechanisms for further interaction."
13:58 Russian troops attacked the infrastructure facility of the Lubny community in the Poltava region, said the head of the OVA Dmitry Lunin. He promised to give details later.
13:56 The government of the Russian Federation has created a special headquarters for the "restoration of the liberated territories" of Ukraine, Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin said. According to him, the headquarters will allegedly work on the restoration of infrastructure damaged during the hostilities.
13:54 During the full-scale war in Ukraine, 11 Georgian volunteers were killed, Novosti-Georgia reports.
13:42 This morning, the invaders fired artillery at a school in Severodonetsk, where more than 200 people were hiding, killing at least three, said the head of the Lugansk OVA Serhiy Gaidai.
13:40 Three civilians were injured as a result of a missile attack on Malin, Zhytomyr region, Zhytomyr Mayor Sergei Sukhomlin said. An infrastructure facility and more than 100 residential buildings were damaged.
13:37 The United States destroyed the last M55 missile with chemical weapons, the Pentagon press service said. The missile was destroyed as part of the implementation of the International Convention for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. The remaining stocks of chemical projectiles are planned to be neutralized by 2023.
13:35 The commander of the Azov Regiment Denis Prokopenko recorded an appeal in which he confirmed that the command had given the order to stop the defense of Mariupol in order to save the lives of the fighters. Azov's conditions were to bring out the civilians, the wounded, and also to take out the bodies of the dead. Prokopenko said that the task was completed.
13:33 Ukrainians fleeing the war along evacuation routes will be able to receive financial assistance directly upon arrival at the station in a safe area, Ukrzaliznytsia reported. The amount of one-time assistance is 3,000 hryvnia per child and 2,000 hryvnia per adult.
13:28 Russia has taken the first step towards the annexation of the occupied Ukrainian territories, Vadim Denisenko, an adviser to the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, said in a commentary to the Country. We are talking about a bill in which Putin is proposed to be given the authority to create interim administrations outside of Russia. "This applies not only to Ukraine, but, in fact, to any point where their bases are located. The project was created primarily for Ukraine and future conquests if they decide to go to Georgia, Moldova, Kazakhstan and other territories," Denisenko explained. .
He also said that this is a common practice of the Kremlin: first, a bill of authorship not by United Russia (in this case, A Just Russia) is introduced, then it is tested for several months, checking the reaction within the country and the reaction of the international community, and then the adoption procedure is launched.
According to the expert, this is a call that countries such as Belarus, Kazakhstan, Moldova, as well as other territories that Russia obviously wants to include in the design of the USSR-2, should pay attention to.
13:23 There are no financial and economic grounds for the devaluation of the hryvnia, said the head of the Verkhovna Rada committee on finance, tax and customs policy, Daniil Getmantsev: "There are no financial and economic grounds for the growth of the exchange rate. And there will not be. If we do not play populism and remember that the country is at war."
Earlier, MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak said that the dollar could rise in price to 40 hryvnia.
13:21 Morning explosions in Kiev were associated with the work of air defense, said the deputy head of the Kyiv City State Administration Nikolai Povoroznik: "At the moment, no emergencies have been recorded in the city. Indeed, the air defense forces have worked, now the city is more or less calm."
13:17 China is quietly increasing purchases of Russian oil at favorable prices, Reuters reports, citing supply data and sources among oil traders. Thus, China "fills the vacuum" that was formed after Western buyers refused to cooperate with the Russian Federation.
Russian offshore oil imports to China will jump to a near-record 1.1 million bpd in May, up from 750,000 bpd in the first quarter and 800,000 bpd in 2021, according to Vortexa Analytics estimates.
13:13 Russian aggression in Ukraine is visible even from space, German astronaut Matthias Maurer, who observed the events on board the ISS, told Bild: “We could see clouds of smoke in the country, and at night - flashes from missiles. For me it was very sad ".
13:06 In Mariupol, the occupiers are planning to launch four schools since September. Teachers are not left with a choice, directly and indirectly threatening "consequences" - from filtration camps to limiting "humanitarian" aid, said Petr Andryushchenko, an adviser to the mayor of the city. According to him, the education system in schools will completely switch to Russian standards and programs, they will teach only three subjects - Russian language / literature, Russian history and mathematics.
12:57 Russia, in response to Finland and Sweden joining NATO, will form 12 military units and divisions in the Western Military District by the end of the year. "The ongoing organizational measures are synchronized with the supply of modern weapons and military equipment to the troops," Shoigu said.
12:51 According to Shoigu, at Azovstal "already 1908 nationalists have surrendered, before that 1387 marines laid down their arms there." According to him, 177 civilians were also evacuated from the plant, including 85 women and 47 children.
12:48 Shoigu said that the "liberation of the LPR" is nearing completion. He also said that since the beginning of the war "from the dangerous regions of the DPR and LPR" and from Ukraine to Russia "evacuated" about 1.38 million people.
12:46 You can now get the status of unemployed in Dії - on the portal and in the application. The service is available for Ukrainians who lost their jobs during the war and live in temporarily occupied territories or territories where active hostilities are taking place.
12:43 For a month of work in the Kiev region, a special police mobile group identified 13 victims of sexual crimes committed by the occupiers, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported. During this period, 21 settlements were worked out, about 340 people were interviewed, a pre-trial investigation was launched in two criminal proceedings on rape.
12:27 The EU transferred a new tranche of macro-financial assistance to Ukraine in the amount of 600 million euros, Ursula von der Leyen said.
12:13 Russia, during the war against Ukraine, uses the blockade of food exports as a weapon, Blinken said at a meeting of the UN Security Council: "It seems that the Russian government believes that the use of food as a weapon will help to achieve what was not possible during the invasion - to break the spirit of the Ukrainian people. Food supplies for millions of Ukrainians and millions of other people around the world are literally taken hostage."
12:01 Defender of Mariupol with the call sign "Orest" Dmitry Kozatsky, who is now in captivity, published his photo archive from Azovstal:
11:39 The Czech Republic will receive German Leopard-2 tanks to replace the Soviet equipment transferred to Ukraine by the end of the year. The shipment will also include a 30-day supply of 120mm ammunition, DPA reports. Equipment and ammunition come from industrial stocks and are financed by the FRG.
According to the German Ministry of Defense, at the first stage, the Czech Republic will receive 14 Leopard-2A4 battle tanks and one tank tractor. The tanks will come from the arsenals of the Bundeswehr, along with ammunition and spare parts. Germany will also finance the training of Czech soldiers.
11:23 Roskomnadzor demanded that the English-language Wikipedia remove a number of materials with "inaccurate information about the special operation" in Ukraine.
10:55 Ukraine will strengthen the border with Belarus in the Zhytomyr region in order to prevent the invasion of the invaders, Zhytomyr Mayor Sergei Sukhomlin said: “The enemy will not have a second attempt. There will be no opportunity to enter Ukraine the way they entered on February 24. began to build along the entire line and concrete blocks.
10:52 A bill on the abolition of the age limit for the conclusion of the first contract for military service has been submitted to the State Duma of the Russian Federation.
10:50 Duda said in an interview with Polski Times that he considers the victory of Ukraine with the complete restoration of territorial integrity to be the best end to the war: "I would like it to end with Ukraine returning all its territories within internationally recognized borders. This is very important for me , the security of Poland and for the future, because in a political sense, this would mean the victory of Ukraine in the war."
10:29 Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Andriy Melnik said in an interview with RND that Kyiv will sooner or later join NATO: "This war also shows that NATO is and will remain the only anchor of security in Europe and throughout the world. Therefore, it is logical that this process expansion must continue, and Ukraine must also join this alliance. And I think that this can happen faster than some people think. Not now, in the midst of the war, but perhaps immediately after it."
10:21 Polish President Andrzej Duda said in an interview with Polski Times that he does not really believe in the possibility of a Russian attack on a NATO country: "Of course, a potential threat still exists. But it should be noted that in Poland - more than 10 thousand soldiers of the largest army in the world - "The most powerful, the best and the most modern weaponry. These soldiers have combat experience. We also have American infrastructure, heavy weapons, air defense, thanks to which part of the territory of Poland is already protected by American Patriot systems."
If we imagine that this unlikely scenario is realized against Poland or another member of the alliance, NATO's reaction will be quick and decisive, Duda stressed.
10:16 As a result of morning shelling, three people were wounded in Shevchenkove, Kharkiv region. At night in Dergachi near Kharkov, a shell hit a private house. In the village of Malaya Danilovka, a garage and a car caught fire from the impact, and at about 5:00 a.m., seven garages of the veterinarian academy were on fire, Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA, said.
10:09 G7 countries agreed to create an alliance to prevent global hunger. The alliance should organize both financing and cooperation of states in providing the world with food, says Spiegel.
10:03 In Energodar, fire brigade workers protested against the Russian invaders, who kidnapped the head of the unit, Vitaly Troyan. Ukrainian firefighters set up 14 pieces of special equipment in front of the recreation center Sovremennik and about a hundred soldiers. In response, the invaders sent 14 units of their military equipment there, after which they began to disperse the rally by force - beating people and damaging fire and rescue equipment, Energoatom reports.
09:59 In the Lviv region, a cruise missile was spotted at a visual observation post, air defense went off, the head of the OVA Maxim Kozitsky said.
09:55 The number of internally displaced persons in Ukraine has exceeded 8 million people, and the total number of those who fled the war is approaching 14 million, UNICEF reports. More than 52% of displaced households have children.
09:51 The United States is considering the possibility of a six-month lifting of sanctions against Belarusian potash fertilizers in exchange for the transit of Ukrainian grain, WSJ writes citing its sources.
09:48 As a result of attacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kherson region, another ammunition depot, two T-72 tanks, a self-propelled gun mount and a howitzer, two Grad multiple launch rocket systems and a TOR anti-aircraft missile system, armored and automotive equipment, as well as 40 invaders were destroyed, OK reported Pivden.
09:25 The war in Ukraine showed the effectiveness of the EU and the failure of NATO, Kuleba said on the air of the telethon: "War is the moment when the masks are torn off ... The EU has shown itself as an organization capable of acting as a united front and making powerful, important, difficult decisions, and NATO - vice versa".
According to the Foreign Minister, during the three months of a full-scale invasion, NATO did not take a single consensus decision that would benefit Ukraine: “The members of the alliance, individually or in small groups, are really doing extremely cool and important work, providing vital assistance. There are no questions. But NATO As an institution, nothing has been done during this time."
09:21 The countries of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain and the United States) will help Ukraine prosecute Russian war criminals. The ministers of justice of the countries of the alliance agreed on this. They will also contribute to the investigation of the International Criminal Court.
08:50 Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Andriy Melnyk criticized Scholz for the delay in the supply of weapons: "It seems that the Chancellor does not want to supply heavy weapons to Ukraine." According to the ambassador, everything looks as if Germany is "playing for time and waiting for a ceasefire." "Then the pressure on Germany will subside and there will no longer be a need to make bold decisions," Melnik said.
08:41 The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced the approximate losses of the enemy on the morning of May 20. The enemy suffered the greatest losses over the past day in the Bakhmut direction.
- personnel - about 28700 (+200) people liquidated,
- tanks - 1263 (+9),
- armored combat vehicles - 3090 (+27),
- artillery systems - 596 (+1),
- MLRS - 200 (+1),
- air defense systems - 93 (+0),
- aircraft - 204 (+1),
- helicopters - 168 (+1),
- UAV operational-tactical level - 460 (+5),
- cruise missiles - 103 (+0),
- ships/boats - 13 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tankers - 2162 (+5),
- special equipment - 43 (+0).
08:35 Japan will allocate 2 million euros to support the security of Ukraine's nuclear facilities, Foreign Minister Yosimas Hayashi said after a meeting with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, writes Japan Today. The minister noted that Japan would finance the immediate dispatch of IAEA experts and the necessary equipment to Ukrainian nuclear facilities.
08:26 British intelligence reports that as soon as the Russians finally capture Mariupol, forces from there will be transferred to strengthen operations in the Donbass. Probably, about 1,700 Ukrainian fighters from Azovstal surrendered, intelligence reports. It is not known how many Ukrainian forces still remain at the plant.
Ukrainian resistance in Mariupol since the start of the war means that Russian forces in the area must be re-equipped and modernized before they can be effectively redeployed, and this can be a lengthy process.
Russian commanders, however, are forced to defiantly achieve operational goals. This means that Russia is likely to quickly redeploy its forces without proper training, fraught with further attrition, analysts say.
08:07 The American Institute for the Study of War reports that Russian troops are intensifying their attempts to move north and west of Popasnaya in preparation for an offensive against Severodonetsk. Here, groups up to a company are trying to capture villages near the Lisichansk-Bakhmut highway. Also, with reference to the "DPR", it is reported that the enemy surrounded Gorskoye and Zolote.
In Mariupol, the Russians and the "DPR" are trying to establish "consistent administrative control" over the city. Also, Russian forces were trying to regain control over the settlements they had lost during the Ukrainian counter-offensive north of Kharkov.
Russian forces are beefing up their naval presence around Zmeiny Island to reinforce their group on the island.
07:51 Russian troops are advancing on Lisichansk and Severodonetsk: there are 12 dead in the regional center, more than 60 destroyed houses in the Luhansk region, said the head of the OVA Sergey Gaidai. In Severodonetsk destroyed at least five high-rise buildings. In Lisichansk, 12 houses were damaged by shelling, 14 in Novodruzhesk, and 17 in Privolye.
07:44 Several Russian BTGs moved to Popasnaya under the cover of aviation. According to OSINTdefender analysts, this is done so that Russian troops can break through to the west of the city.
07:42 Volodymyr Zelensky has become the most influential person of the year according to Time magazine readers. 3.3 million people around the world voted for the Ukrainian president. In total, Zelensky received the votes of 5% of readers. In second place was Elon Musk with 3.5% of the vote. Third place - Boris Johnson, he scored 3.4% of the vote. The official results of the vote will be announced on May 23.
07:39 In the Dnipropetrovsk region, Russian troops again fired twice at Bolshaya Kostroma in the Krivoy Rog region, the head of the OVA, Valentin Reznichenko, said. Windows were shattered in several houses. People were not hurt.
07:37 Russian troops are advancing in the areas of Lisichansk and Severodonetsk and are equipping positions near the border in the Bryansk region, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in the morning report .
06:36 The US Department of Defense officially announced that M777 howitzers were loaded onto C-17s by US Air Force personnel at the March air reserve base as part of US assistance to Ukraine.
05:24 The New York Times has published new evidence of Russian war crimes in Bucha. Testimony and video obtained by the publication show how the Russians executed at least eight Ukrainians in Bucha on March 4, in what is a potential war crime.
00:05 Zelensky: "The first trial in Ukraine against a Russian war criminal has already begun. And it will end with the full restoration of justice within the framework of an international tribunal. I am sure of this. We will find and bring to justice everyone who gives criminal orders and carries them out." |
DUESSELDORF - Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives suffered a crushing defeat on Sunday in an election in Germany's most populous state, a result which could embolden the left opposition to step up its criticism of her European austerity policies. The election in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), a western German state with a bigger population than the Netherlands and an economy the size of Turkey, was held 18 months before a national election in which Merkel is expected to fight for a third term.