Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Korrespondent] 22.29 The bodies of three deceased people were discovered after a fire at the Nurlino linear production and dispatching station (LVDS) in Bashkortostan.
"The bodies of three company employees who suffered life-threatening injuries have been found and removed. The search for the fourth employee continues. Three employees of the contractor are in hospitals," Transneft-Ural, which owns the station, said.
The company is "actively cooperating with law enforcement and regulatory authorities" to determine the causes of the "technical incident that caused the explosion." The cause of the explosion, according to official data, was a gas explosion during the cleaning of a 20,000 cubic meter tank from bottom sediments.
21.06 Spain extradited to Germany a Ukrainian citizen suspected of spying for Russia and spying on a company supplying drones to Ukraine.
An investigating judge of the Federal Supreme Court issued an arrest warrant for a citizen of Ukraine.
This is an investigation into two individuals who could have been collecting information about a German drone supplier to Ukraine in the interests of Russia in order to prepare an attack or sabotage. These are 43-year-old Kharkiv resident Serhiy N. and 45-year-old Romanian citizen Alla S. The woman was detained in Germany.
According to the investigation, Serhiy began systematically collecting information about a German drone manufacturer in December 2025, including secretly filming their facilities. Alla joined the surveillance in March 2026. She learned the entrepreneur's address, went there, and secretly took photos of the house on her phone.
Investigators suggest that the purpose of gathering information was to prepare "further actions against the target," possibly up to and including a physical attack or murder.
The company initially supplied kamikaze drones to Ukraine, and recently has been supplying mainly components for drones.
20.15 Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky signed an order that launches the systematic recording of Russian war crimes.
The document establishes uniform standards for collecting, processing, and storing data on violations of international humanitarian law by Russian troops. All information will be entered into the Delta Integration Platform system.
The order covers information discovered during combat and special missions.
20.14 Ukraine, together with European partners, is working on the 21st package of sanctions against Russia, focusing on the financial sector and the shadow fleet. This was announced by Presidential Commissioner for Sanctions Policy Vladyslav Vlasyuk, Ukrinform reports on Friday, May 15.
According to him, due to market reasons, the possibilities for further tightening sanctions against the Russian energy sector are currently limited. Therefore, the main focus is shifting to banks, payment systems, crypto platforms and other financial instruments.
20.00 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy instructed the Defense Forces to prepare a plan to respond to threats from Belarus, as well as to strengthen the Chernihiv-Kyiv direction.
"We clearly understand what is being discussed between Russia and the leadership of Belarus. There is a greater activity of the Russians in talks with Alexander Lukashenko. They want to draw Belarus into the war much more and launch additional aggressive operations from its territory - either against our Chernihiv-Kyiv direction, or against one of the NATO countries that are close to Belarus," the Ukrainian leader noted.
The President announced that he had instructed the Defense and Security Forces of Ukraine to prepare a response plan, which will be considered and approved at a meeting of the General Staff in the near future.
"We will strengthen the Chernihiv-Kyiv direction," Zelensky stressed.
According to him, international partners are also informed about what is happening and what Russia is pushing Belarus towards.
19.33 Ukrainian drones have hit at least 16 Russian refineries since the beginning of 2026, causing about 11% of Russia's oil refining capacity to fail, Reuters estimated.]
Thus, in January-May, 95 thousand tons of primary oil refining capacity were idled daily due to UAV attacks - three times more than in the same period last year.
The number of attacks on refineries has doubled in a year. While last year there were eight attacks during this period, this year by March installations with a total capacity of almost 1 million barrels per day were attacked, and in April this figure exceeded the specified level.
19:30 More than 60 heads of diplomatic missions of foreign states and international organizations visited the site of the Russian missile hitting a nine-story building in the Darnytskyi district of Kyiv.
Head of the State Emergency Service Andriy Danyk informed the participants about the consequences of the Russian strike on a house with a Kh-101 missile. The strike killed 24 people, including three children. Another 48 people were injured. The participants honored the memory of the dead with a minute of silence.
"Today, together with colleagues from the diplomatic corps, I visited the site of the hit on a nine-story apartment building that was damaged during the Russian night attack on May 14 - one of the deadliest attacks on Kyiv since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. On the Day of Mourning in Ukraine, we express our deepest condolences to all those affected by this terrible tragedy," said U.S. Chargé d'Affaires ai to Ukraine Julie Davis on the social network X.
Deputy Foreign Minister Yevhen Perebyinis called on foreign partners to strongly condemn this crime, increase sanctions pressure on Russia, and provide Ukraine with additional air defense equipment. He also stressed the need to hold accountable all those involved in the Russian Federation's crimes against the Ukrainian people.
18.12 US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping discussed Russia's war against Ukraine during a meeting in Beijing. Trump told reporters on the plane en route to Washington.
17:45 Intelligence continues to record Russia's attempts to further draw Belarus into the war against Ukraine. This was announced by President Volodymyr Zelensky on Telegram following a meeting with military and intelligence leaders.
According to him, the Russians are trying to convince Alexander Lukashenko to join new aggressive operations against Ukraine.
17.40 In addition to the Ukrainian military, today we managed to return home four civilians from the Sumy region, who were forcibly taken away by the Russian military in 2025. Among the returnees are civilians aged 61 to 85.
17.29 The Cabinet of Ministers has lifted restrictions on crossing the state border for women working in government bodies, local governments, state-owned enterprises, and courts. This was announced by Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko.
According to the Prime Minister, the decision applies to all women without exception - regardless of position or place of work in the public sector.
17.21 According to the evidence base of the Security Service, an agent of Russian military intelligence (better known as the GRU), who was exposed in May 2025 for setting fire to a Ukrzaliznytsia relay cabinet in Kyiv, received 15 years in prison with confiscation of property. The Russian Federation's order was carried out by a mobilized soldier recruited by the enemy, who voluntarily left a military unit in the Odessa region and left for Kyiv.
His first task was to destroy a relay cabinet of a signaling installation that regulates train traffic near one of the freight stations in Kyiv. The agent broke the door of the electrical panel and set fire to the technological equipment using a flammable mixture. After that, the attacker filmed the fire on a phone camera for an intelligence report to the GRU.
He was later to continue a series of arsons at railway infrastructure facilities in the capital region. But the Security Service prevented the enemy from implementing his plan and detained the agent during the first sabotage.
17.04 Intelligence has obtained documents indicating that the Russians are preparing new missile and drone strikes on Ukraine. We are talking about almost two dozen political centers and military points, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Telegram following a meeting with military and intelligence leaders.
16.51 The Land Forces Command is verifying the information voiced by People's Deputy Yuriy Kamelchuk about the alleged "murder of a father of five children in one of the Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Centers."
"A fragment of a direct speech by the People's Deputy of Ukraine Yuriy Kamelchuk regarding the alleged "murder of a father of five children" in one of the territorial recruitment and social support centers is being distributed online. At the same time, the statement does not provide any specific data that would allow identifying the event. It is not indicated in which CCK and SP this allegedly happened, when exactly, under what circumstances, and who the person in question is. The People's Deputy himself noted that he received this information from anonymous sources," the military noted.
The Ukrainian Land Forces Command is additionally verifying the disseminated information. As of now, no data on a similar event has been received in the CCC and SP systems.
It is emphasized that any reports of a person's death or a possible crime must be verified in a legal manner. If any persons have specific information about such an event, they should immediately contact law enforcement agencies and provide the data necessary for verification.
16.36 Since the beginning of the day and as of 16:00, the number of attacks by Russian aggressors is 80. Most of the battles are concentrated in three directions, the General Staff reported in an operational summary.
16.00 The level of protest sentiment has sharply increased in Russia against the backdrop of the worsening socio-economic situation. Already 20% of citizens admit the possibility of mass protests due to the decline in living standards, another 14% are dissatisfied for political reasons. At the same time, 12% of those surveyed said that they are ready to personally participate in political actions.
The most likely to be willing to participate in a political protest were men, people aged 40-54, residents of villages and small towns, and respondents with low incomes. Among those who barely have enough to eat, 17% said they were willing to participate in protests.
The highest protest potential is among Russians who believe that the country is moving "on the wrong path" (24%), do not approve of the activities of ruler Vladimir Putin (29%), and get information from YouTube channels (27%).
The least likely to be willing to participate in protests were residents of Moscow, young people under 25, wealthier Russians, and those who approve of Putin's activities and believe that things in the country are going in the "right direction."
15.53 Over the past few months, the number of alert groups of Territorial Centers for Recruitment and Social Support in Kyiv has increased by 40%. This was announced by the acting deputy head of the Kyiv CCC and SP Valeriy Kravchenko during a meeting of the temporary investigative commission of the Verkhovna Rada on the investigation of possible violations of legislation in the field of defense.
In Kyiv, the number of alert groups has been increased by 40% to strengthen mobilization pic.twitter.com/ouWWF7tExE
— Our Council (@NashaRada5) May 15, 2026
15.32 During today's prisoner exchange, 20 servicemen of the 1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine Azov returned home from Russian captivity.
"Today, 20 fighters of the 1st Corps of the Azov National Guard returned to their homeland, 19 of them defenders of Mariupol. Four years in Russian captivity, and here, finally, a meeting with relatives who fought for the return of their loved ones and were waiting for this day," said Azov Brigade Commander Denis Prokopenko.
14.52 Ukrainian military struck a number of important targets of the Russian occupiers on May 14-15. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on the details of the strikes.
13.27 Russian troops struck the civilian infrastructure of the Putyvl community in Sumy region. This was reported by the head of the OVA, Oleg Grigorov.
"The enemy struck at civilian infrastructure in the Putyvl community. There are casualties as a result of the attack by enemy UAVs. Previously, people received minor injuries. Everyone is being provided with assistance," the post says.
As Grigorov added, an infrastructure facility was damaged as a result of the shelling.
12.49 Ukrainian military cleared the village of Odradne in Dvorichanskyi district of Kharkiv region and returned it and the surrounding area under their control. This was reported by the 129th separate heavy mechanized brigade (OVBr).
12.11 The adoption of the agreement to launch the Special Tribunal for Russia's aggression against Ukraine has become a point of no return and will be of great importance for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and his henchmen. This was stated by Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga in his speech at a meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in Chisinau, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.
12.05 Russia has the ability to launch a nuclear strike at any time, but it is a matter of political will. Today there are no signs of its preparation. This was reported by the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, in an interview with The Times.
11.48 Russian aggressors launched a drone strike on a suburban train in Zaporizhia region. The strike occurred near one of the carriages, Ukrzaliznytsia reported on its Telegram channel.
There was little time, so two passengers who had not yet had time to evacuate received shrapnel wounds, the company reported preliminary information.
11.40 Ukrainian military hit new important targets of the Russian invaders. This was reported by the Unmanned Systems Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The targeted strikes hit aircraft, air defense systems, logistical facilities and locations of enemy personnel.
11.12 The agreement on the steering committee of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine was signed in Chisinau by 36 states and the EU on Friday, May 15. This was reported by Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Iryna Mudra on Facebook.
11.01 Ukraine returned 205 servicemen from Russian captivity. This was reported by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War (KSHPPV).
Almost all of the released servicemen had been in captivity for four years. Most of them were enslaved during the defense of Mariupol.
10.43 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived at the multi-storey residential building destroyed by a Russian missile in the Darnytskyi district of Kyiv and honored the memory of the dead. He reported this on Telegram.
10.21 On Friday morning, six regions of Ukraine experienced power outages due to new attacks by Russian aggressors. Ukrenergo reported this. Energy workers are doing everything possible to restore equipment damaged by the enemy to service as soon as possible.
9.58 Russia attacked Ukraine with 6 missiles and 141 strike drones from various directions on the night of May 15. Air defense forces managed to shoot down most of the enemy targets, but there were hits. This was reported by the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Telegram.
8.59 The search and rescue operation at the site of the entrance to a house destroyed by a Russian missile in the Darnytskyi district of the capital has been completed. 24 people died as a result of the enemy attack. This was reported by the Minister of Internal Affairs Igor Klymenko on Telegram.
8.48 Over the past 24 hours, the defense forces have repelled 257 Russian attacks on the front. The invaders carried out the largest number of assaults in the Pokrov direction - 39. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
8.33 AM Morning footage from Ryazan, Russia, after nighttime drone attacks has appeared online. The corresponding photos and video were posted by the Russian publication ASTRA, which positions itself as independent.
7.39 The Ukrainian Defense Forces killed and wounded 1,150 Russian occupiers over the past 24 hours. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this on Facebook.
7.22 Kyiv is again under attack by drones, air defense is working on enemy targets. An air alert has been declared in Kyiv. Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko reported this on Telegram.
03.30 Drones attacked a refinery in Ryazan, Russia. A large-scale fire broke out in the city. A huge fiery glow appeared in the sky.
01.58 The death toll from the Russian strike on Kyiv has risen to 21. Rescuers have found five more bodies. One of them is a child. Emergency rescue operations are ongoing
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[NewsFront] 21:05 Operators of the Molniya strike UAVs of the Vostok group destroyed UAV control centers, antenna masts, and heavy hexacopters of the Ukrainian Armed Forces prepared for takeoff in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Drone operators from the 11th Army Corps of the North group conducted strikes against enemy strongholds, personnel, and equipment in the Khar'kov region.
UAV crews from the separate reconnaissance battalion of the Novorossiysk Guards Mountain Unit of the Airborne Forces burned an enemy 122mm BM-21 Grad MLRS in the Zaporizhzhia direction.
FPV drone operators from the Center group overtook the manpower and equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Dobropillya direction.
19:53 The enemy continues to be activeuseIn the Volchansky district, ground-based robotic systems are being deployed to deliver food and ammunition to their forward positions.
In some areas, a veritable graveyard of Ukrainian Armed Forces ground robots has already emerged. Objective monitoring footage shows combat operations by UAV operators of the 6th Army of the Guards "North."
18:19 Zaporizhzhia direction. Successes of the RF Armed Forces. Malaya Tokmachka area. 15.05
Since early morning, several successful attacks have been carried out on enemy positions. Russian airborne units, motorized infantry, and others are flushing the enemy out of cover using AGS-17 rocket launchers and armored vehicles. Russian Armed Forces drones are also actively tracking the enemy, denying them a chance to counterattack.
16:54 Since the beginning of the SVO investigated more than 2,000 cases against representatives of the armed formations of Ukraine.
16:04 The crew of the TOS-1A Solntsepek of the NBC protection troops unit of the Sever group destroyed a UAV control point and a concentration of Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel in the Sumy region,video.
15:40 Summary of the The Ministry of Defense on the progress of the Special Military Operation as of May 15, 2026
Yesterday, as a result of decisive actions by units of the "North" military group, control was established over the village of Chaikovka in the Khar'kov region.
Over the course of a week, the manpower and equipment of four mechanized brigades, two motorized infantry brigades, an airmobile brigade, an assault regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a territorial defense brigade, a national guard brigade, and a detachment of the nationalist formation "Kraken" were damaged.
In total, in the area of responsibility of the North group of forces, the enemy lost over 990 servicemen, 79 vehicles, eight field artillery guns and 10 electronic warfare stations.
Units of the "West" force group have taken up more advantageous positions and lines. Three mechanized brigades, an assault brigade, a security brigade of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and a territorial defense brigade have been defeated.
The enemy's losses in this direction amounted to more than 770 military personnel, 10 combat armored vehicles, 139 cars, 17 field artillery guns, including three of Western manufacture, and 13 electronic warfare stations.
Units of the Southern Group of Forces liberated the village of Nikolaevka in the Donetsk People's Republic as a result of active offensive operations.
The manpower and equipment of five mechanized, motorized infantry, airmobile, assault, mountain assault brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a naval infantry brigade, and a territorial defense brigade were damaged.
In total, in the area of responsibility of the Southern Group of Forces, the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost over 700 servicemen, 16 combat armored vehicles, 84 cars, 18 field artillery pieces, and four electronic and counter-battery warfare stations.
Units of the Center Group of Forces have improved their position along the forward edge. Formations of three mechanized brigades, a motorized infantry brigade, a Jaeger brigade, an airmobile brigade, an airborne brigade, an assault regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a naval infantry brigade, and three National Guard brigades have been defeated.
In total, in this direction, the enemy lost more than 2,085 servicemen, 31 combat armored vehicles, 69 cars, 13 artillery pieces and seven electronic warfare stations.
Over the course of a week, the manpower and equipment of two mechanized, two assault, three airborne assault brigades and four assault regiments of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were damaged.
The losses of Ukrainian armed forces in the area of responsibility of the "East" group of forces amounted to over 1,940 servicemen, 21 combat armored vehicles, 60 cars and six field artillery pieces.
Units of the Dnepr group of forces defeated formations of three mechanized brigades, a mountain assault brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and a territorial defense brigade.
In total, in this direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost more than 300 servicemen, three combat armored vehicles, 95 cars, three field artillery pieces, and 10 electronic and counter-battery warfare stations.
14:51 In the period from 8:00 Moscow time to 14:00 Moscow time, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 22 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the fixed-wing type over the territories of the Belgorod, Bryansk, Kaluga, Smolensk, Pskov, Tver regions, Krasnodar Krai, the Republic of Crimea, the Moscow region and over the Black Sea.
14:15 The Investigative Committee of Russia will investigate crimes committed by Ukrainian armed forces against civilians in the Belgorod and Kherson regions
In the Krasnoyarsk District of the Belgorod Region, a Ukrainian Armed Forces drone attacked a truck. A man was injured.
In the Kherson region, two civilians, including a minor, were injured as a result of attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
13:34 Crews of unmanned aerial systems troops as part of the "Center" group destroyed manpower, pickups and robotic systems of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Dobropillya direction.
Following the "205 for 205" prisoner exchange, Russia and Ukraine completed the procedure for handing over the bodies of fallen servicemen. Kyiv received 526 bodies, while Moscow received 41.
12:55 By Russian troops installed control over the village of Chaykovka in the Khar'kov region was secured. As a result of active offensive operations, the village of Charivne in the Zaporizhzhia region was liberated.
12:23 A 17-year-old boy from the Rivne region reported about the beating by TCC employees
According to him, a minibus cut him and a friend off on a motorcycle, after which military commissariats began beating them with bats. Even despite their age, according to the video.
10:24 Investigators from the Russian Investigative Committee will investigate criminal actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces against civilians in the Belgorod and Zaporizhzhia regions
According to local authorities, a man was killed and another was injured in a strike by a Ukrainian armed forces FPV drone on a private home in the village of Golovchino in the Graivoron District. Two civilians were injured by the detonation of a Ukrainian Armed Forces drone in the village of Bershakovo in the Shebekino District.
In the Zaporizhzhia region, the Kyiv regime used a drone to attack the administration area of the city of Energodar, injuring one person. Drone strikes on the territory of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) injured two employees.
10:01 Russia and Ukraine conducted prisoner exchange according to the formula 205 for 205
Russian military personnel are currently in the Republic of Belarus, where they are receiving the necessary psychological and medical assistance. All Russian military personnel will be transported to the Russian Federation for treatment and rehabilitation at Ministry of Defense medical facilities.
9:02 Ukrainian Armed Forces continue strikes on civilian infrastructure on the left bank of the Kherson region
Yesterday afternoon, the Ukrainian Armed Forces fired 32 shells from barrel artillery at populated areas of the Kherson region of the Russian Federation:
Throughout the night, the Ukrainian Armed Forces continued their artillery bombardment of the Kherson region, firing a total of 17 shells from cannon artillery. The following villages were targeted: Nova Kakhovka, Velyka Lepetykha, Proletarka, and Dniproyany.
8:31 During the past night, from 23:00 Moscow time on May 14 to 7:00 Moscow time on May 15, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 355 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the fixed-wing type over the territories of the Belgorod, Bryansk, Volgograd, Voronezh, Kaluga, Kursk, Oryol, Pskov, Rostov, Ryazan, Smolensk, Tambov, Tver, Tula regions, the Moscow region, the Republic of Crimea, the Republic of Kalmykia, Krasnodar Krai, as well as over the waters of the Azov and Caspian Seas.
8:01 Two residential buildings in Ryazan were damaged as a result of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' attack on Ryazan, three people were killed and 12 others were injured, including children, the governor reported.
7:59 Crews of the 152mm Giatsint-B towed guns of the Zapad group inflicted strikes against the enemy in the Krasnolimansk direction.
Artillerymen from the Vostok group destroyed Ukrainian Armed Forces ammunition depots in the Zaporizhzhia region using 152mm 2S5 Giatsint-S self-propelled guns.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
