[Korrespondence] 22:32 The Estonian Parliament adopted a statement in support of Ukraine's aspirations to become a full member of NATO and called on the Alliance to support this decision, Zelensky said.
22:29 Zelensky said in an evening video message that he had held several preparatory meetings "on new steps to strengthen our defense and our international positions." The President also noted the successful visit of the Ukrainian delegation to the Republic of Korea and the decision of the Council of Europe, which, in the final resolution of the summit, recorded support for the Ukrainian peace formula.
22:14 Hungary continues to be the main critic and opponent of Ukraine in the EU. Budapest is already constantly putting spokes in the wheels of European assistance to Ukraine and the Euro-Atlantic integration of our country, and this time it decided to block financial assistance from the European Union to Ukraine in the amount of 500 million euros and promises not to support further sanctions against Russia. Read more in the article Hungary against Ukraine's aid: why this time?
22:08 The fact of the vulnerability of the Russian daggers hit hard not only the political prestige of Russia, but also its economy, according to Ukrainian experts. Read more in the material Geopolitical blow for Russia .
22:00 Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said that Ukraine is becoming "more and more hostile" to his country. According to him, from September 1, "Hungarian schools in Transcarpathia will not be able to work," and the Hungarian bank OTP Kyiv has included in the list of international sponsors of terrorism.
In addition, Szijjarto referred to unconfirmed reports published by The Washington Post, citing "secret documents" from the Pentagon, that Zelensky allegedly proposed to blow up the Druzhba oil pipeline. The Hungarian minister said that in this way Ukraine threatens the sovereignty of his country.
21:52 Borrell proposed adding another 3.5 billion euros to finance military assistance to Ukraine, Reuters reports, citing sources in the EU. He asked the EU government to provide more funds to the peace fund, which allocates money to Ukraine and from which about 4.6 billion euros of military assistance has already been provided.
21:44 The United States at the G7 summit will announce a new package of sanctions against the Russian Federation, aimed at fulfilling the restrictions already imposed, Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan said.
21:18 The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation continues to insist that they allegedly destroyed the Patriot air defense system: "According to reliable data, on May 16, as a result of a strike by the Kinzhal hypersonic missile system in Kiev, a multifunctional radar station was hit and completely destroyed, as well as five launchers of the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system made in the USA".
20:52 The Vatican calls on the Council of Europe to take action to establish "a final and just peace in Ukraine," Secretary of State Pietro Parolin said. "We cannot passively put up with the fact that the aggressive war in this exhausted country continues," the cardinal said.
According to him, the Vatican will do everything possible to achieve peace in Europe and throughout the world. "The time has come to take action and establish a final and just peace in Ukraine and in all other so-called gray areas of Europe," Parolin stressed.
20:49 Maxar showed satellite images of Bakhmut before the Russian invasion and now:
20:42 In Russia, developers of hypersonic missiles - three scientists from the Novosibirsk Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics - were arrested for treason. They are suspected of transferring data related to hypersonic technologies to China.
20:35 The French Senate recognized the Holodomor of 1932-1933 as a genocide of the Ukrainian people. Kuleba thanked the French parliamentarians for the "historic vote".
20:13 During its six-month presidency of the Council of Europe, which will begin in May, Latvia plans to get rid of the Russians still working in the organization, said Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics. He considers it a problem that Russians continue to work in the Council of Europe, despite the fact that in March last year the Russian Federation was expelled from the organization. "We will resolve the issue with the fact that the Russians are still working in the secretariat of the Council of Europe. We consider this unacceptable and we will look for solutions to this issue," he said.
19:59 The head of Ukrenergo Volodymyr Kudrytsky assured that the shortage of electricity, which may occur during the summer, does not mean disconnection of consumers: it can be resolved in several ways, and the disconnection of consumers is the last in the list of priorities. In particular, the most obvious way to balance the Ukrainian energy system is to import electricity from EU countries, as well as to maximize the use of thermal and hydro generation.
Kudrytsky also urged Ukrainian consumers to consume energy resources economically, especially in the evening hours - from 19:00 to 22:00.
19:17 The fourth summit of the Council of Europe approved the final resolution, in which he declared political support for the Ukrainian formula of peace. This is the first major international forum to officially support Ukraine's peace plan. The resolution also supports the intention to hold the Russian leadership accountable for the war against Ukraine.
18:41 It is planned to hold the summit of the Ukrainian formula to the world in the first half of the lime tree in Copenhagen, having raised the high-ranking diplomat of Sweden, as if heading to the EU at once. In other words, the ministers of foreign affairs of the EU member states will discuss the summit at meetings for the sake of nutrition of foreign affairs, as scheduled for Monday, May 22.
18:26 As a result of Russian shelling of Zelenovka, Kherson region, three people were killed, including a five-year-old child, the Office of the Prosecutor General said. Two more people, including a minor boy, were injured.
18:14 Kuleba met with Special Representative of the Chinese Government Li Hui, who is on a visit to Ukraine, the Foreign Ministry reported. Kuleba stressed that Ukraine does not accept any proposals that involve the loss of its territories or the freezing of the conflict. At the same time, the minister noted the importance of China's participation in the implementation of the peace formula, the grain initiative, and ensuring nuclear safety.
17:37 The Patriot air defense system received minimal damage after shelling on May 16 , CNN reports, citing three US officials. The system is still in working order, and the Patriot radar component, one of its most important elements, has remained unscathed. The American side does not believe that the Patriot will need to be taken from the battlefield for repairs.
17:16 Ukroboronprom and the German company Rheinmetall have signed an agreement on strategic partnership and the creation of a joint venture. According to the agreement, the basis and first step for cooperation is the maintenance and repair of armored vehicles transferred to Ukraine. In the future, the partners intend to jointly produce Rheinmetall products in Ukraine, as well as jointly develop advanced models of weapons and military equipment. The start of the joint venture is scheduled for mid-July 2023.
17:10 The grain agreement has been extended for another two months, Erdogan said.
17:01 The UK will not transfer F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, but it may allow other countries to send aircraft to Ukraine, Defense Minister Ben Wallace said. "Obviously, we can contribute to training and support within certain limits, because we do not have F-16 pilots," he said, adding that the Soviet fighters transferred to Ukraine are doing their job quite well.
16:52 The State Duma of the Russian Federation adopted in the second reading amendments to the law on martial law, according to which the authorities will be able to forcibly evict people from the occupied territories where "martial law" has been introduced (now it is the "DPR", "LPR", part of the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions ). Prior to this, the law allowed only the "temporary resettlement" of residents in safe areas with the obligatory provision of housing. Now it is prescribed "forced and controlled movement of citizens from the territory where martial law has been introduced to the territories where martial law has not been introduced."
16:47 The Russians shelled Zelenovka, Kherson region: a child was killed, two more people were injured, the President's Office reported.
16:43 Scholz called the supply of fighter jets to Ukraine "not such an urgent issue." According to the Chancellor, Germany does not yet intend to join the aviation coalition, but concentrates, in particular, on tanks and air defense systems.
16:35 Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said that there is no progress yet in international negotiations on the possible transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.
16:09 Germany does not have military equipment and opportunities for active participation in the coalition for the supply of fighter jets to Ukraine, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said.
15:58 Since the beginning of the year, Ukraine has received about $17 billion in financial assistance from foreign partners, the Finance Ministry said. Among the largest financial donors to the Ukrainian budget are the EU, the US and the International Monetary Fund.
15:55 Hungary will not agree to allocate money to Ukraine from the European Peace Fund until the Hungarian bank OTP is excluded from the list of sponsors of the war, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said.
15:39 One day of war in Ukraine costs Russia 30 billion rubles, and the total expenses of the Russian budget to finance the army by the beginning of May exceeded 3 trillion rubles, Janis Kluge, a researcher at the German Institute for International Security Studies, calculated.
14:54 France is studying the possibility of supplying Ukraine with Scalp long-range missiles, but a decision has not yet been made, writes Le Monde with reference to the Elysee Palace.
14:35 Turkish officials told Bloomberg that the grain agreement will be extended.
14:27 Ukrainian forces in the Bakhmut direction continue to advance in separate areas, liberated in recent days in a suburb of almost 20 square meters. km is not lost. At the same time, fierce battles are going on in Bakhmut itself, the enemy is gradually advancing, Anna Malyar, Deputy Minister of Defense, said.
14:23 The Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Lviv found 47-year-old Vladislav Kozeev guilty of high treason, who photographed military facilities in the Lviv region and sent them to a Russian. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with confiscation of property. The prosecutor asked to impose the most severe punishment on the defendant, since, in addition to the assignments received from Russian curators, he independently searched for information for ideological reasons and passed it on to the enemy. Kozeev pleaded not guilty.
13:48 South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, during a telephone conversation with Zelensky, said that he wanted to personally come to Ukraine as part of a mission from several African countries with a peace initiative, spokesman of the Ukrainian President Serhiy Nikiforov told the UP.
13:30 Lavrov said that Moscow has not yet seen the proposals of African partners for a peaceful settlement in Ukraine on paper.
13:27 Over the past month, the Russians have increased the number of attacks on the border regions - Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Sumy, said Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar. According to her, the Russian army daily fires at the civilian population from various types of weapons and destroys civilian objects. In addition, with artillery and air strikes in the border areas, the enemy is trying to constantly keep Ukrainian troops on their toes and prevent them from being deployed in other directions.
13:14 Poland has transferred almost all of its MiG-29s to Ukraine, but is not ready to provide F-16 fighters, President Andrzej Duda said.
12:47 Budanov said in an interview with the Antipodes project that Putin is a legitimate target for Ukraine, but "so far we are not making attempts to destroy him." The head of the GUR also noted that in the occupied Mariupol and at the parade in Moscow on May 9, there was not a real Putin, but one of his doubles. According to Budanov, the recognition of Putin's death "will change everything very quickly and drastically", but "whether we will use this moment - that is the question."
In addition, the chief intelligence officer said that his department is working with some representatives of the Russian opposition: “They are for us both a source of information and hope for some future. Therefore, no matter how territorially the Russian Federation has changed after the war, some of its some will border on us."
There are also Russians who, even for certain patriotic reasons, agree to cooperate with the Ukrainian side, because they understand that what is happening now is not normal. "We are ready to cooperate with all of them and those who have repented and are ready for the modification of Russia, for the withdrawal of troops from Ukraine, for restoration, for an apology to the Ukrainian people," Budanov stressed.
At the same time, he added that "outright scumbags, rapists, war criminals will suffer their well-deserved punishment in any country in the world. The deserved punishment for such acts can only be their elimination. I do not consider anything else. This is my personal opinion, I adhere to it and I will implement."
12:23 A political declaration was signed in Reykjavik on the creation of a register of damage caused by Russia's aggression against Ukraine, Shmyhal said.
12:15 From May 22, ground transport in Kiev, when an air alert is announced, will take passengers to the nearest shelter, the city administration said. The relevant decision of the city's Defense Council applies to both Kyivpasstrans and private companies. The driver of the transport will make announcements about the nearest shelter: it can be an underground metro station, an underpass, a shelter in houses, etc.
In addition, from May 22, the arrival of large vehicles in Kyiv during the air raid will be prohibited. We are talking about freight transport with a total weight of more than 4.5 tons.
12:09 The last ship under the grain agreement left the port of Chernomorsk in the Odessa region, Reuters reports citing the UN. Vessel DSM Capella with 30,000 tons of corn is on its way to Turkey. On Thursday, May 18, the grain agreement expires, so far it has not been possible to agree on its extension.
11:53 Kuleba said that the aviation coalition will be formed this year. The minister added that it is not yet known exactly when Ukraine will receive Western aircraft, but "when a coalition is formed, everything will happen very quickly."
11:51 The creation of a register of damage from Russian aggression was supported by 43 states, including all G7 countries. Of the Council of Europe, which includes 46 members, seven member states have decided not to join this "anti-Russian" agreement, according to UP.
11:37 Residents of Kiev massively complain about closed shelters during an air raid, including during the last missile attack on May 16, said the head of the Kiev city military administration, Sergei Popko. He instructed to inspect all the shelters of the capital as soon as possible and fix objects to which the population does not have access.
11:19 Russian Telegram channels write that on the evening of May 16, a drone fell in the Kaluga region, which exploded after the fall. The incident occurred near the highway A108 Moscow Big Ring, about 100 km from Moscow, near Kaluga. According to preliminary information, no one was hurt. The Shot Telegram channel claims that an allegedly Soviet Tu-141 Strizh crashed near Kaluga, which the Armed Forces of Ukraine converted into a kamikaze drone. The flight range of such a UAV is 1000 km.
10:38 British intelligence notes that over the past week, the struggle for the sky on the Russian-Ukrainian border has intensified. So, only on May 13, two advanced combat aircraft and two helicopters of the Russian Aerospace Forces crashed, probably shot down over the Bryansk region. And on May 3, for the first time in history, Ukraine shot down a Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile.
An increased air threat over Russia's border regions will pose a threat to the Russian Aerospace Forces, as they use these areas to deploy air forces in support of military operations. The apparent vulnerability of the Kinzhals likely came as a surprise to Russia, with Putin touting the system as invincible, intelligence recalled.
10:19 a.m. The SBU announced that it had exposed six bloggers and blocked online cameras that showed the work of air defense during the Russian strike on Kiev on May 16. In addition, SBU cyber experts blocked online cameras that automatically recorded the work of the Ukrainian air defense. According to the investigation, these video cameras are on the balance sheet of several commercial structures. During the searches, mobile phones and computer equipment were confiscated from the defendants, the attackers face up to eight years in prison.
09:45 The speaker of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Yuriy Ignat, said that the Patriot air defense system cannot be destroyed by the Dagger missile, since this is a battery complex that forms the division. It has a command post, a radar and up to eight launchers - all located at a certain distance.
09:37 The Committee on Foreign Affairs in the US Congress supported the resolution on the creation of a special tribunal on the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. Now the document will go to the vote of the House of Representatives, after which it will be submitted for signature to the president.
09:18 In the Kherson region over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling, seven people were injured, including three children. In the Donetsk region, one person died (in Kurakhovo), seven more were injured. In addition, the bodies of four people who died during the occupation were exhumed in Svyatogorsk.
In the Kharkiv region, as a result of the shelling of Kupyansk, one person was killed. In the Zaporozhye region, three people were wounded, according to the IVA.
08:57 The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) writes that Russia is moving reinforcements to the Bakhmut area and near Kupyansk. Analysts say Moscow wants a tactical victory on the eve of a Ukrainian counteroffensive.
08:36 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of May 17.
- personnel - about 200,590 (+610) people liquidated,
- tanks - 3771 (+9),
- armored combat vehicles - 7365 (+17),
- artillery systems - 3166 (+16),
- MLRS - 562 (+0),
- air defense systems - 318 (+2),
- aircraft - 308 (+0),
- helicopters - 294 (+0),
- UAV operational-tactical level - 2748 (+16),
- cruise missiles - 982 (+9),
- ships/boats - 18 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tankers - 6067 (+19),
- special equipment - 417 (+7).
08:21 The Russian army continues to concentrate its main efforts on the Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdeevsky and Maryinsky directions - 55 clashes took place over the past day. Bakhmut and Marinka remain at the epicenter of hostilities, the General Staff said in a morning report .
07:43 At night, the Russians launched a missile attack on Nikolaev: a shopping center and a car dealership were partially destroyed, the fires were quickly extinguished. The blast damaged private houses and shops. A hit on an industrial infrastructure facility was also recorded, one person was injured, said Vitaly Kim, head of the OVA.
Kim also said that one out of four Russian missiles from fresh batches, as a rule, does not explode or reach the target.
06:24 Participants of the G7 leaders' summit, which will be held this week in Japan, will take concrete steps to increase Russia's isolation, White House National Security Council coordinator John Kirby said: "You will see concrete actions to further isolate Russia and weaken it ability to wage a brutal war."
04:50 Russia has recently been carrying out larger air attacks on Ukraine in an attempt to force Kiev to delay the counteroffensive, CNN reports, citing a US official.
03:52 Restoring Ukraine's infrastructure damaged by Russian strikes will cost $411 billion, the UN report says. Analysts also believe that, despite financial assistance from international partners, the Ukrainian economy will stagnate in 2023. According to UN experts, in 2022, the Ukrainian economy lost most of its industrial capacity and energy infrastructure and shrank by 29.1%.
00:16 At the Council of Europe summit, Macron announced the creation of an international register of damage caused to Ukraine as a result of a full-scale Russian invasion. The register will operate in the Netherlands and will record evidence of damage and claims for compensation.