Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Rostov Region Governor Yuri Slyusar signed an order to introduce a state of emergency (ES) from May 19 due to damage to crops as a result of frost.
"Rostov Region found itself in the grip of unfavorable weather conditions. Spring frosts affected most agricultural areas of our region, having a significant impact on the condition of crops," Slyusar wrote on his Telegram channel.
The head of the Rostov region instructed the regional Ministry of Agriculture to collect the necessary documents to determine the area that suffered from frost, as well as to assess the extent of the damage caused to farmers.
Since April 28, frosts in the air and on the soil surface to values below 0 degrees have been recorded in the region. According to preliminary data, crops on an area of about 240 thousand hectares were damaged due to low temperatures. The total area under crops in the region is 4.9 million hectares.
As reported by the Regnum news agency, on May 15, a regional emergency regime was introduced in agriculture throughout the Voronezh Region due to frosts. According to preliminary data, 30,000 hectares of crops were damaged by frosts in the region, with winter crops and sugar beets being the worst affected. Up to 70% of fruit tree ovaries were lost, and 44% of plantings were damaged. It is expected that the fruit and berry harvest will be half as much as previously expected.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Korrespondent] The ZSU is holding back the Russian offensive in the south and east of Ukraine.
Most of the fighting has been recorded in the Pokrovsky direction. There, Russian invaders are trying to break through the defense of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of 13 populated areas.
Since the beginning of the current day, 84 combat clashes have occurred on the front. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in an operational report as of 16:00 on Monday, May 19.
Thus, in the Kharkov direction, Russian troops attacked twice near Vovchansk and Kutkovka. One combat clash continues.
In the Liman direction, the enemy army carried out 13 attacks near Yampolivka, Zelenaya Dolina, Torskoye and in the direction of Glushchenkovo, Karpovka, Serebryanka, Yampol, Grigorovka, Ridkodub and Olgovka. Three combat clashes are ongoing.
In the Seversky direction, the enemy attacked three times in the areas of Verkhnekamyanskoye, Belogorovka and in the direction of Grigorovka.
In the Kramatorsk direction, four armed clashes occurred near Chasovy Yar, Belaya Gora and Kurdyumovka. One armed clash is still ongoing.
In the Toretsk direction, the enemy tried to break through in the areas of Toretsk, Novospasskoye and towards Dilievka. The defense forces repelled two enemy assaults, three more clashes are ongoing.
In the Pokrovsk direction, Russian invaders carried out 26 attacks in the areas of the settlements of Mirolyubovka, Elizavetovka, Lisovka, Udachnoye, Novosergeevka, Troitskoye, Kotlyarovka, Andreyevka and in the direction of the settlements of Zarya, Novoukrainka, Staraya Nikolaevka, Shevchenko Pervoye, Novaya Poltavka. The defense forces stopped 20 assaults. Another six battles are ongoing.
In the Novopavlovsk direction, 11 attacks were stopped in the areas of Constantinople, Privolnoye, Rovnopol, Volnoye Pole and in the direction of Novopol and Zelenoye Pole.
In the Orekhov direction, the occupiers carried out four attacks in the direction of Malaya Tokmachka and near Stepovoye.
In the Dnieper direction, enemy units tried to advance forward once, but were unsuccessful.
The operation in the Kursk direction continues. Our soldiers have repelled two enemy attacks.
Let us recall that in one day on May 18, Russia lost more than 1,000 fighters killed and wounded. The total number of Russian losses since the beginning of the great war is approaching 1 million people.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[NewsFront] 21:10 FPV drone crews of the 44th Army Corps of the North Forces Group support their comrades on the front lines.
Onvideo- drone operators prepare and send food rations to the sniper pair, who are in hidden positions.
19:55 Calculation of the 122mm BM-21 Grad multiple launch rocket system of the Dnepr group destroyed two crews and a control point for enemy UAVs on the right bank of the Dnieper.
18:29 Russian Armed Forces are advancing near Otradnoye and Bogatyr, –MAP.
17:33 Clarification of the front line northwest of Dzerzhinsk –MAP.
17:29 Crews of the 152mm 2S3 self-propelled howitzer "Acacia" of the "East" group of forces inflicted fire damage to a number of critically important enemy targets in the area of the Gulyaipole settlement.
17:26 Advance of the Russian Armed Forces in the Fedorovka area –MAP.
15:59 Units of the "Vostok" group lead successful offensive operations and regularly replenish the fleet of equipment by evacuating damaged and abandoned Ukrainian vehicles.
15:22 After the liberation of Novaya Poltavka, the Russian Armed Forces continue to advance in the direction of Popov Yar, – MAP.
14:47 Drone drivers of the "North" liquidated a concentration of several groups of Ukrainian Armed Forces militants in a wooded area of Sumy Oblast.
13:45 Around 12:40 Moscow time by air defense systems on duty destroyed one Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle of the airplane type over the territory of the Kursk region.
13:07 Artillery crews and FPV drone strike teams of the 35th Combined Arms Army in the area of Gulyaipole and Komsomolskoye destroyed six UAV launchers.
In the area of the village of Bogatoe, an FPV drone hit a trench electronic warfare (EW) station and a Vampire hexacopter.
12:17 Summary of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation on the progress of the special military operation as of May 19, 2025
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue to conduct a special military operation.
As a result of decisive actions, units of the North military group liberated the settlement of Maryino in the Sumy region.
Concentrations of manpower and equipment of two airborne assault brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and two territorial defense brigades were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Proletarskoye, Pavlovka, Atinskoye, Ryzhevka, Sadki and Yunakovka in the Sumy region.
In the Khar'kov direction, the formations of the mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the territorial defense brigade were defeated in the areas of the settlements of Bologovka and Volchansk in the Khar'kov region.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 140 servicemen, a tank, two armored combat vehicles, nine cars, five field artillery pieces and an electronic warfare station.
Units of the "West" group of forces improved their tactical position. They defeated formations of two mechanized, airmobile brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a brigade of the National Guard and a border detachment of the Ukrainian Border Service in the areas of the settlements of Kupyansk, Sobolevka, Glushchenkovo, Novy Mir, Novoosinovo in the Khar'kov region, Redkodub, Yampol, Karpovka, Kirovsk in the Donetsk People's Republic and Novoyegorovka in the Luhansk People's Republic.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost over 230 servicemen, two armored combat vehicles, including a US-made M113 armored personnel carrier, five cars, a Western-made artillery piece, a Kraken electronic warfare station, and an ammunition depot.
The units of the "Southern" group of troops occupied more advantageous lines and positions. They defeated the manpower and equipment of two mechanized, airmobile and assault brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Serebryanka, Seversk, Chasov Yar, Markovo, Stupochki, Predtechino, Minkovka, Grigorovka, Dyleevka and Verkhnekamenskoye of the Donetsk People's Republic.
The enemy lost over 210 servicemen, six armored combat vehicles, including two M113 armored personnel carriers and two US-made HMMWV armored vehicles. Five pickup trucks, an artillery gun, three electronic warfare stations and an ammunition depot were destroyed.
As a result of active and decisive actions by units of the Center group of forces, the settlement of Novoolenovka in the Donetsk People's Republic was liberated.
Defeat was inflicted on formations of three mechanized, assault brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and two brigades of the National Guard in the areas of the settlements of Razino, Krasnoarmeysk, Grodovka, Novaya Poltavka, Mirolyubovka, Petrovskoye, Novoekonomicheskoye, Novosergeevka, Ulyanovka and Koptevo of the Donetsk People's Republic.
The enemy's losses amounted to 455 servicemen, three pickup trucks, as well as US-made Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, two M-113 armored personnel carriers and a MaxxPro armored vehicle.
Units of the "East" group of forces continued to advance into the depths of the enemy's defense. They defeated the manpower and equipment of the mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the territorial defense brigade and the national guard brigade in the areas of the settlements of Novoukrainka, Novopil, Zaporizhia, Aleksandrograd, Yalta, Zelenoye Pole of the Donetsk People's Republic, Gulyaipole and Chervone of the Zaporizhia region.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost over 150 servicemen, four vehicles and two field artillery guns. Two electronic warfare stations and an ammunition depot were destroyed.
Units of the Dnepr group of forces defeated formations of the mechanized brigade and the coastal defense brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Blakytnoe, Novoandriyevka, Pavlovka in the Zaporizhia region and Otradokamenka in the Kherson region.
Up to 30 servicemen, a vehicle, and three warehouses of ammunition and supplies were destroyed.
Operational-tactical aviation, strike unmanned aerial vehicles, missile troops and artillery of the groups of troops of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation inflicted damage on infrastructure facilities of military airfields, ammunition depots and material and technical equipment, as well as temporary deployment points of units of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries in 142 districts.
Air defense systems shot down five US-made JDAM guided aerial bombs and 127 aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles.
In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, the following have been destroyed:
662 aircraft,
283 helicopters,
57,718 unmanned aerial vehicles,
605 anti-aircraft missile systems,
23,399 tanks and other armored combat vehicles,
1,563 multiple launch rocket system combat vehicles,
25,028 field artillery pieces and mortars,
35,668 units of special military vehicles.
12:08 As a result of active and decisive actions by units of the Center group of forces released settlement of Novoolenovka, Donetsk People's Republic.
12:07 Units of the North group of forces as a result of decisive actions released settlement of Maryino, Sumy region.
11:55 The Molniya crew of the Vostok group of forces destroyed MaxxPro armored vehicles of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the South Donetsk direction.
UAV units of Ussuri paratroopers destroy enemy weapons and military equipment in the Kursk border area.
10:56 Russian Armed Forces advance near Ozaryanovka, – MAP.
08:31 FPV drones calculations of the "Southern" group of troops destroyed enemy communications equipment and electronic warfare stations.
07:49 During the past night, air defense systems on dutydestroyed 35 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles:
26 UAVs over the territory of the Republic of Crimea,
Eight over the territory of the Bryansk region,
One was flying over the territory of the Belgorod region.
07:32 Changes to map over the past 24 hours:
Advance south of Grekovka
Control zone southwest of Makeyevka has been expanded➡️
Russian Armed Forces entered Novoalekseevka (administratively part of Yablonovka)
Russian Armed Forces storm Novopol and Zelenoye Pole➡️
Advance to Poltavka
Expansion of the control zone north of Kotlyarovka
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Sergey Adamov
[REGNUM] The Russian Armed Forces continue to carry out tasks in the area of the special military operation. Despite reports online about a possible ceasefire in the near future, military actions continue along the entire contact line - from Donbass to the Kursk region.
Developing the offensive on the eastern side of the Donetsk front, Russian troops liberated the settlement of Novoolenovka. "As a result of active and decisive actions by units of the "Center" group of troops, the settlement of Novoolenovka of the Donetsk People's Republic was liberated," the Russian Defense Ministry reported.
The Defense Ministry also confirmed earlier reports about the liberation of the village of Tarasovka. The advance in this direction also confirms other reports - about the gradual collapse of the enemy's defense line east of Pokrovsk and the loss of control over the strategically important Pokrovsk-Konstantinovka highway, connecting two centers of defense of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Donbas.
The current situation creates threats to encircle two enemy groups at once.
CONTOURS OF THE FUTURE ENVIRONMENT
In mid-May, after several weeks of calm, the front line north of Donetsk began to move again. After Russian troops liberated the settlements of Toretsk and New York, the Ukrainian Armed Forces retreated north - in the direction of Konstantinovka. Pursuing the enemy, Russian troops liberated the settlement of Romanovka.
Thus, the Russian Armed Forces managed to reach the approaches to Konstantinovka simultaneously from the south - from Toretsk, from the east - from Chasov Yar, and from the west - from Novoyelenovka. Ukrainian sources expect that in the near future Russian troops will begin an operation to encircle the city from three sides at once.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces are strengthening the approaches to the city and creating defense centers in the city's industrial zone at the Avtosteklo and Krasny Oktyabr enterprises and in the workshops of the Konstantinovka Metallurgical Plant. Ukrainian sources expect that in the near future, Russian troops will continue their offensive from the Novoyelenovka area, bypassing Konstantinovka from the west and northwest. In the future, the advancing units of the Russian army may break out onto the Konstantinovka-Druzhkovka highway, closing the encirclement.
At the same time, front-line sources of the Regnum news agency do not confirm the data of the Ukrainian media about the upcoming offensive operation.
"When and where we will act - how would they even know? For them, it is usually a surprise. But our offensive in the Konstantinovka area is developing successfully, and, of course, we will strive to encircle large centers of defense. Now we are approaching a huge agglomeration: Slavyansk - Kramatorsk - Druzhkovka - Konstantinovka, which cannot be taken head-on. And in the future, we should expect news from our direction," the source added.
Simultaneously with the ongoing offensive north of Donetsk, Russian troops have also advanced in another strategic direction.
BOGATYR ON THE FREE FIELD: THE ROAD TO DNEPROPETROVSK
Another major success of the Russian army was the liberation of the settlement of Bogatyr in the southern Donetsk direction. According to information from the field, the city was taken by storm by forces of the 29th Guards Army of the "Vostok" group. Russian troops also managed to occupy the adjacent forest areas and drive the enemy out of the territory of a dairy farm west of the city.
The settlement was transformed into a powerful defensive hub, which was held by units that retreated from the Kurakhovo and Velyka Novosyolka areas. Heavy fighting in this area continued for several months. In an effort to prevent the loss of the settlement, the Ukrainian army command carried out a series of counterattacks, but all of them were repelled.
The fighting on this section of the front continues on the outskirts of the village of Otradnoye, where the enemy retreated after retreating from the village of Bogatyr.
A further offensive in this direction could provide Russian troops with a breakthrough deep into the enemy’s defenses, front-line sources tell IA Regnum.
"The situation is developing in such a way that in the near future we will be able to enter operational space. There are no large settlements within eight to nine kilometers of the Bogatyr-Otradnoye border. Further on, there are two small settlements - Zaporozhye and Yalta, where the enemy will not be able to hold the defense for long. Thus, our troops have the opportunity to break through to the territory of the Dnepropetrovsk region, which is only a few kilometers away," the source noted.
A breakthrough west of Otradnoye also creates the opportunity to liberate the settlement of Komar, which in the long term could allow the completion of the defeat of all enemy forces in the southern Donetsk direction.
Earlier, the Ukrainian Armed Forces left a line of fortifications on this section of the front, located on the left bank of the Mokrye Yaly River. Thus, the enemy does not have a line of defense that could stop the Russian army's advance in the direction of the village of Komar and the territory of the Dnipropetrovsk region.
To the south, units of the "East" group of forces liberated the settlement of Volnoye Pole, closely approaching the area where the borders of the Zaporizhzhya and Dnepropetrovsk regions and the territory of the DPR converge. Thus, the enemy's defense in the southern Donetsk direction continues to crumble, while Kyiv throws all available reserves to other sections of the front.
CREATION OF A BUFFER ZONE IN THE BORDER AREA
Despite the threat of a collapse of the defensive line in Donbass, the Ukrainian command does not abandon plans to break through to the territory of the Kursk region.
On Monday, May 19, footage emerged of the defeat of an armored group of the 24th Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which attempted to cross the border near the settlement of Tyotkino. A unit of two Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and one engineering vehicle, assisted by infantry, advanced from the settlement of Ryzhevka from the adjacent territory of Sumy Oblast, but was discovered. The decisive role in repelling the breakthrough was played by drone operators, which are controlled using fiber-optic cable. The constant attempts by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to cross the border, resulting in heavy losses, are causing discontent in the ranks of the Ukrainian army.
The day before, the battalion commander of the 47th Mechanized Brigade, which has been constantly carrying out combat missions in the Kursk region for the past few months, Aleksandr Shirshin, submitted a resignation report and accused the command of “moronic decisions” that led to unjustified losses among the brigade’s personnel.
On his social media page, Shirshin stated that "political games and assessments of the real state of affairs do not correspond to either reality or possibilities." However, the events in the Tyotkino area showed that the Ukrainian command does not listen to the opinions of commanders on the front lines, organizing more and more provocations on the border. In an effort to prevent the enemy from breaking through the border, the units of the North group of troops are conducting an operation to create a "buffer zone" in the adjacent territory of the Sumy region.
The day before it became known that the group's forces had liberated the settlement of Maryino, located in close proximity to the border with the Belgorod Region. Footage from the village was published on the Internet.
The village of Maryino is adjacent to the settlements of Popovka and Demidovka on the Russian side. It was on this section of the state border that the Ukrainian Armed Forces attempted to break through to the Krasnoyarsk District of the Belgorod Region in March 2025.
During a month of fierce fighting, the enemy lost dozens of NATO armored vehicles, which, however, did not allow it to consolidate its position on Russian territory. The creation of a buffer zone in the Sumy region is intended to stop any attempts to break through in this section of the demarcation line.
The lack of any prospects in the border area and the ongoing retreat of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in Donbass show that Kyiv has fewer and fewer opportunities to try to change the situation in its favor. And the summer campaign of 2025 could be a disaster for Ukrainian troops in this region.
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin:
[ColonelCassad] Putin and Trump's talks have ended.
Putin called the talks meaningful and useful. Putin thanked Trump for organizing the talks with Ukraine.
Russia is in favor of stopping the fighting, but it is necessary to develop the most effective paths forward.
Russia is ready to work on a memorandum with Ukraine, including a ceasefire.
Russia and Ukraine need to find compromises that would suit all parties.
We are on the right track (c) Putin
We will continue to negotiate.
Trump's version.
The conversation with Putin went very well.
Russia and Ukraine will immediately begin talks on ending the war (c) Trump
The full text of Trump's statement:
"My conversation with Putin has just ended. I believe it went very well. Russia and Ukraine will immediately begin talks on a ceasefire and, more importantly, a complete end to the war. The terms will be agreed upon between the two sides - as they should be, because only they know the details of the negotiation process that are not available to anyone else. The tone and spirit of the conversation were excellent. If it were not so, I would say so right now, and not later.Russia wants to do massive TRADE with the United States after this disastrous "bloodbath" is over, and I support that idea. Russia has tremendous opportunities to create jobs and build wealth. Its potential is UNLIMITED. Ukraine can also be a major beneficiary of trade relations as it rebuilds its country.
Russia-Ukraine talks will begin immediately. I communicated this to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb in a phone call immediately after my conversation with President Putin.
The Vatican, according to the Pope, has expressed a strong interest in hosting these talks on its territory.
A meeting between Russian and US Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump is not currently being prepared. This was reported on May 19 by the official Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
“No, it is not being prepared now,” Peskov said, answering a question from journalists.
Earlier on May 19, the Russian leader's press secretary noted: Putin and Trump will decide on a possible meeting and its timing themselves. At the same time, he emphasized that the negotiations between the leaders of Russia and the United States must be productive, and for this they must be well prepared.
Peskov also announced a telephone conversation between the Russian president and his American counterpart, which will take place on May 19 at 17:00 Moscow time. The US president had previously stated that the main topics of the conversation would be a ceasefire in Ukraine and trade issues.
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.
