[Korrespondent] 23:14 Zelensky said that the situation in Donbas is extremely difficult: "In fact, all the power of the Russian army, which they still have, has been thrown there for the offensive. Liman, Popasnaya, Severodonetsk, Slavyansk - the invaders want to destroy everything there."
23:11 Zelensky summed up the results of 90 days of the war: "15,227 Ukrainians and Ukrainian women were awarded state awards. Of these, 12,550 servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. 1,801 soldiers of the National Guard. 205 border guards. 182 police officers. situations.99 soldiers of the Main Intelligence Directorate.38 employees of the State Special Communications Service.And also employees of the State Security Department, the Foreign Intelligence Service, NABU, the SBI and the Judicial Security Service, who also contributed to our defense.155 Ukrainians were awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine, of which 75 - posthumously. 1016 settlements of Ukraine have already been de-occupied."
"About 30,000 killed Russian soldiers. More than 200 downed aircraft. Thousands of lost Russian tanks, armored vehicles and their other equipment. The Russian missile ammunition is almost completely used up. And they want to cover this up with a lie that they are allegedly fighting not at full strength? pitiful. And the time will come when they themselves will admit it."
22:59 The United States will not renew a key license for the Russian Federation, which expires on May 25 and which allowed Russia to make payments to American bondholders. This could bring Moscow closer to the brink of default, writes Reuters.
22:56 Zelensky, in an evening video message, announced the need to supply weapons: "The longer this war lasts, the greater will be the cost of protecting freedom not only for Ukraine, but for the entire free world. Therefore, the supply of heavy weapons to Ukraine - multiple launch rocket systems, tanks , anti-ship and other weapons - this is the best investment in maintaining stability in the world and preventing many of the severe crises that Russia is still planning or has already provoked."
22:38 In Liman, Donetsk region, Russian troops either entered the outskirts of the city or captured half of it, Arestovich said on Feygin.Live. Also, according to him, the enemy is advancing in the Dronovka area, east of Liman, and plans to organize a crossing towards Seversk.
22:21 Military analyst, Professor Michael Clark said on Sky News that he expects the complete encirclement of Severodonetsk in the next 1-2 days. According to him, the Russian Federation "puts all its efforts into this particular part of the front."
"The Russians have effectively surrounded Severodonetsk, although not completely. Their northern and southern pincers to the west of the city are 10-12 miles [16-19 kilometers] apart. <...> But I expect they will close their ticks, their surroundings, in the next 24-48 hours," Clark said.
22:09 Zelensky said that on the eve of a special meeting of the European Council on May 30-31, he spoke with its head Charles Michel: "Aid to Ukraine will be a cross-cutting issue of the meeting. We coordinated steps to strengthen sanctions, food security, restore Ukraine and move towards EU membership" .
22:02 The invaders continue to shell Kharkiv and the region, said the head of the OVA Oleg Sinegubov. So, this night, the Russians attacked the city of Merefa with three missiles, one of which was shot down by air defense forces. As a result of the rocket hit, the administrative building of the substation of the Southern Railway was partially destroyed, there were no victims or injured.
Also in the morning, the invaders fired at the Dergachev community, as a result of a shell hit, a trading establishment flared up, a 69-year-old woman died, and another person was injured. In with. Savintsy Izyumsky district as a result of the shelling wounded two people.
21:54 The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation stated that the mine danger in the water area of the port of Mariupol has been eliminated, "the port infrastructure is being restored." For the safe exit of foreign ships from the port of Mariupol from 8:00 on Wednesday, May 25, a humanitarian corridor is allegedly organized in the direction of the Black Sea.
21:51 In Berdyansk, Zaporozhye region, the invaders are introducing a "ruble zone", said the "acting mayor", collaborator Alexander Saulenko. According to him, as early as May 25, the payment of pensions in rubles will begin. The official exchange rate of the hryvnia against the ruble is set at 1:2.
21:49 The Russian occupiers in the last week have significantly stepped up their offensive in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions. Slowly, but the invader is advancing, creating a threat of encirclement of Ukrainian units in the area of Severodonetsk and Lysichansk. For more details, see What to Expect .
21:26 George Soros said in Davos that Russia's invasion of Ukraine may have been the beginning of the Third World War, so it is important for the West to defeat Putin: "The invasion could be the beginning of the Third World War, and our civilization may not survive it. Best and "perhaps the only way to save our civilization is to defeat Putin as quickly as possible. That's the point."
According to Soros, Putin, declaring that the "special operation" in Ukraine is going according to plan, is already aware that the invasion was a mistake, and is preparing to negotiate a ceasefire. "But a truce is unattainable because it cannot be trusted. The weaker Putin becomes, the more unpredictable he becomes," the billionaire added.
21:22 The situation in the Lugansk region is on the verge of critical , it can be compared with Mariupol, said the head of the OVA Serhiy Gaidai on the air of the telethon. According to him, the Russians are advancing in the Luhansk region in all directions at the same time: they are attacking the Severodonetsk direction, the Gorskaya community from the side of Zolote and Yekaterinovka, near Popasnaya from the side of Kamyshevakhi, Belogorovka. Severodonetsk is “barely alive”, the regional center was bombarded with air bombs, Gaidai added. And the Lysichansk-Bakhmut highway is completely shot through, there are already enemy DRGs there.
21:15 The Russians this afternoon launched a missile attack on the Sinelnikovsky district of the Dnipropetrovsk region. There were no dead or injured, said the chairman of the regional council Nikolai Lukashuk. In the Krivoy Rog region, the occupiers from Gradov and mortars fired at the borders of the region.
20:57 Canada has purchased 20,000 155 mm NATO artillery shells for Ukraine, Defense Minister Anita Anand said. According to her, Canadians purchased ammunition from the United States for $77 million, now they will be delivered to Ukraine as aid. The 155mm shells fit the M777 howitzers that the US, UK and Canada have handed over to Ukraine.
20:51 Ukraine plans to join the EU roaming space and the single payment area in the European currency SEPA, Shmyhal said. The first will allow you to make calls between the EU and Ukraine at no additional cost, as well as use mobile Internet at home rates, the second will allow you to make transfers in euros without commissions.
20:36 Since the beginning of the war against Ukraine in Russia, there has not been a single high-profile diplomatic resignation. Boris Bondarev, an employee of the Russian diplomatic mission to the UN, was the first diplomat to decide on a demarche. More about this story - in the material Shame for the country .
20:22 Podolyak called former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger a "Davos alarmist" who said in Davos that Ukraine would have to make territorial concessions. Kissinger also said that Ukraine must become a bridge between Russia and Europe, and the war must be completed within two months, otherwise its consequences will not be easily overcome.
Podolyak wrote on his Twitter: “Just as easily as Mr. Kissinger proposes to give part of Ukraine to Russia, he would allow Poland or Lithuania to be taken away. It’s good that Ukrainians in the trenches do not have time to listen to the advice of “Davos alarmists.” A little busy, defending freedom and democracy."
20:09 In Europe, there is growing support for a naval operation to export Ukrainian grain, which provides for the escort of bulk carriers by warships, including minesweepers, Estonian President Alar Karis said in an interview with Bloomberg during a forum in Davos. Such an operation, he said, involves sending warships to the Black Sea to escort cargoes carrying Ukrainian grain.
20:06 The Sumy region was again shelled by the invaders, about 15 shots were recorded from the territory of Russia, OK Pivnich reported.
20:04 Russia is preparing for a long war, Defense Ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk said: “Now their task is to encircle our troops near Severodonetsk, Lysichansk, block the highway. This will allow them to reach the administrative borders of the Lugansk region. risks to prevent this. In general, the actions of the Russian army indicate that they are preparing for a long-term military operation."
According to Motuzyanyk, the situation at the front is extremely difficult: “The hottest thing is in the Donetsk operational area and in the Slavyansk direction. The occupiers are actually hitting with artillery, aircraft around the clock, shelling residential areas. Also, Russia is now looking for new frontiers - from where and where it can launch missile strikes , including from the territory of Belarus".
Motuzyanyk said that the most active phase of Russia's full-scale military aggression is now underway.
20:02 About 10,000 civilians remain in Svetlodarsk captured by the Russians, Pavel Kirilenko, head of the Donetsk OVA, said. He confirmed that the Ukrainian troops left the city, as they regrouped in order to take up more advantageous positions for defense and further actions.
20:01 The war in Ukraine should accelerate EU enlargement, Italian and Croatian foreign ministers Luigi Di Maio and Gordan Radman said at a joint press conference. They clarified that they are talking about the Balkans - North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Albania.
19:58 Polish President Andrzej Duda accused the German government of breaking a promise on an agreed exchange of tanks. "You didn't keep that promise. We are very disappointed," Duda said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The Polish president recalled that Warsaw had transferred a large number of tanks to Ukraine. According to him, this weakened the military potential, and the country hoped for the support of NATO, the United States and Germany. He added that most of the tanks are German Leopards.
"If Germany supported us, if we received a replacement, then we would be very happy," Duda said, adding that the German government is doing too little to support Ukraine.
19:56 Putin made the final decision on the invasion on February 23 around 15:00, said the head of Ukrainian military intelligence, Kirill Budanov. Until that time, according to him, "there were still certain hesitations, preparations, and so on." According to Budanov, Putin made the decision personally: "I want to emphasize this. No one had much influence on the adoption of this decision."
The head of the GUR MO said that intelligence knew the exact date, and this information was brought to the top leadership: "Society was being prepared for war, and the main thing was not to sow panic in society. This is exactly what was achieved."
19:53 In Ukraine, on September 1, it is planned to open schools only with bomb shelters, but everything will depend on the situation in the country, Deputy Minister of Education Andriy Vitrenko said. According to him, schools are now being audited to see if they have bomb shelters to ensure the safety of children and teachers. In addition, the school curriculum will be revised, the changes will affect the courses of literature and history.
19:42 In the Zaporozhye region, the occupiers re-captured the head of the Kirillov community Ivan Maleev, as well as his deputy Igor Korobko and the director of the local house of culture Svetlana Shiyan, the OVA reported.
19:39 The Armed Forces of Ukraine are retreating from settlements, in particular from Svetlodarsk, Donetsk region, in order to avoid a cordon or a large number of losses, Viktor Andrusiv, adviser to the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, explained: "Our army implements mobile defense. This means that we do not hold on to specific settlements, but we strive to inflict maximum losses on the enemy while preserving our forces.
19:38 Ukraine is already exporting its electricity to Europe after joining ENTSO-E in mid-March. Thus, in April, electricity exports to Poland increased by 35% compared to pre-war January, Shmyhal said. According to him, by the end of the year, Ukraine plans to expand the capabilities of energy companies and will be able to export about 800 MW of electricity per day to the EU.
19:36 The head of the Kherson OVA, Gennady Laguta, said that 50% of the population left the territory of the region, because people do not want to live in occupation. At the same time, the occupiers and collaborators do not let people out so that they have someone to "work" with.
19:34 Venediktova does not rule out that Russian military Vadim Shishimarin, sentenced to life imprisonment, could be exchanged: "Our scenarios for the development of events can be completely different. I said then that he could be exchanged after the verdicts of the courts. Yes, technically this is possible."
19:27 Orban announced a state of emergency in Hungary, which will allow "immediate response" to the consequences of the situation in Ukraine, writes Bloomberg.
19:25 EU leaders at the May 30-31 summit will not be able to agree on the adoption of an embargo on Russian oil imports, Ursula von der Leyen said in an interview with Politico: "I think this is not an appropriate topic for a decision in the European Council, because what we very technical we are talking about landlocked countries that need alternative pipeline supply so you have to talk about investment in pipelines to increase supply and we are talking about refineries that need to be upgraded as well about investments and renewable energy sources".
19:21 Germany will lose the confidence of its allies if it does not support Ukraine's application for granting it the status of an EU candidate, Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau said at a meeting with his German counterpart Annalena Berbock in Berlin. According to him, Germany should take a leading role in building a system of security and peace protection in Europe, including Ukraine, but directed against Russia.
19:16 Ukravtodor put up a road sign for the occupiers for a charity auction. According to the highway agency, this road sign is from the Sumy region, so there are bullet marks on it. The starting price per lot is UAH 50,000 or $1,500. The pointer will be sold on June 2 at a charity online auction in the Prozorro.Sales system.
19:14 According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in the Donetsk direction, the enemy today launched air strikes on Kramatorsk, Liman and Slavyansk, and in the Seversky direction - also on military infrastructure in the Sumy region. In the Liman direction, the enemy, supported by artillery and aviation, is conducting an offensive in the direction of Liman. The enemy is also advancing in the direction of Severodonetsk, the fighting continues.
In the Bakhmut direction, the enemy is advancing in the areas of the settlement. Lipovoe and Belogorovka. In the Avdiivka, Kurakhovsky, Novopavlovsky and Zaporozhye directions, the occupiers attacked with assault and army aircraft. In the Yuzhnobuzhsky direction, the enemy launched an air strike in the area of the settlement. Nikolaevka.
19:09 Five people have already died in the Lugansk region today, said the head of the OVA Serhiy Gaidai. Only two people were saved, from Belogorovka.
19:06 Ukrainian defenders destroyed the 58th army of the enemy in the south of the country, which the Russians themselves called one of the foremost in the Russian Federation, the SBU reports, citing the interception of conversations between the invaders. In 2018, this army was re-equipped with the latest weapons and equipment.
19:02 In Melitopol, the Russians captured the acting. director of the Melitopol multidisciplinary center for vocational education Oles Dorokhova, said the Ombudsman Lyudmila Denisova. Dorohova from the beginning of the war, on the basis of the educational institution, organized a center for assistance, which was the only Ukrainian humanitarian headquarters in the city to help the residents of Melitopol and immigrants from Mariupol.
18:56 In the near future, Ukraine plans to sign a "customs visa-free" and an agreement on the liberalization of road freight transport with the EU. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal spoke about plans for European integration at a government meeting.
18:53 The army of Belarus is buying 20,000 tokens for the army. The corresponding tender appeared on the public procurement website. The media note that such tokens are issued only to those who serve under the contract and reserve officers. They are designed to identify the body of a dead soldier.
18:51 Yermak announced during his speech in Davos the creation of an international advisory group that will develop proposals for security guarantees for Ukraine. He will lead this group together with former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. Leading figures in the field of security, politics and diplomacy, as well as scientists will be invited to the group.
"Our goal is to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past, preparing the future for a sovereign and free Ukraine," the head of the President's Office said.
18:46 Kuleba said that "there are four letters" that can help Ukraine:
- repel the Russian offensive in the Donbass;
- frustrate Russia's plans to occupy the Kherson region;
- stop Russian war crimes in the occupied territories;
- unlock Ukrainian exports and prevent global famine.
- These are the letters P, C, Z, O - multiple launch rocket systems (or in English - MLRS - Multiple Launch Rocket System).
18:44 The number of burials in Mariupol is constantly increasing, new locations are being added, Mayor of Mariupol Vadim Boychenko said in an interview with Babel: "The statistics are very sad. During the two years of occupation - from 1941 to 1943 - Nazi troops killed 10 thousand people in Mariupol, and Rashists over 20,000 Mariupol residents were killed during two months of occupation in 2022. And these are very cautious numbers, because we believe that this figure is higher.” According to him, there may be six mass graves in Mariupol.
18:40 Thousands of Mariupol residents who were detained either by the Russian FSB or by the DPR MGB are in prison - in Olenovka or Dokuchaevsk, Mariupol Mayor Vadim Boychenko told Babel in an interview: "The Russians are holding back our civil servants, municipal workers, military. <...> I saw people who passed this camp, these are destroyed people. "
He also spoke about torture and bullying: “There are witnesses who give information about how they were bullied. How they shot guys in the knees and tried to get some information. <…> One of the local leaders sat on a chair for 32 hours - his 32 interrogated for hours, continuously. No toilet, no food, no water."
18:38 The mayor of Mariupol, Vadim Boychenko, spoke in an interview with Babel about the evacuation from Mariupol. According to him, on March 1, the city was already in the ring. The authorities made announcements while communications were working, then it became difficult to inform the population. “Thousands of people began to die. We managed to agree that Mariupol residents would be released without a regime of silence on their own vehicles. The first evacuation was on March 13, and Mariupol residents left without filtering, without lists, without these humiliations. And almost 100 thousand Mariupol residents left for the controlled territories of our states," he said.
As for the evacuation from Azovstal, then, according to Boychenko, "Zelensky and the negotiating group are directly involved in this mission." The mayor is yet to give details.
18:29 Ukraine will begin the phased construction of a narrow European gauge to connect its railway with the European one, said Prime Minister Denys Shmygal. According to him, at first it will be a connection of large hubs and large cities, and then a gradual expansion throughout the country.
18:27 The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation announced the completion of the "demilitarization" of the port of Mariupol and the release "of sunken ships and other obstacles" of its approach channels and inland waters. According to Moscow, a previously flooded Ukrainian border patrol ship was removed from the port fairway and two floating cranes were lifted.
18:22 The erotic content subscription service OnlyFans transferred funds to the state budget of Ukraine for the first time. The amount amounted to 305 thousand dollars, said the head of the tax committee of the Rada Daniil Getmantsev. According to him, these are the first revenues to the budget from the tax on Google.
18:17 Ukraine will sit down at the negotiating table with Russia after it returns its territories lost since February 24, Zelensky said.
18:14 Stoltenberg is confident that Turkey's concerns about Finland's and Sweden's applications to join the alliance will be resolved.
17:58 The speaker of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Oleg Nikolenko considers it unfair to tie the granting of the status of a candidate member of the EU to Kiev to the progress in the integration of the Western Balkans. "We fully support the European integration of the countries of the Western Balkans, but each country deserves an individual approach based on its own virtues. Granting candidate status for Ukraine and the countries of the Western Balkans does not contradict each other. On the contrary, it should be a complementary process," he said in a statement. comments on European truth.
17:49 Russia held the first joint military exercises with China after the invasion of Ukraine. According to The Guardian, citing a US official, the US government recorded military exercises in northeast Asia when Biden met with the leaders of Australia, India and Japan in Tokyo. Later, South Korea confirmed that two Chinese military aircraft and four Russian combat aircraft entered the air defense identification zone.
17:31 Not a single batch of Western weapons was damaged as a result of shelling of the railway infrastructure of Ukraine, Arestovich said. He added that if it is not necessary to teach the Ukrainian military to use one or another weapon, then it immediately falls into specific units. Otherwise - first to the landfill.
17:22 The Basmanny Court of Moscow has arrested in absentia the head of the Odessa Regional Administration Maxim Marchenko. The investigation accuses him of using prohibited means and methods of warfare. In addition to him, Sergey Baranov, commander of the 44th Ukrainian artillery brigade, was on the list.
17:17 Reznikov told what weapons Ukraine will receive: 155-mm artillery; anti-aircraft self-propelled artillery mounts Gepard; Harpoon anti-ship missiles and launchers for them. At the same time, the minister hinted that this is not all, but "more on that later."
16:50 Orban refused to discuss the ban on Russian oil imports at the summit of EU leaders next week, writes the Financial Times.
16:21 Czech President Milos Zeman did not allow 11 citizens of the country to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine to fight on the side of Ukraine, the press secretary of the head of state Jiri Ovchacek said.
16:13 The Armed Forces of Ukraine have the strength to liberate Kherson, Major General Dmitry Marchenko, who at the beginning of the full-scale military aggression of the Russian Federation commanded the defense of Nikolaev, is convinced. According to him, the disadvantage is that during the occupation, the Russians were able to equip defensive positions in the city and its environs. Therefore, in order for the operation to liberate Kherson to be successful, it is necessary to put forward a whole battalion of Ukrainian forces against a company of Russian military.
16:10 Retired Russian Air Force Major General Kanamat Botashev was shot down and killed in the sky over Ukraine. Information about the death of the pilot was confirmed to the BBC by three former subordinates of Botashev, who kept in touch with him after the end of the service. The publication notes that from open sources it is known about the death in Ukraine of at least 31 Russian military pilots.
16:04 The Russian military fired at the Nikolaev area therefore for the past day 15 people got wounds, the head of a regional council Anna Zamazeeva reported. According to her information, Nikolaev itself and settlements on the border with the Kherson region were shelled.
16:02 UK has no plans to send Royal Navy warships to the Black Sea to help export food from Ukraine, government spokesman says: "Putin's vile blockade of Odessa is hindering access to food for the needy. We will continue to work intensively with international partners to find ways to reopen grain exports from Ukraine. However, there are no plans yet to deploy British warships in the Black Sea."
16:00 The Office of the Prosecutor General revealed the murder of headman Motyzhin near Kiev, Olga Sukhenko, and her family. Eight Russian occupiers are involved in it: five soldiers of the Russian army and three mercenaries from the PMC Wagner, Prosecutor General Irina Venediktova said. According to her, they committed at least 14 crimes, and only three people survived after their torture.
15:54 The authorities of Svetlodarsk, Donetsk region, have confirmed that invaders have entered the city.
15:50 Cyber police detained a pro-Kremlin blogger with an audience of 10,000 in Kiev. According to the police, the 33-year-old resident of the capital regularly conducted streaming broadcasts on social networks, where he strongly supported the actions of the Russian Federation, and also posted propaganda content. He was charged under Part 2 of Art. 436-2 of the Criminal Code (justifying or denying the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine), which provides for up to five years in prison.
15:42 In Mariupol, the occupiers have launched mobile TVs that broadcast Russian propaganda, according to Petr Andryushchenko, an adviser to the mayor of the city.
15:25 The Ministry of Defense presented a training project on the rules of warfare by the Ukrainian army. This is a cycle of programs with the rules of international humanitarian law for military personnel. Compliance with these rules makes the Ukrainian army not only strong, but also civilized, the department explained.
15:22 Promissory notes will be issued under the guarantee of the arrested Russian assets, the proceeds from the sale of which will immediately be directed to the restoration of Ukraine, said presidential adviser Oleg Ustenko.
15:14 The representative of the "People's Militia of the DPR" Eduard Basurin said that the militants of the "DPR" did not enter and do not plan to enter Avdiivka - they intend to block the logistical routes of the Ukrainian forces there and start negotiations. According to Basurin, the problem of Avdiivka is that Koksokhim, one of the largest chemical production facilities in Europe, is located there - the Ukrainian military is firing from there "in the hope that we will destroy their crews with return fire and Koksokhim will suffer at the same time."
“We are going the other way, we have the experience of Mariupol, the Luhansk residents have the experience of Rubizhne, so we will bypass, close logistics, and only after that we will talk with them,” he explained.
15:06 The EU Council has completely abolished all duties on Ukrainian goods - during the year, Ukrainian companies can supply their products to the EU without duties.
15:03 In Odessa and the region, from May 25, a curfew will be in effect from 23:00 to 5:00, said the head of the OVA Maxim Marchenko.
15:01 In Severodonetsk, the Azot enterprise was shelled in the morning, four people were killed, said the head of the Luhansk OVA Serhiy Gaidai. According to him, bomb shelters are located on the territory of the plant. A man in the center of the city was also seriously injured, they tried to help him, but they could not be saved.
14:58 Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who previously openly called Putin his idol and friend, now sharply criticized the head of the Kremlin: "Many say that Putin and I are both murderers. I really kill. But I kill criminals, not children and the elderly. We are in two different worlds." He stressed that Russia is not waging a "special military operation" in Ukraine, but in fact a full-scale war against a sovereign nation.
Rodrigo Duterte is resigning on June 30. During his presidency, he led a brutal drug crackdown that resulted in the deaths of more than 6,000 people, mostly petty suspects.
14:54 The damage to Ukraine from Russian aggression has already amounted to about a trillion dollars. According to Oleg Ustenko, presidential adviser on economic issues, since the beginning of a full-scale war, the aggressor has been destroying Ukrainian assets quite quickly: in the first week alone, damage to assets amounted to about $100 billion. In total, losses for Ukrainian assets reach $650 billion.
“If you look at this figure more comprehensively, then we also have indirect losses - we also lose from lost GDP and underfunded funds. We planned growth at the level of 4-4.5%, which is about $10 billion to GDP. As a result, we have fall. The total cost of damage to Ukraine is about one trillion dollars," he explained.
14:32 Finland and NATO signed a technical agreement on mutual support. The Finnish Ministry of Defense said that the goal is to ensure the effective receipt of military assistance.
14:28 Shoigu said that the Russian offensive in Ukraine is allegedly slowing down “deliberately”: “In order for residents to leave the surrounded settlements, silence regimes are announced and humanitarian corridors are created. Of course, this slows down the pace of the offensive, but this is done deliberately in order to avoid casualties among peaceful population".
14:26 The EU approved the fourth tranche of military assistance to Ukraine in the amount of 500 million euros, Yermak said.
The funds will go to military equipment designed to deliver lethal strikes for defense purposes, according to the press service of the EU Council. This is the fourth tranche of this amount that Ukraine will receive from the EU as part of military assistance.
14:18 Refugees from Ukraine spent at least $2 billion in April, Forbes Ukraine writes, citing data from the National Bank. According to the NBU, 80% of the funds are payment for goods in pos-terminals of the trading network and cashing out.
14:07 Kuleba said that he spoke with Blinken and thanked the United States for its support: "More and more weapons, including heavy ones, are being sent to Ukraine, while Russia continues its devastating attacks in the Donbas. We also discussed ways to unblock Ukrainian exports and ensure global food security".
The head of the Foreign Ministry also spoke about the theft of Ukrainian grain by Russians: “Russian thieves steal Ukrainian grain, load it on ships, pass through the Bosphorus and try to sell it abroad. I call on all states to remain vigilant and refuse any such offers. Do not buy stolen goods. become accomplices in Russian crimes. Theft has never brought good luck to anyone."
13:53 The special services of the Russian Federation use games on smartphones to recruit Ukrainian children in order to lure photos of strategic facilities, the SBU reported. In particular, the Russians used a popular game in which participants must search for virtual prizes. During the route, children take pictures of the area, including critical infrastructure. The application was found in teenagers who photographed objects in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
13:48 The representative of the "People's Militia of the DPR" Eduard Basurin said that the port and water area in Mariupol have been cleared of mines, and in the near future the port will allegedly be able to receive cargo. In turn, the director of the Mariupol Commercial Sea Port, Igor Barsky, told the EP that Russia cannot yet operate the port - to launch it, the water area still needs to be cleared of sunken vehicles.
13:36 Ursula von der Leyen admitted that the seized Russian assets could be used to finance the reconstruction of Ukraine after the war: "We need the participation of everyone. This has already been called the Marshall Plan for Ukraine. And we must attract all opportunities - including, if possible , Russian assets".
13:15 In the Kharkiv region, the railway substation of the city of Merefa is damaged due to a missile attack. According to People's Deputy Dmitry Makisha, the strike was carried out by Iskander missiles fired from the territory of the Belgorod region. There were no casualties, the victims refused hospitalization.
13:09 According to a new KIIS poll, 82% of Ukrainians consider territorial concessions for the sake of peace unacceptable. Of the remaining 18% - 10% of those polled are ready for territorial concessions, and 8% are not ready to answer. Most of all those who disagree with territorial concessions are in the center (85%), the least in the east - 68% of the respondents.
12:57 European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at a forum in Davos that Ukraine must win the war, and Putin's aggression must be a strategic defeat for him. According to her, Russia launched aggression against Ukraine "according to the manuals of the last century - to treat millions of people not as people, but as a faceless population that can be moved or controlled, or used as a buffer between warring parties, trying to stifle the aspirations of an entire nation tanks."
"Now the question is not only about the survival of Ukraine, and not only about European security - this calls into question the entire world order. And therefore counteracting Russian aggression is a task for the entire international community," said Ursula von der Leyen.
12:45 Head of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Nikolai Patrushev said that Moscow "is not chasing deadlines" in the war against Ukraine - hostilities will continue until the goals set by Putin are met: "We are not chasing deadlines. Nazism must either be eradicated 100%, or he will raise his head in a few years, and in an even uglier form.
12:22 The chances that Ukraine will become a candidate for EU membership in the near future are small. The European Union may limit itself to calling the country a potential candidate, said Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. According to him, too many EU members do not like the idea of granting candidate status for Ukraine. In addition, in his opinion, such a quick process would be unfair to the countries of the Western Balkans, which waited much longer for a similar status.
12:11 An audio recording of the conversations between the crew of the still whole Russian cruiser Moskva and the defenders of Snake Island has appeared on the network. The defenders of Ukraine were offered to surrender, and in return they were promised "normal salaries and pensions, apartments and an honest life without participating in another fratricidal war."
12:10 Blinken visited the Ukrainian Institute in New York, after which he said: "Part of Putin's war is an attempt to erase Ukrainian identity. I visited the Ukrainian Institute, an organization that preserves and promotes the vibrant and vibrant culture of Ukraine, to emphasize - the Kremlin's war against Ukraine cannot erase what makes the country and its people so unique."
12:08 During the three months of the war, Russia lost $13 billion worth of equipment in Ukraine. The most expensive destroyed Russian military facility was the missile cruiser Moskva ($750 million), writes Forbes. Also among the expensive losses are the Il-76 transport aircraft (86 million) and the large landing ship Saratov (75 million). Over the past seven days, about $400 million worth of equipment has been destroyed.
12:06 Special operations forces for the first time showed the impact of a kamikaze drone on a Russian tank. At this time, the invaders were drinking alcoholic beverages on the armor of the car. The drone destroyed two crews. The MTR fighters noted that this is the first time they publish such a video in the public domain, but they specified that they use such drones all the time.
12:02 In the port of Mariupol, there is metal left for $170 million, which the invaders are going to take out. To do this, they are trying to partially restore the port, on the territory of which Ukrainian metal and grain are located, director of the Mariupol Commercial Sea Port Igor Barsky told the EP.
12:01 Anonymous hackers declared cyber war on the Russian hacker group Killnet, which on May 16 declared cyber war on the governments of the United States, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Romania, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland and Ukraine. And already on May 20, Killnet carried out cyber attacks on the websites of Italian departments, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture.
"The Anonymous Collective is officially waging a cyber war against the Russian hacker group Killnet," the group said in a statement. Anonymous added that it had already hacked and released a list of emails and passwords used by pro-Kremlin Killnet hackers.
11:58 After Finland joins NATO, Russia will talk about the need to strengthen a new section of the border with the alliance, but due to lack of resources it will not be able to do this, says Colonel Esapekki Vehkaoja, head of the intelligence center of the Finnish Defense Forces. In his opinion, in the coming years, the Russian Federation will not be able to take practical steps in this direction, since its army will be weakened by the war in Ukraine.
Vehkaoja also claims that Finnish military intelligence is well aware of what is happening and planned in Russia.
11:54 Until the end of the year, the Ukrainian military should enter the territory of Crimea, the head of Ukrainian military intelligence, Kirill Budanov, said in an interview with the UP. According to him, for Russia there are two options for ending the war: a change in political leadership while formally maintaining the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation - then everyone will personally blame Putin for the war, they will withdraw troops from all occupied territories around the world; or the division of Russia into three or more parts, these will be new independent states.
11:52 The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said in an interview with MSNBC that it is not profitable for the European Union to abandon Russian oil right now. Since, in her opinion, if Russia cannot sell its oil to the EU, it will redirect it to the world market and bail out large sums there thanks to rising prices. In this case, the complete and immediate refusal of the EU to purchase Russian oil could play into Moscow's hands and bring in big money.
11:49 Since the beginning of the Russian invasion on February 24, the area of the occupied territories of Ukraine has almost tripled. According to Forbes Ukraine, Russia has occupied 20.9% of Ukraine's territory. In general, about 125 thousand square meters are under occupation. km against 43 thousand before the invasion on February 24.
11:42 The war will reach a turning point in August, and the active phase will be completed by the end of the year, Kirill Budanov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, said in an interview with the UP. According to him, until August, there will be no weapons in the quantity that the Ukrainian troops need. But from August, the weapons will already be in military units and will be actively used in hostilities.
At the same time, according to his forecasts, the active conduct of hostilities, when entire settlements change hands, should be significantly reduced by the end of the year and be reduced to almost zero.
11:36 The "DPR" said that Svetlodarsk came under the operational control of their forces, "the cleansing continues." It is also reported that the Ukrainian flag was removed from the city hall building and the Russian one was raised.
10:55 Zelensky said during an online communication at the Ukrainian House in Davos that the most pressing humanitarian issues for Ukraine today are the exchange of prisoners, the unblocking of Ukrainian ports and the export of grain, as well as the search and establishment of the whereabouts of Ukrainians illegally deported by Russia.
10:54 Turkey proposes to organize a medical corridor in Ukraine for the evacuation of the sick and wounded from the combat zones. Ankara is ready to take on the relevant obligations for the organization, said the head of the Turkish Ministry of Health Fahrettin Koci at the 75th session of the World Health Assembly.
10:50 In Kropyvnytskyi, a judge ordered a 19-year-old guy who campaigned for the "Russian world" to study the anthem of Ukraine, a section of the Constitution, a song about Bandera and a poem Love Ukraine , said the head of the Kirovograd Regional Council Serhiy Shulga. Also, according to him, "to consolidate the material" the court ordered the defendant to read the story of Nikolai Gogol Taras Bulba and the novel by Anatoly Dimarov And there will be people.
10:38 By unleashing a war against Ukraine, Putin set all the Russian elites against him, the Kremlin is already thinking about replacing him , writes Meduza. The Russian elite and top officials are discussing possible candidates for Putin's successors, but they understand that he will leave only because of a serious illness.
10:35 In Kharkiv, three months after the start of the war, the subway started working again. According to the mayor of the city, Igor Terekhov, at first the trains will run at intervals of half an hour. With an increase in the number of passengers, this interval will decrease. The first week will be free.
10:32 Russian sailors refuse to carry out combat missions due to the emergency state of the ships. According to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, due to sanctions, spare parts from Chinese-made household appliances were installed on some ships instead of the original blocks. Now the command of the Caspian flotilla, fearing inspections and prison, hides the facts of the incompetence of the ship's composition and threatens to accuse of treason and sentence to 15 years in prison those who surrender them.
In turn, the sailors of the 106th brigade, participating in the war against Ukraine, refuse to carry out combat missions due to the emergency state of the ships and decided to secretly write letters to Putin and Shoigu, in which they complained about the machinations of the command.
10:25 Due to the lack of people willing to buy Russian oil, about 62 million barrels of Urals are in the sea, Reuters writes.
10:22 Podolyak reports that on the sidelines of the Davos Forum, participants are discussing a ceasefire in Ukraine: "They say there is enough talk on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, isn't it time to cease fire, negotiate with the Kremlin and return to business with Russia. Is this a new virus of blindness? Ukraine does not trade sovereignty so that someone can fill their wallet. The shortest way to end the war is weapons, money, an embargo."
10:01 In Mariupol, during the analysis of the rubble of a high-rise building in the area of \u200b\u200bthe suburban gas station-2 on Mira Ave., about 200 bodies of the dead with a high degree of decomposition were found in the basement. Due to the refusal of the locals to collect and pack the bodies of the dead, the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation left the place of work. The bodies of the dead remained in place, because of the partially dismantled rubble, the smell is heard almost in the entire quarter, according to the adviser to the mayor of the city, Petr Andryushchenko.
He also said that the process of reburial from the yards of high-rise buildings has actually been stopped. The so-called "state corporation" Ritual from Donetsk should deal with the burial. For the “official” free reburial, you need to wait in line, bring the body of the deceased to the “morgue” yourself, saying that the body has just been found, or agree to record a video where the applicant says that the deceased was killed by the Ukrainian army. Due to such conditions, a large number of corpses are stacked in bags in the street in an impromptu "morgue" near the Metro, the city has turned into a solid cemetery.
09:55 The head of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, said that planning for the return of US troops to Ukraine in any capacity - including guarding the embassy in Kiev - is still only "at a relatively low level." According to him, these plans have not even reached the defense minister yet, and the final decision will be made by the president. "We're far from something like that, we're still developing courses of action and none of that has been presented to the secretary yet," Milley added.
09:50 The enemy fired at the Zelenodolsk community in the Dnipropetrovsk region from Hurricanes in the morning, the head of the OVA, Valentin Reznichenko, said. They hit Velikaya Kostroma, there is destruction, but people were not injured. In the Shirokovskaya community, the enemy hit the fields.
09:46 Kuleba said that Kiev is not yet receiving all the necessary weapons: “It is too early to conclude that Ukraine already has all the necessary weapons. The Russian offensive in the Donbass is a merciless battle, the largest on European soil since World War II. I urge our partners to expedite the supply of weapons and ammunition, especially MLRS, long-range artillery, and armored personnel carriers."
09:40 During the demining of Azovstal, four Russian sappers were blown up by a mine: one in serious condition, two in moderate condition, and one was slightly injured, Mariupol Mayor's adviser Petr Andryushchenko said.
09:09 The Orthodox Church of Ukraine wants to receive part of the premises of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. The Synod asked the primate to apply to the Cabinet of Ministers with a request to transfer one of the temples of the Upper Lavra and its individual premises for use for worship and monastic activities of the Holy Dormition Kiev-Pechersk UOC.
09:03 Estonia transferred a third of its military budget to Ukraine, Podolyak said: “Instead of a thousand promises: in three months, Estonia transferred 1/3 of the military budget to Ukraine - the most in the world. This proves once again: you can be a small country, but have a big heart , but to be second in size, but not to have it at all. A victory for Ukraine will be a victory for the Estonian people as well."
09:01 The American Institute for the Study of War reports that the Russians could capture the northeastern suburb of Severodonetsk - Shchedrishchevo. Russian troops stormed Zolote and took control of the entrances to the city, which allowed them to move north and complete the encirclement of Severodonetsk from the south.
Ukrainian forces have withdrawn westward from Vladimirovka towards Soledar, indicating that Russian forces are advancing westward from Popasna rather than northward towards Severodonetsk. Also, Russian forces took control of Mironovsky, southeast of Bakhmut. This will allow the enemy to advance towards Bakhmut both from the south and from the west. However, it is unlikely that the Russians will be able to quickly capture Bakhmut - "if at all," analysts say.
08:59 The head of the Lugansk OVA, Serhiy Gaidai, announced another hit in the Lisichansk oil refinery.
08:57 British intelligence reports that Russia has increased the intensity of operations in the Donbass, seeking to surround Severodonetsk, Lisichansk and Rubizhne. Currently, the northern and southern directions of this operation are separated by approximately 25 km of Ukrainian-held territory.
Ukrainian forces offered strong resistance, taking up well-fortified defensive positions. The long-established OOS probably retains effective command and control over this front. However, the Russian Federation has achieved some local successes, thanks in part to the concentration of artillery units, intelligence reports.
The capture by Russia of the Severodonetsk pocket will lead to the fact that the entire Luhansk region will be under Russian occupation. Although it is now the main effort of the Russian Federation, this operation is only part of its campaign to seize the Donbass. If the front line in Donbas shifts west, it will lengthen Russia's lines of communication and likely lead to its forces having difficulty resupplying, analysts say.
08:55 The head of the Dnepropetrovsk OVA, Valentin Reznichenko, said that a rocket in the Pavlograd region hit the field.
08:54 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the enemy on the morning of May 24th. The enemy suffered the greatest losses over the past day in the Severodonetsk direction.
- personnel - about 29,350 (+150) people liquidated,
- tanks - 1302 (+9),
- armored combat vehicles - 3194 (+28),
- artillery systems - 606 (+2),
- MLRS - 201 (+0),
- air defense systems - 93 (+0),
- aircraft - 205 (+1),
- helicopters - 170 (+0),
- UAV operational-tactical level - 480 (+4),
- cruise missiles - 112 (+2),
- ships/boats - 13 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tankers - 2213 (+7),
- special equipment - 43 (+0).
08:46 Severodonetsk was subjected to powerful attacks by the enemy, four people were killed, said the head of the Luhansk OVA Serhiy Gaidai. According to him, the Russians are chaotically and almost continuously shelling the regional center. Gaidai noted that Russian troops intend to encircle Lisichansk and Severodonetsk. With the support of artillery, they conduct assault operations in the directions of Toshkovka and Ustinovka.
08:36 The French Foreign Ministry said that Macron's initiative to create a European political community is not a substitute for EU membership: "On the contrary, it will help accelerate the establishment of relations with all neighboring European countries, and with those who are candidates, strengthen our support in all spheres with a view to their accession".
The French Foreign Ministry also assured that they welcome Ukraine's application for EU membership and see Ukraine as part of the European family.
08:33 The occupiers launched a missile strike in the Pavlograd region at night, the head of the Dnepropetrovsk Regional Council, Nikolai Lukashuk, said.
08:31 The former head of British intelligence Mi-6, Richard Dirlav, said in an interview with Frankfurter Rundschau that Putin could soon leave his post, and Nikolai Patrushev, Secretary of the Security Council, would replace him. According to the expert, the environment will remove Putin and "probably send him to a sanatorium, from which he will no longer emerge as the leader of Russia."
08:29 Britain is negotiating with allies to send warships to the Black Sea to protect cargo ships carrying Ukrainian grain, writes the Times. The coalition will seek to break the Russian blockade in a few weeks by providing a protective corridor from Odessa through the Bosphorus.
08:27 The speaker of the Odesa OVA, Sergei Bratchuk, said that Russia is deploying S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems in the north-west of Crimea in order to strengthen the naval blockade of the Odessa ports. Also in the Black Sea, the maneuvering of ships of the Russian fleet, including those with missile weapons, continues.
08:16 In the occupied territories of the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, the Russians opened the first branches of the IRB - the International Settlement Bank, Russian media write. Now communal enterprises and legal entities directively transfer to settlements in this bank. ATMs have also been installed. Later, they will start issuing cards of the Russian payment system MIR, to which salaries and social benefits will be transferred.
At the same time, the MRB began work in the "LDNR", where residents can now issue cards and use ATMs.
07:41 The threat of missile and air strikes against Ukraine from the territory of Belarus is growing, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports in the morning report . In particular, the enemy moved the Iskander-M OTRK division to the Brest region at a distance of up to 50 km from the state border of Ukraine.
In the Slavic direction, enemy units are preparing to resume the offensive. In the southern part of Izyum, Russian forces have deployed additional cannon artillery units. In the Donetsk direction, the enemy is concentrated on the encirclement of Lisichansk and Severodonetsk.
In the Limansky direction, it is not excluded that the Russian troops will force the Seversky Donets River in the Dronovka-Belogorovka section. In the Bakhmut direction, the enemy improved the tactical position in the Vasilievka area. On Severodonetsky - conducts assault operations in the direction of Toshkovka and Ustinovka. In the Zaporozhye direction, the invaders are reinforcing the grouping of troops to resume the offensive in the Vasilyevka-Kamianske area.
07:38 Colombia will send specialists to train the Ukrainian military in demining, said Minister of National Defense of the Republic Diego Molano. 11 military engineers of the army of the Latin American Republic will train Ukrainian servicemen.
07:36 On Sunday, May 22, nine fighters of the Vinnitsa special forces KORD were killed. The regional department of the National Police does not provide details, but there is information that the detachment died while on a mission in the Zaporozhye region.
07:31 In the Nikolaev region, the invaders sent people who tried to evacuate through the mined area, and then shot the survivors after the explosion. Two children were among the dead, OK Pivden reported.
06:25 Satellites recorded Russian ships in the port of Sevastopol, which are likely to be transporting grain stolen in Ukraine. Images from Maxar Technologies dated May 19 and 21 show the Russian ships Matros Pozinich and Matros Koshka, which are moored next to a grain silo. Grain is poured from the belt into the open hold. According to the ship tracking website MarineTraffic.com, both ships have left the port: Matros Pozinich is sailing in the Aegean Sea, while Matros Koshka is still in the Black Sea.
04:33 "Authorities" of the Kherson region will ask to place a Russian military base in the region, this will guarantee its security, said "deputy head of the military-civilian administration" Kirill Stremousov. He also stressed that the Kherson region does not plan to be a separate independent republic, "the goal is to become a subject of the Russian Federation."
03:16 The Russian language, along with the Ukrainian language, will receive the status of "state" in the Kherson region, said the "deputy head of the military-civil administration" Kirill Stremousov.
"The Russian language, along with Ukrainian, will become the state language in the Kherson region. The Russian language will become the main language for office work, communication and all issues of national importance. We do not prohibit the Ukrainian language and will not somehow play some kind of language stories," he specified he added that "the expediency of giving the status of the state language to the Crimean Tatar language, as it was done in Crimea, we will discuss in detail at a meeting with the community."