[Korrespondent] 22:12 Ukraine has already received the SAMP-T SAM battery promised by Italy and France, La Stampa reports.
22:07 A new sensation has been found in the Pentagon's secret data leak. The Washington Post, referring to these data, claims that in January 2023, the leader of the Wagner PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin, allegedly offered Ukrainian military intelligence to reveal the positions of Russian troops in exchange for the Ukrainian Armed Forces leaving Bakhmut. Read more in the material Prigozhin - Budanov's agent?
21:48 31 Abrams training tanks arrived at a military base in Germany, and training of the Ukrainian military will begin in the coming weeks, Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder said. He clarified that the tanks that are planned to be delivered to Ukraine are being modernized and updated.
21:27 Macron said that the training of Ukrainian pilots by the French military could begin "already now."
20:33 Zelensky traveled around a number of key European partners of Ukraine in a few days. During these visits, important agreements were reached on defense support for our country. Zelensky himself noted that the priority of his visits to European capitals was preparation for the active actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the front to liberate the occupied territories. The fact that the president is taking with him to Kiev is in the material Collection of weapons in Europe .
20:28 Hungary has blocked the allocation of a new tranche in the amount of 500 million euros for Ukraine from the European Peace Fund, the Italian agency ANSA reported.
20:26 The Biden administration has begun preparing a proposal for another funding for defense assistance to Ukraine, as the $48 billion package approved in December will be exhausted in the coming months, writes Politico.
20:24 The United States still does not plan to transfer ATACMS long-range missiles to Ukraine, despite the supply of British Storm Shadow, John Kirby said.
20:21 The Russians fired artillery at the Nikopol district of the Dnipropetrovsk region. The Krasnogrigoryevsk community fell under the blow, Nikopol itself suffered the most: the enemy fired almost 30 shells at the city. At the moment, three victims are known, including a 14-year-old child, said the head of the OVA, Serhiy Lysak.
20:17 The US sees more signs that Russia and Iran are expanding their "unprecedented defense partnership," said White House National Security Council coordinator John Kirby. In particular, according to him, Iran provides the Russian Federation with attack drones, including more than 400 since August last year. Most of them Russia has already used, but the planned deliveries continue. In addition, Tehran has already provided Moscow with artillery and tank shells.
19:53 For two days, the Defense Forces advanced on the flanks around Bakhmut at a distance of 350 m to 2 km, said the speaker of the Eastern Group of Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Serhiy Cherevaty. At the same time, he added that the Russian military "provide insane resistance."
19:34 The Russians hit the village of Lvovo in the Tyagin community of the Kherson region, two people were injured, the head of the OVA, Alexander Prokudin, said.
19:30 Chinese Permanent Representative to the UN Zhang Jun said at a meeting of the Security Council that it is impossible to wait for the resumption of negotiations on Ukraine for many years - it is necessary to create conditions for the start of consultations.
19:26 Lukashenka said that the air defense forces of Belarus have been on high alert for several days, and on May 13 they were transferred to readiness number one: "Three days after the events near us - I mean in the Bryansk region, when four aircraft. We are forced to react. Since then, we have been on high alert, our troops."
19:21 Zelensky summed up the results of his three-day European tour in an evening video message. In particular, he thanked:
- Italy - for help in protecting the lives of Ukrainians: from protecting the sky to preparing for the full restoration of Ukraine after hostilities.
- Germany - for the largest defense package worth 2.7 billion euros, IRIS air defense systems of various modifications and missiles for them, guns and shells, armored vehicles, etc. In addition, Berlin will support Ukraine in the long term: for this, it will allocate 11 billion euros, purely for defense. Plus, Germany participates in the European Peace Fund, which strengthens the protection of Ukraine.
- France - for new opportunities for Ukrainian defenders. "Now is not the time to talk about the details. Thank you for the additional armored vehicles. And for the help in consolidating partners," the president said.
- Britain - for an agreement on training Ukrainian pilots: "We are creating a coalition to train pilots on modern Western aircraft. Britain - yes, Poland - yes. I am sure that France and our other partners will join. We continue to work on a coalition of fighters, we are moving actively. Of course, thank you Britain for long-range opportunities for our warriors, for range."
"So, the main results these days are: new weapons for Ukraine, respect for Ukrainians, and our victory has been brought closer," Zelensky summed up.
18:48 In the area of ​​Chasov Yar, Donetsk region, the White Angel police unit, which is evacuating local residents, came under enemy fire. Five law enforcement officers were injured, the National Police reported.
18:32 Germany will supply Ukraine with four additional IRIS-T air defense systems, the country's Ministry of Defense announced.
18:06 EU countries are discussing the introduction of a ban on transit through Russia to third countries of goods from the European Union, said the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
17:51 The head of the Ternopil OVA Vladimir Trush denied the information of the Russian media that during the shelling of Ternopil, an ammunition depot with depleted and enriched uranium was allegedly blown up. According to him, the ecological situation in the city is stable.
17:28 The European Commission for the first time has prepared an economic forecast for Ukraine, according to which, after falling by about 29% last year, the Ukrainian economy is expected to grow by 0.6% in 2023 and by 4.0% next year. The authors of the report believe that the Ukrainian economy, even in the face of the Russian invasion, proved to be "extremely resilient." At the same time, the report adds that real growth rates will depend heavily on the development of the war.
16:57 As a result of the explosion in the center of Lugansk, seven people were injured, four are in serious condition, among them "acting head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs" Kornet, said Pasechnik.
16:39 The Russians fired at the front-line village of Dvurechnaya, Kupyansky district, Kharkiv region: two people died, one was injured, Oleg Sinegubov, head of the OVA, said.
16:08 Negotiations on the grain agreement ended last week without concrete results, said Olga Trofimtseva, Ambassador at Large of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, coordinator of the Council of Exporters and Investors. She called the situation "suspended" because the signals so far are different: "Turkey says that it seems that the agreement will be extended on May 18, but this week, as far as I know, no additional negotiations are planned."
"The termination or unilateral withdrawal of the Russian Federation from the grain deal is possible. But this will indicate for everyone, and primarily for the Russian side, an escalation of the situation. In this case, they will complicate their negotiating position in the future. I hope they understand this," she added. ambassador.
15:29 Russian media report about five wounded as a result of an explosion in the center of Luhansk, among them - "acting head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the LPR" Igor Kornet.
15:27 At the July NATO summit, the members of the Alliance should "send a very clear message of support for Ukraine," Stoltenberg said. "As for membership, I expect NATO allies to say: Ukraine will become a member of NATO, which has already been said several times," the Secretary General added.
In particular, according to him, the summit should approve a multi-purpose program to support Ukraine, which will talk about how to help Kiev move from Soviet-era standards to NATO standards, which will help become a member of the Alliance in the future. With regard to security guarantees for Ukraine, relevant consultations between the allies continue. At the same time, all members agree: it is necessary to provide military assistance to Ukraine to win the war, Stoltenberg assured.
15:16 Putin, by his decree, has simplified the acquisition of Russian citizenship by those foreigners who are fighting in Ukraine. The simplified procedure can now be applied for by foreigners "who entered into military service contracts during the period of the special military operation," as well as members of their families.
14:51 During a visit to London, Zelensky announced the first decisions to create an aviation coalition: “We want to create this coalition of aircraft, and I am very confident in this. We talked about this, and soon you will see some, in my opinion, important decisions. But I think we need to work on it a little more." He added that the position of each of the G7 countries is important in the issue of creating an aviation coalition.
In turn, Rishi Sunak assured that the UK will be a key part of the aviation coalition: "Building the capabilities of the Air Force is not an easy task. This includes not only the transfer of aircraft, but also pilot training and accompanying logistics, in which the UK can play a big role." The British Prime Minister noted that he discussed with Zelensky the training of Ukrainian pilots, which "will begin relatively soon." Also later this week, air coalition talks will be held with other political leaders, Sunak added.
14:28 An explosion occurred in the center of Lugansk, according to preliminary information, there are victims, said Pasechnik. According to preliminary data, it was an explosion, the explosion occurred in a barbershop, in the immediate vicinity of the "republican" TV building.
14:17 The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation stated that the Russian air defense allegedly shot down a Storm Shadow cruise missile for the first time.
13:42 A special register of destruction caused by Russia during the war against Ukraine will be created in The Hague, said the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. According to her, in the future this should help to recover compensation from the Russian Federation for damages. She also stressed that she supports the creation of a tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression.
13:18 Peskov said that London's military assistance to Kiev would not have a "fundamental impact" on the course of the "special operation", but would "create additional difficulties for Kiev."
He also said that The Washington Post's reports about Prigozhin's alleged readiness to transfer data to Kyiv "look like a duck." Prigozhin himself suggested that "either one of the journalists wanted to hype, or the comrades from Rublyovka, who at one time sold oil to ISIS, decided that they would make a beautiful information stuffing."
12:57 Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, during talks in Beijing with his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang, said that Budapest supports China's "peace plan" for Ukraine. According to him, this plan can become the basis for further discussions about the settlement of the "conflict". Szijjarto added that his country supports China's "peace plan" for two reasons: "it exists and is aimed at achieving peace."
12:29 "Authorities" of Donetsk said that air defense forces allegedly worked over the Donbass-Arena stadium, presumably, parts of the downed rocket fell on the stadium and nearby.
12:13 The Russians launched a missile airstrike on a hospital in Avdiivka, Donetsk region, four people were killed, said Pavel Kirilenko, head of the OVA.
12:05 Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Alexander Syrsky said that the advance in the Bakhmut direction is the first success of offensive operations during the operation to defend Bakhmut.
"The last few days have shown that we can move forward and destroy the enemy even in such extremely difficult conditions. We are fighting with a smaller resource than the enemy. At the same time, we manage to destroy his plans. However, this is only a partial success, and this is how it should be perceived "The operation to defend Bakhmut continues. All the decisions necessary for defense have been made. All possible scenarios for the development of events, we have worked out with the commanders directly at the site of hostilities," the commander added.
11:56 British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that he had already met with Zelensky and showed a photo.
11:22 Chinese Special Representative for Eurasian Affairs Li Hui, who is scheduled to tour to discuss the war in Ukraine, will arrive in Kiev on Tuesday, May 16, AFP reports.
11:14 The UK will begin training Ukrainian pilots in the summer, is working with other countries on the possible sending of F-16s to Ukraine , the country's government said.
10:51 Prigozhin allegedly offered Ukraine to hand over the location of Russian troops in the south in exchange for the withdrawal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from Bakhmut, The Washington Post writes, citing secret Pentagon documents. According to the leak, Prigozhin spoke several times with representatives of the GUR, but Kyiv rejected his offer due to lack of confidence.
Zelensky, in an interview with WP, did not confirm contacts with Prigozhin, and the head of the PMC, Wagner, ironically stated that "he is still with Budanov in Africa."
10:39 152 thousand personnel of the Russian troops remain in the occupied territories of southern Ukraine. The withdrawal of combat units from neither the Zaporozhye nor the Kherson regions is recorded, and their actions, on the contrary, indicate that they are preparing for defense, Andrei Chernyak, representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, told RBC-Ukraine.
In the meantime, the occupiers are forcibly removing the civilian population from the occupied territories of the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, including the personnel of the ZNPP in Energodar. According to Chernyak, the Russians use the so-called "evacuation" as a cover for counterintelligence and filtration measures.
10:05 At night, the air defense forces destroyed four Shahed-136/131 enemy attack drones and one Orlan-10 operational-tactical reconnaissance UAV in the northeast direction, the Air Force command reported.
09:56 The UK will transfer hundreds of combat drones with a range of more than 200 km to Ukraine, the country's government announced after Zelensky's arrival in London. The drones, along with other aid, should arrive in Ukraine in the coming months.
09:18 In the Kherson region over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling, six people were killed, three were injured. Seven civilians were wounded in the Donetsk region. In the Kharkiv region, two people died as a result of artillery shelling of the village of Staritsa, Chuguev district, according to the IVA.
09:13 Zelensky announced that he is visiting London today: "The UK is a leader when it comes to expanding our capabilities on earth and in the sky. Today this cooperation will continue. I will meet with my friend Rishi. We will hold substantive talks tete-a- tete and delegations".
09:11 On the morning of May 14, a drone attacked a warehouse with military equipment in the Suzemsky district of the Bryansk region, the Baza telegram channel reports. According to him, the drone dropped a bomb on the roof of the warehouse. The explosion damaged five pieces of equipment, there were no casualties.
09:07 In the occupied Tokmak of the Zaporizhia region, a series of explosions has thundered since the morning, said the adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, Petr Andryushchenko.
08:52 The Russian media write about two strikes on the former Luhansk aviation school of navigators, where the Russian military was located.
08:36 The General Staff announced the approximate losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of May 15.
- personnel - about 199,460 (+580) people liquidated,
- tanks - 3759 (+3),
- armored combat vehicles - 7336 (+11),
- artillery systems - 3137 (+21),
- MLRS - 562 (+0),
- air defense systems - 316 (+2),
- aircraft - 308 (+0),
- helicopters - 294 (+0),
- UAV operational-tactical level - 2720 (+24),
- cruise missiles - 973 (+3),
- ships/boats - 18 (+0),
- automotive equipment and tankers - 6034 (+16),
- special equipment - 407 (+3).
08:23 The Russian army continues to focus its main efforts on the Limansky, Bakhmutsky, Avdeevsky and Maryinsky directions - there were 46 clashes. Bakhmut and Marinka remain at the epicenter of hostilities, the General Staff said in a morning report .
According to the General Staff, in a number of settlements in the Kherson region, the invaders forcibly detain men who had previously renounced Ukrainian citizenship in favor of Russian. After the arrest, during the first "conversation", the occupiers demand money from them for a "delay from mobilization." Those who refuse to pay a bribe or do not have the necessary amount are sent to field camps for an accelerated course in combined arms training. After that, they are sent to settlements bordering on the line of combat.
06:26 In the Czech Republic, within the framework of the Gift for Putin initiative, 2.3 million dollars were collected for Ukraine for the purchase of the RM-70 MLRS and 365 missiles for it, the project organizers said. In two and a half months, 19,165 individuals and companies made contributions. The missile launcher is expected to be deployed within a few weeks. The organizers added that on May 15 they will start raising money for "something that no one else in the world has collected for." And they promised that "it will be really explosive."
03:20 There is a consensus among the 31 NATO member countries that Ukraine will not receive an official invitation to join the Alliance at the July summit in Vilnius, but there are disagreements on specific steps for Ukraine's integration, writes The Washington Post.
In particular, Eastern European countries are pushing for concrete steps towards Ukraine's membership in NATO, including potential commitments on the timing of its accession. At the same time, the Biden administration believes that NATO countries should pay more attention to providing Ukraine with continued support on the battlefield, and questions of membership and potential security guarantees should be resolved after the end of the war.
02:15 Zelensky, during a meeting with Macron, talked about military assistance to France, its participation in the "coalition of fighters" and Ukraine's entry into NATO. The presidents also discussed issues of interaction for the effective implementation of the Ukrainian formula for peace, European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine, the press service of the Ukrainian president reports.
01:49 Ukraine and France signed a joint declaration in which the French side, in particular, promises to continue military support for Kiev. Thus, in the coming weeks, France will train and equip several battalions with dozens of armored vehicles and light tanks, including the AMX-10RC, the document says.
It is also noted that France is focusing its efforts on maintaining the capabilities of Ukraine's air defense. In addition to the national contribution, Paris actively participates in the EU and NATO activities for military assistance to Ukraine and the training of the Ukrainian military.