Ukraine’s 110th Brigade downs 4 Russian aircraft in 2 weeks
Su-25s help Russia carry out intense attacks in multiple sections of the eastern front.
Russia
Zelensky: Ukraine repels Russian assault on Chasiv Yar, Russia loses troops near Kharkiv
Chasiv Yar, a largely destroyed town, has been seen as Russia’s next target after the fall of Bakhmut, while Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, is also a major Russian target.
Zelensky: 'Our partners fear that Russia will lose this war'
President Volodymyr Zelensky believes that Ukraine's partners "are afraid of Russia losing the war" and would like Kyiv "to win in such a way that Russia does not lose," Zelensky said in a meeting with journalists attended by the Kyiv Independent.
Georgian president vetoes 'foreign agents' bill
Georgia's pro-Western President Salome Zourabichvili said on May 18 that she vetoed the controversial "foreign agents" bill previously passed by the parliament despite large-scale protests.
Authorities: Russian attacks on Kherson Oblast kill 2, injure 1
Russian attacks against the villages of Tiahynka and Stanislav in Kherson Oblast killed two people and wounded another one, regional authorities reported on May 18.
Polish PM: Warsaw to spend $2.5 billion to secure Russia, Belarus border
Poland plans to invest 10 billion zlotys ($2.55 billion) in strengthening its borders with Russia and Belarus to deter potential aggression, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on May 18, according to Bloomberg.
Authorities: Russian attack on Kharkiv injures 5, including 2 children
Russian forces struck a residential area in the city of Kharkiv on the afternoon of May 18, injuring at least five people, including two children, local officials reported.
Ukraine charges Russia's FSB chief, top officials with guiding EuroMaidan violence
Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation reported on May 18 that it had charged Alexander Bortnikov, the head of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), and another 20 top officials of Russian special services with curating and aiding the illegal obstruction of protests during Ukraine's EuroMaidan Revolution.
General Staff: Russia has lost 491,080 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022
This number includes 1,210 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
Air Force: Ukraine downs all 13 Russian drones overnight
Ukrainian air defenses downed all 13 Shahed-type attack drones launched by Russia overnight on May 18, according to Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk.
Mediazona confirms identities of over 52,700 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine
Through open-source research, Mediazona, a Russian independent media outlet, together with BBC Russia, confirmed the names of 52,789 Russian soldiers who had been killed since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Russia claims explosion at St. Petersburg academy caused by World War Two ammunition
Russia's military reported on May 17 that a blast at the Budyonny Military Academy of the Signal Corps in St. Petersburg, which injured seven servicemen, was caused by the accidental detonation of World War II-era ammunition.
Russia attacks 10 communities in Sumy Oblast
Russian forces struck 10 communities in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy Oblast in 44 separate attacks throughout the day, the regional administration reported on May 17. At least 183 explosions were reported in Sumy Oblast over the past 24 hours.
2 civilians killed, 1 injured in Vovchansk amid Russian assaults in Kharkiv Oblast
A 35-year-old man was killed, while a 60-year-old one was injured in recent Russian strikes, the Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor's Office reported on May 17.
Reuters: Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Tuapse refinery causes emergency shutdown
A source told Reuters that drones had struck the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) unit at the refinery but that the crude distillation unit (CDU) was not damaged.
UK announces new sanctions targeting Russia's 'arms for oil' trade with North Korea
The new sanctions will target three companies and one individual from North Korea and Russia and follow similar measures implemented by the U.S. the day before.
Governor: Ukraine rescues 4 children from Russian-held territory of Kherson Oblast
The evacuated children are three brothers and a sister, aged from two to 12, according to Oleksandr Prokudin.
EU suspends 4 more Russian propaganda outlets
Voice of Europe, RIA Novosti, Izvestia, and Rossiyskaya Gazeta were recognized as such that spread and supported Russian propaganda and the war against Ukraine.
Washington Post: Ukrainian troops' Starlink connection suffered systemic failure amid Russian offensive
The drone feeds that soldiers relied on to keep track of Russian movements "completely disappeared," a Ukrainian soldier told the Washington Post.
At least 5 injured in missile attack on Odesa
The extent of the damage is currently unknown, Suspilne wrote.
Ukrainian drones hit military facilities in Russia, Crimea overnight
Ukrainian drones attacked several military facilities in Russia and in occupied Crimea overnight of May 17, Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing unnamed sources in special services. The operation was reportedly carried out by Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).
Putin claims Russia has 'no plans to capture Kharkiv as of today'
Russia has no plans to capture Kharkiv "as of today" and is attacking Kharkiv Oblast in order to create a so-called buffer zone in the oblast to prevent shelling in Belgorod, President Vladimir Putin claimed on May 17.
Pentagon: Washington has not changed position on Ukrainian strikes in Russia with US arms
Washington has not changed its position on potential Ukrainian strikes with U.S.-supplied weapons on Russian territory, even after Russia had launched its offensive in Kharkiv Oblast, Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said at a press briefing on May 16.
Belbek airfield strikes destroyed 3 Russian planes, satellite images suggest
Satellite images obtained by RFE/RL and The New York Times suggested two MiG-31s and one Su-27 were damaged if not totally destroyed.
Air Force: Ukraine downs all 20 Russian drones overnight
Russian Shahed-type drones were intercepted over Kharkiv, Poltava, Vinnytsia, Odesa and Mykolaiv oblasts, Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk said.
Russia claims fire at oil refinery in Krasnodar Krai after drone attack
A fire broke out at an oil refinery in the town of Tuapse in Russia's Krasnodar Krai overnight on May 17 after a drone attack, the regional operational headquarters claimed.
General Staff: Russia has lost 489,870 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022
Russia has lost 489,870 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on May 17.
Drone strike causes fire at Belgorod Oblast gas station
Ukrainian forces attacked multiple settlements in Belgorod Oblast on May 16-17, damaging a gas station and killing two people, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov claimed.
Novorossiysk port, oil depot hit in overnight attack
Drones and missiles struck an oil refinery and seaport in the Russian city of Novorossiysk in the early hours of May 17, causing explosions and power outages, the Russian Telegram news channel Astra reported.
Reuters: G7 will support using frozen Russian assets revenue to fund Ukraine
The G7 finance ministers are set to meet on May 24, where they will work out the details to come to a final decision before a summit in Italy in June.
New Defense Minister Belousov to put Russia's economy on war footing
Russian President Vladimir Putin's appointment of a new defense minister, Andrey Belousov, is seen as an attempt to streamline Russia's economy and mobilize it for the war effort. Russia's military has faced numerous supply and logistics problems that thwarted its all-out war against Ukraine from the get-go. Two years later,
NATO top commander says Russia has insufficient numbers for breakthrough in Kharkiv Oblast
Echoing comments from President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said earlier in the day that the situation in Kharkiv Oblast was "difficult" but "under control," General Christopher Cavoli expressed confidence that Ukraine would be able to withstand the assault.
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