As the war enters its 811th day, these are the key developments.
This is the situation on Wednesday, May 15, 2024.
Fighting
- At least 20 people were injured in northeast Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, after Russia hit residential areas, including an apartment building, with guided bombs and artillery shells.
- The United Nations said at least eight civilians have been killed and 35 injured since Russia began a new offensive in the northeast region on Friday. It called on Russia to “immediately cease its armed attack against Ukraine – in line with relevant UN General Assembly resolutions” – and withdraw to internationally recognized borders.
- The Ukrainian military said its forces had retreated to new positions in two areas of the Kharkiv region and warned of a build-up of Russian forces to the north, near the Sumy region. Russia said it had made further incursions and seized a tenth border village, Buhruvatka.
- The Ukrainian Air Force said defense systems destroyed all 18 attack drones that Russia launched over several regions, including the Kiev region and the front line.
- Russian officials said one person was injured and several buildings were damaged in a Ukrainian air strike on the border city of Belgorod, with Russia’s air defense destroying 25 missiles over the wider Belgorod region.
- Russian media said a Ukrainian drone strike derailed a freight train and sparked a fire in a diesel tank in Russia’s southern Volgograd region, destroying several hundred meters of track. Russian Railways said the incident was the result of “interference by unauthorized persons”.
Politics and diplomacy
- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on a surprise visit to Kiev, promised Ukraine that military assistance that would make “a real difference” on the battlefield was on the way.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit China on May 16-17 for talks with President Xi Jinping. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the two will discuss “bilateral ties, cooperation in various fields and international and regional issues of common interest.”
- South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol confirmed Seoul’s participation in a Ukraine peace summit to be held in Switzerland in June, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote in X.
- Russia’s Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by Vladimir Kara-Murza, a dual Russian-UK national and prominent Kremlin and war critic, against a 25-year prison sentence for treason and other charges. UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said the decision was an “outrage” and that Kara-Murza was a political prisoner.
- International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan said he would not be intimidated by threats as his office investigates possible war crimes in Ukraine. Russia placed Khan on its wanted list after the ICC issued an arrest warrant against Putin and the Russian Children’s Commissioner for their role in the alleged deportation of Ukrainian children from occupied territories to Russia.
- Ireland said it would reduce the weekly payment for all Ukrainian refugees in state accommodation from 220 euros ($238) to just 38.80 euros ($41.96) from August. Just over 100,000 Ukrainians have fled to Ireland since Russia’s large-scale invasion in February 2022. Almost half live in state-provided accommodation.
Weapons
- Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said France would send more Aster surface-to-air missiles to the French-Italian SAMP/T-MAMBA air defense system defending Kiev.
- Russia said its Bulava submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missile had been put into service, a key element in the modernization of its nuclear arsenal.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
