Saturday, May 18

Russia’s war against Ukraine

A pillar of smoke is rising from behind a house following the shelling of Russian troops in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on May 17, 2024. (Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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Zelensky: No reports of artillery shortages for first time in full-scale war.

For the first time since the launch of Russia’s full-scale invasion, no Ukrainian brigades have reported a lack of artillery shells, President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters on May 16. “And this has been happening for the past two months,” he said, but added: “Everyone still has a lot of work to do.”

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.

Zelensky signs law allowing some convicts to serve in military. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on May 17 signed into law a bill permitting citizens convicted under certain charges to serve in the military.

Zelensky signs law amendments increasing fines for draft evaders. According to the new legislation, fines for violating the rules of the military register can range from Hr 3,400 ($86) to 5,100 ($130), and for repeated violations, from Hr 17,000 ($430) to 25,500 ($646).

Ukrenergo: Restrictions on energy supply for industrial users remain in effect due to power shortage. Limitations for industrial users will be applied from 7 p.m. to midnight local time on May 18, while restrictions for domestic users are not forecasted for the same day, according to Ukrenergo.

Read our exclusives

Ukraine war latest: Ukrainian drones hit military facilities in Russia, occupied Crimea

Ukrainian drones attacked several military facilities in Russia and occupied Crimea overnight on May 17, a source from the Security Service of Ukraine confirmed to the Kyiv Independent.

Photo: Stringer/AFP via Getty Images

Author of famous Azovstal photos on documenting Ukraine’s iron resistance in Mariupol

While hiding from almost non-stop Russian bombardment in the dark and cold bunkers of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Dmytro Kozatskyi took his most valuable photographs.

Photo: Personal archive / Dmytro Kozatskyi

Human cost of war

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.

Russian attack on Kharkiv kills 3, injures 28. Russia struck the city of Kharkiv twice with aerial bombs on May 17, killing two and injuring 25 people, local authorities reported.

At least 5 injured in missile attack on Odesa. Ukraine’s Air Force said that Russia had used three ballistic missiles in the attack, likely Iskander-M and three Kh-59/Kh-69 guided missiles.

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.

International response

Lithuania to supply Ukraine with 6 radars within German-led air defense initiative. The approximate date of the radars’ arrival in Ukraine, as well as the amount of Lithuanian contribution, were not specified.

Hungary vetoes Council of Europe resolution supporting Ukraine’s peace formula. In a post on Facebook, Peter Szijjarto said that “other plans” had been proposed by others but were not being considered by the Council, and the exclusion of Russia from the body meant peace negotiations could not work. The minister did not specify which other plans he was referring to.

Zelensky: Slovenia confirms participation in Ukraine’s peace summit, will soon sign bilateral security agreement. Some 160 national delegations were invited to the peace summit, and at least 50 countries have confirmed their participation.

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.

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.

In other news

Slovak PM Fico undergoes 2nd surgery, still in serious condition following assassination attempt. The Dennik N media outlet reported that none of the doctors personally attending to Fico have spoken publicly.

Prosecutor’s Office: 600 illegal online casino websites blocked in Ukraine since start of 2024. Law enforcement officers are investigating over 450 criminal offenses related to the illegal organization of gambling as of mid-May, the Prosecutor General’s Office said.

Foreign Ministry to restore consular services for draft-aged men abroad on updated terms. The algorithm of consular services provision was updated to align with the new mobilization law’s requirements, the Foreign Ministry said.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Martin Fornusek, Kateryna Denisova, Chris York, Francis Farrell, Kateryna Hodunova, Nate Ostiller, Martin Fornusek, and Olena Goncharova.

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