Wednesday, May 29

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Ukrainian soldiers carry the coffin of Ukrainian serviceman Ruslan Troianchuk, callsigned “Friend”, who was killed in the Donetsk region, during his funeral service outside Saint Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv on May 28, 2024. (Roman Pllipey/AFP via Getty Images)

Belgium signs security deal with Ukraine, pledges $1 billion in aid this year. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo signed a long-term bilateral security agreement in Brussels on May 28, the Presidential Office announced.

Belgium to provide Ukraine with 30 F-16 aircraft by 2028, first to arrive in 2024. The announcement accompanies news that President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Belgium on May 28 to sign a bilateral security agreement.

Zelensky arrives in Portugal, signs bilateral security deal. Under a 10-year bilateral security agreement, Portugal will allocate at least 126 million euros ($137 million) in military aid for Ukraine in 2024.

Latvia to allocate $22 million for drone coalition for Ukraine in 2024. The Latvian government will invest around 20 million euros ($22 million) in the drone coalition for Ukraine this year, the public broadcaster LSM reported on May 27, citing the country’s defense minister, Andris Spruds.

Sweden announces new energy aid package for Ukraine worth $60 million. The package consists of two parts: 500 million Swedish krona (around $45 million) under the Energy Community’s Ukraine Energy Support Fund and another 150 million Swedish krona (around $15 million) through the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

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Czechia backs Ukraine striking Russian soil with Western-provided weapons. “As a country under attack, Ukraine certainly has every right to use all means of defense,” Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said.

Russia may launch psychological operation about opening new front from Belarus, Kyiv warns. Center for Countering Disinformation forecast the launch of a new Russian psychological operation about opening the second front in the region, aiming to “stir up mass panic” in Ukrainian society.

Defense minister: Ukraine may receive first F-16s ‘very soon’ but half of military aid arriving late. Russia has 500,000 troops in Ukraine and near its borders and is preparing to involve another 200,000-300,000, aiming to “open a new front in the north to start using all their manpower, firing power,” Umerov said.

SBU: Ukraine nationalizes Russian oligarch’s fishing ship worth almost $25 million. Alexander Verkhovsky is a former Russian lawmaker who has been sanctioned by Ukraine. He amassed a fortune that Forbes Russia estimated in 2021 to be around $600 million through a fishing empire in Russia’s Far East.

Macron: Ukraine must be allowed to strike bases on Russian territory from which missiles are fired. “If we tell them (Ukraine) that you are not allowed to target the place from which missiles are fired, we are in fact telling them that we are providing you with weapons but you cannot defend yourself.”

Read our exclusives

Ukraine war latest: Belgium signs security deal with Ukraine, pledges $1 billion in aid this year

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo signed a 10-year bilateral security agreement in Brussels on May 28, the Presidential Office announced.

Photo: Prime Minister Alexander De Croo/X

What will Russia’s attack on Kharkiv printing house mean for Ukraine’s publishing industry?

The aftermath of Russia’s May 23 attack on Kharkiv’s Faktor Druk printing house shocked Ukrainians: mountains of charred Ukrainian books covered its blackened floor. The strike had destroyed over a quarter of the company’s warehouse.

Photo: Ivan Samoilov/Gwara Media/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images

Human cost of war

Russia attacks Donetsk Oblast village with 15 ton bomb, injuring 3 people. The attack on the village reportedly damaged around 100 houses, three of which were “almost completely destroyed,” according to Filashkin.

Russian attack on residential area in Donetsk Oblast town kills couple, injures 3. The Russian attack reportedly partially destroyed two apartment buildings and a local enterprise.

Mediazona confirms identities of nearly 54,200 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine. Through open-source research, Mediazona, a Russian independent media outlet, together with BBC Russia, confirmed the names of 54,185 Russian soldiers who had been killed since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

International response

Georgian parliament overrules president’s veto of foreign agents law. The legislation will now be sent back to President Salome Zourabichvili, who will have five days to sign into law. In the likely situation that she refuses, Parliamentary Speaker Shalva Papuashvili will be able to sign it into law, after which it will be enacted.

Reuters: Indian refinery to purchase Russian oil in rubles. The operator of the world’s largest oil refining complex, India’s Reliance Industries, has reached a one-year agreement with Russia’s state-controlled oil company Rosneft to purchase oil in rubles, Reuters reported on May 28.

EU ministers frustrated as Hungary blocks $7 billion in military aid for Ukraine. Hungary is blocking three separate 500-million-euro ($540 million) tranches under the European Peace Facility (EFF) fund, as well as 5 billion euros ($5.4 billion) allocated for the Ukraine Assistance Fund, established within the EFF’s framework.

Netherlands wants to deliver Patriot system to Ukraine jointly with partners. The Netherlands has identified which partners could contribute parts and ammunition from their own stocks and called on them to contribute.

Sending troops to Ukraine ‘shouldn’t be ruled out,’ Polish FM says. “We should not rule out any option. Let (Russian President Vladimir) Putin guess what we will do,” Sikorski said in answer to Gazeta Wyborcza’s question about the possibility of sending Polish troops to Ukraine.

Ukraine can use Belgian F-16s only on Ukrainian territory, Belgian PM says. “Everything which is covered by this agreement… is for the utilization by the Ukrainian defense forces on Ukrainian territory,” Prime Minister Alexander De Croo responded to a journalist’s question about whether Ukraine will be able to use Belgian F-16 jets to down Russian jets in Russian airspace.

FT: Despite promises, Western companies continue Russian operations. A study conducted by the Kyiv School of Economics found that more than 2,000 have remained as of the beginning of May. Around 1,200 other companies have only curtailed their businesses, while only 387 have fully exited.

Estonian defense minister says EU should increase Ukrainian soldier training program to 100,000 personnel. “I believe that is okay to send a very clear signal that we will go to 100,000” in response to increased Russian pressure and the renewed Russian offensive in Kharkiv Oblast, said Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur.

Opinions and insights

Opinion: The global implications of Georgia’s political crisis

As Western leaders focus on conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, Georgia risks slipping into autocracy under Bidzina Ivanishvili, who is steering the nation closer to Russia by suppressing democratic institutions and opposing EU and NATO integration.

Photo: Mirian Meladze/Anadolu via Getty Images

Opinion: Why South Africa’s election matters for Ukraine

As South Africa braces for a landmark election, discontent with the ANC party coincides with broader geopolitical considerations, including the country’s stance on Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Photo: STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

In other news

Convicts to serve in separate units of Ukrainian forces, justice minister says. Units with former prisoners will be established for assault operations and not involve other military personnel, Justice Minister Denys Maliuska said.

WSJ: Russia aims to produce 6,000 Shahed-type drones a year in Tatarstan. Russia aims to reach the production level of 6,000 Shahed attack drones a year at the Alabuga facility, while the factory was already ahead of its production schedule in April.

Swiss lawmakers demand tougher action against spies ahead of peace summit. The proposal, which has already been supported by the parliament’s lower chamber, is seen as a means to curb Russian intelligence activities in the country ahead of the June peace summit for Ukraine.

Russia speeds up recruitment of mercenaries from Africa, military intelligence says. New mercenaries from Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, and Uganda are being recruited as assault troopers by a specially created unit of the Russian Defense Ministry, the agency said.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Dmytro Basmat, Olena Goncharova, Oleg Sukhov, Nate Ostiller, Martin Fornusek, Kateryna Hodunova, and Kateryna Denisova.

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