Russia-Ukraine war: Russian forces attack Palace of Culture; 7 injured

Companies in Germany and Italy have been instructed that they can open ruble accounts to buy Russian gas without breaking sanctions. On Friday, sources indicated that Berlin which had coordinated the problem with the EU notified German gas importers that they may create ruble accounts, but that payments to Gazprombank should not be done in Russian currency.

Following the destruction of a cultural centre in Ukraine in which at least seven people were injured, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy termed Russian airstrikes the embodiment of "absolute evil, absolute stupidity,"

In the city of Lazova in the Kharkiv region, an airstrike destroyed the "newly rebuilt House of Culture," resulting in a big cloud of dust and debris and injuring at least seven people, including a child.

Zelenskyy stated the Russians make no exceptions for them when it comes to missiles or bombs. He claimed that it is absolute evil and absolute stupidity.

Russia has claimed that the besieged Azovstal steel plant in the southern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol has been "fully liberated."

Major General Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Defense, said in a statement that the final group of 531 insurgents surrendered, referring to Ukrainian fighters who had been resisting the Russian assault on the plant for several weeks.

Lieutenant Colonel Denis Prokopenko, the Ukrainian commander of the Azov Regiment, had earlier issued an order to quit defending Mariupol, adding that the top military leadership had issued an order to safeguard the soldiers' lives and health and stop defending the city.

Ukraine will receive 250 million Canadian dollars, which is about 195 US dollars from Canada. The Finance Minister of the country Christia Freeland announced a new loan of $ 250 million for Ukraine through an IMF controlled account. This year, Canada has allocated approximately 1.87 billion Canadian dollars to Ukraine.

Treasury Department said that Canada will continue to support Ukraine in preserving its sovereignty and democracy with its G7 allies.

Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto stated that Hungary is proposing imposing a sea embargo on the Russian oil supply rather than onshore deliveries.

Szijjarto said that if the European Union wants to punish Russia on the oil front, then introduce an embargo on maritime oil deliveries, because that represents by far the majority of Russian oil deliveries to Europe, and if they give an exemption to pipeline deliveries, then their economies can continue to operate, and the European Union will achieve its goal as well.

The DPR representative office at the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of the Ceasefire (JCCC) stated that Ukrainian troops shelled the settlement of Mikhailovka in the Donetsk People's Republic, firing six 122 mm shells.

The representative said that fire was reported by the AFU (Armed Forces of Ukraine) in the direction of Novgorodskoye - Mikhailovka and that 6 shells of 122 mm calibre were fired by Ukraine

Josep Borrell, the EU's High Representative claims that the Russian military personnel were involved in sexual abuse in Ukraine. He further said that they will be held accountable.

He stated that in the freed territories of Ukraine, unspeakable acts have been reported. He further said that among the atrocities committed by the Russian military is the use of sexual abuse against women and children and that it is necessary to hold those guilty accountable. Borrell emphasized that the EU is trying to eliminate sexual violence caused by war around the world.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy expects that the process of evacuation of the Ukrainian defenders on the grounds of the Azovstal plant in Mariupol will be concluded soon. He said in an interview that the evacuation of additional civilians living near the plant or in Mariupol has been ongoing for some time. He claimed that civilians and medics were evacuated, as well as the badly injured and wounded.

The President also said that he believes the evacuation of everyone will be finished in the near future, perhaps even in the coming days.

Lithuanian transmission system operator Litgrid has decided to suspend Russian electricity imports beginning May 22. It should be noted that the concerned authorities were informed about the situation ahead of time, according to media reports. From Sunday, Russian electricity imports will be halted in the country.

Amid back-to-back sanctions on Russian companies, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, held a meeting wherein he ordered the officials to analyse the measures that the countries of the World Trade Organization (WTO) have taken against Russia.  

As per the details of the meeting updated on the Kremlin website on Friday, the Russian head directed the government to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the measures taken by the member state of the WTO this year to restrict trade with Moscow.

"The Government of the Russian Federation should conduct a comprehensive assessment of the measures taken by the member states of the World Trade Organization in 2022 to restrict trade with the Russian Federation for their compliance with the rules and principles of this organization," TASS news agency quoted the statement released following the meeting.

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A German defence ministry official confirmed in Berlin on Friday that the first 15 Gepard tanks will be delivered to Ukraine in July, according to media reports. He stated that German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht and her Ukrainian counterpart, Oleksii Reznikov had agreed to this through video link.

Algerian Ambassador to Russia Smail Benamara stated that  Russia and Algeria are working on a new strategic partnership document to expand collaboration in sectors not covered by the previous document.

The Ambassador said that they are debating a draft strategic partnership and that the preceding text had been around since 2001, over two decades. He further said that they are currently working on a new text to replenish and reinforce other areas of collaboration that were not included in the original.

In April, the total value of goods shipped from Ukraine was $ 2.7 billion, which is less than half of what it was in April of the previous year.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal stated at a Cabinet meeting that the overall value of goods exported from Ukraine in April amounted to 2.7 billion dollars, according to operative statistics from the State Customs Service. He further said that they exported 5.4 billion dollars in April 2021, more than twice as much as they did in April 2022.

In the complaint against Russia at the International Court of Justice, 42 countries have supported Ukraine and intend to join the proceedings stating that they applaud Ukraine's case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Russia, which attempts to prove that Russia lacks a legal basis to intervene militarily in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he is grateful for all of his partners who opted to stand on the right side of history. He further claimed that they will hold Russia accountable together.

Piotr Andryushchenko, adviser to the mayor of Mariupol stated that Russian invaders deported 512 individuals from the village of Bezymennoye in the Donetsk area to the Russian Federation. On Friday, he said that during the day, 416 Mariupol inhabitants, including 46 children, were transported from Mariupol to the Bezymennoe filtration camp in the Novoazovsky area. After filtration, 512 people from the settlement of Bezymennoye were transported to Russia.

The Group of Seven (G7) countries have stated their willingness to continue to support Ukraine in order to boost its efforts and rebuild its healthcare system. This was noted in a statement issued after the G7 health ministers met in Berlin on Friday. The G7 is currently led by Germany, which is committed to assisting the Ukrainian government in its efforts to preserve the Ukrainian people's health from public health threats.

G7 health ministers stated that they would continue to support Ukraine in its efforts to boost the functioning and recovery of its healthcare system.

Amid the relentless war in Ukraine, the Ukraine Defence Ministry, on Friday, said that Moscow is ready to launch cruise missiles from the Black Sea. Spokesperson of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry, Oleksandr Motuzianyk said two Russian ships with a total volley of up to 16 Kalibr cruise missiles are ready for use in the Black Sea.

In a major development, the Finnish state gas company Gasum has announced that Russian energy corporation Gazprom has informed them that it will halt the supply of natural gas to Finland from Saturday, May 21. Gasum said that it will now supply natural gas to its customers from other sources through the Balticconnector pipeline from May 21. The development comes after Gasum refused to pay for Russian gas in rubles. 

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Amid the relentless war in Ukraine, the Russian forces attacked the Palace of Culture in the Kharkiv with missiles. According to Victor Zabashta, director of the Center for Emergency Medical Care, at least seven were wounded, including an 11-year-old child, in the attack. 

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Germany and Qatar have signed an agreement to deepen their cooperation on energy, as Berlin seeks to diversify its natural gas supplies and ultimately stop using Russian gas. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said at a news conference alongside Qatar’s emir that the agreement signed Friday “opens many opportunities for successful cooperation.” He said that Qatar also “has enormous potential for renewable energies and for the production of hydrogen.”

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, on Friday, asserted creating new military bases in western Russia by the end of this year. In a televised address on Friday, the minister said at least 12 new military bases and units will be built in response to NATO expansion. According to him, the defence ministry is planning to mobilise at least 2,000 soldiers with arms and ammunition. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin says his country has faced a barrage of cyberattacks from the West amid the invasion of Ukraine but has successfully fended them off. Speaking Friday to members of Russia’s Security Council, Putin noted that “the challenges in this area have become even more pressing, serious and extensive.” He charged that “an outright aggression has been unleashed against Russia, a war has been waged in the information space.”

Amid the relentless war between Russia and Ukraine, the European Union on Friday said it has been analyzing using Russian assets for the reconstruction of the war-ravaged country. Earlier, while speaking to the Financial Times on Sunday, Josep Borrell, the EU’s high representative for foreign policy, proposed seizing frozen Russian foreign exchange reserves to cover the expenses of rebuilding the war-torn country. He highlighted how the United States utilised the frozen money of Afghanistan to pay the compensation to the victims of terrorism and for humanitarian aid for the country. 

Russia claims Moscow's special military operation in Ukraine verified concerns about the West's plans for the country. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed during a press conference on May 20 that Russia's suspicions about what the West is trying to do with Ukraine have been confirmed "100%.""All our fears about what the West was trying to do with Ukraine are 100% confirmed," Lavrov claimed without providing any further detail.

Russia’s defence minister says 1,908 Ukrainian fighters who had been holed up at the Azovstal steelworks, the last pocket of Ukrainian resistance in the port city of Mariupol, have surrendered so far. “Nationalists blocked off at the plant started to surrender. As of now, 1,908 people have laid down arms,” Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was quoted by the Russian media as saying Friday.

United States of America National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has said that President Joe Biden has no plans to engage with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan over Finland and Sweden's NATO bid "at the moment." Speaking at a press briefing, Sullivan asserted that Washington is willing to make efforts to resolve the issues. He stated the US believes that the concerns of Turkey regarding Sweden and Finland's NATO membership bid can be addressed and resolved.

Ukrainian authorities said Friday that their troops repelled a Russian attack in the east, as Moscow struggled to gain ground in the region that is now the focus of the war even while intensifying its campaign there.

Battered by their monthslong siege of the vital port city of Mariupol, Russian troops need time to regroup, Britain’s Defense Ministry said in an assessment — but they may not get it. The city and the steelworks where Ukrainian fighters have held off the Russian assault for weeks have become a symbol of Ukraine’s stoic resistance and surprising ability to stymie a much larger force.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on Friday, again accused Sweden of supplying weapons to terrorists who carried out attacks in Turkey. He said Ankara will continue to fight the Kurdistan Workers' Party and its offshoots, despite the support they receive from the United States and Europe.
 

 A 21-year-old Russian soldier, Sgt. Vadim Shishimarin facing the first war crimes trial since Moscow invaded Ukraine pleaded guilty to killing an unarmed civilian. While stating in the court on Friday, he said, "I sincerely repent of what I did. At that moment I was nervous, there was fighting and I did not want to kill. But it happened... Later I realized that it was better to surrender."

Deputy Foreign Minister of Poland Szymon Szynkowski vel Senk accused Germany's chancellor of not providing adequate assistance to Ukraine. Germany [on the issue of Ukraine] makes many promises, but actions do not follow them,” the diplomat told Der Spiegel magazine on Friday. "And, of course, this position of Berlin does not fully strengthen our trust and affects relations not only with us, but also with others.," he added.

Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, on Friday, claimed the ongoing war killed at least 242 children. The office informed that the war-torn country has registered at least 12,836 cases related to war crimes. 

British Health Secretary Sajid Javid said on Friday said that the UK has sent over 11 million medical items to Ukraine, after the fourth tranche of aid left last week. "It includes a lot of drugs, antibiotics and in particular wound packages and also certain medical devices that have been asked for," Javid said in a media interview in London. The health secretary said the UK government estimates 200 health facilities have been attacked by Russian forces including, health centres, maternity units and ambulances.

Ukraine’s ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk,  said, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz doesn’t want to supply heavy weapons to Ukraine. According to him, Scholz is likely “stalling for time,” waiting for a ceasefire in Ukraine when there is no need "for courageous decisions.”
 

More than 1,700 defenders of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol have surrendered since Monday, Russian authorities said, in what appeared to be the final stage in the nearly three-month siege of the now-pulverized port city. Several buses with Ukrainian servicemen were seen on the road leaving Mariupol overnight Thursday. At least some of the fighters were taken by the Russians to a former penal colony in territory controlled by Moscow-backed separatists. Others were hospitalized, according to a separatist official.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, on Friday, said Moscow was nearing full control of the separatist region of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine, TASS reported. "The liberation of the Luhansk People's Republic is nearing completion," he said.
 

With the number of defenders left holed up in a Mariupol steel factory dwindling, Russian commanders will be coming under increasing pressure to reallocate troops from the strategic southern port city to bolster their offensive in eastern Ukraine, Britain’s Defense Ministry said Friday. More than 1,700 defenders of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol have surrendered since Monday, Russian authorities said, in what appeared to be the final stage in the nearly three-month siege of the now-pulverized port city.

Germany’s finance minister says the Group of Seven leading economies is set to agree on more than $18 billion in aid for Ukrainian defence efforts. Finance Minister Christian Lindner said in an interview with Bloomberg Television on Friday that Ukrainians resisting Russia’s invasion “is not only defending themselves, but they are also defending our values.”

Fire department employees in Enerhodar town, which is close to Zaporizhzhia NPP, launched protests against Russian occupiers on Friday. The town was seized by Russian troops in the early days of the war. 

Italian police on Friday said a pro-Russian hacker group Yarix breached the websites of several institutions and government ministries in Rome. The hacked websites in Italy's national magistrates' association were not accessible until this morning, The Guardian reported. 

China's coal imports from Russia doubled in the months of March and April helping Moscow to make up for the losses faced amid Western sanctions. According to trade data from Refinitiv, China has purchased 4.42 million metric tons of coal in the last two months and accounts for 19% of its coal imports, up from 14% last March. 

As the war between Russia and Ukraine escalates to day 86, Ukrainian troops, including wounded soldiers, get evacuated from the Azovstal plant in Mariupol.

An armoured personnel carrier of the Donetsk People’s Republic militia on a street near Mariupol’s besieged Azovstal steel plant on Thursday. IMAGE: AP

Ukrainian servicemen sit in a bus after leaving Mariupol’s besieged Azovstal steel plant. IMAGE: AP

 Pavlo Kyrylenko, Governor of Donetsk Oblast on Friday said, the city of Bakhmut has been under constant airstrikes, Kyiv Independent reported. Kyrylenko added that there is significant destruction of civilian infrastructure in the city.

EU President Ursula von der Leyen said lawyers are "working intensively" on finding possible ways to use frozen assets of Russian oligarchs to built Ukraine. 

Valery Revenko, the head of the Department of International Military Cooperation of the Ministry of Defense of Belarus, complained that military exercises of NATO countries Defender Europe 2022 "lack minimal signs of transparency."

Ukrainian Member of Parliament, Lesia Vasylenko said, "Russia’s war on Ukraine will bring severe food insecurity to 47 million additional people worldwide," She flagged the necessity of "deblocking Ukrainian Black Sea ports" to mitigate the imminent danger. "But international military involvement would definitely be needed for this operation," she wrote on Twitter. 

As many as 13 civilians have been killed over the past 24 hours in Luhansk, said regional governor Serhiy Haidai in a Telegram post. He added that Russian troops in Severodonestk have faced a major setback, forcing them to retreat. 12 houses were damaged by shelling in Lysychansk, 14 in Novodruzhesk, 17 in Privillya, and in the village of Kidney burned five homes in a row, Ukrinform added. 

Polish President Andrzej Duda on Friday said that he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attack any NATO country despite its massive military force. "Of course, the potential threat still exists. But it should be noted that in Poland - more than 10,000 soldiers of the world's largest army - the most powerful, best, and most modern weapons. These military have combat experience. We also have American infrastructure, and heavy weapons. Air defense, thanks to which part of Poland is already protected by American Patriot systems," the Polish President said, as quoted by European Pravda. 

Ukraine's general staff of Armed Forces in a statement said that Russian forces have intensified their offensive in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region.  "The Russian enemy carried out massive artillery shelling of civilian infrastructure, including multiple rocket launchers," the statement said. The industrial city of Donetsk came under a barrage of fire from Russian forces. 

At least 1,700 Ukrainian soldiers are likely to have "surrendered" from the Azovstal steel plant in the besieged port city of Mariupol, the UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in its latest intelligence update. The MoD further added there are still an unknown number of Ukrainian forces inside the plant. 

The UK on Friday sent over 11 million medical aid, including antibiotics, painkillers, PPE, and respirators to Ukraine, Sky News reported. London is also supposed to send ambulances in the coming weeks. "Russia's unprovoked and illegal attacks on Ukraine have created a medical emergency, with Putin targeting healthcare facilities like maternity units, hospitals, and ambulances," UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid said, as quoted by Sky News. According to UN estimates, at least 16 million people in Ukraine are in dire need of humanitarian assistance in the wake of the ongoing Russian onslaught.

The Institute for Study of War (ISW) said Russian and proxy occupation authorities in Mariupol reportedly struggled to establish administrative control of the city on May 19.

Separately, the invading forces unsuccessfully attempted to resume offensive operations southwest of Izyum.

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) citing, Russian media and local Telegram channels reported that deliberate acts of arson against military commissariats in three Moscow Oblast settlements – Omsk, Volgograd, Ryazan Oblast, and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous District between May 4 and May 18. Further, Ukrainian General Staff main operations deputy chief Oleksiy Gromov said that there were at least 12 cases of deliberate arson against military commissariats in total and five last week.

Russian-appointed governor Volodymyr Saldo said Kherson will “soon become part” of the Russian Federation.

21-year-old Russian soldier Vadim Shishimarin on Thursday pleaded forgiveness from the widow of the man he murdered in the northeast Ukrainian village of Chupakhivka on February 28. “I acknowledge my blame … I ask you to forgive me,” he told the widow, as quoted by The Guardian. Kremlin has slammed Kyiv for carrying out the trial in the absence of a Russian diplomatic mission. Meanwhile, prosecutors have demanded judge overseeing the trial to sentence Shishimarin life in prison. 

Russian deputy foreign minister, Andrei Rudenko, stated that Moscow will only open Ukraine's ports "if sanctions are reviewed" following an appeal by the UN, the Interfax news agency reports. "You have to not only appeal to the Russian Federation but also look deeply at the whole complex of reasons that caused the current food crisis and, in the first instance, these are the sanctions that have been imposed against Russia by the US and the EU that interfere with normal free trade, encompassing food products including wheat, fertilisers and other," Rudenko remarked. His comments come after World Food Programme (WFP) director David Beasly urged Russian President Putin to open up southern ports in Ukraine. "If you have any heart at all for the rest of the world, regardless of how you feel about Ukraine, you need to open up those ports," Beasly had said. 

The package includes:
▪️(18) 155mm Howitzers;
▪️(18) Tactical Vehicles to tow 155mm Howitzers;
▪️(3) AN/TPQ-36 counter-artillery radars;
▪️Field equipment and spare parts.

Russian permanent representative to the UN, Dmitry Polianskiy accused the US and Eu of posing threat to global food security with the barrage of sanctions against Russia. In a Twitter post, he wrote, "We hope you had the courage to admit to @antonioguterres, Mr. Secretary of State, that it’s US and EU’s sanctions of choice that are the key threat to global food security in the situation when #Russia and #Belarus have enough products and fertilizers to export."

Law enforcement agencies in Ukraine have so far registered 18,477 crimes related to the Russian invasion. "Crimes of aggression and war crimes: 12,595 crimes were registered. Of these: 12,189 - on the violation of the laws and customs of war, 54 - on the planning, preparation or resolution and conduct of aggressive war , 15 - on the propaganda of war, 337 - others, "- said in a statement, as quoted by Ukrinform. 

Law enforcement officers have also registered 5,882 crimes against national security, including 3,890 for encroaching on Ukraine's territorial integrity and inviolability, 921 for treason, 798 for collaborating, and 23 for aiding and abetting the invading state, 62 for sabotage, and 188 for sabotage.
 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address on Thursday, "Russian strikes on Chernihiv region, in particular the terrible blow on the Desna, there is an analysis of debris, many dead." He added, “This is a deliberate and criminal attempt to kill as many Ukrainians as possible."

Ukraine on Thursday claimed Russian troops have blocked over 1,000 cars from crossing across the Russian checkpoint in the city of Vasylivka and into Kyiv-held Zaporizhzhia. In a Telegram post, the regional administration of Zaporizhzhia said most of the cars are filled with women and children who are devoid of money or food. 

Informing the IAEA about the occurrence of the wildfires, Ukraine said the gamma dose rate levels in the vicinity of the Chornobyl NPP were “not exceeding the reference levels”.

Ukraine’s Operational Command South claimed Russian forces are using their own air defense systems to shoot down their own missiles to give the impression Ukraine’s Armed Forces are bombing civilians, Kyiv Independent reported. 

The Russian permanent representative to the United Nations, Dmitry Polyanskiy, on Thursday mocked UK PM Boris Johnson. In a Twitter post, Polyanskiy wrote, "Mr. Prime Minister, if you really want to display solidarity with “the brave defenders of Mariupol”, you should surrender to the Russian army and DPR fighters, as they did. I believe that Russian Embassy in London would not refuse to guide you through this process!"

Russian musician, Yury Shevchuk has landed in controversy for a statement he made during a concert regarding Russia's aggression in Ukraine. As per the media reports, Shevchuk will be charged with an administrative misdemeanour for his statement. Shevchuk is the lead musician of the Russian rock band DDT, which was formed in 1980. Producer Radmir Usayev stated on May 19 that police approached Shevchuk after a concert in Ufa, the capital of the Republic of Bashkortostan and at first, they wanted to detain him but then they simply informed the popular musician that he was being charged with an unspecified misdemeanour. The police officers talked about the concert, its intentions, and statements made by Shevchuk about the war and the nation.

Usayev further claimed that the police separated Yury from the rest of the band and the band director by stationing two special forces personnel at the dressing room door and chatted for an hour about the concert and Shevchuk's words about the war and the "motherland." He claimed that Shevchuk is now accused of discrediting Russian military forces and that punishment of up to 50,000 rubles might be imposed if the musician is proven guilty. He also stated that there was no fear and depression in Shevchuk after the police showed up.

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Director-General of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael MarianoGrossi on Thursday met with Japanese PM Fumio Kishida for Tokyo's invaluable support to IAEA's mission to "ensure safety & security" at Ukraine’s nuclear power plants. Taking to Twitter, the IAEA chief inform that he reiterated "@IAEAorg’s commitment to monitor treated water discharge from Fukushima Daiichi."

During a speech to Ukrainian university students, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he cannot yet call on Ukrainians to return home from abroad due to fears the final stage of the war will be “the most difficult, the bloodiest.” Earlier, he compared the situation in Donbas to hell. "It's hell in there and it's not an exaggeration." 
 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian troops were intensifying their attacks in the Donbas region. “It is hell there and that’s not an exaggeration,” he said in his nightly video address to the nation. “The brutal and completely senseless bombardment of Severodonetsk. Twelve dead and dozens wounded there in just one day.” He also highlighted the shelling of the city of Chernihiv. 

“The bombing and shelling of our other cities, the air and missile strikes by the Russian army, are not simply military operations in a time of war... It is a conscious and criminal attempt to kill as many Ukrainians as possible,” Zelenskyy said. “To destroy more homes, public sites, businesses. This is what will be qualified as genocide of the Ukrainian people and for which the occupiers will definitely be brought to justice.”

On Thursday, France's President Emmanuel Macron met Moldovan counterpart Maia Sandu to discuss the Ukraine crisis and other key issues. The French leader raised concern that conflict in Ukraine can spread to other nations, stating that the possibility of the crisis spreading to neighbouring countries cannot be ruled out, citing "recent episodes" in Moldova's Transnistria area, where Russian forces are already stationed and explosions have occurred in the area. He further stated that France stays particularly vigilant in the region's security situation, according to media reports.

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Amid the ongoing war with Ukraine and the escalation of sanctions imposed on Moscow, the Russian Federation has decided to lift restrictions on the sale of cash currency with the exception of dollars and euros on Thursday. It was announced that with the exception of euros and dollars, Russian banks can sell foreign currency in cash to individuals without limitations starting May 20.

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Ukraine has warned countries against buying stolen gains from Ukraine, which were transported to Russia. It stated that states that purchase grain stolen from Ukraine will be considered complicit in the crime.

Serhiy Dvornyk, adviser to Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the UN, during an open debate on food security on Thursday in the UN Security Council, stated that Russia's conflict has harmed global food security, with 400 million people worldwide relying on grain and oil supplies from Ukraine, especially in the Middle East, North Africa and Asia. Due to Russia's embargo on Black Sea ports, exports have nearly halted.

Belarus has purchased a number of Iskander missile systems and S-400 air defence missile systems from the Russian Federation. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko stated that they have come to terms with Putin and that they have purchased as many Iskander and S-400 missile systems as they require. He further said that because of such weaponry, the army is now completely different and that it is capable of causing massive, irreversible damage.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has promised that after the conflict, Ukraine will be built on the greatest security technologies.

Zelenskyy further stated that they are currently trying to improve their situation in comparison to that of other countries. He claimed that today's most pressing concern is security and that they will construct the country, particularly the infrastructure, to the standards of Israel and other leading nations, where people have learned that someone living next door could be in danger at any time.

The United Nations has estimated that around 3,811 people have been killed in Ukraine since the conflict with Russia began in late February and  4,278 civilians were injured. 

However, the OHCHR stated that the actual estimates are likely to be far higher because the information from some areas where significant fights have occurred has been delayed and many reports are still awaiting confirmation. This includes Mariupol (Donetsk region), Izium (Kharkiv region), and Popasna (Luhansk area), where numerous civilians have been reported killed.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has claimed that NATO has done nothing to assist Ukraine since the start of a full-fledged Russian war against Ukraine.

Kuleba stated that the EU has demonstrated that it is capable of acting as a unified front and making significant, difficult decisions, whereas NATO has not. He said that prior to the Russian invasion, the Ukrainian people viewed NATO as a power, whereas the European Union was viewed as weak and only capable of expressing concerns. But the last three months have demonstrated the opposite. He stated that the European Union has made historic and revolutionary choices on weapon delivery, sanctions and recognition of Ukraine's European outlook.

Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy is sure that the country would be able to track down and punish all Russian war criminals.

In a video message, Zelenskyy stated that the first trial of a Russian war criminal in Ukraine has already started and that it will come to an end when the international tribunal's justice system is fully restored. He claimed that he is certain that all those who issue criminal commands and carry them out will be found and prosecuted.

In view of Ankara's concerns about NATO expansion, US President Joe Biden has no plans to meet with his Turkish counterpart, Tayyip Erdogan at this time, as US national security adviser Jake Sullivan suggests.

To counter the Russian advance in Donbas, Australia has decided to give Ukraine 14 M113 armoured personnel carriers and 20 "Bushmaster" armoured vehicles. Vehicles cost $60.9 million. In addition, 60 containers of medical supplies donated by Australian residents will also be delivered to Ukraine.

Ukrainian soldiers destroyed eight Russian tanks and 20 other units of enemy equipment in the area of ​​responsibility of the Joint Forces. The Allied Forces group stated that in the Donetsk and Luhansk districts, Allied Forces fighters are still conducting a defence operation.

It also said, "Along the entire defence lane, the enemy uses combat aviation, base fire jet systems, large-calibre barrel artillery, tanks, mortars of various systems, launches missile and bomb strikes on civilian infrastructure, peaceful residential areas to fall back."

Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the head of the Ukrainian President's Office stated that negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian presidents will take place if Ukrainian society and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have such a need.

He said that of course, negotiations between the presidents of Ukraine and Russia will take place if there is a need for Ukraine and the Ukrainian president.

As the European Parliament has backed the creation of a Russian war crimes tribunal, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba praised members of the European Parliament for voting in favor of a resolution urging the EU to support the establishment of a special tribunal.

After US Congress announced that it will approve a $40 billion aid package for Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that he praise the US Senate's approval of the Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2022 and that $ 40 billion is a significant contribution to the restoration of peace and security in Ukraine, Europe and the world and they look forward to the signing of the law by US President Joe Biden.

On Thursday, the G7 finance ministers decided to contribute $ 18.4 billion to help Ukraine pay its bills in the coming months, and stated that they are willing to support Kyiv throughout its conflict with Russia and do more if necessary. The statement said that the G7 will continue to support Ukraine throughout this battle and will do more if necessary.

The US Congress is set to approve a $40 billion aid package for Ukraine on Thursday, which is the latest manifestation of POTUS Joe Biden's pledge of continuous support for Kyiv as it battles Russia, as per media reports.

Just hours before the House of Representatives was poised to comfortably pass the bill, Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell stated that aid for Ukraine goes much beyond charity and that the outcome of this fight will influence the future of American security and vital strategic interests.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukrainians will fight for freedom, but they must not forget that tens of thousands of lives are on the line.

In an address to students and rectors of Ukraine's higher educational institutions, President Zelenskyy said that they will undoubtedly choose independence and, like other countries that have battled for independence and succeeded, they will do that it will be recorded in their history. He claimed that they are the true masters of their own lives and futures but they must never forget that tens of thousands of lives have been lost as a result of all of this.

Pentagon stated that US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin reviewed the situation in Ukraine, the Middle East and Iran with Israeli Defense Minister Benjamin Gantz during talks in Washington. The Pentagon said in a statement that Austin underlined that the Department of Defence placed a special focus on working closely with allies and partners to support Ukraine in defending against unjustified and unfair Russian aggression.

Ten Russian armoured vehicles, an infantry fighting vehicle, and two tanks were destroyed by Ukrainian paratroopers. The 80th Separate Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' Assault Troops stated that during today's tough action, one of the 80th Separate Assault Brigade's troops destroyed roughly ten armoured vehicles, while two tanks and an infantry fighting vehicle were also destroyed.

The Swedish Parliament issued a statement on Thursday claiming that the Swedish government will take steps to prevent the purchase of Russian gas and oil. It also stated that Swedish energy imports, particularly fossil fuels like natural gas and oil, must be stopped if possible and that the government should conduct a thorough examination of current Russian imports.

NATO secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, said that he is in talks with Turkey and the two Baltic nations Finland and Sweden to make a quick decision to welcome the two countries into the alliance. Speaking during a visit to Copenhagen, Stoltenberg said it was not unusual for members of the alliance to have a different opinion. He was referring to Turkey’s recent comments that it will oppose the Nordic countries’ membership bid.

Stoltenberg said: "We have much experience in Nato, when there is a difference of opinion, of sitting down and finding solutions. NATO is in close contact with Finland, Sweden and Turkey. We are addressing the concerns that Turkey has expressed."

Finland on Thursday reiterated that it will not establish NATO's military bases or acquire nukes if it successfully joins NATO, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said in an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.  “I don't think there is any interest in deploying nuclear weapons or opening NATO bases in Finland,” she reiterated. Marin emphasized that Finland's membership in NATO will not imply permanent NATO bases or nuclear weapons and would not be a threat. 

Russian troops are planning to cut off the Luhansk region from other Ukrainian regions by seizing control of the Lysychansk - Bakhmut highway, head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration, Serhiy Haidai, informed via Telegram. 

"Unfortunately, the situation is getting worse. Because the enemy amassed all its forces in order to either take Sievierodonetsk or cut the Lysychansk-Bakhmut route. And it's not just in the area of ​​Popasna or Bilohorivka. They are already trying to cut the route near Bakhmut in order to make it impossible to evacuate people and thwart humanitarian deliveries," said the head of the region. 

In Sievierodonetsk, the Russian army is pummeling civilian infrastructure. "They are already finishing off infrastructure related to water and electricity supplies. They just want to destroy the city," Haidai said.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday held talks and discussed military support for Ukraine,  global food security, economic damage to the world,  among many other issues. “The leaders discussed progress in negotiations and agreed to step up work with allies, including the US, France and Germany, to define the longer-term security architecture for Ukraine,” Downing Street has informed in a statement. UK Prime minister Boris Johnson pledged the British solidarity with the Ukrainian people "particularly for the brave defenders of Mariupol."

Johnson raised concerns “about the growing global fallout from Russia’s illegal invasion and President Putin’s craven and reckless blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, including rising food prices in developing countries." Johnson “set out the support flowing to Ukraine’s defence, including long-range artillery, shore-to-ship missiles and unmanned drones." 

US President Joe Biden welcomed his Finnish counterpart President Sauli Niinistö and Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson to the White House. The visit came after the two Baltic nations submitted NATO applications to join the alliance. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters that the meeting will have the three nations “to coordinate on the path forward” and “compare notes” on the two nations' bid to join NATO. 

Germany’s health minister pledged Thursday to help Ukraine maintain its health system, which has come under severe pressure due to the war with Russia, Asscoiated Press reported. Karl Lauterbach said Ukraine’s health minister, Viktor Liashko, briefed his counterparts from the Group of Seven leading democracies during a meeting on Thursday.

Lauterbach said Germany would help establish specialist centers in Ukraine for people suffering from burns and severe trauma due to the war. Liashko also asked for more prostheses to help people who have lost limbs in the war.

“It’s sad but true that many civilians have lost limbs,” Lauterbach said. “Among them are many children.”

Kremlin says it will be up to residents of areas in Ukraine controlled by Russian troops to determine their future status. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that people living in such places must “determine how and with whom they want to live.”

Peskov made the statement during a conference call with reporters after being asked about some Russian officials saying that Russia could move to incorporate the captured Kherson region of southern Ukraine. The Kremlin spokesman responded by saying that authorities need to focus on providing basic services to the residents of areas under Russian control.

Asked about a plan reportedly proposed by Italy for a political settlement of the fighting in Ukraine, Peskov said the Kremlin was unaware of it but only learned about it from media reports.

Source: Associated Press

Russian Delegation on Thursday accused what it described "nuclear US-UK-France 'troika'" and the nuclear alliance of NATO of waging a proxy-war strategy against Russia. In a statement made at the Military Security and Arms Control summit in Vienna on May 18, Moscow also lambasted US' Democratic majority leader S.Hoyer for "openly declaring that the US is in a state of war with Russia." 

"Seems western malicious attempts to accuse Russia of 'aggressive nuclear rhetoric' would never end. Meanwhile, Russian doctrine has a purely defensive nature," Moscow's delegation asserted. 

Russia reaffirmed that nuclear war must never be fought and any military conflict between nuclear powers be avoided as declared by P5. The former accused the West of flaring the Ukraine conflict by supplying weaponry to Ukraine to kill Russian forces. Pentagon and its allies have supplied more than 60 anti-tank missile systems and more than 25 MANPADS to the Kyiv regime. Now US DoD Secretary L. Austin admits such dangerous weaponry is difficult to track and prevent from getting to the wrong hands via the black market, posing a big threat to commercial airlines and transport, Russia iterated. 

For years, the US has used Ukraine to covert its covert biological programs, including on the mentally disabled and children, who have been considered test subjects for tuberculosis and other dangerous pathogens. "Russian goal is to end this mil-bio activity for good," the delegation said. Justifying the war in Ukraine, Russia stated that its "special military operation" is being conducted to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine, to defend the people of DPR, LPR and Ukrainians themselves against Nazi atrocities. "The Russian people express firm support for the Operation which will continue to go as planned," the delegation said. 

Ankara's leader President Tayyip Erdogan has asserted that NATO must not expect Turkey to approve Baltic nation Sweden and Finland's membership bid without them first extraditing the "terrorists" that the Turkish government had requested earlier. Swedish and Finnish delegations should not come to Turkey to convince it to back their membership. In an interview posted on his Twitter account,  Erdogan accused Sweden and Finland of harbouring and financing “terrorists" as well as supplying them with weapons. 

Turkey has made over 33 extradition requests of the terrorists over the past five years with Sweden and Finland that it says has links with Kurdish militants that attempted a coup in 2016 to overthrow Erdogan's government. Turkey also blamed Fethullah Gulen a reclusive US-based Muslim cleric for the coup. Erdogan has also lately accused the US of lifting sanctions on regions in Syria held by YPG/PKK terror group, whom Washington calls an “ally” in the fight against ISIS/Daesh in Idlib. Ankara lambasted both Sweden and Finland for supporting Kurdish rebels calling their stance ‘unacceptable and outrageous’.

Head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Thursday spoke with Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, about the situation in Ukraine and safe evacuation of the civilians in occupied regions and providing them with adequate health aid. Tedros tweeted that he “requested safe access to Mariupol, Kherson, Southern Zaporizhzhia and other besieged areas to deliver health aid." He added that the “civilians must be protected”.

Evacuation of Ukrainian troops from Mariupol has been continuing, according to Oleksiy Gromov, deputy chief of the general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces. Measures are being taken to evacuate our heroes, he was reported as saying on Thursday during an online briefing. 

A Russian soldier on trial for war crimes in Ukraine apologised to the woman whose husband he killed during the ongoing war.  During a hearing at the Kyiv court on Thursday, the 21-year-old soldier Vadim Shishimarin under trial said "sorry" to the widow of the 62-year-old Ukrainian civilian. "Yes, I acknowledge my fault. I understand that you will not be able to forgive me, but I am sorry," Shishimarin said. As he pleaded guilty to the crime, the Russian soldier also "acknowledged" his fault, adding that he felt "ashamed."

"We were ordered to come with the column, what will follow I did not know," the Russian soldier reportedly told the court. 

UK government is slated to introduce a new sanctions package against Russian airlines that will prohibit them from selling and making a profit from the unused landing slots at British airports. "State-owned Aeroflot, Russia’s largest airline, Ural Airlines and Rossiya Airlines will now be unable to sell their unused, lucrative landing slots at UK airports -- preventing Russia from cashing in on an estimated £50 million (about $61 million)," the UK Foreign Office said in a press release. 

"We’ve already closed our airspace to Russian airlines. Today we’re making sure they can’t cash in their lucrative landing slots at our airports," UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said. 

"Every economic sanction reinforces our clear message to Putin -- we will not stop until Ukraine prevails," she added. 

Poland’s Prime Minister on Thursday pledged military support to Sweden and Finland in the event of an attack as Russia continues its assault on the Ukrainian cities. Mateusz Morawiecki at a press briefing supported the two Baltic nations’ bid to join NATO. 

Credit: AP

Russia's Ministry of Defense has claimed that in the past 24 hours as many as 771 fighters from Azov nationalist units have surrendered at the blockaded Azovstal plant in Mariupol. A total of 1,730 fighters have surrendered since May 16, including 80 wounded. 

"All those in need of inpatient treatment are treated in medical facilities in the Donetsk People's Republic in Novoazovsk and Donetsk."

Credt: Telegram/Russia MoD

Russia has fired its top commanders in Ukraine for poor performance. UK's latest intelligence update informed that Russia has fired Sergei Kisel, the commander of the elite 1st Guards Tank Army, for failing to capture Kharkiv. Vice-Admiral Igor Osipov, who commanded Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, has also likely been suspended following the sinking of the flagship Moskva, the ministry added. “This will likely place a further strain on Russia’s centralized command and control model,” the report reads.

Russian troops have conducted yet another airstrike on Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast shelling a five-story building, a private house and an office building, Pavlo Kyrylenko , head of the Donetsk Regional State Administration said in a Telegram update. While the entire entrance to the five-story building was destroyed, no one was injured.

"Russians continue to shoot at civilians, but timely evacuation allows us to save hundreds of lives. Of the 73,000 inhabitants of Bakhmut, just over 20,000 remain in the city, thus avoiding the number of casualties the enemy expects," Pavlo Kyrylenko , head of the Donetsk Regional State Administration said. 

Credit: Pavlo Kyrylenko/Telegram

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that his country intends to block Sweden and Finland's application to join North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) if its security concerns are not addressed. Speaking to students at the presidential library in Ankara on Thursday, the Turkish President stated that "NATO is a security organization and his government cannot accept the presence of terrorist organizations in it." Erdogan, who described Sweden as a "nest of terrorists," emphasised that NATO requires absolute unanimity of opinion, and that "if a country says no, it cannot join NATO," Sputnik reported. 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says there will be "no shortcuts" to EU membership for Ukraine, becoming the second EU leader in as many weeks to dismiss Kyiv's hopes for expedited membership. According to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the European Union must make preparations for rebuilding Ukraine after the war by establishing a solidarity fund to help cover the billions of euros in reconstruction costs. Scholz went on to say that making an exception for Ukraine would be unfair to the Western Balkan countries who are also seeking membership. "The accession process will take months or years," he explained.

More than 30 additional armoured vehicles will be delivered to Ukraine as part of the Australian government's new military assistance package. Defence Minister Peter Dutton announced the donation of 14 M113 armoured personnel carriers (APCs) and 20 Thales-built Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles (PMVs) to Ukraine in support of its ongoing resistance to Russian aggression.

This follows the delivery of 20 Bushmasters, including two ambulance variants, to Ukraine in response to a request from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, bringing the total number of PMVs donated to the country to 40.

The Russian military said on May 19 that more Ukrainian fighters who were making a last stand in Mariupol had surrendered, bringing the total number of those who had left their stronghold to 1,730, while the Red Cross said hundreds of them had been registered as prisoners of war. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, registration of Ukrainian prisoners of war, including wounded fighters, began on Tuesday as part of an agreement between Russia and Ukraine.

Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated in a speech to the Bundestag, Germany's lower house of parliament, on May 19 that "Russia must not win this war." On May 19, the German chancellor addressed the Bundestag ahead of a special EU conference on Ukraine later this month. The German chancellor was widely expected to use the speech to lay out his strategy for dealing with the three-month-long conflict.

He said, "Peace is only something we can take for granted if we are prepared to defend it. This is the lesson that we have learned from the brutal Russian attack on Ukraine. The greater the pressure from the outside, the more we join forces as the European Union and act together. We all share one goal, Russia must not win this war, Ukraine must prevail."

On May 19, the Ukrainian military reported that Russian forces attempting to break through to Sloviansk, in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region, had suffered losses and retreated. Despite Russian artillery and missile attacks on a wide front over the last 24 hours, there is no evidence that they have gained new territory.

"The enemy conducted battle activity in Velyka Komyshuvakha area with the support of artillery; had no success, suffered significant losses in some areas and was forced to withdraw to previously occupied positions," the Ukrainian armed forces' General Staff claimed in its daily update.

The International Committee of the Red Cross tweeted on May 19, "Over the last 2 days, we’ve registered hundreds of prisoners of war leaving the Azovstal plant in #Mariupol.  Registering POWs is an essential part of our work.  It’s critical to ensure they’re accounted for & treated humanely and with dignity."

Ukrainian authorities are frustrated that their requests for long-range multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) from the US are being ignored by the White House, Politico reported on May 18, citing a congressional staffer familiar with recent negotiations on arming Ukraine. According to the report, the Biden administration is still debating whether to supply MLRS to Ukraine, with concerns at the White House that the shipment of such systems could be seen as escalatory by the Kremlin.

Unwise macroeconomic decisions by western countries have wrecked world food security, according to Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov, who added that the issues in this area began long before the start of the special military operation in Ukraine.

"Food security had been ruined for several years by unwise macroeconomic steps of the collective West fueled by the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. In other words, problems emerged long before the beginning of Russia's special operation in Ukraine," the embassy's press department cited Antonov as saying on its Telegram channel.

The US Embassy in Kyiv reopened on May 18, three months after closing its doors and lowering the American flag as the Ukrainian conflict escalated. Secretary of State Antony Blinken congratulated the Ukrainian people in a written statement, declaring that "the Stars and Stripes are flying over the Embassy once again."

He added, "We stand proudly with, and continue to support, the government and people of Ukraine as they defend their country from the Kremlin’s brutal war of aggression."

Following the withdrawal of Russian soldiers from the Kyiv region, a number of countries have reopened embassies in Kyiv. Many other nations had established temporary headquarters in Lviv, about 350 miles west of Kyiv and just minutes from the Polish border.

The conflict that turned Mariupol into a worldwide image of defiance and suffering brought to a climax on May 16, when Russia announced that over 1,000 last-ditch Ukrainian rebels who had been trapped within a crushed steel mill had surrendered. In its early morning briefing on May 19, Ukraine's military made no mention of Mariupol, instead stating that Russian forces were continuing their onslaught on several sectors of the eastern front, but were being successfully repulsed.

Four civilians were murdered in a Russian bombing in the town of Sievierodonetsk in the eastern Donbas region, where Russian soldiers on the offensive have battled with stubborn Ukrainian resistance, according to Luhansk Governor Serhiy Haidai. The strike on May 18 injured three more civilians, and the bombardment continued till early Thursday, according to Haidai.

Un Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the war in Ukraine and its immediate effects on energy price increases is yet another wake-up call to accelerate the transition to renewable energy. "The only sustainable future is a renewable one," he added. 

Former US President George W Bush was briefly embarrassed after calling the Iraq invasion "wholly unjustified and brutal." "I mean, (invasion) of Ukraine," Bush quickly corrected himself.

On Wednesday, Bush was speaking at an event in Dallas when the mix-up occurred.

Bush said of Russia's "rigged elections" and "elimination of political opponents," "the result is an absence of checks and balances in Russia, and the decision of one man to launch a wholly unjustified and brutal invasion of Iraq."

US President Joe Biden will meet with the leaders of Finland and Sweden on May 19 as part of the US's show of support after the two countries submitted formal applications to join NATO.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan on May 18 during a press briefing stated that the meeting in Washington with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson will allow the three countries to "coordinate on the path forward" and "compare notes" on the move.

Sweden and Finland have applied to join NATO in response to Russia's war in Ukraine, which has raised security concerns throughout the region. Their bids to join the alliance represent a significant shift in European security and geopolitics.

According to the governor of Kursk region, one person was killed and several others were injured in southwestern Russia after an attack in a village near the Ukrainian border on May 19.

"Another enemy attack on Tyotkino, which took place at dawn unfortunately ended in tragedy. At the moment, we know of at least one civilian death," on Telegram, governor Roman Starovoyt stated that the attack came from Ukraine.

G7 financial leaders are expected to focus on how to assist Ukraine in paying its bills on Thursday and Friday, with post-war reconstruction, surging global inflation, climate change, supply chains, and the impending food crisis also on the agenda, according to media reports.

Finance ministers and central bank governors from the United States, Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Italy (the G7) will meet as Ukraine battles the Russian attack.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mocked Russia for allegedly deploying laser weapons to destroy drones in Ukraine. Zelenskyy said the move indicated Moscow's "complete failure of the invasion."

Ukraine’s state-owned grid operator Ukrenergo on May 18 dismissed Russia’s claim that a Russian-seized Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant would supply Russia with electricity, Kyiv Independent reported. 

Noting the security situation in Europe after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti expressed his willingness to join the intergovernmental military alliance and the European Union. 

The White House "is in no hurry" to deliver long-range multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) to Ukraine amid the fears that Russia could weigh this as "excessive escalation," European Pravda reported. Although, the US has already provided Kyiv with Soviet-style MLRS without asking for publicity, the report added. 

European Parliament members on May 18 demanded that former German chancellor Gerhard Schroder, a staunch ally of Russia's President Vladimir Putin, must be included in the EU's sanctions list that includes several Russian Oligarchs and political members. A draft for a resolution issued by the EU parliament urged the 27 member states to sanction the former German politician for his controversial stance on the war, which demonstrated an inclination towards the regime of the Russian Federation. 

"After the resignation of a number of Western politicians from posts in Russian corporations, they "strongly demand that others like Karin Kneissl and Gerhard Schröder do the same," a draft resolution issued by the European parliament read on Wednesday, according to the German national daily, Die Welt. 

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As the Western reports highlighted Russia's "unimpressive" grains in Ukraine, Russian bloggers have taken to social media to condemn the "special military operation." Resentments were expressed by 3 Russian military bloggers who have at least 3million followers on Telegram. They slammed the Russian army setback during crossing the Siverskyi Donets river last week, CNN reported. 

Speaking at the White House presser, Sullivan warned that the US will not "tolerate any aggression" towards Sweden and Finland as the discussion over their inclusion in the bloc awaits. Citing Article 5 of the NATO rulebook, Sullivan said that an attack against one member nation is an attack against all, but it would not apply to Finland & Sweden unless they are members. However, the developments have indicated that the NATO allies are "prepared to send a clear message" to Russia that "there are practical measures that we can take" against any potential aggressors.

The "historic" event of Finland and Sweden going forward with applications for membership to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) is "a watershed moment in European Security," said US National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan. Addressing a regular press briefing at the White House, the security advisor to US President Joe Biden noted that the two the Nordic countries joining the defence alliance will "bring with them strong capabilities and proven track record as security partners." He further informed that Swedish PM Magdalena Andersson and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto will be hosted by Biden at the White House today. 
 

On a lighter note, TidalWave Comics has launched a new graphic novel illustrating the life story of embattled Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The 22-page glossy, released on Wednesday is titled Political Power: Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 

The Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) claimed that a further 694 Ukrainian troops, including 29 severely wounded have surrendered at Mariupol’s besieged Azovstal steelworks. This reportedly brings the total surrenders to nearly 1,000. This comes as negotiations for a prisoner swap are in discussions, as per Ukraine's Deputy PM Iryna Vereshchuk. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took to Telegram and announced that the first evacuees from Azovstal would arrive in Zaporizhzhia on Thursday morning. "More than a hundred civilians have already been evacuated - women and children fleeing hostilities there. At Azovstal. Given all the complexities of the process, the first evacuees will arrive in Zaporizhzhia tomorrow morning. Our team will meet them there. I hope that tomorrow all the necessary conditions will be met to continue the evacuation of people from Mariupol. We plan to start at 8 am," he wrote, as quoted by The Guardian.

The Russian war in Ukraine has led global financial markets to a bad case of jitters. Some of the numbers noted by financial experts are the worst since June 2020, which was the middle of the pandemic. The Dow Jones closed down 3.57% on Wednesday, The Guardian said. As the war continued, investors in the US pointed out that there is a forecast of an increase in inflation due to a rise in fuel prices and further hindrance in supply-chain due to lockdowns in China.

In retaliation for the expulsion of Russian diplomatic officials, Moscow on Wednesday declared 85 European officials "persona non grata." Italian Ambassador to Russia Giorgio Starace was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry “due to Italy’s openly hostile and unjustified actions with regard to 30 expelled employees of the Russian diplomatic mission," the Russia statement said. Among those expelled from Moscow were - 24 from Italy, 27 from Spain, and 34 from France.

In the context of Finland and Sweden joining NATO, Turkey said it is “unacceptable” that alliance members impose defense export restrictions on another member within the bloc.“There are security threats today, coming from different sources,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Wednesday. Later, after his meeting with US State Secretary Antony Blinken, Cavusoglu said Turkey’s concerns should be met, “not in words, but in practice.”

US president Joe Biden's appointee for ambassador to Ukraine, Bridget Brink was confirmed by the Senate on Wednesday night. Brink has earlier served as a foreign service officer and as a US ambassador to Slovakia. The US embassy in Kyiv has remained without a special envoy since 2019. 

Speaking about the stalled negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, advisor to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Moscow "does not understand the consequences of war" and the lives of people affected by it. He added: such blatant disregard has now made it impossible to hold peace talks. 

A Human Rights Watch (HRW) report released on Wednesday claimed that Russia has carried out summary executions, torture, and "grave abuses" in Chernihiv and Kyiv Oblasts. The report also accuses Moscow of "apparent war crimes" in occupied parts of Ukraine. 

Ukrainian Director of Bureau of Economic Security, Vadym Melnyk seized $1 billion worth of Russian and Belarusian assets derived from mining plants, cars and assets from a financial institution. 

Poland's Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said on May 18 that Ukraine will receive fuel starting next week, reports Polskie Radio broadcasting service.

A 21-year-old Russian soldier facing the first war crimes trial since Moscow invaded Ukraine pleaded guilty Wednesday to killing an unarmed civilian. Sgt. Vadim Shishimarin could get life in prison for shooting a 62-year-old Ukrainian man in the head through an open car window in the northeastern Sumy region on Feb. 28, four days into the invasion. Shishimarin, a captured member of a Russian tank unit, was prosecuted under a section of the Ukrainian criminal code that addresses the laws and customs of war.

Russia on Wednesday expelled at least 34 employees of French diplomatic missions". The development came a month after the expulsion of Russian diplomats from France. "Thirty-four employees of French diplomatic missions in Russia have been declared persona non grata," Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement released on May 18.

"Russia is killing civilians! On May 18, the Russians killed 10 civilians in the Donetsk region: seven in Lyman and three in Bakhmut. Two children were killed: one in Lyman and one in Bakhmut," Donetsk regional governor Pavlo Kirilenko wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday as Russian troops have continued to bombard Bakhmut, Kostiantynivka and Soledar settlements in Donetsk Oblast "day and night." "It is still impossible to determine the exact number of victims in Mariupol and Volnovakha. All Russians will be held accountable for these crimes!" he added. 

Speaking during his usual nightly address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday launched a fundraising initiative for the embattled ex-Soviet nation. UNITED24, Zelenskyy unit will be the main drop for charitable donations. The incoming funds will be transferred to the National Bank of Ukraine from where they would be transferred to stipulated agencies that will use them to cover the most pressing needs at the time of economic crisis. 

“The state needs this platform right now, which allows​ raising funds to support Ukraine. Anyone in the world — in one click — can contribute to our victory,” Zelensky said. 

In the wake of an imminent food crisis emerging amid the brutal Russian war, US State Secretary Antony Blinken on Wednesday announced another $215 million in new emergency food assistance to Ukraine. 

“Today, given the urgency of the crisis, we’re announcing another $215 million in new emergency food assistance, and we’ll do much more,” Blinken said at the United Nations on Wednesday during a ministerial meeting on global food security. “We expect our Congress very soon to approve approximately $5.5 billion in additional funding for humanitarian assistance and food security.”