Russia-Ukraine war: Ukraine charges Russia military, Wagner group for mayor's murder

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on May 26 accused the EU nations of staying divided on approving the sixth round of sanctions against Russia despite “holding such power” to impose a total oil embargo. Ukraine’s leader expressed frustration with EU for holding back the sixth sanctions package, saying that the European struggled to reach a consensus on its latest sanctions, funding the brutal war in Ukraine. "How many more weeks will the European Union try to agree on a sixth package?" Zelenskyy asked during a late-night address.

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The United States Treasury Department on Wednesday refused to extend its waiver that allows Russia to make payments on its sovereign debt to US bondholders.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to reaffirm Canada's unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of Russian military aggression.

The Canadian Prime Minister and the Ukrainian President spoke about Russia's continuous indiscriminate attacks and the enormous suffering they have caused both Ukrainian soldiers and civilians. The two leaders also talked about how Canada can continue to support Ukraine while also engaging with like-minded partners to address the broader global consequences of Russia's unlawful and unjustified conflict.

The National Guard of Ukraine's press department stated that on Monday, May 23, a Ukrainian soldier shot down the second aggressor plane in a month in the Zaporozhye region. He said that a conscript of the Ukrainian National Guard inflicted irreparable losses on the enemy on May 23, while completing combat missions in the Zaporozhye region for the second time in a month. The occupying forces' aircraft "SU-25," "Grach," were destroyed by a well-aimed shot.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked everyone who has supported Ukraine since the full-scale Russian attack began on February 24. He stated that he is grateful to everyone who is contributing to the liberation of their territory and the establishment of peace, according to media reports.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that despite the massive forces sent by Russian leadership in eastern Ukraine, the invaders recognize that the fight is pointless.

Zelesnkyy said that the situation in Donbas is currently exceedingly challenging. He claimed that the occupiers plan to demolish everything in Lyman, Popasna, Severodonetsk, and Slovyansk but they are well aware that this war makes no sense for Russia and that their army has no chance strategically.

The EU Council authorized the fourth tranche of aid to Ukraine, aimed at bolstering the Ukrainian army's capabilities and stability in the face of Russian aggression. As a result, the overall amount of funding will be 2 billion euros.

Gennady Lahuta, the leader of the Kherson regional military administration said that half of the Kherson region's population has fled the territory because they do not want to live under occupation.

Lahuta stated that people are unwilling to live under occupation and with the occupying forces, and almost half of the Oblast's population or around 50% of the Kherson region's population has already fled. He also said that people want to get out as quickly as possible, leaving their houses and companies behind.

Hungary's Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán has declared a state of emergency in his country since midnight on May 25 in response to the conflict in Ukraine and the possible economic crisis.

The Prime Minister stated that the Russian-Ukrainian conflict "poses a persistent threat to Hungary," as well as the country's energy and financial stability. He further said that the EU's hostility and sanctions against Russia had resulted in a massive economic shock and a dramatic increase in prices. He also said the world is on the verge of a financial collapse.

Billionaire investor George Soros said that Russia's invasion of Ukraine might be the start of World War III, therefore defeating Russian President Vladimir Putin's army is critical for the West.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, he stated that the invasion may trigger World War III, and their civilisation may perish as a result. He further said that they must beat Putin as quickly as possible if they want to save their culture.

In televised remarks on Tuesday, Canadian Defence Minister Anita Anand announced that Canada is sending Kyiv an extra cargo of more than 20,000 rounds for 155-mm M777 Howitzers that were previously delivered to Ukraine by Western countries. She stated that they are already working on getting this aid to Ukraine as soon as possible. The shipment is worth 98 million Canadian dollars or $76.3 million, according to the minister.

Croatia's Adriatic ports have offered assistance to provide an alternate route for grain transport from Ukraine, whose Black Sea ports are still closed. Croatian Foreign Ministry state secretary Andreja Metelko Zgombić stated that the country offers ports on the Adriatic Sea for grain shipment to Africa.

Earlier in May, the European Commission announced the so-called "solidarity lanes" to strengthen EU-Ukraine grain export connectivity, despite the continuous blockade of Ukrainian ports as a result of Russia's invasion.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, had a conversation with Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, to strengthen sanctions against Russia, improve food security and move Ukraine closer to EU membership.

Zelenskyy stated that he continued his conversation with Charles Michel on the eve of the European Council extraordinary meeting on May 30-31. He further said that the meeting will focus on assisting Ukraine as a cross-cutting problem. He also claimed that they worked together to reinforce sanctions, ensure food security, rehabilitate Ukraine and move the country closer to EU membership.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has stated that international sanctions are having a significant impact on Russia's economic development, with long-term ramifications. He further said that the Russians would revert to their decades-old economic development potential and they will suffer and that Putin must end the conflict to get out of this.

The chancellor slammed Russian President Vladimir Putin's choice to launch a "very terrible war" in Ukraine, describing it as "imperialist." Scholz confirmed that the conflict and restrictions on Russian energy imports had caused a spike in global fuel prices and that the US and EU are working together to cut costs.

On Tuesday, Russia's State Duma lower house of parliament passed a law on a tit-for-tat reaction to countries that discriminate against or restrict Russian media in its first reading. The law would give the prosecutor general and his deputies the power to ban media from countries that have imposed limitations or prevented Russian media from operating on their soil. They would also have the power to revoke foreign media's registration and licenses for publishing illegal information, such as stories, "showing disrespect to Russia's public, government and Constitution," and disparaging the country's Armed Forces.

Ukrainian prosecutor general's office has charged Russian military and a Russian mercenary group as suspects in what it said the murder of a Ukrainian village mayor, Olha Sukhenko, and two of his family members. The Russian troops, it said in a statement, carried out the crime while they retreated from Kyiv. At least five Russian soldiers, and three servicemembers from Wagner group who de facto operate as private army of Russian President Vladimir Putin have been charged with the premeditated murder. Their bodies were rcovered by Ukraine's forces dumped in a grave later. 

A pre-trial investigation has started by the investigative department of the main directorate of the Security Service of Ukraine in Kyiv and Kyiv region. 

Russia's President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine will suffer “strategic failure," President Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission said. She asseretd that Ukraine "must win the war" it is fighting against Russia. Putin is “treating millions of people not as human beings but as faceless populations to be moved or controlled or set as a buffer between military forces, trying to trample the aspirations of an entire nation with tanks,” she said at the World Economic Forum conference.

Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orban has formally opposed EU’s new sanctions on Russia that includes an oil embargo. In a letter dipatched to the European Council’s president, Charles Michel, Orban, a staunch Putin ally, said that it is unlikely Budapest will support the sixth package of sanctions proposed by EU. He also noted that there was currently no alternative to Russian oil. 

"Looking at the gravity of the issues still open, it is very unlikely that a comprehensive solution could be found before the special meeting of the European Council on 30-31 May," Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orban said in the letter to European Council’s president, Charles Michel. 

He also said that he is convinced that sanctions on Moscow “in the absence of a consensus would be counterproductive." 

Ukraine’s deputy prime minister, Olga Stefanishyna told reporters in Paris that he expects that a says the decision her country’s status as a candidate for membership in the European Union should be made next month. Her remark came after a meeting with French Secretary of State for European Affairs Clement Beaune. The two counterparts discussed formalisation of Ukraine’s application to join the 27-member bloc, Russia's war in Ukraine, and the humanitarian aid. 

Kremlin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia has not seen Italy's peace plan for ceasefire in Ukraine yet. He elaborated that Moscow is hoping for the plan to be dispatched via diplomatic channels. “We haven’t seen it yet, we hope it will be delivered to us through diplomatic channels and we will familiarise ourselves with it,” Dmitry Peskov said.

Italy's Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio had proposed a plan last week that he said he had discussed it with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during a visit to New York for peace in Ukraine. UN, the European Union and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) will act as the negotiators in the peace process, Di Maio had told a press conference last week in Rome. 

Head of the UN World Food Programme called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to reopen ports in Ukraine as he mulled the looming food crisis globally, and critical food shortage. “The world is facing a food security crisis. It is immediate and long term. If we are struggling now to feed 7.7 billion, what is going to happen when we have 10, 12, 13 billion? That is on top of climate impact. It's going to be resonating around the world,” said David Beasley told CNN on the sidelines of World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. 

Turkey’s foreign ministry has said in a statement that the Turkish officials will meet with Swedish and Finnish delegations in Ankara tomorrow. The counterparts will discuss the Nordic countries NATO membership application.  Finland’s foreign minister, Pekka Haavisto, told reporters that he will send delegations to the Turkish capital on Wednesday. Turkey had iterated that it will stop Sweden and Finland's NATO bids over their support to the terrorist organization. 

The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, held phone calls with leaders of Finland and Sweden on Saturday. The three leaders discussed Ankara's concerns at length ahead of the planned meeting. 

UK will not send Royal Navy warships to the Black Sea to get stranded grain out of the blockaded Ukrainian port of Odesa, a British government official iterated. This comes as Lithuania’s foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, said he had spoken to his UK counterpart, Liz Truss, to help establish “protective corridor” from the port of Odesa, The Times had reported. 

"Putin’s despicable blockade of Odesa is preventing food getting to people who need it. We will continue to work intensively with international partners to find ways to resume the export of grain from Ukraine," the official reportedly said. 

He asserted that UK will not deploy its warships to the Black Sea as the move could be escalatory. 

Russia has denied that its forces are using the household appliances spare parts in defense equipment and assembling it aboard Russian ships in the Caspian sea. 

"Ukrainian propagandists find it difficult to explain what specific elements from household appliances can be used in the most complex electronics of a Navy ship. Also, not a single specific case is given where a washing machine would have to be disassembled to repair a combat unit," said Russia’s ministry of defence.

It added, "As for microelectronics manufacturers, there are enough resources in the Russian Federation. In addition, Russia intends to join efforts in the production of microelectronics with Belarus in order to fully provide for the military."

Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, has condemned Russian troops labelling them as "theives" for stealing Ukraine's grains and loading it on ships and then passing through the Bosphorus to sell it abroad. He then asked the allies to “speed up deliveries of weapons and ammunition, especially MLRS (multiple rocket launch systems), long-range artillery, APCs (armoured personnel carriers)." He asked the countries not to buy Ukraine's stilen grain and become accomplices to Russian crimes. "Theft has never brought anyone luck," he said. 

A Ukrainian official from the Russian-controlled port city of Mariupol said that officials have discovered at least 200 bodies in the rubble of a ruined high-rise building. Petro Andriushenko, adviser to the Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko, said in a statement on Telegram that the bodies were found trapped underneath the concrete in what would have been the basement of the high rise infrastructure. 

"Due to the refusal of locals to collect and pack up the bodies of the dead, the Russian Ministry of Emergencies left the site," Andriushchenko said. "The bodies of the dead remained in place. The stench can be smelled almost throughout the quarter due to partially dismantled debris."

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba held a phone call and discussed ways to get the Ukrainian grain out of the country as Russians have blocked the Black Sea ports, according to a statement from the US State Department. Blinken also detailed Kuleba on $40 billion aid approved by President Biden. "The Secretary again underscored the United States’ strong support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Moscow’s aggression,"said State Department spokesperson Ned price.

"The Secretary noted the global food security crisis resulting from President Putin’s brutal war requires a global response, and they discussed potential means to export Ukraine’s grain to international markets," he added. 

Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said the Russia's attack in the Donbas is “the largest one on European soil since WWII”. He said that it is “too early” to conclude that Kyiv has all the weapons to defend itself against the Russian offensive as he demanded for more. In a tweet Kuleba asked the allies to “speed up deliveries of weapons and ammunition, especially MLRS (multiple rocket launch systems), long-range artillery, APCs (armoured personnel carriers)“.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at the World Economic Forum warned the European countries that buying as much gas from Russia as we want, is "wrong, it’s dangerous." He warned world leaders gathered at the WEF meeting  not to look at economic benefits at the expense of freedom and security. “Freedom is more important than free trade,” Stoltenberg said. he asked the WEF to abstain from Chinese technology in 5G networks, and the Nord Stream 2 pipeline for Russian gas.

“It provides Russia with a tool to intimidate and to use against us, and that has been clearly demonstrated now, I regret to say,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said. 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said that it is “unacceptable” to side with Russia as it continues to wage a war in Ukraine. During a visit to South Africa, Scholz said:  “There are some countries that have voted on the side of Russia. That I cannot accept and it is unacceptable." Scholz held a joint news conference with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in Pretoria.

Credit: Twitter/@Bundeskanzler

A top Russian security official, on May 24, accused the United States of using terrorist organisations as a geopolitical tool. In an interview with the Argumenty i Fakty monthly, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev stated that terrorist organisations are frequently used by the US as a geopolitical tool, particularly against Russia. Patrushev used a proverb to describe Western countries' attempts to accuse Russia of state-level terrorism. He referenced the proverb, "God marks the crook."

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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said that the Alliance is 'going to welcome two new countries' Finland and Sweden and that he is "confident" in addressing Turkey’s concerns over Finland's and Sweden’s memebership bid. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Stoltenberg said that NATO is ready to welcome the two countries as members. He reiterated that the bloc had to cut off Russian energy and  its reliance on China for technology infrastructure. 

"Freedom is more important than free trade," NATO chief said. 

Sanctions against Russia instated by the EU, US, UK and the ally nations are "draining Putin’s war machine," EU's Ursula von der Leyen told the World Economic Forum in Davos in Davos, Tuesday. She the  warned that the bloc will continue to negotiate even harsher measures to weaken Russia's aggressive military activity on Ukrainian soil. 

European Commission President also iterated that Russia’s war on Ukraine is not just a matter of Ukraine's survival or EU security, but "puts our whole global order in question."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia is waging “total war” on his country, and that includes inflicting as many casualties and as much infrastructure destruction as possible. Zelenskyy made the comments in his nightly address Monday, the eve of the three-month anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In it, he noted that since Feb. 24, the Russian army has launched 1,474 missile strikes on Ukraine, using 2,275 different missiles. He said the vast majority hit civilian targets. There have been more than 3,000 Russian airstrikes over that period.

“Indeed, there has not been such a war on the European continent for 77 years,” he said.

Zelenskyy said an attack on the town of Desna, 55 kilometers (34 miles) north of Kyiv, resulted in 87 deaths.The Russians have now concentrated their forces on Donbas cities like Bakhmut, Popasnaya and Sievierodonetsk, Zelenskyy said. He called on Ukrainians who are not on the battlefield to help in whatever way they can and said his own task was working to increase international pressure on Russia. “The absolute priority is weapons and ammunition for Ukraine.”

Associated Press Report 

Russia is  'weaponizing' food supplies using same tactic it has used with energy, EU's Ursula von der Leyen told the World Economic Forum Tuesday. She urged the international community to end Moscow’s "blackmail." Her remarks came after  UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps warned that the deaths from global food shortages waged by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Black Sea port blockade "could be even greater than the lives lost in the war directly."

United States and Britain on May 24 accused Russia of spreading disinformation online and manipulating public opinion about the war in Ukraine. They also rejected Russia's claims that the West is aiming to control all information flows and define what is true or not true.

Britain’s deputy ambassador James Roscoe told a UN Security Council meeting on the use of digital technologies in maintaining peace that Russia has conducted cyber-attacks and used “an online troll factory to spread disinformation and manipulate public opinion about their war.”

US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the Russian government “continues to shut down, restrict and degrade internet connectivity, censor content, spread disinformation online, and intimidate and arrest journalists for reporting the truth about its invasion.”

Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused countries that call themselves a “community of democracies” of building “a cyber-totalitarianism” and along with technology giants like Meta of shutting down Russian TV channels, expelling Russian journalists and blocking access to Russian websites.

Associated Press Report 

Outgoing Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte sharply criticized Russian leader Vladimir Putin for the killings of innocent civilians in Ukraine, saying while the two of them have been tagged as killers, “I kill criminals, I don’t kill children and the elderly.” Duterte, who openly calls Putin an idol and a friend, voiced his rebuke for the first time over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in remarks aired Tuesday where he blamed the three-month old war for the spike in global oil prices that has battered many countries, including the Philippines.

While stressing he was not condemning the Russian president, Duterte disagreed with Putin’s labeling of the invasion as a “special military operation,” and said it was really a full-scale war waged against “a sovereign nation.” Addressing Putin “as a friend” and the Russian Embassy in Manila, Duterte urged them to stop bombing and firing artillery rounds on residential areas and allow innocent civilians to safely evacuate before launching a bombardment.

“I’m on the way out and I don’t know how to solve the problem,” Duterte said. “You have to solve the war between Ukraine and Russia before we can talk of even returning to normalcy.”

Source: Associated Press

British military intelligence has noted that the Russian forces have intensified efforts to encircle and capture Severodonetsk and neighboring cities, the only part of the Luhansk region that remains under Ukrainian government control.

UK's Ministry of Defense, in a briefing posted Tuesday morning, disclosed that the northern and southern arms of the Russian operation are currently separated by about 25 kilometers (15 miles) of Ukrainian-held territory. Russian forces have achieved “some localized successes” despite strong resistance from Ukrainian troops that occupy well dug-in defensive positions.

A Russian-installed official in Ukraine’s Kherson region has said that the region’s pro-Kremlin administration will ask Moscow to set up a military base there. “There should be a Russian military base in the Kherson region,” deputy head of the Russia-installed administration in Kherson Kirill Stremousov was quoted as saying by the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. “We will be asking for it, the entire population is interested in it. It is vitally important and will become a security guarantee for the region and its residents.”

Moscow is "not chasing deadlines" in Ukraine and will achieve the objective subsequently, said Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev. Speaking to Russian Argumenty i Fakty newspaper, he further remarked that "all goals set by the president will be fulfilled." 

US Deputy Defence Secretary Kathleen Hicks on Tuesday said that Washington believes Finland and Sweden will be able to reach a solution with Turkey over the persisting differences as both the Nordic countries await a decision on the status of NATO membership. 

Just for context: The issues between Turkey and the Nordic countries stem from decades of violent history. While Turkey accused Sweden of supporting Kurdish "militants" or PKK. Stockholm denies any such allegations. The situation is the same for Finland but the Kurdish population in the country is considerably low. 

The regional governor of the Luhansk region, Sergei Haidai on Tuesday informed through a Telegram message that at least 4 civilians were killed after Russian troops shelled a residential building in Sievierodonetsk. "The Russians are shelling the regional center chaotically and uninterruptedly. The tragedy occurred in the old parts of the town," he wrote in a message, as quoted by The Guardian. 

Ukraine Prosecutor General's Office on Tuesday reported that the Russian war has killed as many as 234 children in Ukraine. In addition, 433 more have been injured. 

Russia on Tuesday withdraws from the bid to host the Expo 2030, saying that given the situation it "cannot count on a fair and impartial statement." Russian Foreign Ministry in a statement notified the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) that it has  'decided in principle to voluntarily withdraw," Sky News reported. 

The UK Defence Ministry, in the latest intelligence report on the ground situation in Ukraine, has said that Russian forces have increased the intensity of operations in Donbass as it tries to encircle Severodonetsk, Lyschansk, and Rubizhne. The Ministry noted that at present there is a 25-kilometre territory held by Ukrainian forces which segregates the northern and southern axes of the operation. According to the UK Defence Ministry, Ukrainian forces have shown strong resistance with troops capturing defensive positions. 

US President Joe Biden met with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Tokyo. According to the statement released by the White House after the conclusion of the meeting, Biden commended Australia’s strong support for Ukraine since Russia’s invasion. Both leaders agreed on the importance of continued solidarity, including ensuring that no such event is ever repeated in the Indo-Pacific, it said. 

Lashing out at Russian President Vladimir Putin, outgoing Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said, "Many say that Putin and I are both killers. I’ve long told you Filipinos that I really kill. But I kill criminals, I don’t kill children and the elderly".

During a televised weekly meeting with key Cabinet officials, he said, “We’re in two different worlds.”

As the Russian military offensive against Ukraine continues, Moscow has lost an estimated 29,350 troops and 1302 war tanks ever since the onset of the invasion, according to the data shared by Ukrainian Army's General Staff on its social media account. According to the data, the total combat losses of the Russian invasion forces from February 24 to May 24 are as follows:

• Russia troops: 29,350
• Main battle tanks: 1,302
• Combat armoured vehicles: 3,194
• Artillery systems: 606
• MLR systems: 201
• Anti-aircraft warfare: 93
• Warplanes: 205

Three months have now passed since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, and with no end in sight, those fighting continue to pay a high price. It is unclear how many Ukrainians have died in combat, as the nation doesn't release figures. But President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said up to a hundred soldiers may die every day in the east of the country now. In the country's second largest city of Kharkiv, besieged for weeks, the Ukrainian counteroffensive pushed Russian troops back north and east. Fighting still rages in the region bordering with Russia in the north, and the eastern provinces of the Donbas.

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Despite the world leaders urging invoking stringent sanctions on Moscow, Turkey hopes to increase the purchase of oil and fat products from Russia. After holding a meeting with representatives of Turkish companies and the Russian Agriculture Ministry Agroexport Center, Moscow said they are confident that the number of supplies of oil and fat products from Russia will be very high this year. 
 

The United States and Britain are accusing Russia of spreading disinformation online and manipulating public opinion about the war in Ukraine and vehemently rejecting Russian claims that the West is aiming to control all information flows and define what is true or not true. 

Britain’s deputy ambassador James Roscoe told a UN Security Council meeting on the use of digital technologies in maintaining the peace that Russia has conducted cyber-attacks and used “an online troll factory to spread disinformation and manipulate public opinion about their war.”

The UK Ministry of defence (MoD) in its latest operational report stated that Russia’s capture of the Severodonetsk pocket would see the whole of Luhansk Oblast placed under Russian occupation. While currently Russia’s main effort, this operation is only one part of Russia’s campaign to seize the Donbass. "Russia has, however, achieved some localised successes, due in part to concentrating artillery units," the report added. 

Ready to end his six-year term as President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte slammed his 'friend and idol' Russian President Vladimir Putin for "killing" innocent people in Ukraine. “I kill criminals, I don’t kill children and the elderly,” Duterte said.

“Many say that Putin and I are both killers. I’ve long told you Filipinos that I really kill. But I kill criminals, I don’t kill children and the elderly. We’re in two different worlds," Duterte said in a televised weekly meeting with key Cabinet officials, as quoted by the Associated Press. 

Ukraine Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov on Tuesday announced that software developer Microsoft will help Kyiv to document war crimes committed by Russian invaders. “Our government will cooperate with Microsoft in documenting Russian war crimes," he said. Federov also went on to announce that "Xbox will officially launch in Ukraine. Finally, we will have Ukrainian accounts, and the consoles will have the Ukrainian language," Ukrinfoirm reported. 

A twenty-year veteran of Russia’s diplomatic service resigned on Monday in protests against his country’s “unprovoked" military invasion of Ukraine. Boris Bondarev took to LinkedIn to slam Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin’s so-called military operation in Ukraine and said that the letter Z (the country’s war symbol) has crossed all prospects of a free society in Russia. In a rare affirmation, the official also labelled military aggression as a “crime” against the people of both countries.

"For twenty years of my diplomatic career I have seen different turns of our foreign policy, but never have I been so ashamed of my country as on February 24 of this year," Bondarev wrote adding that “The aggressive war unleashed by Putin against Ukraine, and in fact against the entire Western world, is not only a crime against the Ukrainian people but also, perhaps, the most serious crime against the people of Russia, with a bold letter Z crossing out all hopes and prospects for a prosperous free society in our country."

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The Institute for Study of War (ISW) in its latest assessment report said that the Ukrainian General Staff also reported that Russian forces are withdrawing old T-62 tanks from storage to form new BTGs. Russia is likely to continue to exhaust its remaining combat-ready reserves to maintain the momentum of the Battle of Severodonetsk, rather than prioritizing preparations for new reinforcements. ISW previously assessed that Russian mobilization is unlikely to generate combat-ready force due to hasty training.

In a bid to push the Russian navy away from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, Denmark pledged to send Harpoon anti-ship missiles to Ukraine, Pentagon chief and US defence secretary Llyod Austin told reporters on Monday. At least 20 countries, including Greece, Norway, Italy, and Poland on Monday announced new weapons supplies to Kyiv as the war is set to enter its fourth month. 

The US is set to convene the third Defence Contract Group meeting for Ukraine on June 15, said Pentagon chief Llyod Austin. 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday stated that Moscow will focus on enhancing relations with China while considering offers from the West to repair the frayed ties. "Now that the west has taken a ‘dictator’s position’, our economic ties with China will grow even faster...If they (the west) want to offer something in terms of resuming relations, then we will seriously consider whether we will need it or not,” Lavrov said. 

While over 1,400 companies have suspended business operations in Russia in retaliation to Moscow's "unprovoked" invasion of Ukraine, as many as 580 firms are still running "business as usual" in Russia, said Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. 

As many as 7 people were killed and dozens more injured after Russian troops intensified shelling in Donbass. The invading forces bombarded at least 38 communities in Donetsk and Luhansk region on Monday, said Ukraine Joint Forces Operations. 

The spokesperson for Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration, Ivan Ariefiev told Kyiv Independent that the occupying Russian forces have set up command centers in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.19 Russian command centers have been established in an attempt to further control the local population, he said. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin is the only Russian official Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "is willing to meet" to discuss the end of the war. Speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos virtually, Zelenskyy said: "The president of the Russian Federation decides it all. If we are talking about ending this war without him personally, that decision cannot be taken. I cannot accept any kind of meeting with anyone coming from the Russian Federation but the president."

Russia has launched almost 1,500 missile strikes on Ukraine since the start of the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday.

During his evening address he said 1,474 missile strikes had been carried out by Russian forces since the beginning of the conflict with more than 2,000 different missiles used in those attacks.

On the eve of the three-month anniversary of the start of the war, Zelenskyy said four missiles had killed 87 people in the town of Desna, 55 kilometers (34 miles) north of Kyiv.

The Russians have now concentrated their forces on Donbas cities and “are trying to destroy all life,” he added.

Associated Press

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that "all our partners agree that Ukraine's fight in the war against Russia is the protection of common values of all the countries of the free world." He further expressed gratitude to all international partners who delivered weapons, "especially in the amount of equipment that the Russian army has," and humanitarian aid to help Kyiv in the battle. 

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his usual late-night briefing warned that the "coming days of the war will be difficult" as Russia has continued to escalate its attacks on the industrial heartland of Donbass region. 

Given the escalating Russian war in the country and the lasting impact, Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska on Monday launched the national psychological support programme to help people overcome the trauma of war. The initiative will be in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO). 

“None of the Ukrainians, neither an adult or child can be sure that they will wake up tomorrow. All the things Ukrainians experienced in the occupation, at the front, at the bomb shelters, under shelling, abroad, they need rehabilitation just as the physically wounded,” Zelenska said in a video statement posted on social media, as quoted by CNN. 

Speaking during his nightly address, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday appealed to the international community to pressure Russia into exchanging Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs). He said that the world leaders are "trying to talk to Russia" but it is not enough. 

New satellite images from Maxar Technologies of the Crimean port of Sevastopol showed that Russia's theft of Ukrainian grain appears to be ramping up. The photos published on May 19 and May 21 showed two ships — the Matros Pozynich and the Matros Koshka- anchored next to grain silos. Both ships have now left port, CNN said. 

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson penned down a heartfelt letter to the children of Ukraine, saying that the whole world will remember the courage they have shown since the onset of the brutal war. Applauding the bravery of every Ukrainian child, PM Johnson said, “We in the UK will never forget you.” "In any other year, children like you would be spilling out of your homes and schools to play with your friends, to chase a football... to simply enjoy what is supposed to be a uniquely carefree time in your lives. Of course, this is not any other year," he writes. 

A Russian soldier who pleaded guilty to killing a civilian was sentenced by a Ukrainian court Monday to life in prison — the maximum — amid signs the Kremlin may hold trials of its own, particularly of the captured fighters who held out at Mariupol’s steel plant.

Meanwhile, in a rare public expression of opposition to the war from the ranks of the Russian elite, a veteran Kremlin diplomat resigned and sent a scathing letter to foreign colleagues in which he said of the invasion, “Never have I been so ashamed of my country as on Feb. 24 of this year.”

Starbucks is pulling out of the Russian market. In a memo to employees Monday, the Seattle coffee giant said it decided to close its 130 stores and no longer have a brand presence in Russia.

Starbucks said it will continue to pay its nearly 2,000 Russian employees for six months and help them transition to new jobs. Starbucks' move follows McDonald's exit from the Russian market last week. 

A Ukrainian official says Russian forces are stepping up their bombardment of the Donbas area. Pavlo Kyrylenko told AP on Monday in Kramatorsk that heavy fighting was continuing near the region of Luhansk and that the front line was under continuous shelling.

Kramatorsk and neighbouring Sloviansk are the largest cities in the parts of the Donetsk region not held by Russian forces currently.

Kyrylenko told The Associated Press in Kramatorsk that the "situation is difficult. The front line is under shelling at all times.” 

The vast majority of the population has already been evacuated, he said. Of more than 1.6 million people who lived in the region before the Feb. 24 Russian invasion, there are “not more than 320,000 people” left.

Ukraine's Defense Ministry Spokesman Oleksandr Motuzyanyk on Monday said Russia continues to bombard Ukraine's frontline with tactical missiles and other weaponry.
Motuzyanyk said Russia is trying to surround joint forces and "establish complete control over the Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson regions".
Motuzyanyk said Russia continues to strike Ukraine with kalibr sea-based missiles.
He said Ukrainian forces have "repulsed 11 enemy attacks" over the past day in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and destroyed several units of Russia's military fleet.

Amid the ongoing war in Eastern Europe, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that the country's economy is "withstanding the blow" of global sanctions despite all the challenges. He made this statement while holding a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Monday, May 23. "The Russian economy withstands the blow of the sanctions, it withstands it very worthily. All the main macroeconomic indicators speak of this," Putin stated, as per The Associated Press (AP). 

American news magazine- "TIME" has released the list of the 100 most influential people in 2022 on Monday. In the list, both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, secured space. Zelenskyy was selected for the "Leaders" category. Apart from Zelenskyy, Ukraine Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi was also selected for the "Leaders" category, while Ukrainian media Ukrainska Pravda’s Chief Editor Sevgil Musaieva is among the "Innovators". Though including both Russian and Ukrainian leaders seems controversial, TIME's Editor-In-Chief said, "When our team gets together to choose the TIME100, we have one barometer: influence. Who shaped the year? Who stood up? Who stood out? Influence, of course, maybe for good or for ill—a dichotomy never more visible than in this year’s TIME100, which includes both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky."

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson penned down a heartfelt letter to the children of Ukraine, saying the whole world will remember the courage they have shown since the onset of the brutal war. Applauding the bravery of every Ukrainian child, Johnson said, “We in the UK will never forget you”. "In any other year, children like you would be spilling out of your homes and schools to play with your friends, to chase a football... to simply enjoy what is supposed to be a uniquely carefree time in your lives," he writes. 

Days after Russia released a video of the surrender of Ukrainian soldiers from Mariupol, Russian officials said it is likely that President Vladimir Putin may offer an exchange with Moscow defenders. However, officials did not provide any details on the possible plan. Earlier today, Putin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, refuted any possibility of exchange of Mariupol defenders with pro-Kremlin lawmaker Viktor Medvedchuk. He said Medvedchuk is a civilian. 
 

As Moscow attempt to take the Donbass area, Russian forces in eastern Ukraine are stepping up attacks on a key city. Moscow's soldiers have been shelling Severodonetsk, the largest city under Ukrainian control in Luhansk province, with artillery and missiles. Russian military tried to invade the city from four directions on May 22, according to local officials. The announcement comes as the United Nations announced that the global number of displaced people has surpassed 100 million for the first time.

According to UN officials, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has contributed to the bleak milestone. Since the war began on February 24, it is estimated that over 14 million people have fled their homes. Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said the revelation should serve as a wake-up call to international leaders.

Ukraine's Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova, on Monday, accused Russian forces of killing at least 4,600 civilians since Russia's unprovoked action started against Ukraine in February this year. The figure also includes at least 232 children who were killed in the brutal attack.  

The eastward expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will flare regional tensions and “in no way” will stabilise or ensure the security of its member nations, Stanislav Zas, secretary general of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a post-Soviet Russia-led security bloc, said on May 22. In an interview with the Belarus-1 television channel, Zas said that the prospects of Finland and Sweden’s NATO membership would escalate the hostilities between Russia and the NATO allied member nations.

Reacting to the recent statement of European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell regarding strengthing the block's security amid Russia's invasion, Moscow on Monday said: "he is not a proponent of diplomatic methods of settling disputes". While speaking to the reporters on Monday, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the implementation of Borrell’s idea of creating a European army will not improve security on the continent.
"Contrary to the office he takes he constantly and publicly demonstrates his commitment to acting from the position of strength," TASS news agency quoted Peskov as saying. 

Hours after Poland prematurely terminated the agreement on Russian gas supplies, Kremlin said the action requires attention and thorough analysis, Interfax reported on Monday. While addressing a press conference on May 23, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, said, "Of course, as for the transit side of this case (breaking the agreement with Russia), I think Gazprom is ready to give more detailed explanations if necessary." "But this is a topic that, of course, deserves attention with the understanding that there are also alternative routes for gas supplies, which, by the way, are operating under pressure at the moment," he added.

Amid the ongoing war, the Polish government has prematurely terminated the agreement on Russian gas supplies. According to multiple media reports, the decision was taken on May 13. The report said that the Polish government also refused to pay for energy in rubles.   

Houses on fire. Artillery blasting through thick apartment walls. People hiding in basements without electricity, water or gas as their towns are pulverized above them.

In shock, sometimes fighting off tears, civilians fleeing areas near the eastern front in the war in Ukraine described scenes of devastation as their towns and villages came under sustained attack from Russian forces.

More than 270 people boarded an evacuation train Sunday heading west to safer areas of Ukraine from the town of Pokrovsk, most brought there on buses from areas near the fighting.

“Ashes, ruins. The northern parts, the southern parts, all are ruined,” said 83-year-old Lida Chuhay, who fled the hard-hit town of Lyman, near the front line in the eastern Luhansk province. “Literally everything is on fire: houses, buildings, everything.”

She and others who fled Lyman said the town was coming under sustained attack and much of it had been reduced to rubble. Those still left there were hiding in shelters. Barely anyone ventures outside as it’s too dangerous to walk in the streets.

“They ruined everything,” said Olha Medvedeva, sitting opposite Chuhay on the train. “The five-story building where we were living, everything flew away — the windows, the doors.”

Everyone now lives in basements, she said, as projectiles fly overhead.

Petro Demidov, sitting opposite her on the train, said they hid in a supermarket while they waited for the bus to pick them up and take them to the train. Above them, the ceiling shook from the force of the explosions outside.

“We got away under heavy fire,” he said.

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The Ukrainian Parliament, Verkhovna Rada, on Sunday, May 22, banned the use of symbols used by Russian armed forces for the military offensive against Ukraine. However, the lawmakers have agreed to the proposal of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to allow the use of symbols in museums for educational purposes. The decision was announced by Verkhonava Rada in a Facebook post. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for “maximum” sanctions against Russia during a virtual speech on the first day of the World Economic Forum gathering of corporate executives, government officials and other VIPs in Davos, Switzerland. He said sanctions need to go further to stop Russia’s aggression, including an oil embargo, blocking all of its banks and cutting off trade with Russia completely.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy has signed a law on confiscating the property of those who are supporting the ongoing conflict. According to Zelenskyy, the main intention of the law is to finance the Ukrainian budget.

 A Ukrainian court sentenced a 21-year-old Russian soldier to life in prison on Monday for killing a Ukrainian civilian, in the first war crimes trial held since Russia’s invasion. Sgt. Vadim Shishimarin was accused of shooting a Ukrainian civilian in the head in a village in the northeastern Sumy region in the early days of the war. He pleaded guilty and testified that he shot the man after being ordered to do so. He told the court that an officer insisted that the Ukrainian man, who was speaking on his cellphone, could pinpoint their location to the Ukrainian forces.

As Russia escalated its onslaught in the eastern Donbas region, the Ukrainian authorities stated that the country will not accept any ceasefire settlement that involves ceding territory to Moscow. "The war must end with the complete restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. That is our victory. Our common victory with the civilized world. After all, today Ukraine is defending not itself only. Today Ukraine is the Thermopiles of Europe," Andriy Yermak, Ukraine’s presidential chief of staff, stated in a Twitter post. 

According to the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic leader, the prisoners of war (POWs) from Azovstal steel factory in Mariupol will be tried in Donetsk, as per Interfax News Agency. 

Russian troops on Sunday heavily shelled the eastern city of Sievierodonetsk in Donbass region. Locals and Ukrainian defenders dug trenches to take shelter amid the ferocious bombardment. 

[Civilians fleeing areas near the eastern front in the war in Ukraine Sunday described scenes of devastation as their towns and villages came under sustained attack from Russian forces. IMAGE: AP]

[Patients rest at Pokrovsk hospital in Pokrovsk, eastern Ukraine, Sunday. IMAGE: AP]

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said that Kyiv will not cede any territory to Russia in order to secure a peace treaty. He predicted that Moscow could renew attacks on Ukraine despite the concessions, which could be of greater intensity.  

Belarusians were one of the first responders to the Ukrainian President’s calls for foreign fighters when Russia began its offensive in February. Stuck amidst a political crisis themselves, they were united by the belief that battling for Kyiv’s sovereignty could help them resist ‘dictator’ President Alexander Lukashenko.

Last year, Lukashenko was elected as the country’s president in a vote that was deemed rigged and triggered widespread protests.

Early in the conflict, Russia used Belarusian territories to launch offensives and assaults against Ukraine. Lukashenko also stood by his ally, for which Putin rewarded him by bankrolling millions of dollars in loans and cheap energy. Interestingly, Lukashenko while speaking of Putin referred to him as his ‘big brother'

A Moscow-appointed mayor, Andrey Shevchik, was injured in an explosion on Sunday. According to the Russian state news agency, TASS, Shevchik is the mayor of Ukraine's southern city, Enerhodar. The explosion reportedly took place when he was entering his building on Sunday evening. Though it was not clear whether the mayor was lightly injured or critically injured, several Russian and Ukrainian media organisations reported that Shevchik was in the intensive care unit. Meanwhile, Shevchik's press office informed media persons that the Russian Investigative Committee has launched a probe into the matter. The office told the media that his two guards were also injured in the explosion.

"Investigators will establish the circumstances of the attempt on the life of the mayor of Energodar in the Zaporozhye region, which is under the control of the Russian Armed Forces, as part of the investigation into crimes by Ukrainian nationalists," TASS quoted the Investigative Committee report. Meanwhile, Dmytro Orlov, the elected mayor of Enerhodar, confirmed the reports of injuries but, he too did not comment on the severity of the attack. "We have a proper report that during the blast the self-proclaimed head of the 'people's administration' Shevchik and his guards were wounded," he said on Telegram. Apart from the three, he added that nobody was harmed in the incident. 

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The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Sunday recorded 30 new attacks on healthcare centers in Ukraine. As of 23 May, 248 attacks on health care have been verified in Ukraine. These attacks took place between 24 February and 19 May & caused 75 deaths and 59 injuries. Health care should never be a target, WHO said in its latest report. 

The Deptford statue of Peter, by Mihail Chemiakin, was once gifted to London by Russian President Vladimir Putin. It was installed in south London, which became the center point of the Millennium Quay, a housing settlement on the Thames side. On Monday, the statue was discovered in bits and pieces. Residents of Millennium Quay mockingly asked the Russian embassy to "pick up the tab," The Guardian reported. 

Ex-chief of General Staff of Armed Forces of Britain, General Lord Richard Dannatt stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin has "not achieved far very much in this war." Speaking to Sky News, the military veteran said, 

"The significance from the Ukrainian’s point of view was just how long the fighters within the steelworks managed to hold out and hold on, because that dragged in such large numbers of Russian troops who otherwise might have been deployed elsewhere."

"[Putin] feels obviously very strongly he’s got to achieve something. And that something is, in his view, the complete control of the Donbas region. Elsewhere they’ve done really poorly. I think the Russians, according to reports, are making some small gains but frankly, small gains isn’t going to win this campaign for them."

Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Monday claimed to have destroyed a Ukrainian unit of US-produced M777 howitzers, RIA Novosti reported. 

Russian Deputy Ambassador to the UN, Dmitry Poliyanskiy on Sunday accused Poland of using Ukrainians as "cheap labour." In response to Ukrainian FM Dmytro Kuleba's tweet thanking Polish President Andrzej Duda, Poliyankiy wrote, "The Polish dream to have Ukrainian neighbours as cheap labor and control and exploit their land as they did in 1918-1939 has come closer."

The global economy could be facing its biggest test since the Second World War, stated the Managing Director of International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva. She was addressing the World Economic Forum on Monday. 

"Not only countries but also companies need to diversify imports—to secure supply chains and preserve the tremendous benefits to business of global integration. While geostrategic considerations will drive some sourcing decisions, this need not lead to disintegration. Business leaders have an important role to play in this regard," IMF Chief said. 

Ukraine has taken center stage at the World Economic Forum (WEF). 5 Ukrainian members of Parliament participating in the convention have called for "more support" for Ukraine in order to help defenders deter Russian aggression. "That is the only way to stop the atrocities, that happened in Bucha, that happened in Borodyanka, in other small villages in the Kyiv region. But the same atrocities are happening right now in the occupied territories," said Yevheniya Kravchuk, Ukrainian MP, as quoted by Sky News. 

A 21-year-old Russian soldier accused of war crimes in Ukraine is expected to hear the final verdict today, The Guardian reported. Russian sergeant Vadim Shishimarin has confessed to killing a 62-year-old Ukrainian, adding that he was "pressured to act." Shishimarin has also apologised to the deceased man's widow, saying that he was "sincerely sorry" for what he had done. Further Shishimarin also told the court that he would "accept all the measures of punishment."

The Ukrainian military on Monday stated that Russia is “concentrating its efforts” on assaults on the eastern Ukrainian city of Siverodonetsk. The invading troops are also focussing on resuming offensive in the Slovyansk region. 

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) in its latest intelligence report on Monday claimed that the death toll in the three months war in Ukraine is akin to the war nine-year war in Afghanistan. The Russian public has, in the past, proven sensitive to casualties suffered during wars of choice. As casualties suffered in Ukraine continue to rise they will become more apparent, and public dissatisfaction with the war and a willingness to voice it may grow," the report said. 

New Zealand will deploy 30 extra defense force personnel to the United Kingdom in order to help train Ukrainian Armed Forces, said, NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Sunday. "The soldiers will be stationed in the United Kingdom until the end of July," Ardern said, as quoted by CNN, adding that they will teach Ukrainians how to use L-119 light gun. New Zealand has previously deployed 66 personnel in April. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to deliver the opening address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. He will begin the session with a virtual address as the session opens today. "This is the world’s most influential economic platform where Ukraine has something to say,” Zelenskyy had said earlier. 

As the Russian onslaught in Ukraine continues unabated on the 89th day, the Belarusian nationals are taking up arms to support the war-ravaged country from the Russian aggression, despite the fact that Minsk has been blamed for supporting Russia in the latter's military operation in Ukraine. Some of its citizens have fled the country and joined the International Legion for Ukraine's Territorial Defense to support the country. Earlier in the war, Russian troops utilized Belarusian soil to invade Ukraine, and Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has publicly defended Vladimir Putin, even calling him his "big brother."

Notably, Belarusians are criticizing President Lukashenko for his support of Russia. The Belarusian volunteers believe that weakening Putin will weaken Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994 and provide an opportunity to overthrow his tyrannical administration and bring democratic reform to the country of roughly 10 million people.

Vadim Prokopiev, a 50-year-old businessman who used to own restaurants in Minsk left the nation after hearing that he would be arrested for openly criticizing the government's lack of support for small enterprises. He stated that when the battle in Ukraine ends, the war in Belarus will commence, according to AP. He said, "When the Ukraine war will be eventually over, our war will just start. It is impossible to free the country of Belarus without driving Putin's fascist troops out of Ukraine.” 

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Ukraine Deputy Head of the State Emergency Services Anatolii Toriyank on Sunday stated that rescuers have recovered at least 150 bodies in Kharkiv from beneath rubble since the beginning of the war. 

During a phone call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, UK PM Boris Johnson reaffirmed London's commitment to Ukraine. According to a press release by Downing Street, the UK PM vowed to "redouble efforts to provide vital food and humanitarian aid" to Ukraine. Johnson further said London will work wth Kyiv to "ensure that the country is able to export to the rest of the world." They also stressed the need to condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin's "barbarism."

UK PM Boris Johnson on Sunday published an open letter consoling those affected by the Russian war in Ukraine. In particular, he praised the children from the embattled country for "teaching all of us what it means to be strong and dignified." He expressed his pride for those who "held their heads high" in the three-month-long running war. More than half of Ukraine’s 7.5 million children have been forced to flee the ongoing violence, as homes, schools, water supplies, and hospitals have been damaged or destroyed, as per UNICEF. 

"Many of you have seen or experienced things no child should have to witness. Yet, everyday Ukrainian children are teaching all of us what it means to be strong and dignified. To hold your head high in the toughest of times. I can think of no better role model for children and adults everywhere," Johnson wrote.

More than 100 million have fled conflicts and violence globally, said the UNHCR on Sunday. UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi expressed exasperation over the "staggering milestone," saying, "one hundred million is a stark figure – sobering and alarming in equal measure. It’s a record that should never have been set." As per UNHCR data, at least 8 million have been displaced within Ukraine and at least 6 million have left the battle-scarred country. 

The number of people forced to flee conflict, violence, human rights violations and persecution has now crossed the staggering milestone of 100 million for the first time on record, propelled by the war in Ukraine and other deadly conflicts,” the UNHCR said in a statement.

According to the Institute for Study of War (ISW), "Russian forces made only minimal gains in eastern Ukraine on May 22. New reporting confirmed that Russian troops previously recaptured Rubizhne in northern Kharkiv Oblast, on May 19. Russian forces are likely committing additional reinforcements to hold their positions on the west bank of the Siverskyi Donets River in northern Kharkiv—rather than withdrawing across the river to use it as a defensive position—to prevent any further Ukrainian advances to the north or the east that could threaten Russian lines of communication to the Izyum axis." 

Ukraine Prosecutor General's Office on Sunday claimed that Russian troops used Ukrainian hostages as human shields to defend themselves from the Ukrainian counterstrike in Chernihiv. As reported by Kyiv Independent, around 350 residents were holed up in a 197-sq-m school basement. 77 among them were children, including 5 infants. The people were kept in a dire situation without proper sanitation, food, or fresh air. 

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on May 22 that the “historic” bilateral agreement marks the start of Ukraine’s “integration into the common customs space of the European Union.” The agreement will enable joint customs control with Poland to accelerate border procedures, and reduce corruption, Kyiv Independent reported. 

A report by The Guardian on May 22 said that European officials believe that Moscow has deployed Syrian barrel bomb experts to work with Russian troops in Ukraine. Barrel bombs ate crude explosives that are dropped from helicopters. 

Russian troops on Sunday killed 5 and injured 11 others in Donetsk Oblast, regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said in a Telegram post. 

EU High Representative Josep Borrell said that the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine served as a wake-up call for the entire European Union in terms of security and defence, forcing it to seek coordinated and effective methods to bolster its own defensive capabilities.

Borrell further stated that the joint communication on defence investment shortfalls, adopted this week, makes clear that the defence capabilities they have do not fulfill their demands in the face of the threat because of underfunding.

Jake Sullivan, White House National Security Adviser suggests that the White House has stated that Russia will not be able to stop the US from delivering military support to Ukraine.

He said that they have a diverse and stable arms supply network for Ukraine. So, even if the Russians are able to target and hit goods on Ukrainian soil, they will continue to offer military help.

US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had his first phone conversations with French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna, in which they discussed Ukraine and other matters.

Price said that Secretary of State Antony Blinken talked with French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna today to congratulate her on her appointment and discuss some of the critical global issues that the United States and France are facing together. He claimed that Blinken and Colonna agreed on the significance of Western assistance for Ukraine and discussed the prospect of NATO expansion.

On Sunday, the Ukrainian parliament imposed a ban on the letters "V" and "Z" widely used by the Russian military to promote its invasion of Ukraine. However, the letters will be used for educational or historical purposes. The decree was voted in favour by 313 deputies out of 423 in the Verkhovna Rada assembly. For context, the letters have been used by the Russian army, although, it is not included in the Russian alphabets. 

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a press briefing on May 22 that at least 50-100 soldiers are being killed every day defending Ukraine in “the most difficult direction,” in the country’s east.