These are the key events as the war approaches its 811th day.
Combating
1.] In northeastern Kharkiv, the second-biggest city in Ukraine, guided bombers and artillery shells from Russia targeted residential areas, including a high-rise apartment building, resulting in at least 20 casualties.
2.] At least eight civilians have been killed and thirty-five injured since Russia launched a fresh operation in the northeastern province on Friday, according to the UN. In accordance with the pertinent resolutions of the UN General Assembly, it demanded that Russia “immediately cease its armed attack against Ukraine” and retreat to the internationally recognized borders.
3.] The military of Ukraine declared that its forces had retreated to new locations in two regions of the Kharkiv area and issued a warning about a Russian force build-up close to its Sumy region to the north. Russia claimed to have advanced and captured Buhruvatka, the tenth frontier village.
4.] The defense systems neutralized all eighteen assault drones that Russia launched over manyincluding the front line and the Kyiv region, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.
5.] According to Russian sources, a Ukrainian air strike on the border city of Belgorod resulted in one person being hurt and other buildings being damaged. Over the larger Belgorod region, Russia’s air defense system shot down 25 missiles.
6.] According to Russian media, a cargo train in the southern Russian region of Volgograd was derailed by a Ukrainian drone strike, which also caused a fire in a diesel tank and damaged several hundred meters of track. According to Russian Railways, “interference by unauthorised persons” was the cause of the event.
Diplomacy and politics
1.] During an unexpected visit to Ukraine, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured the country that military support that would make “a real difference” in combat was on its way.
2.] Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, will meet with President Xi Jinping in China on May 16–17. The two will talk about “bilateral ties, cooperation in various fields, and international and regional issues of common interest,” according to Hua Chunying, a spokesman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
3.] According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s post on X, South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol has confirmed Seoul’s attendance at a peace summit with Ukraine scheduled for June in Switzerland.
4.] Vladimir Kara-Murza, a well-known Kremlin opponent and dual citizen of Russia and the United Kingdom, filed an appeal against a 25-year prison term for treason and other offenses, but the Russian Supreme Court denied it. David Cameron, the foreign secretary of the United Kingdom, called Kara-Murza a political prisoner and called the judgment “outrageous.”
5.] Prosecutor Karim Khan of the International Criminal Court (ICC) declared that he would not be deterred by threats while his team looks into potential war crimes in Ukraine. Following the ICC’s issuance of an arrest order against Putin and Russia’s commissioner for children for their suspected roles in the deportation of Ukrainian children from seized territory to Russia, Russia placed Khan on its wanted list.
6.] Ireland announced that, as of August, all Ukrainian refugees living in state housing would get a weekly payment of only 38.80 euros ($41.96) instead of the current 220 euros ($238). Ireland has taken in little over 100,000 Ukrainian refugees since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Almost half reside in housing supplied by the state.
Weaponry
1.] More Aster surface-to-air missiles will be sent by France to support the Franco-Italian SAMP/T-MAMBA air defense system, which is defending Kiev, according to Minister of Defense Sebastien Lecornu.
2.] Russia announced the deployment of an intercontinental ballistic missile, the Bulava, which is fired from a submarine and is a vital component of the country’s nuclear arsenal modernization.