As the war enters its 812th day, these are the main developments.
Here is the situation on Thursday, May 16, 2024.
Struggle
- Heavy fighting occurred in Vovchansk in the northeastern Kharkiv region, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the Russian border. Oleksiy Kharkivskyi, the city's police chief, said the situation was “extremely difficult”, while Ukraine's General Staff said Ukrainian troops managed to “partially” push back some Russian infantry groups, but were taking carried out “defensive actions” in the northern and northwestern fringes of the city.
- Russia's Defense Ministry said Russian forces had taken control of the settlements of Hlyboke and Lukyantsi in the northeastern Kharkiv region, and Robotyne in the southern Zaporizhia region.
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Regional Governor Serhiy Lysak said a Russian airstrike on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro killed two people and injured several others.
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At least 25 people were injured, three of them seriously, after Russian missiles and guided bombs attacked the cities of Kherson and Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine. The attack also damaged apartment blocks, homes, schools and a medical center, local officials said.
- At least two people were injured in the Russian bombing of a central district of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city. Regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said the wounded were being treated in hospital.
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The Russian Defense Ministry said its air force destroyed 10 Ukrainian long-range missiles launched from Sevastopol in Crimea, which Moscow invaded and annexed from Ukraine in 2014. It did not say whether there was any damage.
- Sri Lanka said at least 16 of its citizens had died fighting as mercenaries in the war in Ukraine, most on the Russian side.
Politics and diplomacy
- The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, canceled visits to Spain and Portugal that were scheduled for this week.
- Swiss President Viola Amherd said delegations from more than 50 countries, including South America, Africa and the Middle East, had so far registered for next month's peace summit in Ukraine. Switzerland is trying to persuade more countries to join, including China.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in China on Thursday for a two-day visit to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. In an interview with Chinese state news agency Xinhua before the visit, he backed China's peace proposals for Ukraine.
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European Union ambassadors agreed to extend sanctions on Russian media to four more outlets, accusing them of publishing propaganda. EU Commissioner for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova said Voice of Europe, RIA Novosti, Izvestija and Rossiyskaya Gazeta would join the list, which already includes Sputnik and RT. Jourova said Russian funding of EU media, non-governmental organizations and political parties would also be banned.
- Nadezhda Buyanova, a 68-year-old Moscow pediatrician, was tried for spreading “false” information about the military after the ex-wife of a soldier killed in Ukraine filed a complaint about an alleged comment Buyanova made during a consultation.
Weapons
- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced $2 billion in additional military aid for Ukraine and said Washington was sending ammunition, armored vehicles, missiles and air defenses to the country to ensure their rapid delivery to the front lines.
- Putin said Russia's total defense and security spending could reach just over 8.7 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024.
