As the war enters its 814th day, these are the main events.
Here is the situation on Saturday, May 18, 2024.
Struggle
- At least two people were killed and 19 wounded in the Russian bombing of Kharkiv, regional head Oleh Syniehubov said on the Telegram app. Four of the injured are in critical condition.
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A Ukrainian drone strike killed one person and injured another in Russia's southern Belgorod region, according to regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. He said the drone hit the village of Novaya Naumovka, where the two residents were tending a garden.
- Ukrainian authorities say around 8,000 civilians from the recent town of Vovchansk, 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the Russian border, have been evacuated.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he expects Russia to intensify its offensive in the northeast, warning in an interview with the AFP news agency that Ukraine only has 25 percent of the air defenses it needs to hold the line of the forehead.
- Zelenskyy also admitted that Russian troops advanced five to 10 kilometers (3 to 6 miles) along the northeastern border before being stopped by Ukrainian forces, adding that the region could be the “first wave” of an offensive. more espacious.
- The commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskii, has said that Russia's new offensive has “expanded the zone of active hostilities” by almost 70 kilometers (45 miles) to try to force Ukraine to extend its forces and use reserve troops.
- Zelenskyy said the situation in Kharkiv has been “controlled” but “not stabilized,” adding that Ukraine needs “120 to 130” F-16 fighter jets or other advanced aircraft to achieve air “parity” with Russia.
Politics and diplomacy
- Zelenskyy has signed two laws allowing prisoners to join the military and increasing fines five-fold for those who evade conscription. The controversial mobilization law comes into force on Saturday.
- The Ukrainian leader urged China to attend a peace summit in Switzerland after President Xi Jinping hosted his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Beijing.
- Putin criticized next month's peace conference as a vain attempt to impose the terms of a peaceful settlement on Russia.
- The Russian leader said any possible peace talks should be based on a draft agreement negotiated by Russia and Ukraine during their talks in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2022.
- During his visit to China, Putin stated that the Russian offensive in Kharkiv was aimed at creating a buffer zone and that there were no plans to capture the city.
- White House national security spokesman John Kirby said the Biden administration does not encourage or allow attacks with U.S.-supplied weapons inside Russia.
