Press digest – Ukraine
Third month of heroic resistance of Ukraine against Russian military invasion
Key updates on the war against Ukraine as of May 19, 2022
#ArmUkraineNow
#SaveMariupol
DESTRUCTION AND LOSSES
📌 The Defence Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, and the Border Guard Service jointly launched an operation to rescue the defenders of Mariupol blocked on the territory of the Azovstal plant.
On May 16, 53 seriously injured people were evacuated from Azovstal to a medical facility in Novoazovsk for medical treatment. Another 211 people were taken to Olenivka through the humanitarian corridor. An exchange procedure will be carried out to return them home.
📌 The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation announced the interrogation of Ukrainian servicemen taken out of Azovstavstal. Investigators plan to interview the military to identify individuals and verify their involvement in “crimes against civilians.”
📌 In Mariupol, Azovstal 15 young women – military and medical workers died – reported Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boychenko.
📌 The Russian military keeps Mariupol residents in 66 camps, most of which are located in the Far East, – reported adviser to the mayor Petro Andryushchenko.
📌 More than 37,000 Ukrainians have already gone through the “filtration” procedure introduced by the Russian military in temporarily occupied Ukrainian cities. This was
announced by the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Lyudmila Denisova.
📌 More than 658 children were injured in Ukraine as a result of full-scale armed aggression by the Russian Federation. According to official figures, 231 children were killed and more than 427 injured.
📌 On May 16, Mykolayiv was fired upon using cluster munitions prohibited by international standards. As a result of the shelling, one man received shrapnel wounds.
📌 Russian troops continue shelling the eastern regions of Ukraine:
- In the Kharkiv region it was aimed at a warehouse with ammonium nitrate. As a result of the shelling, 1 person was killed and 1 person was injured.
- As of May 18, 7 shellings took place from the territory of Russia in the border regions of Sumy and Chernihiv regions. This is the second mass shelling of these regions in recent days. One of the shellings lasted for more than two hours.
- On May 17, five rockets landed in Sumy Region, injuring at least five people.
- On the morning of May 17, the Russian military launched a missile strike on the village of Desna in the Chernihiv region. 11 people were killed and 14 others were injured.
- In Bakhmut, a wounded 9-year-old child was rescued from the rubble of a five-story building. In total, 26 people have died and 19 have been injured in Donetsk region in recent days.
- In addition, on May 18 in the Donetsk region, the Avdiivka school №1 was destroyed by banned phosphate munitions.
- In Severodonetsk, Russian forces raided a hospital and a research institute. As of May 18, Severodonetsk had suffered 15 air strikes. In total, 28 people have died and 6 have been injured in the Luhansk region in recent days.
- As a result of shelling in Dnipropetrovsk region, 3 people were injured.
📌 The shelling also continues in Odesa region:
- Russian troops fired on the bridge across the Dniester estuary in the Odesa region for the fifth time.
- As a result of a missile strike in the Odessa region, a 6-year-old girl was among the wounded.
📌 A military infrastructure facility in the Yavoriv district of Lviv region, which is almost on the border with Poland, was also shelled.
📌 106 battalion tactical groups of russians are currently in Ukraine. The greatest concentration is between Kherson on the western side and Mariupol on the eastern side. Also – from Zaporizhzhia from the north to Velyka Novosilka in Donetsk region – a representative of the Pentagon reported.
📌 WHO has confirmed 226 attacks by Russia on Ukraine’s health care system. As a result, 75 people died and 59 were injured, said at a briefing WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge.
📌 Luhansk region is left completely without electricity – during the fighting near Lysychansk, the Russian occupiers destroyed the last working substation.
📌 The Russian military is trying to organize the supply of equipment to Zmiiiny Island. They are also continuing hoisting and rescue operations at the site of the destruction of the Serna landing craft near the island.
📌 Russian troops have been instructed to prepare the occupied Energodar and Kherson for a referendum in a few months, – Adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Vadym Denysenko.
📌 In the Kherson region, a system of passes is being introduced to reduce the possibility of leaving the region – the first deputy chairman of the Kherson regional council Yuriy Sobolevsky.
📌 In the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk region, the Russian military seizes strategic enterprises and financial institutions.
📌 1828 educational institutions were damaged due to bombing and shelling by the armed forces of the Russian Federation of Ukrainian cities and villages. 171 of them were completely destroyed.
MARIUPOL NEWS
⚠️The fourth place of mass burial has been recorded in Mariupol – near the Central Cemetery.
⚠️ The Mariupol City Council announces the arrival of a delegation from Chechnya in the city.
⚠️ Russian troops destroyed the synagogue building in Mariupol and the center of the Jewish community.
⚠️ As of May 17, 539 people, including 55 children, were taken from Mariupol to the filtration camp in the village of Bezymyane, Novoazovsk district. All persons are being prepared for deportation. From the filtration point with. Nikolske deported 67 people to Russia, including children – an adviser to the mayor of Mariupol Petro Andryushchenko.
⚠️ The occupying power of the so-called “Donetsk People’s Republic” declares its intention to destroy “Azovstal” – Mariupol City Council.
⚠️ Russian troops are trying to restore the trade port to export grain, metal products and clay for tens of millions of dollars – Mariupol City Council.
⚠️ Russian troops have announced compensation for destroyed housing and / or the loss of a family member. When submitting a self-made statement, Mariupol residents must state that
the property was “destroyed by the Ukrainian military” and that relatives were “killed by the Ukrainian army.” There are people sitting in the school building dictating what to write.
⚠️ The Sea of Azov is threatened with extinction. The Azovstal bombing could damage a technical facility that holds back tens of thousands of tons of concentrated hydrogen sulphide solution. Leakage of this fluid will completely kill all living things in the sea.
Immediate admission to the facility by international experts and the UN is needed to study the situation and prevent a world-class environmental catastrophe.
RUSSIAN CONTEXT
⚠️ The President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin stated that a new series of joint military exercises of the Collective Security Treaty Organization is planned for the fall. The trainings will be held in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
⚠️ To reduce the consequences of future political and criminal responsibility, the Russian authorities are trying to blame all the failures and defeats of the commanders of the occupation units and formations, – the Central Intelligence Agency.
⚠️ The Department of Information and Mass Communications of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation is urgently preparing a press tour to create fakes in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. In particular, foreign journalists from Rostov-on-Don plan to visit Kherson, Nova Kakhovka, Skadovsk, Armyansk and Donetsk – the State Intelligence Agency.
⚠️ The Russian Army uses the Belgorod International Airport, which used to serve exclusively civilian flights, for military purposes. The satellite recorded the location of aircraft and military equipment at the airport.
⚠️ The Russian occupiers are increasingly refusing to carry out the orders of the command to conduct active offensive operations on the territory of Ukraine. According to the Defence Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, despite covert sabotage, several units of the 70th Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment have already openly refused to take part in the war and demanded that they be returned to their places of permanent deployment.
⚠️ The authorities of the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic do not pay compensation to the families of those killed and wounded during the war with Ukraine. To this end, medical workers distort the diagnoses of the wounded in every possible way. Extracts include “osteochondrosis”, “ulcer” or other diseases that do not involve compensatory payments – reported the Defence Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.
⚠️ The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation declared 27 Spanish diplomats non grata.
DEFENSE UPDATES
📌 As a result of the offensive of Ukrainian troops, the settlement of Dementiivka, Kharkiv region was liberated.
📌 On May 16, missile and artillery units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in cooperation with the air force, struck 100 strikes at Russian army positions in the Kherson and Mykolayiv regions.
📌 As of May 18, in the Luhansk and Donetsk areas, the Ukrainian military repulsed 12 Russian attacks, and fighting continues at 4 more locations.
📌 73 people were evacuated from Luhansk settlements.
📌 Estimated losses of the Russian Federation Army in Ukraine:
📌 The EU is working to help Ukraine export grain blocked by Russia in seaports through so-called “solidarity corridors,” said EU High Representative Joseph Borrell.
📌 “We will not allow Ukraine to run out of weapons,” said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. “Currently, the conflict is at a critical stage. We cannot allow Ukraine’s military equipment and armaments to run out,” the foreign minister said at a news conference following a meeting of the EU Defense Council.
📌 The European Commission has developed a strategic plan for the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine called “Rebuild Ukraine” for hundreds of billions of euros. He will demand that Kyiv fight corruption and implement reforms to move closer to the EU and the country’s future accession to the European Union.
PUBLIC AND BUSINESS SUPPORT
📌 1439 foreign companies from 70 countries and 55 sectors of the economy have reduced, suspended or terminated their activities in Russia – a study by the Kyiv School of Economics. Only the Top 10 largest taxpayers paid $ 13.7 billion a year.
📌 An exhibition of works by the Ukrainian publishing house of painting UA Comix “War in Ukraine: through the eyes of artists” is being held in The Hague. After the exhibition, the works will be put up for auction. The funds received will be used to support the Armed Forces.
📌 Hundreds of people came to the central square of Kraków to express their support for Ukraine, including Mariupol and Azovstal. The action was organized to draw attention to the indomitable Ukrainian military, which cannot be defeated by the “second army of the world”.
📌 In Canada, there were actions of solidarity with Ukraine, where everyone could express their support for our country in these difficult times. The action was held on the
street in front of the Russian Embassy in Canada, where blue-yellow “Free Ukraine” signs were previously installed.
📌 Representative of “Eurovision-2022” from Lithuania Monica Liu recorded a cover of “Stefania” together with the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theater.
📌 American music magazine Billboard published a series of stories “A Song For Ukraine” about Ukrainian musicians. Journalists published stories of musicians who told about their activities during the war.
📌 McDonald’s is finally leaving the Russian market. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has forced the company to take action, including anti-Russian sanctions. The company started selling Russian business.
📌 The International Olympic Committee did not allow Russian and Belarusian broadcasters to participate in the tender for the broadcast of the 2026 and 2028 Olympics due to violations of the Olympic Armistice.
📌 Latvia has terminated the agreement on cooperation with Russia in the field of culture. The document was signed in 2002.
📌 Hackers Anonymous “hacked” the site of the Russian “Sberbank” – Twitter Anonymous.
📌 Russia and Belarus are excluded from the largest international basketball tournaments, according to FIBA. The ban applies to world championships, 3×3 competitions, as well as the right to host competitions on its territory.
INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT OF UKRAINE
📌 The Honorary Consulate of Azerbaijan, which was damaged during the Russian rocket attack, is resuming work in Kharkiv on May 16.
📌 The US military has ordered 1,300 missiles from Javelin companies. Some of them are intended to help Ukraine – the company’s press service in the field of security and aerospace Lockheed Martin.
📌 The EU has approved €500 million in assistance to Ukraine. The funds will go to heavy weapons. At the same time, EU foreign ministers did not agree on the sixth package of
sanctions, which provides for the abandonment of Russian energy, – said EU Foreign Minister Borrell.
📌 EU Foreign Minister Josep Borrell said that if Serbia wants to become a member of the European Union in the future, it must impose sanctions on Russia.
📌 Bulgaria will be able to diversify oil imports and get rid of dependence from Russia in just two years, – said Bulgarian Prime Minister Kirill Petkov.
📌 The Kosovo government on Monday decided to expand sanctions against Russia in connection with the Russian invasion, – Kallxo.
📌 The US Senate voted in favor of finalizing a $ 40 billion aid project in Ukraine.
📌 The Armed Forces received 2,450 disposable RGW 90 anti-tank grenade launchers and 4,600 anti-tank mines from Germany.
📌 Estonia has agreed to restore the Zhytomyr region – Olena Kondratyuk, Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
📌 The International Criminal Court has sent a team of 42 investigators, forensic scientists and support staff to assist in investigations in Ukraine. This is the largest deployment of the ICC field office since its inception, said ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan.
📌 The European Commission is preparing to present a plan for € 210 billion to abandon Russian energy by 2027, – the Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak.
📌 The European Commission has proposed to provide new macro-financial assistance to Ukraine in the amount of up to 9 billion euros – EC President Ursula von der Leyen.
📌Ukrainian fighters once again struck at the occupiers in the legendary city of Chornobaivka in the Kherson region, – adviser to the head of the OPU Oleksiy Arestovych.
📌 On May 13, paratroopers of the 80th Separate Assault Brigade thwarted attempts by the Russian occupiers to cross the Seversky Donets River nine times.
📌 The Armed Forces of Ukraine are pushing Russian troops to the border with Russia in the Kharkiv region, – Chairman of the Kharkiv OVA Oleg Syniehubov.
📌 EU heads of state and government will discuss Ukraine’s application to join the European Union at a summit in June, according to the French Foreign Ministry.
HUMANITARIAN CORRIDORS AND EVACUATION UPDATES
📌 Negotiations are in progress to exchange 38 severely wounded Azovstal fighters out of 600 wounded. At the same time, Turkey has stated its readiness to evacuate wounded servicemen from Azovstal by sea. However, Moscow has not yet agreed to this.
📌 A column of 100-500 cars with Mariupol residents who had been waiting for a pass for more than three days was finally allowed to enter Zaporizhzhia. Source: Adviser to the Mayor of Mariupol Petro Andryushchenko
📌 Evacuation of citizens from Severodonetsk continues. The total number of evacuees in recent days is 27. Children and people with limited mobility are among them. The head of the Luhansk OVA Serhiy Haidai reports about it.
📌 On May 12, Russian troops fired artillery at a peaceful convoy of migrants leaving the Kherson region. One woman was injured. The chief of military administration of Kryvyi Rih Alexander Vilkul reported.
PUBLIC AND BUSINESS SUPPORT
📌 Poland issued a post stamp with the image of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky. It was initiated by the deputy of the Krakow City Council Łukasz Wantuch. All copies have already been sold out.
📌 Binance, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrencies, has closed Russian transfers and withdrawals to foreign banks, regardless of country of residence.
📌As of May 12, more than $ 25 million was transferred to the NBU accounts in the first week of UNITED24. Donations in support of Ukraine came from 72 countries. Among the most active donors are the United States, Great Britain, France, Canada, Germany and, of course, Ukraine.
📌American actor Richard Gere put up for auction his cabriolet to help Ukrainians affected by the war with the Russian Federation. The full amount of the sale will be evenly distributed between World Central Kitchen and Open Arms Ukraine.
📌 Madonna and American digital artist Mike Winkelmann, known as the Beeple, have released the NFT collection Mother Of Creation. Part of the proceeds will be donated to help Ukrainian women and children.
📌 Host of the show The Grand Tour Jeremy Clarkson raised funds to purchase pickups to help Ukraine. Cars loaded with humanitarian aid have already arrived in Ukraine.
📌The French publishing house Grasset has published a collection of keynote speeches by Volodymyr Zelensky since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. The collection “For Ukraine” is 220 pages long and contains 23 “most significant” speeches among those delivered by Zelensky since the beginning of the war. All proceeds from the sale are planned to be donated to support the Ukrainian people.
📌Writer Stephen King “patrolled” Vladimir Putin on his Twitter page. He wrote: “Putin assumed he was dealing with a lapdog. What he got was a wolverine. Glory to Ukraine!”
📌Representatives of Iceland at Eurovision after their speech called for peace in Ukraine.
📌 In New York, hundreds of people with Ukrainian symbols and slogans gathered in Time Square on May 14 to draw the attention of the United States and the international community to the tough situation in Mariupol.
INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT OF UKRAINE
📌 Ports of Egypt and Lebanon refused to accept a Russian tanker with stolen Ukrainian grain, – CNN.
📌 The United Kingdom provides Ukraine with a general package of humanitarian, economic and military support worth $ 2 billion, – said the British representative to the OSCE Neil Bush.
📌 If Gazprom does not fill the storage facility in Salzburg, Austria, it will be transferred to other suppliers, – an ultimatum from Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer. The repository is the largest in Austria and the second in Central Europe. It is currently empty.
📌 Japan bans the export of high-tech goods to Russia. These are: quantum computers, spare parts for them, microscopes, modeling equipment (3D printers), catalysts for oil refining, equipment for the manufacture of microelectromechanical systems and for the production of hydrogen fuel, vacuum pumps, refrigeration equipment and its components, polymers.
📌 The United Kingdom has imposed new sanctions on Vladimir Putin’s inner circle. So far, the UK has imposed sanctions on more than 1,000 individuals and 100 legal entities, including oligarchs, worth £ 117 billion.
📌 The EU will allocate another 500 million euros to Ukraine: the money will go to defense. According to the President of the European Parliament Josep Borrell, together with this financial assistance, the total amount will be overall 2 billion euros.
📌The Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs blacklisted 102 Russian cultural figures, banning them from entering the country until undefined terms.
📌During the war in Ukraine, the Government of India has banned the export of wheat to ensure food security and assistance to neighboring countries.
📌The G7 countries have stated that they do not recognize the change in Ukraine’s borders.
📌 Israel approved Estonia’s request to hand over the Blue Spear 5G SSM high-precision missile system to Ukraine.
📌 The United States sends M777 howitzers to Ukraine. This was stated by the General Staff of the Armed Forces with reference to the US Department of Defense.
📌 Hungary’s new president Katalina Novak condemned Putin’s aggression and supported Ukraine’s accession to the EU, according to the Hungarian news portal Telex.
📌 Portugal blocks sale of € 10 million estate owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, subject to sanctions
📌 Greece will support the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO – the country’s Foreign Ministry.
📌 United Kingdom will take over the restoration of Kyiv and the region, Denmark – Mykolayiv region, the Baltic countries – Zhytomyr region. This was reported in the Office of the President of Ukraine.
📌 The US House of Representatives passed bills on: US financial institutions’ compliance with US sanctions on Russia and Belarus; writing off Ukraine’s foreign debts; exclusion of Russian government officials from certain international meetings.
📌 The UN Human Rights Council voted to launch an investigation into the crimes committed by Russian troops in the liberated territories of Ukraine. 33 countries voted in favor, China and Eritrea voted against.