This week begins with all eyes on northeastern Ukraine, after Russia opened a front by invading the Belgorod region towards the Kharkiv region.
Our politics are still stalled today, but the war as it stands can be glimpsed below.
Second façade
Russian forces are concentrated ten kilometers away in the Kharkiv region, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Moscow is prioritizing the capture of Vovchansk, the largest deal near the border, the Institute for the Study of War said, which could provide Russian forces with a base to launch a second phase of the offensive.
The goals of this are unclear, but Russian officials already know that Lyptsi is a target.
Vladimir Putin said capturing the city of Kharkiv was not part of the plan, but a former Ukrainian president said he may simply not be trusted.
The offensive has been fatal for civilians, with another 10 people killed in Russian strikes on Sunday, local governor Oleh Syniehubov said.
Russian forces captured 40 civilians in a town in Kharkiv, the head of the Kharkiv Regional Police Investigation Department, Serhii Bolvinov, said.
Meanwhile, anti-Putin Russian paramilitaries have joined Ukrainian troops to protect the new border.
Crimea
The Black Sea and the occupied Crimean peninsula are targets of Ukrainian forces.
On Tuesday they attacked the Belbek airfield, destroying a battery of air defense missiles, adding a formula of radar and launchers.
This follows three successful attacks between April 16 and May 12, the British Ministry of Defense said.
The Ukrainian Defense Forces destroyed a minesweeper of the Black Sea Fleet, the Ukrainian Navy reported.
Elsewhere on the line
Ukrainian troops have indicated that the war is entering a critical phase and that they are still in desperate need of ammunition.
Col. Pavlo Palisa, who is fighting near Chasiv Yar, said Russia is preparing for a primary offensive to break through Ukrainian lines in the east.
Ukraine’s weapons commander, Oleksandr Kozachenko, said his unit’s U. S. -supplied howitzer, which once fired 100 shells a day, has now been reduced to less than 10.
Beyond the Battlefield
Putin in China
The Russian president was in Beijing last week to meet with leader Xi Jinping.
They agreed to expand military exercises, warned of the possibility of a nuclear clash and floated the idea of weakening the West.
The two signed an agreement for a “new era” of strategic cooperation, criticizing the United States and pointing to its defense of Russia’s “sovereignty and territorial integrity. “
For the time being, we are postponing our war policy in Ukraine.
Scroll through the blog below to stay up to date with today’s developments.
Russian forces most likely intend to launch the second phase of their offensive after the planned capture of Vovchansk, five kilometers from the Russian border, according to the most recent research by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces pushed five to 10 kilometers deep into the northern Kharkiv region before Ukrainian forces halted the Russian advance.
The ISW says that lately Russian forces are prioritizing the capture of Vovchansk, as it is most likely one of the remaining tactical objectives of the first phase, and notes that it is the largest agreement on the border that would provide Russian forces with a platform to get ready and free the moment phase.
Russian objectives of the second phase are still clear, says the ISW. This can simply come with a further expansion of the “buffer zone” along the border or an approach to the city of Kharkiv.
Russian forces have also recently stepped up their efforts to capture the operationally vital city of Chasiv Yar, according to the ISW, to take advantage of pressure on strained Ukrainian forces.
The number of other people killed in Russian removals at a recreational site in Kharkiv has risen from five to six, and one hotel worker is still missing.
At least 27 other people were wounded in the two airstrikes, which took place about 20 minutes apart, according to an update from the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office on Telegram.
According to the update, the missing worker was fishing near a reservoir when the attack occurred.
Among the injured were two police officers, he added.
The British Defense Secretary showed the army “surrendered” to Ukraine.
Shapps said “the world cannot wait” and suggested nations “step up their efforts” and Kyiv’s fight against Russia.
Among the parts shipped through the UK are 80 missile defences, one million rounds of ammunition and 20 Viking amphibious vehicles.
Shapps’ tweet comes after he suggested allies allow Ukraine to use the weapons they have opposed for targets in Russian-annexed Crimea.
“We have been very, very transparent with the world and helpful to Ukraine, for example, by allowing the use of our weapons in Ukraine (. . . ), adding Crimea, which was taken by Putin in 2014,” he told the BBC on Sunday. with Laura Kuenssberg:
“Now we don’t know how to allow our weapons to be used outdoors. But we are offering our weapons to Ukraine so that it can protect its country. “
Asked about Volodymyr Zelensky’s calls for weapons to be held for actions in Russia, Shapps said: “I can’t go into detail about those personal conversations about how precisely weapons are used. “
“That’s why we want our legislation. “
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has published its operational update. . .
He said “intense” fighting continues along almost the entire front line, with 78 “clashes” today, up from 110 in yesterday’s total.
Russian forces are increasingly active on the Kharkiv front, and seven clashes have been reported so far.
The scenario in Kharkiv is said to be “dynamic”, with Russian troops trying to push back Ukrainian groups near Vovchansk, Starytsia and Lyptsi.
In recent days, Russia has introduced an all-out offensive that opened a new front in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region and put more pressure on Kyiv’s already overstretched army.
Russian forces have also stepped up their activity on the Siversk front and are going to break through Ukrainian defenses in Bilohorivka, Verkhnokamianske and Rozdolivka, according to the update.
Oleksandr Usyk defeated British boxing star Tyson Fury to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world on Saturday night.
But Fury says the end results of this war are the war in Ukraine.
He disputed his loss after the bout and said, “I won this fight. He won a few rounds, but I won most of them. “
“Their country is at war, so other people are siding with the country at war. Make no mistake, in my opinion, I won this fight. “
In response, Ukraine’s Usyk said he was “ready for the rematch,” though he later added: “I’m not thinking about the rematch now, I need to rest. “
He added that new attacks are reported “every hour. “
“Missiles, bombs, artillery are the things that allow Russia to continue its aggression,” he said on Telegram.
This morning, Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said the delay in Ukraine gives Russia a window of opportunity for its new offensive.
Five other people were killed in attacks in two villages in Kharkiv’s Kupiansk district, according to local officials.
This brings to 10 the number of people killed in the Kharkiv region, after another five people were killed in movements on a recreational land in the northern suburbs of the city of Kharkiv.
At least nine other people were wounded in the attacks.