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Summary Ukraine says Russia has stepped up air attacksOne person wounded in central district - mayorAll inbound missiles shot down - city officialsKYIV, May 29 (Reuters) - Explosions rang out across Kyiv on Monday as Russia launched its 16th air attack on the Ukrainian capital this month, hours after unleashing dozens of missiles and drones overnight. All the Russian missiles were shot down, but one person in the central Podil district was taken to hospital, authorities said. Ukraine shot down 11 cruise and ballistic missiles fired in the second of Monday's attacks on Kyiv, said Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Firefighters work at a site of a private building damaged during a massive Russian air strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv region, Ukraine May 29, 2023. Russia has increased the frequency of air attacks as Ukraine prepares to launch a counteroffensive.

☆ Ukraine says Russia eases Bakhmut attacks, Kyiv talks up counteroffensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Separately, senior Ukrainian officials indicated their forces were ready to launch a long-promised counteroffensive to recapture territory taken by Russia since the start of the war. In a statement on Telegram, Ukraine Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said Russian forces were continuing to attack but that overall offensive activity had decreased. Kyiv is expected to soon launch a highly anticipated counteroffensive to retake Russian-occupied territory. Ukraine's top general, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, posted a sleekly produced video on Saturday showing Ukrainian troops swearing an oath and preparing for battle. Reporting by Dan Peleschuk and David Ljunggren; Editing by Conor Humphries and David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Kyiv says Russian forces ease attacks on Bakhmut to regroup
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Russia's Wagner private army began handing over its positions to regular Russian troops this week after declaring full control of Bakhmut following the longest and bloodiest battle of the war. In a statement on Telegram, Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said Russian forces have continued attacking but that "overall offensive activity has decreased". "The decrease in the enemy's offensive activity is due to the fact that troops are being replaced and regrouped," Maliar said. The commander of Ukraine's ground forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, posted a video on Saturday which he said depicted Ukrainian special forces operating inside the ruined city. Ukraine's top general posted a sleekly produced video on Saturday showing Ukrainian troops swearing an oath and preparing for battle.

☆ Ukrainian military intelligence: Russian groups behind incursion
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, May 22 (Reuters) - Ukraine's military intelligence service blamed an armed operation in Russia's Belgorod region on Monday on "opposition-minded Russian citizens" from two paramilitary groups, Ukrainian media outlet Hromadske said. Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said a Ukrainian army "sabotage group" had entered Russian territory in the Graivoron district, which borders Ukraine. Hromadske quoted military intelligence spokesperson Andriy Yusov as saying the Freedom of Russia Legion and Russian Volunteer Corps were responsible for the incursion. "Responsibility for these events was taken by citizens of (Russia), particularly the RDK and the 'Freedom of Russia' Legion," he said, using the acronym for the Russian Volunteer Corps. "I think we all can only welcome the decisive actions of opposition-minded Russian citizens, who are ready for an armed struggle against the criminal regime of (President) Vladimir Putin."

☆ Zelenskiy seeks G7 support for Kyiv's 'peace formula'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, May 21 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy sought global support on Sunday for Kyiv's plan to end Russia's war in Ukraine, telling G7 leaders it was "an obvious expression of rationality". Zelenskiy, who is attending the G7 summit in Japan in person, has in recent months been promoting what his administration has billed as a "peace formula". And the Ukrainian Peace Formula is an obvious expression of rationality. In a separate social media post, Zelenskiy said he had presented the plan to G7 leaders at the Hiroshima summit. Zelenskiy has pushed Western allies and other countries to go further on both economic and military measures to support Kyiv as Russia's 15-month invasion drags on.

☆ Ukraine says troops partly encircle Bakhmut, still control some of city
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, May 21 (Reuters) - Ukrainian forces have partly encircled the besieged eastern city of Bakhmut along the flanks and still control a part of the city, Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said on Sunday. But Maliar said Ukrainian troops are continuing their advances along Bakhmut's outskirts and have claimed part of the heights overlooking the city. "Our forces have taken the city in a semi-encirclement, which gives us the opportunity to destroy the enemy," she wrote on the Telegram messaging app. "Therefore, the enemy has to defend himself in the part of the city he controls." Maliar added that Ukrainian troops are still defending industrial and infrastructure facilities in Bakhmut as well as a private sector of the city.

☆ Pro-government rally in Moldovan capital draws tens of thousands
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Alexander Tanas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] People wave flags of European Union and Moldova during a rally to support the European path of the country, in Chisinau, Moldova May 21, 2023. President Maia Sandu has accused Russia of seeking to sabotage its European integration by fuelling anti-government protests and propaganda. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, on a visit to Chisinau, also addressed the rally, saying Europe would welcome Moldova "with open arms and open hearts". "This is about the both of us: You will bring a piece of Moldova to Europe, and you will make Europe stronger," she said. "I believe in a European Moldova and want for my country a future with advanced economic and socio-political development," said 18-year-old attendee Alexandrina Miron.

☆ Zelenskiy likens Bakhmut's devastation to Hiroshima after World War Two
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 21 (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy likened the ruins of Ukraine's eastern city of Bakhmut with the destruction of Hiroshima in World War Two, as he attended the Group of Seven summit in the Japanese city on Sunday. "I'll tell you openly: Photographs of ruined Hiroshima absolutely remind me of Bakhmut and other similar settlements. Zelenskiy told the press conference that Ukrainian forces were continuing to fighting inside the city of Bakhmut and were carrying out "important tasks". He added that he would like to see the same kind of successful reconstruction that Hiroshima experienced in places like Bakhmut once the war is over. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova mocked Zelenskiy's comparison, saying the United States bombed Hiroshima and provided military support for Ukraine.

☆ 'Losing our best': activists killed in war seen as blow to Ukraine's future
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Dan Peleschuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The European Union offered Kyiv candidate status last year and made improving governance and fighting corruption key requirements for membership negotiations. He was killed fighting near Izium in the east of the county last June aged 24. "Misha was definitely another type of activist, who was ready to act in many different ways," said professor Yuliya Bidenko, who taught Alekseyenko political science. The mass flight of millions of refugees after Russia's invasion has also dealt a blow to Ukraine's potential political class, Bidenko added. "People like this are just extremely necessary for us after the war," Davydenko said of Tsakhniv.

☆ Ukraine reports gains around Bakhmut, battles continue
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

She said the Ukrainian military had reclaimed about 20 square kilometers (7.5 square miles) or territory from the Russian forces in the past few days around Bakhmut, a small city where fighting has been fierce for months. "At the same time, the enemy is advancing somewhat in Bakhmut itself, completely destroying the city with artillery." She reiterated that Russia was sending in new paratroopers and added: "Heavy battles continue with different results." The Ukrainian military said last week it had started to push Russian forces back around Bakhmut after months of heavy fighting, and Moscow acknowledged that its forces had fallen back north of the city. Moscow sees Bakhmut, a city of about 70,000 before Russia's full-scale invasion nearly 15 months ago, as a stepping stone towards capturing the rest of the eastern Donbas region.

☆ Ukraine Supreme Court chief dismissed after being detained in bribery case
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Dan Peleschuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"At this time, the head of the Supreme Court has been detained and measures are being taken to check other individuals for involvement in criminal activity," Omelchenko told a joint briefing with the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU). [1/4] Money found by detectives of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau during investigative actions in a corruption case involving judges of the Supreme Court is depicted in an unknown location in Ukraine in this handout picture released May 15, 2023. Press Service of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine/Handout via REUTERS 1 2 3 4An emergency Supreme Court plenary meeting hours later voted no-confidence in Kniaziev and then voted for his dismissal as head of the court. In a statement, NABU said the Supreme Court head was suspected of taking a $2.7-million bribe. The agency's chief, Semen Kryvonos, told Tuesday's briefing it was the most high-profile case involving Ukrainian agencies fighting corruption.

☆ Belarus opposition told to 'be ready' for democracy push as rumours of leader's ill health swirl
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Exiled Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya speaks at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit, in Copenhagen, Denmark May 15, 2023. State TV later broadcast a clip of Lukashenko at what it said was a central air force command base. Dressed in a military uniform, Lukashenko appeared to have a bandage on his left hand and to be short of breath at times. "There are many rumours about the dictator Lukashenko's health," Tsikhanouskaya she tweeted to supporters. Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for the Ukrainian military intelligence agency, said in televised comments that Kyiv had information about Lukashenko's health, but said he would not comment for various reasons.

"The last few days have shown that we can move forward and destroy the enemy even in such extremely difficult conditions," he said. The Kremlin, for its part, said it did not believe the added British hardware would change the course of the conflict. Moscow has acknowledged retreating north of the city, and the head of the Wagner private army fighting inside Bakhmut has said Russia's regular forces have fled positions on the northern and southern flanks. The public rift between Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin and the commanders of regular Russian forces has deepened over the past two weeks, with Prigozhin releasing daily audio and video messages denouncing the Russian military brass. However, both he and the Kremlin dismissed a Washington Post report citing U.S. intelligence leaks that Prigozhin had offered to betray the positions of regular Russian forces in January in return for Kyiv pulling back some troops in Bakhmut.

☆ Ukrainian security agency says it suspects tycoon Firtash of embezzlement
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, May 15 (Reuters) - Ukraine's state security agency has served businessman Dmytro Firtash and top managers of companies he controls with "notices of suspicion" of embezzlement, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said in a statement on Monday. A representative for Firtash, who is currently in Vienna, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. "Effectively we are talking about the embezzlement of money from ordinary Ukrainians who paid their utility bills," the statement said. The European Union has also made tackling corruption a priority for Kyiv as it tries to join the wealthy bloc. Ukraine imposed sanctions on Firtash last June, accusing him of selling titanium products that Kyiv said ended up being used by Russian military enterprises.

☆ Ukraine hails its first offensive success in defence of Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Dan Peleschuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Ukrainian servicemen rest at their positions after a fight, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, near the front line city of Bakhmut, in Donetsk region, Ukraine May 11, 2023. "The advance of our troops along the Bakhmut direction is the first success of offensive actions in the defence of Bakhmut," Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander of Ground Forces, said in a statement posted on the Telegram messaging app. Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said heavy fighting continued in and around Bakhmut, and that "everything" was difficult there. Moscow, which launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly 15 months ago, sees Bakhmut as a stepping stone to attacking other Ukrainian cities. Kyiv has said before that keeping up the defence of Bakhmut allows for the military to prepare its expected counteroffensive.

☆ Russian forces evacuating town near occupied nuclear plant, Kyiv says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, May 7 (Reuters) - Russian forces are evacuating residents from the town that serves the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, the Ukrainanian military said on Sunday. In its morning update, Ukraine's General staff said Russian forces were evacuating local Russian passport-holders to the port city of Berdyansk and the town Prymorsk, both on the coast of the Sea of Azov. "The first to be evacuated are those who accepted Russian citizenship in the first months of the occupation," it said in a statement. The head of the U.N.'s nuclear power watchdog said on Saturday the situation around the station, Europe's largest, has become "potentially dangerous". Both sides have accused one another of shelling the plant and efforts to secure a safety zone around it have failed.

☆ Russia keeps up missile attacks on Ukraine ahead of expected Kyiv offensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, May 7 (Reuters) - Russia kept up its missile attacks on Ukraine on Sunday ahead of a widely anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive, targeting an industrial site in the southern Mykolaiv region, authorities said. Ukrainian air force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat told local television on Sunday morning that a total of six of those missiles had been fired at Ukraine overnight but that none had hit their targets. Russian forces have stepped up their long-range missile strikes on civilian and infrastructure targets in recent days. The overnight strikes coincided with Ukrainian and Russian media reports of multiple explosions across Russian-occupied Crimea. Ukraine, without confirming any role in those attacks, says destroying enemy infrastructure is preparation for a planned ground assault.

☆ Ukrainian defenders oust Russian forces from some positions in Bakhmut - Ukraine general
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, May 1 (Reuters) - Ukrainian counterattacks have ousted Russian forces from some positions in the besieged eastern city of Bakhmut, but the situation remains "difficult", a top Ukrainian general said in comments released Monday. "The situation is quite difficult," said Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of ground forces, in a statement on Telegram. "At the same time, in certain parts of the city, the enemy was counterattacked by our units and left some positions." He added that new Russian units, including paratroopers and fighters from the Wagner mercenary group, were being "constantly thrown into battle" despite taking heavy losses. Russian forces have steadily made incremental gains in Bakhmut, but a Ukrainian military spokesman said on Sunday it was still possible to supply the defenders with food, ammunition and medicine.

☆ Ukrainian defenders oust Russian forces from some positions in Bakhmut -Ukraine general
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, May 1 (Reuters) - Ukrainian units have ousted Russian forces from some positions in Bakhmut amid fierce battles, a top Ukrainian general said on Monday, as the White House believes that more than 20,000 Russian fighters have been killed in Ukraine since December. "The situation (in Bakhmut) is quite difficult," Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, the Ukrainian commander of ground forces, said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app. Syrskyi said that new Russian units are being "constantly thrown into battle for Bakhmut" despite taking heavy losses, Syrskyi said, adding: "But the enemy is unable to take control of the city." Russian forces have steadily made incremental gains in Bakhmut, but Ukraine said on Sunday that it was still possible to supply the defenders with food, ammunition and medicine. Kyiv is widely expected soon to launch a counter-offensive to retake swathes of territory in the east and south that were occupied by Russian forces following the invasion 15 months ago.

☆ New bodies aim to boost Ukraine defence ministry's efficiency, transparency
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, April 28 (Reuters) - Two new advisory bodies will help make Ukraine's defence ministry more efficient and transparent, Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on Friday. The Office for the Support of Changes and the Public Anti-Corruption Council were set up earlier this month following allegations that the ministry bought food for troops at inflated prices. "Today is a time for reform, even during this war," Reznikov told an online briefing. The Public Anti-Corruption Council contained people who were publicly elected by thousands of voters, he said. Reznikov said in February that hundreds of officials at the defence ministry or in the armed forces had been disciplined last year after internal audits, and that he had "zero tolerance" for corruption.

☆ Russia says it has gained more ground in battle for Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The battle for Bakhmut has turned into one of the bloodiest of the 14-month war, with the Eastern Ukrainian city almost completely destroyed by artillery shelling and urban combat. Russia says capturing Bakhmut will allow it to mount further offensives into eastern Ukraine. If they succeed, Moscow's forces are likely to face even larger urban battles for the nearby towns of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the private Wagner military force which is leading the assault on the city, has claimed his troops control 80% of Bakhmut. "There is no enemy foothold on the left (eastern) bank of the Dnipro river ... our military completely controls that territory," Vladimir Saldo wrote on his Telegram channel.

☆ Russia increases shelling, air strikes in Bakhmut - Ukrainian general
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Adam Tactic Group/Handout via REUTERSKYIV, April 18 (Reuters) - Russian forces are stepping up their use of heavy artillery and air strikes in the devastated eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, the commander of Ukraine's ground forces said on Tuesday. Fighting in and around Bakhmut has for months been the epicentre of the war in Ukraine. "Currently, the enemy is increasing the activity of heavy artillery and the number of air strikes, turning the city into ruins," General Oleksandr Syrskyi said in a statement. Russia says Ukrainian forces have also suffered heavy losses in Bakhmut. The Ukrainian military is widely expected to mount a counteroffensive in coming weeks or months aimed at recapturing Russian-held territory.

Kyiv and the West accuse Russian forces of committing war crimes in occupied Ukrainian territory, which Moscow denies. Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk and Donetsk are the four regions that Putin proclaimed annexed last September following what Ukraine said were sham referendums. Russian forces only partly control the four regions. HEAVY ARTILLERYFighting has raged in and around Bakhmut in Donetsk region for months, with Ukrainian forces holding out despite regular claims by Russia to have taken the city. "Any use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons by Russia would be met with severe consequences," they said.

☆ Ukraine will 'test and use' any non-banned weapons to retake Crimea: official
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, April 14 (Reuters) - Ukraine will "test and use" any non-banned weapons to liberate its territory, including Russian-occupied Crimea, the head of its National Security and Defence Council said on Friday. Oleksiy Danilov's comment comes with Kyiv expected to mount a counteroffensive in the coming weeks or months aimed at retaking Russian-held territory in the south and east. "Crimea is the territory of Ukraine, and we will test and use there any weapons not prohibited by international laws, that will help liberate our territories," he tweeted. Kyiv's Western partners have provided crucial military support, including modern battle tanks and armoured vehicles, since Russia's full-scale invasion last year. But they have stopped short of providing heavier weapons, such as F-16 fighter jets, which Ukraine has asked for.

☆ Nine killed in Russian strike, rescue teams sift through wreckage
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Kai Pfaffenbach | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Emergency services in eastern Donetsk Region, in a statement on Facebook, said the death toll stood at nine at midnight (2100 GMT), including a two-year-old child. Pavlo Kyrylenko, governor of Donetsk Region, told national television earlier that seven Russian S-300 missiles had been fired. Rescue teams searching for victims sifted through rubble through the night, using cranes, ladders and other heavy equipment in the shells of apartments and stairwells. [1/5] A man stands next to a residential building damaged by a Russian military strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Sloviansk, Donetsk region, Ukraine April 14, 2023. "The evil state once again demonstrates its essence," Zelenskiy wrote in a separate post accompanied by footage of a damaged building.

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