Zelenskyy will meet Meloni, the Pope and perhaps Mattarella in Rome on Saturday 13th. Exiled mayor Ivan Fedorov reported a massive explosion in Melitopol in Ukraine’s Zaporizhia region, quoted by RBC Ukraine.
USA: “Kiev will receive Abrams tanks in early autumn”
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a Senate hearing that Ukraine will receive Abrams tanks in early fall and that training programs for Ukraine’s military to use these tanks should be completed by that date. The international media report about it. “We are doing everything we can to expedite the delivery of these tanks. According to our forecasts, this will happen in early autumn. In the meantime, we have brought several tanks to the training ground so that the Ukrainians can start training. When the training is complete, the tanks will be available,” he said.
China’s special envoy traveled to Kiev on Monday, then to Moscow
China’s special envoy for the Ukraine crisis will travel to Kiev on Monday and then to Moscow. This was announced by the Beijing Foreign Ministry.
Türkiye and neighboring parties extend wheat deal
Ukraine and Russia are on the verge of extending the agreement on grain exports from Ukrainian Black Sea ports reached last July in Istanbul, brokered by the United Nations and Ankara. This was quoted by Turkey’s Defense Minister Hulusi Akar from TRT broadcaster. The deal is due to expire on May 18 and so far, according to Akar, more than 30 million tons of grain have been shipped to those in need under the deal.
Kiev confirms: “2 kilometers to Bakhmut recovered”
Deputy Defense Minister of Ukraine Anna Malyar said that Ukrainian defenders did not lose a single position in the eastern city of Bakhmut this week, confirming the advance of Ukrainian forces by two kilometers. This is reported by Ukrainian media. “The enemy failed to carry out his plans; suffered heavy losses. Our defenders advanced 2 kilometers towards Bakhmut, we did not lose a single position to Bakhmut this week.” Malyar noted that about the situation in Bakhmut, the enemy “praises itself, talks about alleged successes and invents stories about the Ukrainian military command. The occupiers spread false information about the lack of weapons, presumably to justify the actual situation.
Prigozhin invites Shoigu to Bakhmut to “see with your own eyes”
The leader and founder of the Wagner Group Yevgeny Prigozhin wrote to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, inviting him to go to Bakhmut so that he could “see with his own eyes” what is happening in the besieged city in eastern Ukraine and “ “A Assess the situation” on site. “In view of the difficult operational situation in the region, but also the many years of combat experience that we have, I ask you to come to Bakhmut, which is “95 percent” “under the control of the paramilitary forces of the Russian Federation” ”. At the same time, Prigozhin said that “the enemy successfully launched a series of counterattacks” and reiterated that the Wagner group’s “offensive” for the “complete liberation” of Bakhmut continues.
Eurovision: Zelenskyy will not intervene, for organizers that is apolitical
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had planned to give a speech on the last night of the Eurovision Song Contest, but his request was rejected. The Times reported on it. The event will be held in Liverpool, UK, but should have been held in Ukraine as the 2022 Torino Kalush Orchestra claimed victory. The organisers’ position was explained in a note, which said the Eurovision Song Contest is an…entertainment show that is international and governed by strict rules and principles that have been laid down since its inception. One of the cornerstones of the competition is the non-political nature of the event. For this reason, “Sadly, Mr. Zelensky’s request to address the public at the Eurovision Song Contest, although made with laudable intentions, cannot unfortunately be accepted as it would be against the rules of the event.”
Kiev Army, in Bakhmut we are in an active offensive phase
“An active offensive phase of the Ukrainian armed forces is underway in Bakhmut. The enemy is mostly on the defensive. And in a position of shock,” one of the Ukrainian front-line officers, Major Maksym Zhorin, wrote in Telegram. “The Russians must maintain a strong defense and their advance is out of the question for now. Dynamic events are currently unfolding on the southern and northern flanks of Bakhmut, but we will not talk about the result yet,” Zhorin said. “As for the ‘ammunition shortage’ of Wagner or other Russian units…I can assure you they are not lacking in weapons,” he added.
Kiev, huge explosion in the center of occupied Melitopol
Exiled mayor Ivan Fedorov reported a massive explosion in Melitopol in Ukraine’s Zaporizhia region, quoted by RBC Ukraine. “A massive explosion in Melitopol in the middle of the city,” Fedorov said. According to Ria-Melitopol, the explosion was well heard by residents of the central part of the city, in the park and in the Pishanaya area. According to Russian forces in the city, the blast was a bomb planted in a garbage can by the Ukrainian military.
ISV: “Prigozhin disrupts the leadership of the Kremlin”
The leader and founder of the Wagner group Yevgeny Prigozhin goes even further. And his recent video messages, in which he attacks Moscow head-on by questioning its ability to protect Russia, seriously unsettle “the top leadership” of the Kremlin. This was stated by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), citing Kremlin sources on condition of anonymity, in its latest update on the conflict in Ukraine.
“Moscow denies that Kiev is taking action against Bakhmut”
The Russian Defense Ministry has denied reports of breakthroughs by Ukrainian forces at various points along the front line, saying the military situation is under control. The Guardian reports on it. Moscow responded after Russian military bloggers reported on Telegram about Ukrainian advances north and south of the eastern city of Bakhmut, with some suspecting a counteroffensive may be starting in Kiev.
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