As the war enters its 450th day, we take a look at the most important developments.
Here is the state of affairs on Friday, May 19, 2023.
To fight
- The Ukrainian army and Russia’s private Wagner Group reported fresh Russian withdrawals on the outskirts of Bakhmut, while Kiev continued its biggest advance in six months ahead of a planned major counter-offensive.
- Ukraine said it gained about a kilometer in some places while buying time for “certain planned actions”.
- Russian troops are firing on Ukrainian supply lines in Bakhmut to try to halt Ukraine’s advance, soldiers near the frontline said.
- Russia fired dozens of cruise missiles at Kiev – the ninth time this month the capital has been attacked.
- The raids also targeted the Odessa region, where at least one person was killed, according to Ukrainian officials. Ukraine said its forces shot down 29 of the 30 missiles.
- Rail traffic between Simferopol, the capital of the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula, was suspended after a grain train derailed. Moscow-backed officials have called the incident a deliberate act.
Diplomacy
- China’s special envoy Li Hui concluded his meeting with Kiev and repeatedly called on Ukraine and Russia to begin peace talks to end the war, the foreign ministry said.
- The United Nations said three new ships have been allowed to participate in the Black Sea grain deal, enabling the safe export of Ukrainian grain.
- Russia announced that African leaders would visit Moscow next month or early July as part of a peace initiative for the war in Ukraine announced by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed with US President Joe Biden to continue sanctions against Russia and support Ukraine. The two men met ahead of the G7 summit, which begins in Hiroshima on Friday.
- Moldova wants EU membership “as soon as possible” to protect itself from any threat from Russia, President Maia Sandu said. Sandu said she hoped a decision to start negotiations would be made “in the coming months”.
Weapons
- The Pentagon overvalued US equipment it sent to Ukraine by about $3 billion, according to officials in an accounting error that opens the possibility of more weapons being sent to Kiev.