The renewed Russian offensive in Ukraine’s Donbas has turned the eastern region into “hell”, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
The President said Moscow’s senseless bombardments had “completely destroyed” the region, as attacks continue to intensify.
“In Donbas, the occupiers are trying to increase pressure,” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly address on Thursday.
“There’s hell, and that’s not an exaggeration. The brutal and absolutely pointless bombing of Severodonetsk… 12 dead and dozens wounded in just one day.
“The bombing and shelling of other cities, the air and missile strikes of the Russian army – all this is not just hostilities during the war.”
Moscow’s forces have been trying to take complete control of Donbas, a Russian-speaking area that has been partially controlled since 2014 by pro-Kremlin separatists.
The defence ministry in Kyiv said on Thursday that Russian forces were preventing civilians in Donbas from fleeing to Ukrainian-controlled territory.
Follow the latest updates below.
07:05 AM
Paramedic’s smuggled footage shows horrors from Mariupol
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06:45 AM
Ukraine today, in pictures
06:22 AM
US, Russia trade blame on food insecurity
The United States and Russia blamed each other Thursday for the worsening food situation around the world as the war in Ukraine unfolds.
Washington called on Russia to allow exports of Ukrainian grain that is held up in Black Sea ports. Ukraine is one of the world’s top producers of wheat.
“Stop blocking the ports in the Black Sea. Allow for the free flow of ships and trains and trucks carrying food out of Ukraine,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a UN Security Council meeting organized by the United States.
“Stop threatening to withhold food and fertilizer exports from countries that criticize your war of aggression,” he said.
“The food supply for millions of Ukrainians and millions more around the world has quite literally been held hostage by the Russian military,” Mr Blinken added.
Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, countered by saying his country is being blamed for all of the world’s woes.
He said the world has long suffered from a food crisis caused by an inflationary spiral stemming from rising costs of insurance, logistical snarls, and speculation on Western markets.
He argued that Ukraine’s ports are blocked by Ukraine itself, which, he said, has placed mines along the Black Sea coast.
05:52 AM
Multiple dead after missiles hit Chernihiv region
Several people have been killed in Ukraine’s Chernihiv region, north of Kyiv, after the village of Desna was struck by Russian missiles, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
In his nightly video address on Thursday, Mr Zelensky called the missile strikes a “terrible blow” for Desna, which is located about 40 miles from the border with Belarus.
Rescuers continue to scour through rubble where dead bodies have been pulled from the destruction.
“There is an analysis of debris, many dead,” Mr Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian President claimed the strikes were a “deliberate and criminal attempt to kill as many Ukrainians as possible”.
05:37 AM
Civilians dead as Russian shelling bombards Luhansk
Russian shelling has killed 13 civilians over the past 24 hours in Ukraine’s eastern region of Luhansk, the regional governor, Serhiy Gaidai, said on Friday.
Twelve people were killed in the town of Sievierodonesk, where a Russian assault proved unsuccessful.
The town and the city of Lysychansk are located in an area where Russian troops have launched an offensive.
05:29 AM
Russian forces likely to target Donbas region
Russia is likely to order its forces to reinforce operations in the Donbas region once it has secured Mariupol, the UK’s Ministry of Defence said.
As many as 1,700 Ukrainian soldiers have surrendered from the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol since Monday.
An unknown number of Ukrainian troops remain inside the steelworks.
“Staunch Ukrainian resistance in Mariupol since the start of the war means Russian forces in the area must be re-equipped and refurbished before they can be redeployed effectively,” the ministry said in a statement.
“This can be a lengthy process when done thoroughly.
“Russian commanders, however, are under pressure to demonstrably achieve operational objectives. This means that Russia will probably redistribute their forces swiftly without adequate preparation, which risks further force attrition.”
04:32 AM
US missiles could end Putin’s food blockade
The United States is considering sending Ukraine advanced anti-ship missiles to sink Russian war vessels in the Black Sea and end the Kremlin’s naval food blockade.
US officials said sea-skimming Harpoon and Naval Strike Missiles [NSMs] could be dispatched, either directly, or by European allies equipped with them.
A handful of nations were said to be open to sending Harpoons, which have a range of up to almost 300km, but there was hesitation over being the first to do so amid concerns over escalation.
Vladimir Putin has been blocking Ukrainian ports to stop grain and other produce leaving the so-called “breadbasket of Europe”, triggering a global food crisis.
02:08 AM
Ukrainians blocked from crossing into Zaporizhzhia
More than 1,000 cars with Ukrainians inside have been blocked from crossing into the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, a Ukrainian-held territory, according to the regional military administration.
Several cars were stuck at a Russian checkpoint in the city of Vasylivka after attempting to evacuate on Friday.
“In Vasylivka, the occupiers have not allowed more than 1,000 cars to enter the territory controlled by Ukraine for the fourth day in a row,” a post on Telegram stated.
Women and children were among the evacuees in the cars, with the administration adding that most of them no longer had money for food and water.
A number of cars managed to evacuate to the city of Zaporizhzhia on Thursday.
01:54 AM
In pictures: Kharkiv residents shelter from horrors of war
12:35 AM
UK’s medical aid donations to Ukraine to reach 11 million items
Medical aid donations from the UK to Ukraine will surpass more than 11 million items in the coming days after a fourth tranche of aid departed for delivery last week.
The supplies include 4.2 million doses of medicines – such as painkillers and antibiotics that are critical for treating infections caused by battlefield trauma and 1.5 million other items – including PPE and respirators.
Specialist brain and spinal injury equipment will be used to treat the severely injured, with further deliveries of ambulances expected to arrive in the coming weeks.
The items in the latest deliveries total 5.78 million, bringing the UK’s overall supply aid donations to 11.07 million.
“The UK stands shoulder to shoulder with our Ukrainian friends. As the medical emergency inflicted by Russia escalates, we have responded with life-saving medical supplies where they are needed most,” Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said in a statement.
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said Ukraine was in desperate need of medical supplies, with Vladimir Putin targeting healthcare facilities like maternity units, hospitals and ambulances.
“The UK’s support for our friends in Ukraine is unwavering, giving medicines and equipment they desperately need, which has saved tens of thousands of lives,” he said.
12:14 AM
Zelensky thanks US for $40 billion aid package
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the United States for the $40 billion emergency aid package, which received final congressional approval on Thursday.
The final vote was 86-11 and the bill will now go to President Joe Biden for his signature.
“This is a demonstration of strong leadership and a necessary contribution to our common defense of freedom,” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly video address to the nation.
He also thanked the European Union for its support.
“And for our partners this is not just an expense or a gift. This is their contribution to security,” Mr Zelensky said.
“For defending Ukraine also defends them from new wars and crises that Russia could provoke if it is successful in the war against Ukraine.”
I praise the ???????? Senate’s approval of the Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2022. $ 40 billion is a significant ???????? contribution to the restoration of peace and security in Ukraine, Europe and the world. We look forward to the signing of the law by @POTUS
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 19, 2022
12:09 AM
Today’s top stories
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The US is considering sending Ukraine advanced anti-ship missiles to sink Russian war vessels in the Black Sea and end the Kremlin’s naval food blockade
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Several people have been killed following missile strike in a village in the Chernihiv region
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A senior Chernobyl manager has been arrested after Ukrainian forces accused him of collaborating with the Russians attempting to seize the nuclear power plant
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Russian troops are intensifying their attacks in the Donbas, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said
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12 civilians have been killed and more than 40 wounded by Russian shelling in the city of Severodonetsk, in the Luhansk region
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President Zelensky thanked the US for the $40 billion aid package, which got final congressional approval
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US President Joe Biden welcomed Finland’s President Sauli Niinisto and Sweden’s Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson to the White House, where they discussed the latter two’s application for Nato membership
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The G7 countries committed $18.4 billion in transfers and loans to help Ukraine meet its immediate financing needs, according to a draft communique seen by Reuters
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Russia said on Thursday that 1,730 Ukrainian soldiers had surrendered this week at Mariupol’s Azovstal steel plant, after a desperate battle that has become emblematic of the nearly three-month-old war
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The UK targeted more Russian airlines – Aeroflot, Ural Airlines and Rossiya Airlines – with sanctions
