War

The Ukrainian authorities have information that Russia is holding more than 27,000 Ukrainian civilians on its territory. The Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets said this during a briefing, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "According to our data, more than 27 thousand civilian hostages are being held by the Russian Federation (on its territory - ed.). This is a huge number of our citizens who are actually held captive by the Russians," Lubinets said. Answering the question of whether there is any progress in the issue of the release of UNIAN journalist Dmytro Khilyuk from Russian captivity, the Ombudsman…

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, while on a visit to Tallinn, has reaffirmed the UK's support for Ukraine and called on all other countries to provide such support. According to Ukrinform, Cleverly said this in an interview with Estonia's public broadcaster ERR. "We know that Ukraine is planning to push back hard against Russia sometime this spring and the UK has made it clear that we will continue to support Ukraine until they are successful in defending themselves against Russia. We call upon is that all of the countries that are currently supporting Ukraine to have the endurance to work…

Any proposals to start negotiations to end Russia's war against Ukraine must take into account the need for the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said this in her speech at the GLOBSEC 2023 Bratislava Forum, according to an Ukrinform correspondent. "There is much discussion of peace plans and ceasefires. Above all, there must be the principle: nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. Together with Ukraine, we want a just peace, one that does not reward the aggressor, but one that upholds the principles of the UN Charter and the Ukrainian people's right…

Since the beginning of May 2023, Russia has increasingly ceded the initiative at the front and is reacting to the actions of Ukraine, rather than actively moving towards its own war aims. The UK Ministry of Defense said this in a new intelligence update on Twitter, Ukrinform reports. “Since the start of May 2023, Russia has increasingly ceded the initiative in the conflict and is reacting to Ukrainian action rather than actively progressing towards its own war aims,” the report says. It is noted that during May 2023, Russia has launched 20 nights of one-way-attack uncrewed aerial vehicle and cruise…

U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said after a meeting with British National Security Advisor Tim Barrow that he expects a successful Ukrainian counteroffensive. According to an Ukrinform correspondent, Graham reported this on his Twitter account. "We have a common view that Ukraine has exceeded every expectation and Russian forces have been bloodied and weakened in Ukraine. Expect real Ukrainian gains in counteroffensive, but we must show continued commitment to maximize effect," Graham said. Read also: Senator Graham says Ukraine's counteroffensive will show results in coming days and weeks He added that the British Storm Shadow air launched missile "has been…

Drones attacked the Afipsky oil refinery in the Krasnodar Krai, Russia, in the early hours of Wednesday, May 31. That's according to regional governor Venyamin Kondratyev, Ukrinform reports. One of the fuel oil distillation units caught fire. According to preliminary reports, the refinery was hit by drones. The fire broke out on an area of 100 square meters. The blaze was put out. Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Russia's Belgorod region, earlier reported the shelling of the city of Shebekino. Residential buildings were allegedly damaged there.

At Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the invaders have increased the pressure on the personnel and forced them to sign a contract with the Russians under torture. Ukraine's state-owned power generating company Energoatom reported this on Telegram, according to Ukrinform. "In Enerhodar, the satellite city of the temporarily occupied NPP, the rashists have significantly intensified the search for Ukrainian nuclear workers who have been courageously holding out for more than a year, not signing employment contracts with the fake JSC 'Operating Organization of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant' or any other Rosatom enterprise," the post reads. It adds that the…

It is in Ukraine where it is currently being decided whether freedom and civilization will preserve global leadership. The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, stated this in his address to the nation on Tuesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "Now, it is precisely in Ukraine, on our land, and in our sky where it is being decided whether freedom and civilization will preserve global leadership in this century. It is decided by us, together with America, together with Europe, together with all our allies and partners. Thank you to everyone in the world who is helping," he clarified. The president said…

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has said that Ukraine has the "legitimate right" to defend itself and can "project force" outside its borders. That's according to Sky News, Ukrinform reports. "It [Ukraine] has the legitimate right to do so within its own borders of course, but it does also have the right to project force beyond its borders to undermine Russia's ability to project force into Ukraine itself," Cleverly said. Read also: Rutte: Helping Ukraine to defend itself is not a choice, it must be done Commenting on this morning's Moscow drone attack and whether Ukraine has the right to…

Explosions rocked the temporarily occupied city of Melitopol on Tuesday, May 30. The Ukrainian mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, reported this on Telegram, according to Ukrinform. "Residents can see black smoke at the western exit from Melitopol - in the area of the Avtocolorlyt factory captured by the occupiers, which the enemy turned into a military base," the post reads. Fedorov also published several photos.