Update on the crisis in Russia and Ukraine, May 16th. Click here for the latest information from May 15th.
Ukrainian troops claim to have reached the Russian border
Ukraine released footage on Sunday, stating that its troops had reached the border with Russia and had re-established a blue and yellow border crossing.
The location has not been identified, but some reports indicate that this footage may have been taken in the Kharkov area.
The video was released when Ukraine said it had stopped Russia’s attack in the east and Western military officials said the Moscow campaign had slowed to the snail’s pace.
Ukrainian troops said they had stopped a new attack in the Dontesk area of Donbas.
Russian troops also tried to move forward near the eastern city of Izyum, but Ukrainian troops stopped them, the governor of the Kharkiv region of Ukraine reported.
Ukraine’s most experienced and well-equipped soldiers are based in eastern Ukraine and have fought against Moscow-backed separatists for eight years.
___
Russia says it hits Ukraine’s position in the fight for Donbus
Russia struck eastern Ukraine on Sunday, surrounded Ukrainian troops at the Battle of Donbus, and tried to fend off a counterattack around the strategic Russian-dominated city of Izyum, the Pentagon said.
Since mid-April, Russian troops have focused a lot of firepower on trying to occupy two eastern states known as Donbus after failing to seize Kyiv.
The Russian Defense Ministry said rockets attacked two command points, 11 corporate positions and four artillery stores in four regions east of Donetsk, deep in the Ukrainian-controlled region between Donetsk and Izyum.
The Pentagon said Russian troops had attacked areas near the cities of Baksmut and Kostantinovka.
Russia has also destroyed two S-300 missile systems and radar posts in the Smy region of northeastern Ukraine, the Pentagon said.
Russia states that since the start of military operations, its troops have destroyed 165 aircraft, 125 helicopters, 879 unmanned aerial vehicles, 306 anti-aircraft missile systems, 3,098 tanks and other armored fighting vehicles. rice field.
___
NATO Chiefs Stoltemberg: Ukraine Can Win This War
NATO’s secretary general said Sunday that Russia’s attack on Ukraine had failed and operations in the Donbus region were stagnant.
“Russia’s war in Ukraine is not proceeding as planned by Moscow. They could not rob Kyiv,” Jens Stortemberg told reporters in a videolink. “They are withdrawing from Kharkov and their major attack on Donbus is at a standstill.”
“Ukraine can win this war,” he said, adding that NATO must continue to strengthen its military support to the country.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
follow