Kremlin accuses the West of waging war against Russia After the first evacuation of the steelworks in Mariupol: Hundreds of soldiers continue on the site The developments in the Ukraine war in the stern ticker.
Day 83 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine: After 260 Ukrainian soldiers were evacuated from the Azovstal Steelworks in the besieged city of Mariupol overnight, hundreds more remain at the site.
The area around the city of Lviv has again become the target of Russian airstrikes, and 19 civilians are said to have been killed in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Tuesday, May 17th news of the war in Ukraine:
3:39 p.m .: The World Criminal Court sends the largest investigative team to Ukraine
In the course of investigations into possible war crimes in Ukraine, the International Criminal Court sent a team of 42 experts to the country. It is the largest investigative team that the International Criminal Court has ever sent, as chief prosecutor Karim Khan said in The Hague. The team included investigators and forensic experts. According to the prosecution, the Netherlands had provided some of the experts.
The experts should interview witnesses, secure and analyze evidence and support national investigators in securing evidence and evidence.
After the invasion of Russia, the International Criminal Court had already opened investigations into alleged war crimes. The court, based in The Hague, prosecutes lone perpetrators for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. Russia does not recognize the court. Ukraine, however, has expressly recognized the court’s jurisdiction over its territory.
3:33 p.m.: Authorities – Eight dead in Russian attack in northern Ukraine
According to Ukrainian sources, at least eight people were killed and twelve others injured in a Russian attack north of Kyiv. A spokesman for the authorities told the AFP news agency that the shelling hit Desna, around 60 kilometers north of the Ukrainian capital. A training center of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is located in Desna.
Russia continued shelling across Ukraine on Tuesday night. Sirens could be heard in many places early in the morning. A spokesman for the military administration in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv said military infrastructure had been hit on the border with Poland. The Ukrainian army also reported shelling from Odessa and Mykolayiv in the south of the country.
1.30 p.m .: G7 finance ministers talk about billions in aid for Ukraine
The leading Western industrial nations (G7) are discussing grants for Ukraine worth billions. At the meeting of the G7 finance ministers this week on the Petersberg near Bonn, they want to initiate budget support for the country shaken by the Russian war, as the German Press Agency learned from those close to the finance ministry.
Accordingly, Ukraine has asked for aid of around five billion euros per month for three months. Overall, it is initially about 15 billion euros. After the three months, however, further support may be needed.
1:29 p.m .: Scholz talks to Selenskyj about the military and humanitarian situation
Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj again. According to government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit, the politicians exchanged views on the current military and humanitarian situation in Ukraine.
According to the information, Scholz and Zelenskyj agree “that a diplomatic negotiated solution between Ukraine and Russia” is necessary. To do this, Russia must end its hostilities immediately and withdraw Russian troops from Ukraine. In addition, the Chancellor and the Ukrainian President are said to have exchanged views on further support options and “agreed to remain in close contact”.
1:17 p.m .: “Humanitarian operation” in Mariupol steelworks continues, according to Kyiv
Efforts to rescue the last remaining Ukrainian soldiers in Mariupol are continuing, according to information from Kyiv. “We are working on further stages of the humanitarian operation,” writes Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk in the Telegram news service. The 52 seriously injured men who were brought out of the Azovstal steel mill on Monday would soon be exchanged for Russian prisoners of war, she says. There is no further confirmation from the Russian side.
12:02 p.m .: Russia confirms numerous rocket attacks on Ukraine
Russia’s military has reported numerous rocket attacks on various parts of Ukraine. In the western Ukrainian region of Lviv, Ukrainian reservists and foreign military equipment were attacked with Kalibr rockets, says Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov. In the northern Ukrainian region of Chernihiv, among other things, military training centers were attacked.
In the east of the country, parts of the railway infrastructure were destroyed in the Kharkiv region and several targets were fired at with rockets in the Donetsk region. In total, more than 470 Ukrainian fighters have been killed in the past 24 hours, says Konashenkov. The information could not initially be independently verified.
11:36 am: Moscow: 265 soldiers after evacuation from Azov steelworks in Russian captivity
According to Moscow, the Ukrainian soldiers evacuated from the besieged steel plant in Mariupol “surrendered” and are now in Russian captivity. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, 265 fighters laid down their arms within 24 hours. 51 of them were taken to Novoazovsk for treatment with serious injuries.
Deputy Defense Minister of Ukraine Hanna Malyar said on Monday that 264 soldiers, including 51 seriously injured, had been evacuated from the steel plant of the Azov steel group and taken to areas controlled by Russian soldiers and pro-Russian fighters. According to them, the Ukrainian soldiers are to be “exchanged” at a later date.
11:30 a.m .: Kremlin accuses West of “war” against Russia
The Kremlin accuses the West of waging war against Russia. “They are enemy states. Because what they are doing is war,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov during an appearance at an education conference near Moscow. President Vladimir Putin had previously spoken of an economic “lightning war” in view of the Western sanctions. The Russian leadership calls its own war of aggression in Ukraine, which has now lasted almost three months, a “special military operation”.
Peskov says the West is waging a diplomatic, economic and political war against his country. “In fact, we are now witnessing a perfect storm and the moment of truth.” Russia must show that it is able to protect its interests. “But every war ends in peace. And that peace will be made so that our voice is heard where we are comfortable, safe, and standing firmly on our feet.”
10:59 a.m .: More than 113,000 children who had fled Ukraine were admitted to German schools
Since the start of the Russian war of aggression, German schools have taken in 113,584 pupils who had fled Ukraine. Compared to the previous week, that was 7715 more, as reported by the Conference of Ministers of Education in Berlin. It was the first time since the Easter holidays that the rise number had fallen below ten thousand.
According to the information, 109,643 of the total of 113,584 people admitted have already taken part in the lessons. The Conference of Ministers of Education publishes weekly figures on admitted students in order to use the data to coordinate further measures.
10:01 am: Report – Germany delivered more anti-tank weapons to Ukraine
According to a report, Germany has delivered more weapons to Ukraine. In the past two weeks, 2,450 RGW 90 anti-tank handguns, also known as “Matador”, 1,600 DM22 anti-tank directional mines and 3,000 DM31 anti-tank mines have arrived in Ukraine, the “Spiegel” reported. The weapons have already been distributed within the Ukrainian army.
The deliveries had been confirmed by Ukrainian government circles, the magazine continued. The federal government initially did not comment on the report. According to “Spiegel”, Ukraine had ordered and paid for the Matador anti-tank weapons directly from the German manufacturer. The mines, on the other hand, “apparently” came from Bundeswehr stocks.
9.21 a.m .: London: Russia relies on indiscriminate artillery fire in the war
According to British findings, the Russian armed forces are increasingly relying on “indiscriminate artillery fire” in the war against Ukraine. The Ministry of Defense in London said, citing the secret services, that Russia has only limited possibilities for capturing targets and is also reluctant to take the risk of deploying combat aircraft over Ukrainian-controlled territory. “In the coming weeks, Russia is likely to continue to rely heavily on massive artillery strikes as it attempts to revive its Donbass offensive.”
8.40 a.m .: Scholz only rejects the trip to Kyiv as a “photo opportunity”.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) explained his thoughts on a possible trip to Kyiv. During an on-site visit, “it must be important that something is specifically promoted and not just a photo opportunity,” said Scholz on Monday evening in the “RTL Direkt” program. “I’m not going to join a group of people who do something for a short in and out with a photo shoot. But when they do, it’s always about very specific things.”
Scholz also emphasized that he had already spent many hours on the phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. At the beginning of May, he invited the entire federal government and Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to Kyiv. The invitation was preceded by a controversy about the fact that Steinmeier was initially not welcome in Kyiv because of his Russia policy in his previous post as Federal Foreign Minister.
8.18 a.m .: Ukraine reports heavy fighting around the city of Sievjerodonetsk
According to the Ukrainian military, they threw back Russian troops in front of the city of Sievjerodonetsk in the east of the country. “Near the village of Syrotyne, the Russian conquerors suffered losses and retreated,” the general staff said in its situation report. Syrotyne is four kilometers south of Sievjerodonetsk. The Russian troops were also unsuccessful in several other directions.
The governor of the Luhansk region, Serhiy Hajdaj, also reported heavy fighting in the area around the city. In the suburbs of Girske and Zolotoye, several houses were destroyed by artillery shells. But the Russians should have withdrawn there too. “Enemy casualties are high,” writes Hajdaj on his Telegram channel. The information could not be checked independently.
7.37 a.m .: Russian border region reports new shelling
In the western Russian region of Kursk on the border with Ukraine, several buildings have been set on fire and damaged, according to the authorities. “Today, at five o’clock in the morning, the border village of Alexeyevka in the Glushkovo district was shelled with heavy weapons,” announced Governor Roman Starovoit. Accordingly, three houses, a school and a vehicle were damaged. There are no injuries.
According to Russian information, it is an attack from Ukraine. The fire was returned by the border guards. Initially, there was no comment from Ukraine. After the start of the Russian war of aggression at the end of February, Russian areas close to the border have also come under fire in recent weeks.
6.20 a.m .: ESC winner Kalush Orchestra back in Ukraine
After their stunning victory at the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in Turin, the group Kalush Orchestra has returned to Ukraine. The six men briefly sang their hit “Stefania” at the border control, as public television showed on Monday in a short video on the Telegram news service. Later there was another performance and an autograph session with young fans at a gas station behind the Ukrainian-Polish border near Krakowez. Last Saturday, the band clearly won the European music competition thanks to the audience vote.
2.01 a.m .: Unicef: Ukraine war exacerbates child malnutrition
According to UNICEF, the Ukraine war is exacerbating the problem of severe malnutrition among children. “Even before the war in Ukraine, many families were struggling to feed their children due to conflict, climate shock and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director. Now there are additional problems. The Ukraine, which is considered Europe’s granary, can export much less grain due to the war, among other things.
The UNICEF report warns that both the number of children affected by malnutrition and the cost of the supplemental food they need will increase.
1.26 a.m .: Ukraine: Another rocket attack near Lviv
According to Ukrainian information, the area around the city of Lviv in western Ukraine was again the target of an air raid yesterday. The attack was aimed at a military facility in the Yavoriv district on the border with Poland, local military chief Maxim Kositsky writes in his news channel on the Telegram chat service. Mayor Andriy Sadoviy emphasizes that there is no confirmed information about rocket hits in the city and thanked the air defense.
0.47 a.m .: After the first evacuation of the steelworks in Mariupol: Hundreds of soldiers on the site
After weeks of blockade, around 260 Ukrainian soldiers have left the Azov steelworks in Mariupol. Among them were 53 seriously injured, as the Ukrainian General Staff announced during the night.
211 other Ukrainian soldiers were also taken to a town occupied by Russian troops. They are said to be released later in a prisoner exchange. The evacuation of other fighters from the plant is still in progress. Several hundred soldiers are said to be on the site. Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar emphasizes that it was not possible to free Azovstal. A planned exchange of prisoners has not yet been officially confirmed by the Russian side. The Russian Defense Ministry had previously only spoken of a ceasefire for the evacuation.
