Timeline: day 84 of Ukraine's defense against russia's aggression
Today is May 18. russia's military attack on Ukraine has been going on for 12 weeks. We're reporting on all the current news. The article will be constantly updated.
What about today?
Key points
During the russian-Ukrainian war, the russian occupation forces failed to accomplish any of the strategic tasks pathetically announced by putin in his February 23 speech. The "invincible and legendary" army turned out to be a horde of murderers, looters, rapists, and cowards led by bad guys and thieves. The incompetence of the russian military leadership has exceeded all the world community's expectations. The russians wanted to "demilitarize" Ukraine: Ukraine became the most militarized country in Europe. They wanted to "denazify" it, but in two and a half months of "special operations," Ukrainians became more patriotic and nationalistic. Invaders wanted to push NATO away from the borders, but Sweden and Finland have already agreed to join. They wanted to show military power, but the russian army got an unprecedented humiliation. They wanted to take London but could not take one plant in Mariupol. Everyone was told that Ukraine was a failed state, and now the entire world knows Ukraine. russia is under sanctions, ersatz products in stores, inflation is progressing. In addition, customers and markets for military goods are being lost en masse, because now the world has seen that russian weapons are good only in parades, and in a real war it's complete crap. Was that your plan, russians?
Well, our plan remains the same to mercilessly defeat the enemy on all fronts. Ukrainian defenders of the Joint Forces repulsed 12 ruscist attacks yesterday. Fighting continues at 4 more locations. During the past 24hrs, the Joint Forces destroyed:
- 3 tanks;
- 3 artillery systems (one of them MLRS);
- 6 units of combat armored vehicles;
- 7 cars (including one truck with ammunition).
On May 17, in the area of responsibility of the Eastoperational and tactical group, russian troops carried out 2 attacks. Enemy losses are:
- personnel – up to 110
- IFV – 6
- APC – 1
- artillery systems – 3
- mortars – 1
- SAM – 1
- AT-T – 4
- UAV – 2
In the Zaporizhzhia direction, thanks to the skillful actions, our soldiers destroyed:
- personnel / 20 people, 17 wounded;
- armored combat vehicles – 8 units;
- automotive equipment – 6 units;
- UAV – 1 unit.
The air defense of the Land Forces hit 10 drones of operational and tactical levels. Another UAV and 4 cruise missiles were destroyed by anti-aircraft missile units of the Air Force. In total, 15 air targets were hit during the day: 11 UAVs, and 4 cruise missiles.
In the last day alone, the Ukrainian Army has destroyed 400 occupiers!
Ukraine's application for EU membership will be considered at a meeting of the European Council in June. This was announced by Emmanuel Macron after a telephone conversation with Volodymyr Zelensky.
The strategic plan of the European Commission for the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine has been adopted. It is called "Rebuilding Ukraine" and provides for the allocation of hundreds of billions of euros for reconstruction. The money for the reconstruction plan will come from international partners, the EU will lead the project and cover "most of the costs." However, Ukraine will be required to adhere to strict anti-corruption and reform conditions. All newly created infrastructure must also meet environmental requirements.
Today Ukraine remembers the victims of the genocide of the Crimean Tatars. In 1944, Soviet authorities forcibly deported Crimean Tatars from their homeland to Siberia and Central Asia. People were simply taken out in freight cars. Many died on the way. Ruscists are trying to do almost the same thing with Ukrainians now. Since the start of the full-scale military invasion, more than 1.3 million Ukrainians, including 223,000 children, have been forcibly deported to russia.
Humanitarian mission
In an interview with The New York Times, Verkhovna Rada Deputy Kira Rudyk said that Ukraine had received guarantees from organizations such as the Red Cross and the United Nations. These organizations guaranteed that the Azovs brought to the territory controlled by кussia would be fine. The guarantees of organizations such as the Red Cross and the United Nations were "the only reason we agreed to this because the soldiers were ready to go to the end," Rudyk said.
Rudyk clarified that there were no agreements on the terms of the exchange of prisoners yet. "We want to take them to a third country, such as Turkey," she said. "кussia is against it now. But what else can we do in this situation? We will have to continue these negotiations."
In his turn, Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser to the head of the President's Office, told Ukrainian Pravda that Rudyk's level and competencies didn't allow her to comment on the situation with Azovstal prisoners.
It's currently known that more than 260 Ukrainian servicemen were taken out of the destroyed Azovstal plant, including more than 50 seriously wounded. Seven buses with Ukrainian defenders from Azovstal, which left the plant yesterday, were taken to a penal colony in occupied Olenivka, Donetsk region. Yesterday it became known that the Investigative Committee of russia is going to arrange for the interrogation of captured Ukrainian soldiers "for involvement in crimes committed against the civilian population of Donbas."
Who's coming to Ukraine?
On financial and information assistance, weapons and politicians
The Hague tribunal is sending 42 experts to Ukraine to investigate the crimes of russian aggressors. This was stated by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Karim Kham. According to him, the team arriving in Ukraine will consist of investigators, forensic experts, and support staff. This is the largest exit operation during the existence of the court. Its task will be to collect eyewitness accounts, and evaluate forensic and digital materials so that they can be used in court.
The United States is joining in gathering evidence of russia's war crimes in Ukraine. The State Department said in a statement that the Conflict Observatory would document, verify and disseminate evidence from open sources about the actions taken by the occupiers. Reports and analytics will be published on the program's website. It is initially planned to spend $6 million to launch the program.
At the same time, Human Rights Watch claims to have documented crimes committed by the russian military against civilians in northern Ukraine. From April 10 to May 10, HRW interviewed 65 people, and the organization examined physical evidence at the scene of the alleged crimes, as well as photos and videos from victims and witnesses. In 17 settlements in Kyiv and Chernihiv regions, HRW investigated 22 executions, 9 other unlawful killings, 6 possible enforced disappearances, and 7 cases of torture. Also, 21 people reported illegal detention in inhumane and degrading conditions. "These abuses against civilians are obvious war crimes that must be immediately and impartially investigated and properly prosecuted," said HRW Deputy Director Georgi Gogia.
Arms supplies from France will increase, Macron promised during a conversation with Zelensky. France has joined the pool of countries that transfer long-range artillery to Ukraine. It was announced that Ukraine will receive French 155-mm self-propelled artillery CEASAR.
News from partners
Finland and Sweden have officially applied to join NATO.
It also became known under what conditions Turkey is ready to agree to the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO. According to Bloomberg, citing three Turkish officials, Ankara is demanding its inclusion in the supply program for F-35 fighters, the lifting of sanctions for the purchase of russian S-400s, and the recognition by Sweden and Finland of the Kurdistan Workers' Party as a terrorist organization.
Sanctions on the aggressor!
In Canada, a bill was introduced in the Senate to ban putin and about 1,000 russian officials and the military from entering the country. "The ban on the entry into our country of close allies and key supporters of the putin regime, including those responsible for this unprovoked aggression, is one of the many ways in which we are forcing russia to answer for its crimes," the statement said. Minister of Public Security Marco Mendicino. It is unlikely that russian officials will be very upset by such sanctions, but at least they will not flee to Canada.
Donetsk and Luhansk regions
The situation in the Luhansk region: russians are killing civilians! Yesterday, two people were killed in Pryvillia near the Siverskyi Donets River with mine injuries, and information was also received about lost lives in Zolote and Popasna. A shrapnel wound was inflicted on a resident of Sievierodonetsk.
Now doctors in Dnipro are fighting for the life of a 15-year-old child from Hirske, who the day before yesterday suffered a kidney injury after the shelling of the village by the russians.
In total, Sievierodonetsk withstood 15 artillery attacks on May 17. Houses and trade pavilions are damaged. Rocket and bomb attacks from Su-35 planes were carried out on the villages of the Popasna community yesterday. There's a lot of damage.
The russians once again opened fire on the hospital and the Azot plant. Because of heavy shelling, electricity, gas, and water supply cannot be restored, says Oleksandr Striuk, head of the Sievierodonetsk City Military-Civil Administration.
Mariupol is threatened by an outbreak of cholera. The WHO is preparing a vaccine that will be stored in the Dnipro Hub. "Many pipes are damaged and we receive information from our field partners, non-governmental organizations that work day and night, that there's a swamp on the streets, sewage and drinking water are mixed," said WHO Incident Manager for Ukraine Dorit Nitzan. This threatens the city with many infections, including cholera.
Kharkiv region
In the Kharkiv direction, the enemy focused on maintaining its positions and preventing the further advance of our troops. The aggressor is carrying out artillery shelling of the settlements of Tsyrkuni, Rosiiki Tyshki, Cherkasy Tyshky, and Pytomnyk, the General Staff reports.
During the day from May 17 to 18, rescuers of the Kharkiv region had 34 operational field visits, 11 of which were to extinguish fires due to russian shelling. Fires occurred in Chuhuiv and Kharkiv districts. Private houses, garages, and infrastructure facilities were on fire. In the Tsyrkuny community, a fire broke out on the territory of two private households. Two houses and outbuildings with a total area of over 200 square meters were burning there. SES units from Kharkiv fought the fire for more than an hour and a half.
On the territory of the Kyivskyi, Industrialnyi districts of Kharkiv, and in the Derhachi community, the rescuers continue to dismantle the rubble of destroyed buildings.
Sumy region
From the evening of May 17, shelling was carried out with artillery and mortars in the Sumy region. The attack was repulsed by fire in response. There are no victims on the Ukrainian side. On May 18, at 5.30 am, the village of Dmytrivka, Okhtyrka district, was shelled from the territory of the russian federation. There are no victims, and the private house of civilians is damaged, Sumy Regional Military Administration reports.
Also, on the night of May 18, russian troops fired up to ten shots from a multiple-rocket launcher from the russian town of Ponura. A private apartment in one of the settlements of the Sumy region was damaged, the SBGS informs.
Zaporizhzhia region
Rushists in occupied Melitopol are checking vehicles for partisans, the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration reports. The fact is that Melitopol guerrillas eliminated high-ranking russian servicemen. The occupiers are trying to hide this situation.
Civilian invaders are trying to "please" the population with their humanitarian aid. But something is not going according to plan. For example, in the village of Velyka Bilozerka, the russians tried to distribute humanitarian aid. But only 5 people from the entire village came to get it: Ukrainians do not need handouts from the enemy. Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration reported this.
In the village of Mykhailivka, local collaborators boasted that they had donated humanitarian aid to the hospital. However, it turned out that the transferred drugs were made in Ukraine, i.e. stolen from Ukrainian volunteers, who deliver aid to the occupied settlements at great risk.
Dnipropetrovsk region
An alarming night and a restless morning in the regional center. The enemy again attacked Dnipro with missiles. One missile was shot down by our air defense. The wreckage fell on a private yard. The woman was injured. 2 houses were damaged. Another missile hit the transport infrastructure. It was destroyed.
Kherson region
The Deputy Prime Minister of the russian federation stated that after the occupation of Kherson the russians would have more tomato paste (the Kherson region is famous for tomatoes and Chumak brand that produces tomato paste and other products). Are you surprised by the goals of capturing Kherson? After Bucha, the russians will have more washing machines. After Irpin, more toilets. After Borodianka, more carpets. Marauding is a state policy of russia, not an excess of the executor.
Mykolaiv region
Mykolaiv also suffered a missile strike today. According to the State Emergency Service in the Mykolaiv region, on the morning of May 18, after an enemy missile strike, destruction occurred and a fire broke out in the private residential sector in the Inhulskyi district of Mykolaiv. 1 victim received shrapnel wounds.
Odesa region
No quiet night in the Odesa region. Ruscists fired another missile strike from the Black Sea. The enemy continues to try to destroy infrastructure and put psychological pressure on civilians, attacking the settlements of the region at dawn. According to preliminary information, there is no significant damage or casualties. An investigative task force is currently working at the scene to document the consequences of the missile strike.
