Sunday, May 14

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky speak to media during a joint press conference after a meeting at Palazzo Chigi on May 13, 2023 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Simona Granati - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)

Air Force downs 17 out of 21 Russian drones overnight. Russia sent 21 Iranian-made kamikaze Shahed drones to attack cities across Ukraine overnight on May 13, Ukraine’s Air Force reported. Ukraine’s military managed to down 17 of them.

Air raid alert goes off in most of Ukraine, including Kyiv. Air raid alerts were activated in many Ukrainian oblasts and in the city of Kyiv at around 3:00 a.m. on May 14.

CNN: Russia tried to destroy Patriot system with hypersonic missile. Russia tried to destroy an advanced U.S.-built Patriot air defense system with a hypersonic missile, two undisclosed U.S. officials told CNN on May 12.

UK Defense Ministry: Ukrainian forces regain at least 1 kilometer of territory near Bakhmut. Elements of Russia’s 72nd Separate Motor Rifle Brigade likely withdrew “in bad order” from their positions on the southern flank of Bakhmut over the last four days, the U.K. Defense Ministry reported on May 13.

Russian media: At least 1 Russian fighter jet reportedly downed in Russia, near Ukrainian border. Other, unconfirmed reports claimed that two Russian jets, as well as two Mi-8 transport helicopters “crashed” on May 13.

Russian state media report explosion in occupied Luhansk. Propaganda outlet Russia Today said that the May 13 explosion took place at a former Interior Ministry base, where Russian soldiers have been stationed since 2015.

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Zelensky arrives in Rome to meet top officials, Pope Francis. President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was in Rome on May 13 for a short visit during which he plans to meet Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Pope Francis.

Italian PM: ‘We are betting on Ukraine’s victory.’ Italy wants to “play a leading role in the reconstruction” of Ukraine, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Rome on May 13.

Zelensky holds 40-minute talk with Pope Francis. During President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to the Vatican, Pope Francis gifted him a small olive branch sculpture that symbolizes peace. Zelensky gifted the Pope an icon of the Virgin Mary painted onto a piece of body armor.

Zelensky holds phone call with South African President. President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had spoken with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on May 13. The two talked about “the peace formula, about justice, and about how our world should be united by the rules of international law.”

Zelensky arrives in Berlin to meet with German officials. President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he had arrived in Berlin. This is Zelensky’s first visit to Germany since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.

Belarusian media: Lukashenko taken to hospital amid speculations of poor health. Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko checked into a hospital near Minsk, according to Belarusian publication Euroradio and watchdog Belarusian Hajun. They reported that Lukashenko’s convoy arrived to the hospital at around 7 p.m., during which time access to the clinic was closed off and the roads to it were guarded by armed enforcers.

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Photo: Vincent Mundy/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Human cost of war

Russian forces attack Kherson Oblast, injuring 6 people. Russian forces fired 90 times at Kherson Oblast over the past day, launching 434 shells from heavy artillery, Grad multiple rocket launchers, tanks, grenade launchers, drones, and aviation, the oblast Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported.

Russia targets Ternopil late on May 13, injuring two civilians. Ternopil Oblast Governor Volodymyr Trush reported that warehouses belonging to commercial enterprises and a religious organization caught fire. Two civilians were wounded as a result of the attack. Rescuers are working on the site, he added.

Update: Russian overnight drone attack wounds 21 in Khmelnytskyi Oblast. Khmelnytskyi Oblast Administration reported on May 13 that 21 people were wounded in Russia’s overnight drone attack on the region.

Russian attacks on Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv oblasts injure 8 civilians on May 13. A 15-year-old boy was among the injured in the morning attack on a village in Kharkiv Oblast.

Update: 11 injured in Russian attack on Kostiantynivka. The number of people injured in Russia’s May 13 attack on Kostiantynivka has increased to 11, Donetsk Oblast Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko reported.

Russian shelling injures 3 in Kherson Oblast. Russian forces shelled four more settlements in Kherson Oblast on May 13, injuring three people, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported. The attacks also damaged civilian infrastructure.

Ukrainian movie set designer Chornyi killed in action. Volodymyr Chornyi, a set designer on the critically-acclaimed Ukrainian movie “Pamfir,” was killed in action on May 9, his partner Olena Biletska said on May 13.

General Staff: Russia has lost 198,260 troops in Ukraine since Feb 24, 2022. According to the report, Russia has also lost 3,751 tanks, 7,307 armored fighting vehicles, 6,011 vehicles and fuel tanks, 3,095 artillery systems, 561 multiple launch rocket systems, 314 air defense systems, 308 airplanes, 294 helicopters, 2,665 drones, and 18 boats.

International response

Germany announces $2.9 billion military package for Ukraine with battle tanks, armored vehicles. The package includes 20 more Marder infantry fighting vehicles, 30 Leopard 1A5 main battle tanks, four IRIS-T SLM fire units for anti-aircraft defense and 12 IRIS-T SLS launchers, 18 howitzers, more than 100 armored combat vehicles, and over 200 reconnaissance drones that are to be provided, according to the report.

G7 increase help to Ukraine to $44 billion. Financial chiefs from the G7 counties – the U.S., the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, and Japan – expanded help for Ukraine to $44 billion in 2023 and early 2024.

Kuleba holds phone talk with Blinken over weapon supplies. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on May 13 that he spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to coordinate the next weapon supplies to Ukraine, with “close attention” to the importance of providing F-16 fighter jets and the necessary steps to start training Ukrainian pilots.

This Week in Ukraine Ep. 7 – Why Russia relies on private militaries, like Wagner, for its war effort

In other news

Sweden wins Eurovision 2023, Ukraine places 6th. Ukraine came in sixth during the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool, while Swedish singer Loreen won the contest for a 2nd time with her song “Tattoo”.

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Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Toma Istomina, Alexander Query, Olga Rudenko, Alexander Khrebet, Teah Pelechaty, Igor Kossov, and Anastasiya Gordiychuk.

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