The G-7 summit provided military aid to Ukraine

The battle for Bakhmut: the first Ukrainian city in the Donetsk region of the Bolshevik Revolutionary Russian-ruled region of Artyomovsk

Moscow would be happy to have Bakhmut as its first Ukrainian city since the summer of last year, and it would be a huge boost to its military power in the region.

Among the questions for Russia are the intentions of Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, head of the Wagner mercenary company that spearheaded the urban fighting, who on Saturday declared victory in Bakhmut and said his soldiers would withdraw from the city by Thursday. Military analysts said it was unclear whether Mr. Prigozhin could pull out so abruptly along a hotly contested front line without dire consequences for the Russians in the city.

“We fought not only with the Ukrainian armed forces in Bakhmut. Prigokshan said in a video on Saturday that the Russians threw sand in the wheels.

Few buildings were left intact as a result of the ferocious house to house battles. Wagner fighters “marched on the bodies of their own soldiers” according to Ukrainian officials. Both sides have spent ammunition at a rate unseen in any armed conflict for decades, firing thousands of rounds a day.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that if the city is seized, Russia would be able to intensify its offensive into the region that it annexed from Ukranian.

The rebels took control of the city in eastern Ukraine, but lost it a few months later.

The city, which was named Artyomovsk in 1917 after a Bolshevik revolutionary, used to make sparkling wine in underground caves. It was a popular tourist destination because of its broad tree-lined avenues, lush parks, stately downtown and imposing late 19th-century mansions.

Bakhmut, located about 55 kilometers (34 miles) north of the Russian-held regional capital of Donetsk, had a prewar population of 80,000 and was an important industrial center, surrounded by salt and gypsum mines.

Colonel Serhiy Hrabsky, a commentator on the war for the Ukrainian news media, said that a Russian capture of Bakhmut would have nothing to do with it. The Russians declared that they had captured Bakhmut because their offensive capabilities were exhausted.

It’s unclear which side paid more in the battle for Bakhmut. Both Russia and Ukraine have suffered losses, though casualty numbers have not been made public.

Russian forces will still face the massive task of seizing the remaining part of the Donetsk region still under Ukrainian control, including several heavily fortified areas.

In a video posted earlier on Telegram, Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin said the city came under complete Russian control at about midday Saturday. He spoke with a group of fighters standing behind him, and the buildings in the background were destroyed.

The Kremlin’s press service cited President Putin as saying he had been pleased by the successful finishing of the operation to liberate Art.

Speaking to reporters at the Group of 7 summit in Japan on Sunday, President Volodymyr Zelensky touched on the strategic meaning of the battle in wearing down the Russian Army. He said the ruined city was home to a lot of dead Russians.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that the city was only in his heart, hours after the defense ministry of Russia reported that the city had been seized.

A British defense intelligence assessment on Saturday said Moscow had redeployed “up to several battalions to reinforce” Bakhmut, calling it “a notable commitment” for Russia’s heavily stretched combat forces in Ukraine.

In recent days, Russian forces clawing their way westward through the city fought through a final neighborhood of high-rise apartment blocks, reaching an expanse of garages, farmhouses and open fields to the west. The military of the country said it still has several buildings in that area.

It also was unclear whether Russian reinforcements deployed toward Bakhmut would rotate in for Wagner troops or bolster Russia’s faltering defenses on the city’s outskirts.

But the city is in ruins, and controlling it would not necessarily help Moscow toward its larger stated goal — conquering the entire eastern region of Donbas — now that Ukrainian troops have worn out Russian forces and broken through their defenses in some areas to the north and south of the city.

Zelenskyy in Ukraine: A Brief Address to World Leaders and Re-energetic Support from Allies at the G-7

Zelenskyy tried to defeat Modi this weekend. The Indian prime minister had promised to end the war, but his attitude on the conflict was the same.

Not only has Modi refused to condemn the invasion, but he has been buying Russian oil and gas — undermining efforts by Western democracies to hurt Russia’s economy through economic sanctions.

The G-7 was an opportunity for Zelenskyy to reach out to world leaders who have been reluctant to denounce Russia, like India’s prime minister Narendra Modi.

Ukrainian defense officials have called the aircraft a game changer and its been on the country’s wish list since the start of the Russian invasion. The new aid comes as Ukraine prepares to kickoff counter-offensives to take back occupied land.

President Biden endorsed helping train Ukrainian pilots on F-16s, after reluctance to allow providing the fighter jets. He said Zelenskyy assured him Ukraine would not use F-16s to strike inside Russia. This poses a lot of risks for Western countries and raises questions about NATO’s involvement.

The G-7 is a gathering of seven wealthy democracies including Britain, Canada,France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US in order to address urgent issues and coordinate on global policy.

In a rare and brief trip, Zelenskyy arrived in Hiroshima, Japan on Saturday to speak to world leaders about the progress in Ukraine and re-energize support from allies.

Russia’s putinskii eev war in Ukraine and the investigation of a Russian security agent arrested by the U.S.

The war in Ukraine will go on for another 15 months, with no end in sight, untold number of Ukrainian civilian casualties and troop fatalities on both sides, and a huge effect on the globe.

China’s special envoy Li Hui continues his European tour this week as Beijing says it aims to get countries talking toward an eventual political settlement between Russia and Ukraine.

The Prime Minister of Russia is going to visit China to have talks with the Chinese leader and other senior officials.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continued his world tour, dropping by an Arab summit in Saudi Arabia and then the Group of Seven summit in Japan.

The Ukraine grain deal was renewed, one day before it would have expired, after Russia had threatened to pull out. A new expiration date is set for July.

Russian security agents arrested a Russian who worked for the U.S. diplomatic mission in Russia. Robert Shonov was charged with “collaboration on a confidential basis with a foreign state.” The U.S. strongly disapproved of the arrest.

Source: https://www.npr.org/2023/05/22/1176391571/russia-ukraine-war-news

Russia’s response to Ukrain’s attack on Ukraine: NPR’s State of Ukraine recaps and subscribers to the States of Ukraine

Russia launched attacks on Ukranian areas. Ukraine said Tuesday it shot down 18 missiles, including six hypersonic missiles.

Here you can read past recaps. For context and more in-depth stories, you can find more of NPR’s coverage here. Listen and subscribe to the State of Ukraine RSS feed for updates throughout the day.