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Russia’s war against Ukraine
A colleague reacts to the portrait of 40-year-old British volunteer and EOD technician Christopher Lee Garrett during a public memorial in honor of him at Independence Square in Kyiv on May 17, 2025. The Manx bomb disposal specialist who had been helping to train troops fighting in Ukraine has died after he was severely injured in an incident near Izium, in the east of Ukraine, on May 13, 2025. (Photo by Sergei Supinsky / AFP via Getty Images)
Trump to talk to Putin on May 19 in push to end ‘bloodbath.’ “Hopefully it will be a productive day, a ceasefire will take place, and this very violent war — a war that should have never happened — will end. God bless us all!!!” U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Moscow questions Kyiv’s authority, says Ukraine’s choice of signatory key to any peace deal. “For Russia, the most important and principal matter when signing documents between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations is the identity of the person authorized to sign on behalf of Ukraine,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Ukraine’s Security Service begins preparations for 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner swap with Russia. The planned exchange follows an agreement reached between Ukrainian and Russian delegations during talks in Istanbul on May 16, 2025.
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1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange likely to take place next week, Ukraine intelligence chief says. A major prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia involving around 1,000 POWs from each side is expected to take place next week, Ukraine’s military intelligence chief said on air on May 17, following an agreement reached in Istanbul.
Russia sentences Australian fighting for Ukraine to 13 years in prison in sham trial. The so-called Supreme Court of the Russian-controlled Luhansk Oblast found Jenkins guilty under Russian criminal law for participating in armed conflict as a mercenary.
Ukrainian drones strike Russian ammunition depot in occupied Crimea, source says. The depot, located near a key highway between Simferopol and Alushta, reportedly housed military equipment, ammunition, and fuel storage facilities. Local residents reportedly described thick smoke over the military compound.
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Three years into full-scale war, Eurovision still hasn’t solved its Russia problem
This year’s Eurovision Song Contest is taking place in neutral Switzerland, but politics are center stage. While debate continues over Israel’s participation amid the war in Gaza, Russia — banned from the contest since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine — continues to cast a shadow over the event.
Photo: Jens Büttner / Picture Alliance via Getty Images
How Russia’s Shaheds are getting more dangerous — and what Ukraine is doing about it
Russia’s air strikes on Ukraine have become far more deadly in recent months. Part of the uptick is due to limited air defense to bring down ballistic missiles. But Russia’s preferred deep-strike weapon — the Shahed drone — has gotten some major upgrades since the start of the year.
Photo: Jose Colon / Anadolu via Getty Images
Human cost of Russia’s war
Russian drone attack in Kyiv Oblast kills 1, injures 3. An overnight Russian drone strike in Kyiv Oblast killed one person and injured three more, Governor Mykola Kalashnyk reported on May 18.
Russian drone strike on civilian bus in Sumy kills 9, injures 7. Russia launched a drone strike on Sumy Oblast in the early morning of May 17, killing nine people and injuring four more. The drone targeted a shuttle bus that was transporting civilians near the city of Bilopillia at 6:17 a.m. local time.
Russia kills 1, injures 8 people in Donetsk Oblast. The Russian military attacked Donetsk Oblast on May 17, killing one person and injuring an additional eight. The attack occurred in the morning and impacted the Yablunivka settlement, as well as Pokrovsk, Myrnohrad, and Andriivka.
With Ukraine’s Peaky Blinders chasing Russian soldiers near Pokrovsk
International response
Canadian PM Carney reaffirms support for Ukraine in first meeting with Zelensky. Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney and President Volodymyr Zelensky met for the first time on May 17 in Rome, where Carney reaffirmed his country’s “steadfast and unwavering support” for Ukraine.
EU prepares sanctions against Russia’s shadow fleet, German FM says. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Germany and its allies are responding to hybrid threats in the Baltic region with increased patrols and renewed pressure on Russia’s covert shipping operations.
Rubio says Vatican could host peace talks, praises Holy See’s role in Ukraine war. Asked whether the Vatican could act as a peace broker, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he “wouldn’t call it broker, but it’s certainly — I think it’s a place that both sides would be comfortable going.”
Lavrov, Rubio discuss results of Istanbul peace talks, Russian media reports. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reportedly welcomed what he described as a “constructive” role by Washington in encouraging Kyiv to accept President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to resume peace talks in Istanbul.
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In other news
Ukraine takes 9th place in Eurovision 2025. Ukrainian band Ziferblat took ninth place at the Eurovision 2025 Grand Final on May 17 in Basel, Switzerland. Their song “Bird of Pray” received 218 points – 60 from the jury and 158 from the audience.
Battalion commander of the 47th brigade submits resignation report, slams military leadership over ‘stupid tasks.’ “I have never received more stupid tasks than in the current direction,” Oleksandr Shyrshyn wrote in a blunt Facebook post announcing his decision on May 16. “Someday I will tell you the details, but the stupid loss of people, trembling in front of a stupid generals, leads to nothing but failures.”
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