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Russia’s war against Ukraine
Firefighters extinguish smoldering at an enterprise providing household waste management services that was hit by Russian drone attack in Sumy on May 21, 2025. (Olesia Zubko/Kordon Media/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
‘We don’t want this anymore’ — Russia rejects a ceasefire in Ukraine, Lavrov says. Russia rejects a ceasefire in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.
Trump claims ‘progress’ on ending Russia-Ukraine war. “We are trying to settle Russia-Ukraine,” U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters. “I spoke with President Putin for two hours the day before yesterday. I think we made a lot of progress. But that’s a bloodbath.”
Putin visits Kursk Oblast for first time since Moscow claimed its recapture. During the visit, Putin met with Acting Governor Alexander Khinshtein, heads of local municipalities, and members of volunteer organizations, the Kremlin’s press service said.
Russia massing troops near Kharkiv Oblast ahead of possible attack, military warns. “There is an accumulation of personnel closer to the state border, that is, there are attempts to involve the (Russian) personnel, obviously preparing for active assault operations. Our Defense Forces are ready to repel attacks,” Andrii Pomahaibus, the chief of staff of Ukraine’s 13th National Guard Khartiia Brigade.
Ukrainian officials deny Russian troop presence in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
Serhii Lysak, head of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, called the online claims “fake” and said that the accompanying photograph allegedly showing Russian troops in the area was also fabricated.
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Suspect in alleged Russian plot to assassinate Zelensky to be tried by Poland. Polish prosecutors have indicted a man charged with allegedly planning to assist Russian foreign intelligence in a possible assassination attempt on President Volodymyr Zelensky, authorities announced on May 20.
Russian semiconductor plant making missile, jet parts hit in Ukrainian attack, military says. Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces struck Russia’s Bolkhov semiconductor plant in Oryol Oblast, which is producing parts for Sukhoi warplanes and Iskander and Kinzhal missiles, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said on May 21.
Poland intercepts Russian sanctions-evading ship near critical Baltic power cable, Tusk says. “After the effective intervention of our military, the ship sailed to one of the Russian ports,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on X.
Russia intercepts drone attack on Moscow, prompting flight disruptions and emergency response. As of 5 p.m. local time, Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin claimed seven drones to be intercepted as they approached the Russian capital.
Ukraine dismisses Russian claims of full control over Kursk Oblast, says fighting ongoing. “The statements by representatives of (Russia) about the alleged end of combat operations in Kursk Oblast do not reflect the actual situation,” Ukraine’s General Staff said in a statement.
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Ukraine war latest: Russian semiconductor plant making missile, jet parts hit in Ukrainian attack, military says
Ukrainian drones struck Russia’s Bolkhov semiconductor plant in Oryol Oblast, which produces parts for Sukhoi warplanes and Iskander and Kinzhal missiles, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said on May 21.
Photo: General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces / Telegram
Top commander’s resignation puts new scrutiny on Ukraine’s military leadership
Ukraine’s military has once again been rocked by a scandal around its leadership culture, with another high-profile commander speaking out against the country’s top brass over bad orders leading to excess losses.
Photo: Serhii Mykhalchuk / Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
Hated, tainted, and covertly pro-Russian, who was Andriy Portnov, a top Ukrainian ex-official killed in Spain
Andriy Portnov had been no stranger to controversy. He was the architect of Ukraine’s judiciary, corrupt and unreformed, and had been known to attack everyone who dared to speak out.
Photo: Andriy Portnov poses for a photo in an unknown location.
What happens to all the guns in Ukraine post-war?
As peace talks ramp up, experts and officials are already working on a looming post-war threat: the potential large-scale proliferation of guns in Ukraine once they are no longer needed on the battlefield.
Photo: Andrew Kravchenko / Bloomberg via Getty Images
Human cost of Russia’s war
6 soldiers killed, over 10 injured in Russian missile strike in Sumy Oblast, National Guard says. “An official investigation into the tragedy is underway. The commander of the unit has been suspended, and the necessary information has been passed to law enforcement agencies,” the National Guard said in a statement.
2 killed, 23 injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine over past day. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 63 Russian attack drones and decoy drones launched overnight, the Air Force reported. Twenty-two were shot down, while 41 were neutralized by electronic warfare systems, according to the statement
Historian Timothy Ash on the ‘new West’ after ‘Trump shock’
International response
US Senate to vote on new Russia sanctions unless peace efforts progress soon, Senator Graham says. The U.S.-mediated negotiations between Ukraine and Russia have stalled, as Moscow continues to refuse a ceasefire.
EU officially agrees on 150-billion-euro defense fund. “SAFE is an advantageous, low-interest, multi-year loan guaranteed by the EU budget,” the Council of the EU said.
NATO summit in The Hague to focus on long-term support, lasting peace for Ukraine, Rutte says. “We must ensure that Ukraine, while the fight continues, receives all possible collective support to be in the best possible position to continue,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said.
Pope Leo willing to host Ukraine peace talks in Vatican, Italy’s Meloni says. Following the election of the new pope, several of Ukraine’s partners, including the United States, suggested that the Vatican could become a neutral platform for further peace talks.
Dan opposes Romanian peacekeepers in Ukraine but affirms pro-Kyiv course. “First, to have a big operational support on Romanian territory, yes. To be part of the armies guaranteeing peace in Ukraine, no,” Romanian President-elect Nicusor Dan told Politico.
‘War crimes have been committed’ — Rubio admits Russia is an aggressor, declines to label Putin as a war criminal. “War crimes have been committed, no doubt, and who is responsible for that, there will be a time and place for that accountability, but right now the job is to end the war,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
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In other news
Ukrainian citizen becomes third person charged over arson attacks on UK Prime Minister’s property. Petro Pochynok, 34, charged with conspiracy to commit arson with intent to endanger life, is expected to appear at Westminster magistrates’ court on May 21.
Controversial Ukrainian ex-official Portnov shot dead in Madrid, source says. Andriy Portnov, a former top official in Ukraine’s ex-President Viktor Yanukovych’s administration, was shot dead by an unidentified attacker or attackers outside the American School in Madrid, Reuters reported on May 21, citing a source close to the investigation.
Almost 50,000 draft-age men detained trying to illegally cross border since 2022, Border Guard says. The number of cases has “significantly increased” since the beginning of martial law, according to Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service.
Iran’s parliament ratifies 20-year strategic agreement with Russia. While the pact does not include a mutual defense clause, it outlines commitments for both countries to cooperate against common military threats, enhance military-technical collaboration, and participate in joint military exercises, according to Reuters.
Fire breaks out at thermal power plant in Kyiv Oblast, 2 dead. Rescuers continue to work at the scene, while the consequences of the accident are still being determined.
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