satellite image russia stealing ukraine grain
Satellite images appear to show Russia stealing Ukraine's grain
03:48 - Source: CNN

What we're covering

  • In the first war crimes trial of the Ukraine war, a court in Kyiv has found a 21-year-old Russian soldier guilty and sentenced him to life in prison.
  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a “historic” joint customs control with Poland, which he said was “the beginning of our integration into the common customs space of the European Union.”
  • Zelensky has said that up to 100 people are being killed each day in fighting in the east of Ukraine. Meanwhile, the UN refugee agency says the war has displaced 8 million people in the country — pushing the worldwide total of displaced people beyond 100 million.
  • A Ukrainian presidential adviser has ruled out a ceasefire with Russia and said Kyiv would not accept any deal with Moscow that involved ceding territory.
  • Russia’s theft of Ukrainian grain appears to be ramping up as it continues its war on the country, according to new satellite photos of the Crimean port of Sevastopol. 
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Our live coverage of the war in Ukraine has moved here.

Japan's Kishida says war in Ukraine puts extra emphasis on need for a "free and open Indo-Pacific"

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks at the Quad Summit in Tokyo on Tuesday.

In his opening remarks at the Quad Summit, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida highlighted the war in Ukraine as a major focus of the meeting.

“A grave incident which has fundamentally shaken the rule of law-based international order we value has happened since we met last September,” Kishida said.

“(The) Russian invasion into Ukraine squarely challenges the principles which are enshrined in the United Nations Charter. We should never, ever allow a similar incident to happen in the Indo-Pacific. Because of the harsh reality unfolding, it is extremely significant for us to get together and show to the international society, the four countries’ solidarity and our firm commitment toward a shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

US President Joe Biden also condemned Russia’s invasion in his opening remarks, pledging US support for Ukraine.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi —  who has so far resisted condemning the Russian invasion or imposing sanctions on Moscow —  did not mention the war in Ukraine during his opening comments. Instead, Modi emphasized the importance of “mutual cooperation.”

“Despite the difficult circumstances of Covid-19, we have increased mutual coordination in several areas such as vaccine delivery, climate action, supply chain resilience, disaster response and economic cooperation,” he said. “This will continue to strengthen the image of the Quad as a force for good.”

"We’re navigating a dark hour in our shared history," Biden tells Quad Summit

US President Joe Biden attends the Quad Summit in Tokyo, Japan on May 24.

President Joe Biden made opening remarks to the Quad Summit on Tuesday in Tokyo, addressing the importance of the alliance amid Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“We’re navigating a dark hour in our shared history,” Biden said as he sat facing the leaders of India, Australia and Japan.
“The Russian brutal and unprovoked war against Ukraine has triggered a humanitarian catastrophe. And the innocent civilians have been killed in the streets and millions of refugees are internally displaced, as well as exiled. And this is more than just a European issue, it’s a global issue.”

Biden warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “trying to extinguish a culture,” pointing to Russia’s targeting of Ukrainian schools, churches and museums.

The US, he said, will continue its work with partners to “lead a global response.”

Russia’s invasion, Biden later added, “only heightens the importance” of the Quad’s goals and shared values.

“Fundamental principles of international order, territorial integrity and sovereignty, international law, human rights must always be defended, regardless of where they’re violated. So the Quad has a lot of work ahead of us,” he said.

The comments come as the White House has said Biden intends to speak during the summit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi – who has resisted US pressure to punish Russia – about how to strengthen US-India ties, a suggestion he hopes to wean Delhi off its reliance on Russian-made arms.

Biden reiterated his belief that the world is at a “transformative moment” and a question of whether democracies can prevail over autocracies.

He commended Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s “extraordinary leadership” as he thanked his host.

Biden also welcomed and congratulated Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese – who was sworn into office this week – into the group of world leaders, joking that it was “okay” if he fell asleep during the summit.

“We greatly appreciate your commitment to being here so soon after taking office,” Biden said.

Follow CNN’s live coverage of the Quad Summit here.

Ukraine's first lady launches national psychological support program

Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska announced Monday that she is launching a national psychological support program, given the crisis of mental health and shock in Ukraine.

“None of the Ukrainians, neither an adult or child can be sure that they will wake up tomorrow,” Zelenska said in a video statement posted on social media. “All the things Ukrainians experienced in the occupation, at the front, at the bomb shelters, under shelling, abroad, they need rehabilitation just as the physically wounded.”

The Ukrainian government will “quickly” develop the mental health support program in partnership with World Health Organization, according to her statement.

“Russia’s war has shown horrors we could not have imagined,” Zelenska said. “WHO is committed to protecting the most crucial human rights — to life and health. Now they are both violated in Ukraine.”

She added that the country plans to set an example to strengthen global support for the psychological well-being of war survivors. 

Kostan Nechyporenko contributed to this post.

Former US soldier says he's faced the most intense fighting of his life in Ukraine

Kevin, a former US soldier, said he and his team were trapped for days inside a "house of hell."

Kevin, a stocky American in his early 30s, climbs over the charred rubble of a former sauna and shines the light from his iPhone through the dust.

“We’re not going to go any further, because this wire is intentionally tied off to something and then buried right here,” he warns. “A lot of the Russians came back through some of these places and re-mined them, put [in] booby traps.”

Kevin is part of a group of elite foreign special forces veterans, primarily American and British, who have enlisted to help the Ukrainian cause.

He says that back in March, the group spent four days in the health spa — they called it “the house from hell” — often just 50 meters from Russian troops. It was, he says, the furthest-forward Ukrainian-held position in Irpin, a suburb on the outskirts of Kyiv, as Russian forces tried to push on through to seize the capital.

The once-affluent suburb is now synonymous with alleged Russian war crimes — a pilgrimage site for visiting dignitaries who’ve beaten a path to its shell-scarred streets. Kevin says he and his men were among the first to witness attacks on Ukrainian civilians here.

Despite a former career as a top-level US counter-terrorism operative, serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, Kevin says it is here in Ukraine that he has faced the most intense fighting of his life.

He says he and his new comrades-in-arms have implemented many of the guerrilla tactics that were used against the American military in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. They are the insurgents now.

“Everything is much more decentralized,” he explains. “Small group tactics is definitely a huge advantage here.”

We are not using Kevin’s full name because of the nature of his work in Ukraine.

“Being on this side now, and hearing their conversations on their radio — and them knowing, okay, they’re out there somewhere, we don’t know where or who it is — there’s definitely an advantage to that,” he says.

“Real combat experience”: Like many military veterans, Kevin says he had felt adrift since originally leaving the battlefield several years ago. He had a full-time job in the US, but quit when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky put out a call for experienced foreign fighters at the beginning of the war. He arrived in western Ukraine, was driven to Kyiv, and was on the frontlines of the battle for the capital within a matter of hours.

He joined Ukraine’s International Legion, launched by the government in the first days of the war. The government pays him and his colleagues a modest salary of between $2,000 and $3,000 a month, though Kevin says they have spent far more than that buying equipment. The International Legion even got its own website, instructing would-be foreign recruits on everything from how to contact the Ukrainian embassy to what to pack.

In those first weeks, the government struggled to weed out the pretenders and war tourists who were out of their depth. By March 6, they had received more than 20,000 applications, according to the foreign minister.

The number of foreign fighters now in Ukraine is a state secret, but a spokesperson for the International Legion told CNN that the “symbiosis” means Ukraine’s “chances of winning are greatly increased.”

“The best of the best join the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” Colonel Anton Myronovych told CNN. “These are foreigners with real combat experience, these are foreign citizens who know what war is, know how to handle weapons, know how to destroy the enemy.”

For the first time in his life, Kevin was defending against invasion by a better-equipped enemy. He, not the enemy, was the one who had to worry about airstrikes. There was no master plan, no air support — and there would be no evacuation in case of disaster.

“It was like a movie,” he says. “It was insanity from the start. We started taking indirect fire driving in — small arms fire driving in. And I was in a pickup truck, just driving down the street.”

“There’s tanks, and above us there’s helicopters. And you can hear the Russian jets flying by. And out in the open fields the Russians were dropping troops off in helicopters. And so you’re like: ‘Woah, wow!’ It’s a lot.”

Read more here.

Russia's theft of Ukrainian grain appears to be ramping up as it continues war, news satellite images show 

A satellite image from Maxar technologies shows grain being loaded into the hull of the Russia-flagged ship Matros Pozynich in Crimea.

Russia’s theft of Ukrainian grain appears to be ramping up as it continues its war on the country, according to new satellite photos of the Crimean port of Sevastopol. 

Two Russia-flagged bulk carrier ships are shown docking and loading up with what is believed to be stolen Ukrainian grain in the images. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of “gradually stealing” Ukrainian food products and trying to sell them.

The new images from Maxar Technologies, dated May 19 and 21, show the ships — the Matros Pozynich and the Matros Koshka — docked next to what appear to be grain silos with grain pouring off of a belt into an open hold. Both ships have now left the port, according to the ship tracking site MarineTraffic.com, with the Matros Pozynich sailing through the Aegean Sea claiming to be on its way to Beirut and the Matros Koshka still in the Black Sea.

It’s difficult to know for certain whether the ship is being loaded with stolen Ukrainian grain, but Russia-annexed Crimea produces little grain itself, unlike the agriculturally rich Ukrainian regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia immediately to the north. Ukrainian officials and industry sources have told CNN that Russian forces in occupied areas have emptied several silos and trucked the grain south. 

Earlier this month, the Matros Pozynich carried out a similar mission: loading up with grain and setting sail out of the Black Sea and into the Mediterranean. It was initially bound for Egypt with its cargo, but it was turned away from Alexandria after a warning from Ukrainian officials, according to the country’s government. It was also barred entry to Beirut, eventually docking in Latakia, in Syria, where Russia has for years been propping up the regime of Bashar al-Assad. 

At the same time, Russia has been blocking Ukraine from exporting goods from its ports, fueling fears of a global food crisis.

Keep reading here.

Russian missiles struck railway infrastructure in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukrainian official says

Valentyn Reznichenko, head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration, said Monday that Russian missiles had struck railway infrastructure in the region, causing serious damage.

“A troubled day with endless alarms,” Reznichenko said on Telegram. “We have four evening ‘arrivals’ at once. The missiles hit the railway infrastructure in Pavlograd and Synelnykiv districts. There is serious damage to the railway track and overhead lines. It is unclear when we will resume movement there.”

Russian forces have targeted Ukraine’s railway infrastructure in an apparent bid to interrupt the supply of Ukrainian forces.

Ukrainian military governor reports "heavy fighting" around Lyman

Pavlo Kyrylenko, the head of the Donetsk regional military administration in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, reported “heavy fighting” in the direction of Lyman, where Russians have pressed an offensive in recent days. 

“In the direction of Lyman, there is heavy fighting,” Kyrylenko said. “Over the past 12 hours, among the civilian population, there is one dead and four people were injured.”

Kyrylenko said several other towns — Avdiivka, Sviatohorsk, Bakhmut and Soledar — have been under heavy shelling or rocket and bomb attacks. The regional military governor has reported heavy Russian shelling all along the region’s front lines in recent days, with Russian forces attempting breakthroughs in several locations. 

It's Monday night in Kyiv. Catch up on the latest developments on Russia's war in Ukraine. 

A 20-year veteran of Russia’s diplomatic service announced his resignation Monday in protest of his country’s war on Ukraine, multiple media outlets reported.  

In a rare public protest by a Russian official, Boris Bondarev, a diplomat posted to Russia’s mission to the United Nations in Geneva, posted a statement on a LinkedIn account condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and criticizing the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for complicity in what he described as an an “aggressive war” — language that is proscribed in Russia under wartime censorship laws. 

“For twenty years of my diplomatic career I have seen different turns of our foreign policy, but never have I been so ashamed of my country as on February 24 of this year,” Bondarev wrote, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine. “The aggressive war unleashed by Putin against Ukraine, and in fact against the entire Western world, is not only a crime against the Ukrainian people, but also, perhaps, the most serious crime against the people of Russia, with a bold letter Z crossing out all hopes and prospects for a prosperous free society in our country.”

The respected Russian business newspaper Kommersant reached out to Bondarev, who confirmed the authenticity of the post. The New York Times confirmed the receipt of a resignation sent by email to diplomats in Geneva.

Here are more of the latest headlines from Russia’s war in Ukraine:

  • Kharkiv subway will resume operations after months of serving as a shelter: Ihor Terekhov, the mayor of the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, said the city’s subway system would resume operations Tuesday, after months of serving as a shelter for citizens looking to escape Russian bombardment. “Tomorrow, on May 24, we will open the subway,” Terekhov said in remarks on television. “All lines will be launched. Subway traffic will be from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm. The intervals won’t be the same as in peacetime. The subway depot was damaged during the bombing and shelling, so the intervals will be longer.” During the height of the Russian bombardment of Kharkiv — Ukraine’s second-largest city — many residents took refuge in the city’s metro system.
  • EU can reach a deal on Russia sanctions, German vice chancellor says: Robert Habeck, Germany’s vice chancellor and economy minister, spoke to CNN on Monday about the war in Ukraine and Europe’s efforts to lessen dependence on Russian energy. Asked whether the European Union could reach an agreement on the next round of sanctions, including an oil embargo, he said he was confident a deal could be reached and could be done within days. “I expect everyone — also Hungary — that they work to find a solution and not saying ‘OK we have an exception and then we will lay back and build on our partnership with Putin,’” he said while speaking earlier on a panel at Davos.
  • More security aid for Ukraine: US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said at the conclusion of the second Ukraine Contact Group meeting on Monday that 20 countries “announced new security assistance packages” for the country. Denmark has agreed to provide Ukraine with a Harpoon launcher and missiles to “help Ukraine defend its coast.” The Czech Republic also agreed to send “substantial support” to Ukraine including “a recent donation of attack helicopters, tanks and rocket systems,” Austin said at a news conference at the conclusion of the meeting. “Others came forward with new commitments for training Ukraine’s forces and sustaining its military systems,” Austin added. A total of 47 countries participated in the contact group’s second meeting, Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said.
  • Biden administration is considering sending US Special Operations Forces to protect its embassy in Kyiv: The Biden Administration is in the early stages of potentially sending special operations forces (SOF) into Ukraine for the very limited mission of helping guard the US Embassy in Kyiv, according to several US officials. The idea of using SOF is in very preliminary stages and has not yet been presented to US President Joe Biden for a decision, the sources said. The embassy was reopened last week after being closed for about three months. For now, the embassy and its limited number of personnel are protected by State Department diplomatic security officials. US Marines typically guard US embassies around the world but in Kyiv, for now, there is a general agreement that the typical Marine Corps embassy guard personnel may not be suited to the uncertain security picture in Ukraine without additional forces, officials say.
  • Putin claims Russia is “withstanding the impact of sanctions”: President Vladimir Putin said Monday that the Russian economy is “withstanding the impact of sanctions” despite a gloomy economic outlook for the country following the Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine. “Despite all the difficulties, the Russian economy is withstanding the impact of the sanctions, and withstanding it quite well,” Putin said in a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi. “This is according to all the main macroeconomic indicators.” Russia’s Central Bank said in late April the Russian economy is expected to shrink by 8 to 10% in 2022, noting a decline in economic activity in March after the imposition of international sanctions on Russia. Earlier the same month, the World Bank predicted that Russian GDP would shrink by 11.2% in 2022.
  • Global food crisis could worsen if Ukrainian port of Odesa is not opened, UN official says: The world faces a “perfect storm within a perfect storm” when it comes to the food crisis, according to the head of the UN World Food Programme, David Beasley. He explained that the world is currently facing a food pricing problem but with issues over fertilizer and food production, we could “very well have a food availability problem.” He added that if the port of Odesa is not opened, it will only compound the problem. There are 49 million people in 43 countries who are “knocking on famine’s door,” and the world would face famine, destabilization and mass migration if we don’t get ahead of the problem, the UN official said while speaking on a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Veteran Russian diplomat resigns in protest of Moscow's "aggressive war" in Ukraine 

The United Nation flag waves in the wind on the top of an UN building in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday, June 14, 2021. A veteran Russian diplomat to the UN Office at Geneva says he handed in his resignation before sending out a scathing letter to foreign colleagues inveighing against the “aggressive war unleashed” by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Ukraine. Boris Bondarev, 41, confirmed his resignation in a letter delivered Monday morning at the Russian diplomatic mission after a diplomatic official passed on his English-language statement to The Associated Press.

A 20-year veteran of Russia’s diplomatic service announced his resignation Monday in protest of his country’s war on Ukraine, multiple media outlets reported.  

In a rare public protest by a Russian official, Boris Bondarev, a diplomat posted to Russia’s mission to the United Nations in Geneva, posted a statement on a LinkedIn account condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and criticizing the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for complicity in what he described as an an “aggressive war” — language that is proscribed in Russia under wartime censorship laws. 

“For twenty years of my diplomatic career I have seen different turns of our foreign policy, but never have I been so ashamed of my country as on February 24 of this year,” Bondarev wrote, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine. “The aggressive war unleashed by Putin against Ukraine, and in fact against the entire Western world, is not only a crime against the Ukrainian people, but also, perhaps, the most serious crime against the people of Russia, with a bold letter Z crossing out all hopes and prospects for a prosperous free society in our country.”

The respected Russian business newspaper Kommersant reached out to Bondarev, who confirmed the authenticity of the post. The New York Times confirmed the receipt of a resignation sent by email to diplomats in Geneva.

The Russian mission to the UN in Geneva declined to comment on the matter to CNN, and Bondarev did not respond to messages sent to the LinkedIn account. 

The post on LinkedIn lambasted Russia’s leadership for corruption, saying, “Those who conceived this war want only one thing - to remain in power forever, live in pompous tasteless palaces, sail on yachts comparable in tonnage and cost to the entire Russian Navy, enjoying unlimited power and complete impunity. To achieve that they are willing to sacrifice as many lives as it takes. Thousands of Russians and Ukrainians have already died just for this.”

It also singled out the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for harsh criticism. 

“I regret to admit that over all these twenty years the level of lies and unprofessionalism in the work of the Foreign Ministry has been increasing all the time. However, in most recent years, this has become simply catastrophic. Instead of unbiased information, impartial analysis and sober forecasting, there are propaganda clichés in the spirit of Soviet newspapers of the 1930s,” the post read.

“Today, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is not about diplomacy. It is all about warmongering, lies and hatred. It serves interests of few, the very few people thus contributing to further isolation and degradation of my country. Russia no longer has allies, and there is no one to blame but its reckless and ill-conceived policy,” the post continued.

The LinkedIn profile describes Bondarev as a veteran of Russian diplomatic service, with expertise in arms control and nonproliferation. The picture on the profile now has the hashtag #opentowork. 

The US State Department said Monday that Bondarev’s resignation shows that “despite the Kremlin’s propaganda, there are Russians who profoundly disagree with what President Putin is doing in Ukraine and share our concern about the danger he is creating for the entire global community.”

A State Department spokesperson said it was encouraging that “many are willing to stand up to” Putin and noted that “it takes immense bravery to stand up to an oppressor, and it requires courage to speak truth to power, especially given the Russian government’s long and terrible track record of attempting to silence legitimate and peaceful protests and dissent.” 

“Plummeting morale is clearly not limited to Russia’s military forces fighting in Ukraine,” they said. 

“Boris Bondarev’s statement underscores that people around the world, including in Russia and even within the Russian government, are recognizing the brutality of the Kremlin’s assault on the Ukrainian people,” the spokesperson said. “They are doing so despite the Kremlin’s best efforts to manufacture and perpetuate disinformation.”

Kharkiv subway will resume operations after months of serving as a shelter, mayor says

People displaced by Russian shelling depart a metro station where many have been living underground for months in Kharkiv, on Sunday, May 22.

Ihor Terekhov, the mayor of the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, said the city’s subway system would resume operations Tuesday, after months of serving as a shelter for citizens looking to escape Russian bombardment. 

“Tomorrow, on May 24, we will open the subway,” Terekhov said in remarks on television. “All lines will be launched. Subway traffic will be from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm. The intervals won’t be the same as in peacetime. The subway depot was damaged during the bombing and shelling, so the intervals will be longer.”

During the height of the Russian bombardment of Kharkiv — Ukraine’s second-largest city — many residents of Kharkiv took refuge in the city’s metro system. Terekhov said many of those who remained underground had been relocated in dormitories, in areas further away from shelling. 

“If necessary, people can use the subway as a bomb shelter, especially subway underpasses,” Terekhov said. 

The subway in Kharkiv became a shelter in the opening hours of Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24. Residents occupied benches, steps, and station floors, as well as subway cars.

Top US general: Reintroduction of US forces in Ukraine would be a "presidential decision"

Planning efforts to bring US troops back into Ukraine in any capacity — like to protect the recently reopened US embassy in Kyiv — are “underway at a relatively low level,” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said during a press conference at the Pentagon on Monday after the conclusion of the second Ukraine Contact Group meeting.

Those plans “have not made it to the [Defense] Secretary or myself for that matter for refinement of courses of action and what’s needed,” Milley added. 

“At the end of the day any reintroduction of US forces into Ukraine would require presidential decision,” Milley said. 

“We’re a ways away from anything like that, we’re still developing courses of action and none of that’s been presented yet to the Secretary,” he added.

US defense secretary: Putin's "overall strategy" regarding Ukraine is "unknown"

Cars pass by destroyed Russian tanks in a recent battle against Ukrainians in the village of Dmytrivka, close to Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, May 23.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “overall strategy” regarding Ukraine is “unknown.”

Asked by CNN’s Oren Liebermann if Putin is switching his long game to weaponizing things like food, energy, and immigration, Austin said the world has seen the Russian leader “use a number of different levers from the very beginning.”

Austin noted that at the outset of the war, Putin “envisioned using overwhelming force and speed and power to very rapidly” take Kyiv and replace the government, but that failed and their forces were pushed back.

“And so we’ve seen them really proceed at a very slow and unsuccessful place on the, pace on the battlefield, and you would expect that he would, he would seek to use other levers of power or other instruments of power, and he’s doing that, but in terms of what his overall strategy is, that’s unknown,” he said.

German vice chancellor: EU can reach a deal on Russia sanctions

German Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Robert Habeck addresses a panel session during the 51st annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on May 23.

Germany’s vice chancellor and economy minister told CNN a recession is not inevitable.

Speaking to CNN’s Julia Chatterley at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Robert Habeck insisted that “nothing is inevitable, we are human beings and can change the course of history.”

He also spoke to CNN about the war in Ukraine and Europe’s efforts to lessen dependence on Russian energy. Asked whether the European Union could reach an agreement on the next round of sanctions, including an oil embargo, he said he was confident a deal could be reached and could be done within days.

“I expect everyone — also Hungary — that they work to find a solution and not saying ‘OK we have an exception and then we will lay back and build on our partnership with Putin,’” he said while speaking earlier on a panel at Davos.

Habeck also discussed Germany’s dependence on Russian gas, saying German industry would collapse without Russian energy. Asked whether Germany would pay for Russian gas in rubles, Habeck said that German companies would pay for gas in euros, if Russia then decided to exchange those euros into rubles, it was a “face saving” measure for Putin.

He insisted that any such moves were approved by the EU Commission and did not break sanctions.

More background: Russian President Vladimir Putin said in March that “unfriendly” nations would have to pay rubles, rather than the euros or dollars stated in contracts. Buyers could make euro or dollar payments into an account at Russia’s Gazprombank, which would then convert the funds into rubles and transfer them to a second account from which the payment to Russia would be made.

Gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria were cut off, after they refused to pay in rubles. Other big European gas companies have told CNN they are working on ways to pay for Russian gas, while not breaking EU sanctions.

US troops based in European area of operations increased 30% compared to before Ukraine war, US general says

There are currently about 102,000 US troops based in the European area of operations, which is a 30% increase from the number of US troops stationed in the European area of operations before the war in Ukraine began, Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a news conference at the Pentagon after the conclusion of the second Ukraine Contact Group meeting on Monday. 

“The United States military had about 78,000 in EUCOM, Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Space Force. In a few short months, we bolstered that by over 30%. So this morning, we’ve got roughly speaking 102,000 US troops in the EUCOM area of operations in many, many countries,” Milley said.

The US has increased its troop presence on the ground, at sea and by air since the war in Ukraine began, Milley added. 

“At sea, we have over 15,000 sailors in the Med and the Baltics, on 24 surface combatants and force subs, up from six surface combatants back in the fall,” Milley said. “In the air, we have currently 12 fighter squadrons and two Combat Aviation brigades, and on the ground we have two corps, two divisions, and six Brigade Combat Teams, along with a variety of enablers.”

CNN reported last week that the US is expected to keep 100,000 troops stationed in Europe for the foreseeable future.

US defense secretary: 20 countries "announced new security assistance packages" after Ukraine meeting

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin gives opening remarks accompanied by Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on Monday, May 23.

Denmark has agreed to provide Ukraine with a Harpoon launcher and missiles to “help Ukraine defend its coast,” US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said at the conclusion of the second Ukraine Contact Group meeting hosted by Austin on Monday. The second contact group meeting was held virtually. 

The Czech Republic also agreed to send “substantial support” to Ukraine including “a recent donation of attack helicopters, tanks and rocket systems,” Austin said at a press conference at the conclusion of the meeting.

Overall, 20 countries “announced new security assistance packages,” after the meeting, Austin said, including “donating critically needed artillery ammunition, coastal defense systems and tanks and other armored vehicles.”

“Others came forward with new commitments for training Ukraine’s forces and sustaining its military systems,” Austin added.

A total of 47 countries participated in the contact group’s second meeting, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said.

Secretary Austin will host the third meeting of the Ukraine Contact Group in person in Brussels on June 15, Austin said at the conclusion of the second virtual meeting of the contact group Monday. 

“I will convene the Contact Group for our third meeting next month and will gather in person this time, on June 15, in the margins of the NATO defense ministerial in Brussels,” Austin said. “Of course, it won’t be a NATO event, but we want to keep up the, up, keep up the tempo of these meetings and I wanted to use my travel to Europe to ensure that we’re building on our momentum.”

Ukrainian refugees can exchange hryvnia for euros in Germany

Banknotes worth 200 hryvnia each are seen in this photo illustration.

Ukrainian refugees in Germany will be able to exchange banknotes of their currency — the Ukrainian hryvnia — into euros from Tuesday without exchange rates, as agreed by the German finance ministry, German Federal Bank, the German banking industry and the National Bank of Ukraine.

“Refugees can exchange a total amount of up to 10,000 hryvnia into euros at participating German banks and savings banks,“ the German finance ministry said Monday in a press release.

“The exchange into euro will be carried out at the exchange rate announced on the Bundesbank’s website. The exchange is recorded in an online application provided by the European Central Bank to ensure that the individual maximum exchange amount is not exceeded. In this process, the identity of each refugee of legal age who wishes to participate in the exchange is recorded and verified. The documents accepted are those used for opening a basic account by refugees from the Ukrainian war zone. The requirements of data protection will be respected,“ the ministry continued.

Germany will cover for exchange losses, it noted.

Hear the moment missiles flew overhead during a CNN interview in Ukraine's Zhytomyr region

At least one person has been killed in a Russian missile attack on Malyn, in the Zhytomyr region, west of Kyiv, according to the Ukrainian military.

Ukraine’s Air Command Center said Russian forces fired “naval-based cruise missiles” from the southeastern direction at infrastructure facilities in Zhytomyr on Sunday.

“So far I can’t say anything more specific, except that the information about one victim has already been confirmed. The blow to Malyn is very similar to the one on May 20. There was a fire at the scene, it was extinguished literally just now, closer to 7 o’clock in the evening,” said Vitaliy Bunechko, the head of Zhytomyr’s regional military administration.

Bunechko’s comments were reported in a Telegram post by Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security.

The center added that its air defense units had destroyed four Russian cruise missiles.

Three missiles were destroyed by aircraft, and one by an anti-aircraft missile unit of the Ukrainian air force, they added.

See moment missiles flew over Zhytomyr during a CNN interview:

528be8a2-49ad-49d8-92e5-634b280a90b4.mp4
00:36 - Source: cnn

Starbucks closes all its cafes in Russia

A Starbucks coffee shop alongside a mural of Georgy Zhukov, a Soviet general and Marshal of the Soviet Union, in Moscow, Russia, on March 27.

Coffee giant Starbucks says it has exited Russia and will no longer have a brand presence there, according to a press release on Monday. 

The coffee company says it has been operating in Russia for 15 years and has now closed its 130 licensed cafes in the country. Starbucks joins other companies like McDonald’s and Exxon Mobil in taking its business completely out of Russia. 

Starbucks says it will “support” its nearly 2,000 workers in Russia, including pay for six months and assistance for partners to transition to new opportunities outside of Starbucks. 

This comes after Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson said in March that it had suspended all business activity in Russia, including shipment of all Starbucks products. 

Biden administration is considering sending US Special Operations Forces to protect its embassy in Kyiv

The United States Embassy to Ukraine stands closed on April 25, in Kyiv, Ukraine.

The Biden Administration is in the early stages of potentially sending special operations forces (SOF) into Ukraine for the very limited mission of helping guard the US Embassy in Kyiv, according to several US officials. The idea of using SOF is in very preliminary stages and has not yet been presented to President Joe Biden for a decision, the sources said.

The embassy was re-opened last week after being closed for about three months.

For now, the embassy and its limited number of personnel are protected by State Department diplomatic security officials. The discussion centers around whether an increase in security is needed if the number of personnel increase, and whether SOF is best equipped to fulfill those requirements. 

US Marines typically guard US embassies around the world but in Kyiv, for now, there is a general agreement that the typical Marine Corps embassy guard personnel may not be suited to the uncertain security picture in Ukraine without additional forces, officials say.

The US doesn’t believe Russia would overtly attack the Embassy. But the concern is that Russia air defenses or missiles could inadvertently target the compound and the situation could dramatically escalate the officials say. US officials say Russia has a thorough understanding on an official basis that the US uses military personnel to guard its embassies around the world and any presence should not be viewed as escalatory. Still an introduction of US forces into Ukraine could raise concerns that it could lead to a perception of US escalation since President Biden has been adamant that US ground troops will not fight in Ukraine. 

The concern is if special operations forces go into Ukraine then the US must be able to provide a rapid means of getting them and embassy personnel out of Ukraine in a crisis. Currently the only options are vehicle or rail transport to the border.

For now, there is no appetite at the Pentagon to provide air support such as helicopters or fixed wing transport. If that was done, it could rapidly escalate the US military footprint because of the need to then provide potential rescue and reconnaissance forces if a US pilot was to go down.

The WSJ first reported that special operations forces are being considered for embassy security.

Convoy of vehicles leaving Russian-held territories blocked, Enerhodar mayor says

Dmytro Orlov, the mayor of the southeastern Ukrainian city of Enerhodar, claimed Monday that a column of vehicles leaving Russian-held territory had been blocked by Russian forces. 

“As of now, it is impossible to leave the temporarily occupied territories - from Melitopol and Enerhodar towards Zaporizhzhia,” Orlov said in a statement on Telegram. “For unknown reasons, no transport is allowed through the enemy checkpoint in Vasylivka. There is a queue of more than 400 cars.”

CNN could not immediately verify Orlov’s statement. Orlov said the vehicles were heading on the route from Zaporizhzhia, a Ukrainian government-held city that has been a destination for civilians fleeing Russian-held parts of southeastern Ukraine.

Putin: Russia "withstanding the impact of sanctions" despite gloomy forecasts

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, left, meets with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on May 23 in Sochi, Russia.

The Russian economy is “withstanding the impact of sanctions,” President Vladimir Putin said Monday, despite a gloomy economic outlook for the country following the Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.

“Despite all the difficulties, the Russian economy is withstanding the impact of the sanctions, and withstanding it quite well,” Putin said in a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi. “This is according to all the main macroeconomic indicators.”

“Yes, it’s not easy. Everything that happens requires special attention from the economic bloc of the government. On the whole, these efforts are having a positive effect,” he added.

Russia’s Central Bank said in late April the Russian economy is expected to shrink by 8 to 10% in 2022, noting a decline in economic activity in March after the imposition of international sanctions on Russia. Earlier the same month, the World Bank predicted that Russian GDP would shrink by 11.2% in 2022.

US defense secretary holds virtual meeting on Ukraine with more than 40 countries

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin gives opening remarks at a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at the Pentagon, Washington D.C, on May 23.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin welcomed more than 40 countries to the second Ukraine Contact Group meeting, held virtually, on May 23, almost three months to the day since the war in Ukraine began.

Austin thanked the defense ministers from the other 40 nations for attending and highlighted the progress made since the first contact group meeting at Ramstein Air Base in Germany last month, spotlighting Australia, Canada and the UK for military equipment they have provided to Ukraine since that meeting.

Since last month’s contact group meeting, Australia and Canada “committed to providing M777 Howitzers, and in just four weeks, all those systems have been delivered to the Ukrainians,” Austin said. The UK also “delivered brimstone missiles and a new short-range defense system,” and “many countries have pushed hard to stand up important new training missions, and we’ve watched these efforts make a real difference in real time,” he added. 

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, the deputy commander in chief of Ukraine’s armed forces and Ukraine’s defense intelligence representative joined the virtual meeting. Four new countries also joined the meeting who were not in attendance at Ramstein last month: Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Colombia, Ireland and Kosovo. 

Austin said he knows the other defense ministers on the call “understand the threat that Russian aggression poses to European security and to the rules-based international order that keeps us all secure.”

“Ukraine’s cause has rallied the free world. Since Russia’s invasion on the 24th of February more than 40 of our allies and partners from around the globe have stepped up to provide critical security assistance to help Ukraine defend itself, and today we’re honored to have defense leaders from 44 countries with us, as well as representatives from NATO and the EU,” Austin said.

Today’s contact group meeting will “begin with presentations by Ukraine and US military leadership on the situation on the ground,” Laura Cooper, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, Eurasia, said. Session one will “begin with a battlefield update on the current fight, how Ukraine is leveraging international donations, and Ukraine’s immediate combat requirements,” she added. 

Session two of the meeting will focus on “participating ministers” who “will announce progress made on donations,” to Ukraine, and session three will focus “on capabilities and coordination with a review of how we are meeting Ukraine’s priority requirements and overview of the international deconfliction and coordination cell and updates by ministers,” Cooper added.

Global food crisis could worsen if Ukrainian port of Odesa is not opened, UN official says

The world faces a “perfect storm within a perfect storm” when it comes to the food crisis, according to the head of the UN World Food Programme, David Beasley.

Beasley explained that currently the world is facing a food pricing problem but with issues over fertilizer and food production we could “very well have a food availability problem.” He added that if the port of Odesa is not opened, it will only compound the problem.

There are 49 million people in 43 countries who are “knocking on famine’s door” and the world would face famine, destabilization and mass migration if we don’t get ahead of the problem, he said while speaking on a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Beasley stressed that “there are enough leaders in Davos this week to end world hunger.”

It's 3 p.m. in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know

As the war in Ukraine rages on, up to 100 people are being killed every day in fighting in the east of the country, where Russia has centered its military efforts in recent weeks, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. 

Meanwhile, Russia has “likely suffered a similar death toll” in the first three months of its invasion to that of the Soviet Union during its nine years of war in Afghanistan, the UK Ministry of Defence said Monday.

Here are today’s latest developments:

Russian soldier gets life sentence in first war crimes trial: A court in Kyiv has found 21-year-old Russian soldier Vadim Shishimarin guilty of war crimes and sentenced him to life in prison. Shishimarin, who pleaded guilty to killing an unarmed civilian, is the first soldier to be sentenced for war crimes since Russia invaded Ukraine in February.

Poland ends energy relationship with Russia: Poland’s government has terminated a 30-year-old agreement with Russia over gas supplies and infrastructure, the country’s climate minister, Anna Moskwa announced Monday. The agreement included the supply of gas via the Yamal pipeline and the construction and maintenance of infrastructure related to the transit of gas through Poland.

Up to 100 people killed daily in eastern Ukraine, president says: Zelensky said as many as 100 people are dying every day in the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Zelensky made the comment Sunday while speaking to press alongside Polish President Andrzej Duda. He was responding to a question about an online petition to allow men of conscription age – between the ages of 18 and 60 – to leave Ukraine. “Today, from 50 to 100 people could be killed here in the most complicated area, in the east of our country,” Zelensky said.

Russian death toll in Ukraine “likely similar” to Soviet war in Afghanistan, says UK: Russia has “likely suffered a similar death toll” in the first three months of its invasion of Ukraine to that of the Soviet Union during its nine years of war in Afghanistan, the UK Ministry of Defence said Monday. “A combination of poor low-level tactics, limited air cover, a lack of flexibility, and a command approach which is prepared to reinforce failure and repeated mistakes has led to this high casualty rate, which continues to rise in the Donbas offensive,” the ministry said in an intelligence update.

More than 6.5 million have fled Ukraine, says UN: At least 6.5 million people have left Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24, according to the latest United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) data. 

Ukrainian presidential adviser rules out ceasefire or concessions: Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Zelensky, has ruled out a ceasefire with Russia and said Kyiv would not accept any deal with Moscow that involved ceding territory. “The war will not stop (after any concessions). It will just be put on pause for some time,” he told Reuters in an interview on Saturday. Podolyak said making concessions would backfire on Ukraine because Russia would hit back harder after any break in fighting.

Zelensky totes Ukraine rebuilding plan as a "huge economic opportunity"

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is seen on a screen as he delivers a video address to the delegates of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on May 23.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called the rebuilding of his country after the war with Russia a “huge economic opportunity,” in an address at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

“We will destroy our neighbor and rebuild entire cities and industries,” in the largest rebuilding effort since the World War II, he pledged. Zelensky also outlined a plan which will offer companies to take “patronage” of rebuilding different areas in Ukraine.

“We are offering a historical opportunity” he said, and urged the global community to assist in the effort. “Post-war rebuilding could be fast and efficient,” the President said, adding it will “attract the best.”

Separatist leader says a tribunal is planned for Ukrainian prisoners from Azovstal: Russian state news

Denis Pushilin, the leader of the Donetsk People's Republic, speaks to journalists in Mariupol, Ukraine, on May 18. This photo was taken during a trip organized by the Russian Ministry of Defense.

Denis Pushilin, the leader of the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), said Monday that a tribunal was being readied for Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Russian state news agencies reported. 

According to Russian state news agency RIA-Novosti, Pushilin said the Ukrainian prisoners are now on the territory of the DPR, a Russian-backed separatist territory in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, and that documents were being prepared for a tribunal.

Mariupol fell under complete Russian control last week with the surrender of Azovstal, the last bastion of Ukrainians defending the city. It is unclear how many Ukrainian soldiers would face a potential tribunal. The Russian military has claimed that over 2,000 Ukrainian service members surrendered at the vast steel works.  

In a separate news item, RIA reported Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Rudenko as saying Russia was open to the possibility of discussing the exchange of Azovstal prisoners with Ukraine.

More than 6.5 million people have fled Ukraine since Russian invasion, says UN refugee agency

A mother with her daughter sit inside a bus as they evacuate the city of Bakhmut in the Donbas region of Ukraine on May 22.

At least 6.5 million people have fled Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion in late February, according to the latest United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) data.  

In addition, more than 8 million people – nearly one in five of Ukraine’s pre-war population – are internally displaced after having been forced to flee their homes, according to the latest report by the International Organization for Migration. 

A projected 8.3 million refugees are expected to flee Ukraine, the UNHCR said in late April. 

Kremlin "concerned" about fate of Russian soldier sentenced in Ukraine

Russian soldier Vadim Shishimarin, 21, stands inside a cage after he was sentenced to life in prison by a Ukrainian court for killing an unarmed civilian, in Kyiv on May 23.

The Kremlin is “concerned” about Russian soldier Vadim Shishimarin and will seek ways of providing assistance to him, Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Monday.

Shishimarin, 21, is the first Russian serviceman to be charged with war crimes in Ukraine. On Monday, Shishimarin was found guilty of shooting an unarmed civilian in Ukraine’s Sumy region and sentenced by a Kyiv court to life in prison.

“Of course, we are concerned about the fate of our citizen,” Peskov told reporters on a regular conference call.

“We do not have many opportunities to protect his interests on the ground, as foreign institutions actually have no activity [in Kyiv]. But this does not mean that we will not consider the possibility of making attempts through other channels,” Peskov added without clarifying which channels he was speaking about.

Concertgoers in St. Petersburg chant "F**k the war!"

Audience members at a Кис-Киc (Kis-Kis) concert in St. Petersburg on Friday were seen chanting “F**k the war!” according to a video shared online, which was verified by CNN.

Кис-Киc is a Russian punk rock band, which in the past has shared anti-war views on their social media. Earlier this year, the band postponed all concerts in March due “moral principles.”

CNN has reached out to the band’s management for comment, but has not yet heard back.

Zelensky calls for "maximum" sanctions against Russia in Davos address

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky seen on a giant screen by video link delivering remarks at the Congress centre during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on May 23.

The global community must impose “maximum” sanctions against Russia, including a full oil embargo, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged in a video address to the World Economic Forum in Davos, which is now underway. 

“The international community must be ready to use sanctions preventively, not to just respond” to threats in the future, he told world and business leaders in attendance. If these sanctions had been in place in the first place, Russia would not have been able to invade Ukraine, he claimed, calling for full bans on Russian banks and a complete halt in trade.

“The aggressor would know the immediate consequences of its actions,” he said.

“We must set a precedent for sanctions,” he said, questioning whether a “large collection of responses” from institutions such as the United Nations and World Trade Organization is enough to respond to the threats of today.

The latest sanctions were announced earlier this month, when leaders of the G7 met virtually with Zelensky. The measures included new export controls against the Russian industrial sector and roughly 2,600 visa restrictions on Russian and Belarusian officials, as well as the first sanctions against executives of Gazprombank, the institution through which most of Europe buys Russian gas.

Read more here:

MOSCOW, RUSSIA - JUNE 24: President of Russia and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Vladimir Putin makes a speech in Red Square during a Victory Day military parade marking the 75th anniversary of the victory in World War II, on June 24, 2020 in Moscow, Russia. The 75th-anniversary marks the end of the Great Patriotic War when the Nazi's capitulated to the then Soviet Union. (Photo by Sergey Guneev - Host Photo Agency via Getty Images )

Related article US announces sanctions against Kremlin-controlled media companies and bans Russia from using some American consulting services

Russian soldier sentenced to life in prison in first war crimes trial of Ukraine war

Russian soldier Vadim Shishimarin, 21, attends a court hearing in Kyiv, Ukraine on May 23.

A court in Kyiv has found 21-year-old Russian soldier Vadim Shishimarin guilty of war crimes and sentenced him to life in prison.

“The court found Vadim Shishimarin guilty of committing a criminal offense under part two of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, and sentenced him to life imprisonment,” it court said, adding that “the sentence may be appealed within 30 days from the date of its promulgation.”

Shishimarin is the first Russian soldier to be sentenced for war crimes since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24.

"You are not alone," UK leader Boris Johnson tells the children of Ukraine

Children play in front of a damaged building in the southern port of Mariupol, Ukraine, on March 23.

In a letter addressed to the children of Ukraine, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed sympathy for what they have gone through under Russian’s invasion.

“In any other year, children like you would be spilling out of your homes and schools to play with your friends, to chase a football… to simply enjoy what is supposed to be a uniquely carefree time in your lives. Of course, this is not any other year,” Johnson wrote in the letter, which was posted on his Twitter in both English and Ukrainian. 

“You should be immensely proud. Proud of your country, your parents, your families and your soldiers, and most of all proud of yourselves,” Johnson wrote, praising them as role models “for children and adults everywhere.” 

He went on to say, “You are not alone. You may be separated from your friends at home, but you have millions of others all over the world.”

In the letter, Johnson referenced his visit to Kyiv last month, during which he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. 

He ended it saying he believes Ukraine will win the war and that he hopes one day soon they will be able to return to their homes, schools and families. 

Johnson has been under intense political pressure in recent months, becoming the first UK premier in history found to have broken the law in office as part of the “Partygate” scandal. His government is also grappling with a cost of living crisis.

Read more here:

Britain's Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party, Boris Johnson, sips a pint of beer at an outside table during a visit to The Mount Tavern pub and restaurant in Wolverhampton, central England, on April 19, 2021, while campaigning for the upcoming local elections. - Local elections in England and Wales will go ahead on May 6 despite the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Jacob King / POOL / AFP) (Photo by JACOB KING/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Related article Boris Johnson breathes a sigh of relief on Partygate scandal. But another crisis will be along soon | CNN

Poland ends energy relationship with Russia, minister says

Polish Minister of Climate and Environment Anna Moskwa talks to the press outside the EU Council headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on May 2.

Poland’s government has terminated a 30-year-old agreement with Russia over gas supplies and infrastructure, the country’s climate minister, Anna Moskwa announced Monday.

“Poland denounces the 1993 intergovernmental gas agreement on the Yamal [pipeline],” Moskwa tweeted. “Russia’s aggression against Ukraine confirmed the correctness of the Polish government’s determination in the direction of complete independence from Russian gas.”

“We have always known that Gazprom is not a trustworthy partner,” she added.

The agreement included the supply of gas via the Yamal pipeline and the construction and maintenance of infrastructure related to the transit of gas through Poland.

Some background: As of Sunday, Lithuania has completely cut imports of Russian energy supplies including oil, electricity and natural gas. This came a day after Russia stopped its natural gas exports to Finland.

Poland and Bulgaria were cut off in late April because they did not make payments in the Russian currency – a move EU leaders described at the time as “blackmail” by Moscow.

Up to 100 people killed each day fighting in eastern Ukraine, Zelensky says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, right, and his Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda give a news conference following their talks in Kyiv, Ukraine, on May 22.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says up to 100 people are being killed each day in fighting in eastern Ukraine, where Russia has centered its military efforts in recent weeks.

Zelensky made the comment Sunday while speaking to press alongside Polish President Andrzej Duda. He was responding to a question about an online petition to allow men of conscription age – between the ages of 18 and 60 – to leave Ukraine.

The petition, posted on the Ukrainian president’s official website, had gained more than 26,000 signatures as of Monday morning.

He added: “Today, from 50 to 100 people could be killed here in the most complicated area, in the east of our country.”

“They are defending our country and our independence about which so many [people] in the world are talking about, so many are talking, but we feel it personally very, very much,” the president said.

Zelensky said the petition would be considered according to the law, at the right time, and irrespective of whether he personally likes it or not.

Ukrainian presidential adviser rules out ceasefire or concessions to Russia

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak has ruled out a ceasefire with Russia and said Kyiv would not accept any deal with Moscow that involved ceding territory.

Podolyak said making concessions would backfire on Ukraine because Russia would hit back harder after any break in fighting.

“After a while, with renewed intensity, the Russians will build up their weapons, manpower and work on their mistakes, modernize a little, fire many generals … And they’ll start a new offensive, even more bloody and large-scale,” Podolyak said.

“Russia can’t be left halfway because they will (develop) a ‘revanchist’ mood and be even more cruel.”

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak makes a statement on the latest developments in the war in this file image from April 19, in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Podolyak also dismissed calls for an urgent ceasefire that would involve Russian forces remaining in territory they have occupied in Ukraine’s south and east, saying “the (Russian) forces must leave the country and after that the resumption of the peace process will be possible.”

Head of the Ukrainian President’s Office Andriy Yermak echoed Podolyak’s words, tweeting Sunday that “the war must end with the complete restoration of Ukrainian territorial integrity and sovereignty.”

Russian death toll in Ukraine "likely similar" to Soviet war in Afghanistan, says UK Defense Ministry

A man walks past a destroyed Russian tank in the village of Mykolaivka in the Kyiv Region, on May 17.

Russia has “likely suffered a similar death toll” in the first three months of its invasion of Ukraine to that of the Soviet Union during its nine years of war in Afghanistan,  the UK Ministry of Defence said Monday.

“A combination of poor low-level tactics, limited air cover, a lack of flexibility, and a command approach which is prepared to reinforce failure and repeated mistakes has led to this high casualty rate, which continues to rise in the Donbas offensive,” the ministry said in an intelligence update.

Tuesday marks three months since Russia launched its assault on Ukraine on Feb. 24. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan ran from December 1979 to February 1989.

Some context: The official Soviet death toll during the Afghan War was around 15,000 soldiers. In March, senior NATO officials estimated that as many as 15,000 Russian soldiers may have been killed in Ukraine in just one month alone.

Ukrainians describe brutal "filtration" process to escape Russian-held territory

Civilians evacuated from Mariupol arrive at the Russian filtration camp in Bezimenne in eastern Ukraine on May 1.

“What would happen if we cut off your ear?” the soldiers asked Oleksandr Vdovychenko. Then they hit him in the head.

The punches kept coming whenever his interrogators — a mixture of Russian soldiers and pro-Russian separatists — didn’t like his answers, he later told his family.

The men asked about his politics, his future plans, his views on the war. They checked his documents, took his fingerprints and stripped him to check if he had any nationalist tattoos or marks caused by wearing or carrying military equipment.

Maria said her father received so many blows to his head during the interrogation last month that several medical examinations have now confirmed his sight has been permanently damaged.

Yet Oleksandr was one of the lucky ones. He made it through “filtration.”

When Russian troops first started taking over villages and towns in eastern Ukraine in early March, following their invasion of the country, evidence began to emerge of civilians being forced to undergo humiliating identity checks and often violent questioning before being allowed to leave their homes and travel to areas still under Ukrainian control.

Three months into the war, the dehumanizing process known as filtration has become part of the reality of life under Russian occupation.

CNN spoke to a number of Ukrainians who have gone through the filtration process over the last two months. Many are too scared to speak publicly, fearing for the safety of relatives and friends who are still trying to escape Russian-held areas.

All of the people CNN spoke to have described facing threats and humiliation during the process. Many have witnessed or know of people who have been picked up by Russian troops or separatist soldiers and subsequently disappeared without a trace.

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Related article Ukrainians must endure a brutal 'filtration' process to escape Russian-held territory. Here's what that means

It's 7 a.m. in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know

Refugees from Maiurpol arrive at the train station of Lviv meet with others going to take a train for Poland on May 19.

At least one person was killed on Sunday after Russia fired “naval-based cruise missiles” at the Zhytomyr region, west of Kyiv, according to the Ukrainian military.

Here are the latest developments:

  • Ukraine-Poland customs deal: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a “historic” joint customs control with Poland that he described as “the beginning of our integration into the common customs space of the European Union.” Zelensky said it would “significantly speed up border procedures” and “remove most of the corruption risks.” It comes after France’s European affairs minister said Ukraine’s bid to join the EU would take at least “15 or 20 years to complete.”
  • “Staggering milestone”: More than 100 million people have been forced to flee conflict, violence and persecution worldwide — a record figure fueled by the situation in Ukraine, the UN refugee agency said Monday. UNHCR described the “stark” figure as “sobering and alarming in equal measure” and said it should serve as a “wake-up call.” The war in Ukraine has displaced 8 million within the country, and more than 6 million refugee movements from Ukraine have been registered, it said.
  • British PM blasts blockade: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday he would “redouble efforts to provide vital food and humanitarian aid” to Ukraine. During a phone call with Zelensky, Johnson spoke about the “despicable” blockade of the key port city of Odesa and said the UK would work to “ensure that (Ukraine) is able to export to the rest of the world,” according to a statement.
  • Cruise-missile attack: At least one person was killed Sunday in a Russian missile attack on Malyn, in the Zhytomyr region, west of Kyiv, according to the Ukrainian military. Ukraine’s Air Command Center said Russian forces fired “naval-based cruise missiles” from the southeastern direction at infrastructure facilities in Zhytomyr. The center added that its air defense units had destroyed four Russian cruise missiles — three were destroyed by aircraft, one by an anti-aircraft missile.
  • Russia House rebranded: A venue normally used by Russia to promote itself at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos has been rebranded as the Russian War Crimes House. A Ukrainian businessman, working with the WEF, has turned the Russia House venue into an exhibition depicting the devastation and destruction of the war in Ukraine. 

New Zealand to offer more support in training Ukrainian forces, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks during a post cabinet press conference at Parliament on May 23.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday that her country would deploy an extra 30 defense force personnel to the United Kingdom to support the training of Ukrainian armed forces.

They will train Ukrainian soldiers on how to use the L-119 light gun, she added.

The troops, training ammunition and surplus equipment including aiming systems will be moved in an airlift coordinated by the UK.

This follows a previous deployment of 66 New Zealand defense force personnel in April along with a Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130 Hercules.

Another casualty of Russia's war: Ukraine's natural environment

The pine forests around Irpin are Oleh Bondarenko’s happy place. He discovered them as a child, when his mom sent him to the area for summer camp, and he has been coming back ever since.

The hour-long journey from Kyiv — a trip he has made many times over the decades — was filled with anguish for Bondarenko, who worried what he would find in Irpin.

This area was under Russian control for several weeks in March; it has subsequently become known around the world as the site of some of the worst atrocities committed by Russia in this war. At least 1,200 bodies of civilians have been discovered in the region since Russian troops withdrew from there, according to the Kyiv region police. At least 290 of them were found in Irpin, according to the city’s mayor.

In addition to the human toll, the destruction Russian forces caused to the landscape here is brutal and omnipresent: Scorched earth, forest floors ravaged by missiles, and trees broken down and uprooted, while abandoned military equipment litters the ground. Many of the town’s neat houses lie in ruins; the woodland and green spaces around them are off limits.

Read more:

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Related article Ukraine's natural environment is another casualty of war. The damage could be felt for decades | CNN

"Staggering milestone" as over 100 million people forced to flee conflict, a record propelled by Ukraine war

A man gets out of an evacuation van in Sloviansk, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, on May 21.

More than 100 million people have been forced to flee conflict, violence and persecution, a record figure setting a “staggering milestone,” the United Nations refugee agency said Monday.

“One hundred million is a stark figure — sobering and alarming in equal measure. It’s a record that should never have been set,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.

“This must serve as a wake-up call to resolve and prevent destructive conflicts, end persecution, and address the underlying causes that force innocent people to flee their homes.”

The UNHCR said the war in Ukraine has displaced 8 million within the country this year, and more than 6 million refugee movements from Ukraine have been registered. The number has also been propelled by “new waves of violence” or conflict in Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Myanmar, Nigeria, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Ukrainian President Zelensky announces "historic" joint customs control with Poland

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during his nightly address, on Sunday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a “historic” joint customs control with Poland on Sunday, stressing “unity of Ukrainians and Poles is a constant that no one will break.”

“A solution has been reached that is revolutionizing the order on our border,” Zelensky said during his nightly video address. “We are introducing joint customs control with Poland. This will significantly speed up border procedures. It will remove most of the corruption risks. But it is also the beginning of our integration into the common customs space of the European Union. That is a truly historic process.”

Zelensky’s comments came on the heels of Polish President Andrzej Duda’s visit to Kyiv earlier in the day. Duda also emphasized the unity between the two countries as he became the first foreign leader since the Russian invasion to address Ukraine’s parliament, the Rada.

Zelensky described Ukrainian-Polish relations as “finally on a completely clean, sincere basis, without any quarrels and old conflict heritage. This is an achievement — the historic achievement of our people. And I want the brotherhood between Ukrainians and Poles to be preserved forever. As I talked about it today in front of the deputies, our unity of Ukrainians and Poles is a constant that no one will break.”

Zelensky also said he signed a decree introducing a new award “to thank those cities of partner countries that have helped the most. And Rzeszow became the first such city. The savior city. It is fair to say.”

The Ukrainian leader also announced the preparation of a bill that will mirror the law passed in Poland about Ukrainian citizens who sought refuge in Poland and who “have been legally given the same opportunities as Poles.”

Nearly 3.5 million Ukrainian refugees have entered Poland since the Russian invasion in February, making it by far the single largest host nation for people fleeing the country, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. 

“It will be the right gesture to pass such a law in Ukraine,” Zelensky said. “Let it be so that the citizens of Poland will never have to use such a law. But let us show our gratitude and our respect.”

The Ukrainian leader also said he spoke with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and “discussed ways to increase the volume of our exports, especially agricultural products. As well as the volume of fuel imports to Ukraine.”

UK will ensure Ukraine can export to rest of world, says Prime Minister Boris Johnson

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at Paddington Station in London on May 17.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will “redouble efforts to provide vital food and humanitarian aid” to Ukraine, his office said Sunday.

During a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Johnson spoke about the “despicable” blockade of the key port city of Odesa, according to the statement. The Prime Minister will work to “ensure that the country is able to export to the rest of the world,” according to a 10 Downing Street statement.

Johnson said, “every country has a duty to help Ukraine in their struggle for freedom, both now and in the long-term.” He reiterated the British people are “1,000% behind the people of Ukraine.”

Davos venue usually used by Russia to promote itself rebranded as "Russian War Crimes House"

The venue typically used by Russia to promote itself at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos has been rebranded as the “Russian War Crimes House.” 

Russia House was used to host events at WEF by Russians for many years. A Ukrainian businessman, working with WEF, has turned the venue into an exhibition depicting the devastation and destruction of the war in Ukraine. 

Organized by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation and PinchukArtCentre, an international center for contemporary art based in Kyiv, “the exhibition aims to inform about the main facts, share faces, names and dates and provide at least some of the victims a platform from which to tell their real story,” the foundation said in a news release.

Björn Geldhof, the exhibition’s curator, said the process of collecting and verifying the images took about one-and-a-half weeks, collecting more than 4,600 images showing “overwhelming amount of evidence of war crimes.”

“An exhibition as this, is one of the steps to raise awareness for the absolute necessity of bringing war criminals to justice and this is not exclusively the task of Ukraine, this is a common task, this is a task for all countries in the world to say this cannot be,” Geldhof said.

Russian politicians and businessmen were not invited to this year’s World Economic Forum following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Go Deeper

Russian officer reveals why he risked it all to quit Putin’s war
Ukraine’s natural environment is another casualty of war. The damage could be felt for decades
US intel skeptical Putin will be swayed by Russian public opinion over war in Ukraine
Biden signs $40 billion aid package to Ukraine while in Seoul

Go Deeper

Russian officer reveals why he risked it all to quit Putin’s war
Ukraine’s natural environment is another casualty of war. The damage could be felt for decades
US intel skeptical Putin will be swayed by Russian public opinion over war in Ukraine
Biden signs $40 billion aid package to Ukraine while in Seoul