Russia-Ukraine war live: Putin tries to claim Russia isn’t after Kharkiv – despite massive attack on region

Volodymyr Zelensky claims his forces have ‘stabilised’ a Russian attack in northeast Kharkiv region

Quality of Russian troops is now lower than beginning of war, says Nato Chief

Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed there are “no plans” to take the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv despite tens of thousands of his forces having recently stormed across the border into the region and getting within artillery range of the city.

Speaking on the second day of his two-day tour of China, Putin claimed he had ordered the attack to create a “buffer zone” between Ukrainian soldiers and the Russian region of Belgorod.

When asked if Russian forces planned to take control of Kharkiv city, some 20 miles from the current fighting, Putin said: “As for Kharkiv, there are no such plans as of today.”

While Ukrainian officials and military analysts maintain that Russian forces in the Kharkiv region do not have the manpower or weaponry to take its namesake capital, and that the attack is likely an attempt to create a “buffer zone”, as Putin puts it, as well as draw Ukrainian forces away from other battles further east, there is little doubt that Russia would try to invade the city if it had the capability.

Key Points

• Ukraine says it has halted Russian advance in Kharkiv town
• Ukraine launches massive drone attack against occupied Crimea and across Russia
• What’s the latest in Russia and Ukraine? Day 814
• Vladimir Putin speaks on final day of China tour

[16 May 2024 10:48 · Tom Watling]

Zelensky travels to Kharkiv amid Russian offensive in region’s north

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has travelled to the city of Kharkiv amid a raging Russian offensive in the north of the region.

Mr Zelensky said on Telegram he held a meeting with the military, and described the situation as extremely difficult though “controlled in general”.

“As of today, the situation in Kharkiv Oblast is generally under control, our soldiers are inflicting significant losses on the occupier. But the direction remains extremely difficult - we are strengthening our units,” he wrote.

Earlier, the Ukrainian military said its forces were fighting Russian troops in northern districts of Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region but the invaders had been unable to break through deeper into the border town.

“The enemy’s plans to penetrate deeper into the town of Vovchansk and gain a foothold there were thwarted,” the Ukrainian General Staff said in a statement.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sits down in Kharkiv to discuss the latest situation on the frontline (Telegram )

[16 May 2024 11:10 · Tom Watling]

US will send artillery, rockets and ammunition in $1bn arms package to Ukraine

[16 May 2024 11:25 · Tom Watling]

Photos show Putin and Xi meeting in Beijing

We have some more photos dropping on the wires from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing.

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin and China's President Xi Jinping attend a signing ceremony following their talks in Beijing (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping exchange bilateral documents during a meeting in Beijing (via REUTERS)

[16 May 2024 12:00 · Tom Watling]

It’s time we gave Ukraine the tools it needs to finish the job

[16 May 2024 12:30 · Tom Watling]

Maps show the state of Russia’s advance in the Kharkiv region

Updated maps published by Ukrainian war tracker DeepState have shown the state of Russia’s offensive in the northeast Kharkiv.

The attack began last Friday, at around 5.30am, and took place across two sectors.

In the first assault, Russian forces have advanced to the north and northwest suburbs of Vovchansk, a small city from where thousands of civilians have been evacuated. They have pushed roughly three and a half miles from the Russian border into the Kharkiv region, occupying nearly 22 square miles of territory.

Russia has advanced more than three miles from the border into the Kharkiv region towards Vovchanks - DeepState (DeepState )

In the second assault, Russian forces are advancing towards the village of Lyptsi, having taken Hlyboke and Lukiantsi yesterday. They have pushed nearly five miles from the Russian border into the Kharkiv region, occupying 31 square miles of territory.

Russian forces are pushing towards the village of Lyptsi, seen in the bottom of the screen, after six days of fighting - DeepState (DeepState )

That means that Russian forces are within artillery range of Kharkiv city, the region’s namesake capital, which is home to 1.3 million civilians.

Russia’s attack is taking place just 20 miles from Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv, home to some 1.3 million civilians - DeepState (DeepState )

[16 May 2024 13:00 · Tom Watling]

AP gets rare look as Ukraine tries to slow Russia with drones on new front

[16 May 2024 13:30 · Tom Watling]

Sri Lanka to send delegation to Russia to help repatriate men duped into Ukraine fighting

Sri Lanka will dispatch a high-level delegation to Russia to investigate the fate of hundreds of nationals reportedly fighting in the war in Ukraine, a top official said on Thursday.

Social media campaigns via WhatsApp have targeted ex-military personnel with promises of lucrative salaries and promises of citizenship, the Defence Ministry has said, warning its nationals not to be duped.

The messages, sent by Sri Lankan nationals, provide a number to agents, who then arrange the documentation and the flights.

The campaigns have proved appealing as Sri Lanka struggles to emerge from its worst financial crisis in more than seven decades, which has doubled poverty rates from pre-pandemic levels and pushed hundreds of people to migrate.

Earlier this month, Sri Lankan authorities launched investigations into reports of its citizens, mostly with military training, being trafficked to fight in the war in Ukraine, said State Minister for Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya.

“The primary challenge lies in determining the exact number of individuals in Russia. As per unofficial sources, approximately 600-800 Sri Lankan individuals are in Russia,” he told reporters.

[16 May 2024 14:00 · Tom Watling]

Ukraine says it has checked Russia's offensive in a key town, but Moscow says it will keep pushing

Ukrainian units locked in street battles with the Kremlin’s forces in a key northeastern Ukraine town have halted the Russian advance, military officials in Kyiv claimed Thursday, though a senior Moscow official said the frontline push had enough resources to keep going.

Russian attempts to establish a foothold in the town of Vovchansk, which is among the largest towns in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region with a prewar population of 17,000, “have been foiled,” Ukraine’s general staff said in a midday report.

[16 May 2024 14:48 · Tom Watling]

Russian forces ‘executing’ fleeing civilians in Vovchansk, says Ukrainian minister

Russian forces have “executed” civilians desperately trying to flee the battered Ukrainian town of Vovchansk, Ukraine’s Interior Minister has claimed.

Ihor Klymenko, writing on the Telegram messenger service, said Russian soldiers were killing civilians who were trying to flee Vovchansk on foot after the soldiers entered the north and northwest suburbs of the town. He added that they were “kidnapping” civilians that remained in the town and “herding [them] into basements”.

“As of now, according to operational information, the Russian military, who were trying to gain a foothold in the city, did not allow local residents to evacuate: people began to be kidnapped and herded into basements,” he wrote.

“It is known about the first executions of civilians by the Russian military. In particular, one of the inhabitants of Vovchansk tried to escape on foot, refused to obey the commands of the invaders - the Russians killed him.”

Vovchansk area residents, who fled due to Russian military strikes, gather at an evacuation centre compound in Kharkiv region (REUTERS)

[16 May 2024 15:15 · Tom Watling]

Denmark to send military aid worth $815 million to Ukraine

Denmark will send a new military aid package to Ukraine, including primarily air defense and artillery, worth around 5.6 billion Danish crowns (£644 million), the Danish Defence Minister wrote on social media platform X on Thursday.