As of the evening of Thursday, 18 May, Ukrainian forces control the southwest of Bakhmut and are making gains in some areas around the city. Source
Europe
At least 5 people killed and 19 injured as a result of HIMARS shelling of a poultry farm on the LPR territory, carried out on the night of May 31 by Ukrainians. Source
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has said that Hungary supports all peace plans because it remains unclear which one of them will succeed. He has added that peace will not be achieved unless someone takes the first step. Source
During high-precision strikes inflicted on the military infrastructure of Ukraine by Russian military personnel, an anti-aircraft system Patriot was destroyed. Source
Ruslan Stefanchuk, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada [Ukrainian parliament – ed.], has said that supplies of Norwegian NASAMS air defence systems to Ukraine may soon increase. Source
The US Department of Defence discovered an error in accounting for the cost of weapons that Ukraine received from American warehouses, which was about US$3 billion overestimated. Source
Ukraine destroyed 22 Russian artillery systems within a day [yesterday, Friday, May 26th.]. This is claimed by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Source
Italy will train Ukrainian recruits in schools and military facilities in Italy and participate in EU training programmes for Ukraine in Brussels, Poland, and Germany. Source
On 18 May, the Russian military shelled Nikopol with heavy artillery, damaging private houses and power transmission lines, and destroying an outbuilding. Source
No operator: S-350 Vityaz 'killed' MiG-29 in fully autopilot mode, according to an unnamed source of the Russian media Vzglyad, citing a statement from the MoD. Source
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg believes that Ukraine has the necessary means for liberating the territories captured by Russia. Source
Ukrainian Armed Forces attempted to sink Russian warship Ivan Khurs. Attack took place in the Black Sea. Three Ukrainian surface unmanned boats were destroyed. Source
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has held a meeting of the war cabinet and a meeting with the front commanders, where they outlined Ukraine’s priorities for the near future. Source
On Thursday, the US Department of Defence confirmed that the Patriot air defence system in Ukraine was indeed damaged and has already been repaired. Source
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine is bringing the issue of occupied Crimea and Crimean prisoners to a new international level; he has also announced important steps in this regard in the near future. Source
Etienne de Poncins, the French Ambassador to Ukraine, has arrived in the city of Izium, Kharkiv Oblast, which was under Russian occupation from March to September 2022. Source
The Armed Forces of Ukraine have posted a video showing the moment when a Russian drone was shot down by a Stinger MANPADS. Source
Klaudia Tanner, the Minister of Defence of Austria, has not changed her opinion regarding the possible participation of the state in mine clearance in Ukraine before the end of hostilities, considering it a violation of constitutional neutrality. Source
What did the Russians hit in Kyiv? Patriot or something else? A video from the network shows the intensive work of the Air Defense Forces over Kiev that night. Source
The US Air Force has praised Ukrainian pilots’ ability to master Western F-16 fighter jets and believes that for them, the training programme could be completed in four months. Source