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Ukraine gives to trade prisoners for ‘severely wounded’ Azovstal fighters

Negotiations with Russia to free “severely wounded” fighters from Mariupol’s Azovstal metal plant proceed, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister mentioned Thursday.

Describing the talks as “difficult,” Iryna Vereshchuk mentioned in a publish on her Telegram channel that Ukraine had provided to trade 38 fighters for 38 Russian prisoners.

She added the negotiations had been being carried out on behalf of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Four House committee chairs ask Big Tech to archive proof of battle crimes in Ukraine

Four high-ranking congressional Democrats despatched formal requests Thursday asking the CEOs of YouTube, TikTookay, Twitter and Facebook’s father or mother firm, Meta, to archive content material that may very well be used as proof of Russian battle crimes in Ukraine.

“We write to encourage Meta to take steps to preserve and archive content shared on its platforms that could potentially be used as evidence as the U.S. government and international human rights and accountability monitors investigate Russian war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other atrocities in Ukraine,” mentioned the letter that was despatched to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

The letters had been signed by Reps. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., chair of the Oversight Committee; Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee; Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., chair of the Oversight and Reform subcommittee on nationwide safety; and William Keating, D-Mass, chair of the Foreign Affairs subcommittee on Europe, vitality, the surroundings and cyber.

They particularly ask the social media firms “to flag or mark content as containing potential evidence of war crimes and other atrocities.”

YouTube, TikTookay, Twitter and Facebook didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.

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U.N. units up inquiry into Russia’s alleged rights abuses in Ukraine

The U.N. Human Rights Council handed a decision by a robust majority Thursday to analyze allegations of rights abuses by Russian troops in elements of Ukraine previously below their management.

The Geneva-based council handed the decision by way of a vote of 33-2, with China and Eritrea voting no. There had been 12 abstentions.

Russia was lately suspended from the 47-member council. It might nonetheless have joined the session as an observer however selected not to take action in protest of the decision, which it mentioned amounted to political score-settling.

Ukraine says it blew up Russian pontoon bridges over a key river — and items making an attempt to cross it

Ukraine’s navy says it blew up a key Russian crossing on the Siverskyi Donets River on its jap entrance, inflicting heavy losses in a probably important blow to the Kremlin’s designs on the areas of Luhansk and Kharkiv.

Images shared by the Defense Ministry appeared to indicate a ruined pontoon crossing with dozens of destroyed or broken armored autos on each banks. 

“Artillerymen of the 17th tank brigade of the #UAarmy have opened the holiday season for [Russian forces],” the ministry said on Twitter. “Some bathed in the Siverskyi Donets River, and some were burned by the May sun.”

Kyiv’s strategic communications directorate tweeted photographs of smoking wreckage and two ruined bridgeheads and mentioned the military’s eightieth Separate Assault Brigade had “destroyed all attempts by the Russian occupiers to cross” the river.

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Blinken to journey to Europe for NATO assembly

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will journey to Germany for an off-the-cuff assembly of NATO international ministers to debate the battle in Ukraine, the State Department mentioned in a information launch Thursday. 

The assembly in Berlin on Saturday may even embody a dialogue in regards to the leaders’ summit, which is ready to happen within the Spanish capital, Madrid, subsequent month, the discharge mentioned.  

Blinken will then journey to Paris for a U.S. and European Union Trade Council assembly, it added.   

Ukraine an emotional favourite to win this weekend’s Eurovision tune contest

Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra seems to be set to journey a wave of public sympathy to win the Eurovision Song Contest when performers take to the stage within the Italian metropolis of Turin on Saturday evening.

Kalush Orchestra’s entry, “Stefania,” which is sung in Ukrainian and fuses rap with conventional people music, is a tribute to frontman Oleh Psiuk’s mom.

Bookmakers have the group as a transparent favourite for the annual contest, which usually attracts a tv viewers of almost 200 million.

While the competition is official nonpolitical, Russia was excluded after it invaded Ukraine in February.

The contest is set by a mix of votes from the official jury and viewers from taking part nations.

U.N. human rights chief particulars violations in Ukraine that ‘could quantity to battle crimes’

.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet raised the alarm Thursday about civilian deaths in areas of Ukraine beforehand held by Russian forces, in addition to allegations of rape and enforced disappearances. She mentioned her workplace continues to analyze violations, “many of which may amount to war crimes.”

In a press release addressed to the U.N. Human Rights Council, Bachelet mentioned her monitoring mission final week visited 14 cities and villages within the northern Kyiv and Chernihiv areas beforehand managed by Russian armed forces. They collected firsthand accounts of relations’, neighbors’ and associates’ being killed, injured, detained and “disappeared,” Bachelet mentioned. 

“To date, over 1,000 civilian bodies have been recovered in the Kyiv region alone,” she mentioned. Some of the folks had been killed in hostilities, Bachelet added, however others seem to have been summarily executed or to have died due to stress to their well being attributable to hostilities and the shortage of medical support. 

“The scale of unlawful killings, including indicia of summary executions in areas to the north of Kyiv is shocking,” she mentioned. “While we have information about 300 such killings, the figures will continue to increase as new evidence becomes available.”

Bachelet’s office has also been looking into allegations of sexual violence, and it has verified a dozen cases across the country, she said. 

Humanitarian efforts in Kharkiv

Leaders of NATO member states welcome Finland’s announcement

Several leaders of NATO countries have welcomed Finland’s announcement of the country’s intention to join the military alliance.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said it was good news for the security of Europe.

‘Russia will be forced to take retaliatory steps’: Russian foreign ministry on Finland

The Russian foreign ministry said Moscow will be forced to take “retaliatory steps” after Finland announced Thursday its plans to join NATO in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Helsinki must be aware of the responsibility and consequences of such a move,” the ministry mentioned in a press release, based on a NBC News translation.

“Finland’s accession to NATO will trigger severe injury to bilateral Russian-Finnish relations, sustaining stability and safety within the Northern European area,” the ministry’s statement added. “Russia can be compelled to take retaliatory steps, each of a military-technical and different nature, with a purpose to cease the threats to its nationwide safety arising on this regard.”

Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned Finland’s transfer presents “a threat” to Russia.

Tank survival coaching in Kryvyi Rih

Finland’s accession course of to NATO could be clean and swift, chief Stoltenberg says

A NATO membership of Finland would strengthen each the Western navy alliance and Finland, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg mentioned on Thursday.

“Should Finland decide to apply, they would be warmly welcomed into NATO, and the accession process would be smooth and swift,” Stoltenberg mentioned after Finland introduced it could apply to hitch NATO “without delay.”

Siemens turns into newest firm to depart Russia

Siemens will give up the Russian market as a result of battle in Ukraine, it mentioned Thursday, taking a $630 million hit to its enterprise throughout the second quarter, with extra prices to return.

The German industrial and expertise group grew to become the most recent multinational to announce losses linked to its determination to depart Russia following the Feb. 24 invasion.

Siemens Chief Executive Roland Busch described the battle as a “turning point in history.”

“We, as a company, have clearly and strongly condemned this war,” Busch instructed reporters.

The Munich firm employs 3,000 folks in Russia, the place it has been lively for 170 years. It first went to Russia in 1851 to ship units for the telegraph line between Moscow and St. Petersburg.

The nation now contributes about 1 % of Siemens’ annual income, with a lot of the current day enterprise involved with upkeep and repair work on high-speed trains.

Finland’s transfer to hitch NATO a menace for Russia, Kremlin says

Finland’s entry into NATO represents a menace to Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned Thursday, based on the state information company Tass.

This was the Kremlin’s first response to Finland’s management saying the nation’s intention to hitch the alliance “without delay” within the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Another expansion of NATO does not make our continent more stable and secure,” Peskov was quoted as saying by Tass.

Homes destroyed as Ukrainian village is liberated

Multiple Ukrainian regions report extensive shelling

The leaders of several Ukrainian regions in the north, east and center of the country reported strikes Thursday morning. 

The regional administration in the northern Chernihiv region reported several airstrikes on critical infrastructure in the city of Novhorod-Siversky. It said there were dead and wounded, without providing additional details.

In the northeastern Sumy region, head of the regional administration Dmytro Zhyvytskyy said about 20 heavy artillery rounds struck the village of Novi Vyrky, killing one person. Zhyvytskyy said the strikes came from Russia’s territory. 

Officials in the central Zaporizhia region also reported Thursday morning that a Russian cruise missile was launched at the city of Zaporizhzhia, setting a building on fire. There was no immediate information about casualties.

In the eastern Kharkiv region, regional administration chief Oleh Sinehubov said although the region’s capital Kharkiv has been relatively quiet, towns and villages in the region have been hit by shelling Thursday. One person died and three others were injured, he said. 

The head of the administration in the central Dnepropetrovsk region, Valentyn Reznichenko, also reported shelling on the Zelenodolsk community, killing one person and wounding another, early Thursday. 

Meanwhile, the head of the Luhansk region in the country’s east said there was “almost no surviving critical infrastructure” left. 

“Some power lines can still be repaired, but it is now impossible due to constant shelling,” Serhiy Haidai, governor of Luhansk province, said in a post on the Telegram messaging app Thursday. 

Haidai said towns and villages of his region were fired at 26 times Wednesday. 

Finland’s president urges NATO membership after Russian invasion of Ukraine

Zelenskyy applauds Finland NATO push

In Berlin, Ukraine’s Kuleba welcomes positive changes in Germany’s position

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba praised Germany’s response to the war with Russia during his visit to Berlin on Thursday, saying that the country had now taken a leading role following tensions in Berlin-Kyiv relations.

In an interview with German broadcaster ARD, Kuleba said there had been positive changes, after Germany decided to deliver heavy weapons to Ukraine and back a proposed E.U. embargo on Russian oil following pressure from its allies.

During the top Ukrainian diplomat’s visit, which will also include an appearance at the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting on the German Baltic Sea coast, Kuleba said he plans to lobby for Ukrainian E.U. membership, as well as further sanctions on Russia and a response to food scarcity threatened by the conflict.

Hockey pals once, Finland and Russian presidents now worlds apart

They shared an ice rink and a cordial relationship once, but as Finland announced Thursday its intention to join NATO “without delay,” Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Finland’s President Sauli Niinisto could not be further apart. 

Finland’s move in the wake of Russian invasion of Ukraine is bound to redraw Europe’s security map and upset Putin, who cited NATO’s expansion on Russia’s doorstep as one of the existential threats for his nation before he launched the war. 

Now the Nordic nation, which shares an 810-mile border with Russia, is expected to be given rapid accession to join the alliance.

There has been no rapid response from the Kremlin. 

Huge explosion rocks Azovstal steel plant as Russian bombardment continues

Ukrainian fighter trapped in Mariupol steel plant asks Elon Musk for help

One of the fighters holed up in a steelworks besieged by Russian forces in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol has appealed to SpaceX billionaire Elon Musk to help evacuate them.

Many civilians were rescued from the sprawling Azovstal plant last week under an agreement with Russia, but no deal has been reached with Moscow on allowing out hundreds of fighters, some of whom are wounded, after weeks of bombardment.

“@elonmusk people say you come from another planet to teach people to believe in the impossible. Our planets are next to each other, as I live where it is nearly impossible to survive,” marine commander Serhiy Volina wrote on Twitter.

“Help us get out of Azovstal to a mediating country. If not you, then who? Give me a hint.”

Musk, the world’s richest man, owns rocket company SpaceX and electric car maker Tesla, and is planning to buy Twitter. It was not immediately clear whether Musk had seen Volina’s tweet.

How Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy became a global phenomenon

He’s been described as heroic, inspirational and a “champion” for the democratic world. 

Three months ago, Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy was an increasingly unpopular leader of one of Europe’s poorest countries. Today, he’s become a symbol of the battle between democracy and authoritarianism — one who continues to push the world to keep its attention on a war that has already killed thousands and has no easy end in sight.

At the outset of the war, as it became apparent Ukrainians were resisting the Russian military might against all odds, Zelenskyy became a hero not only for Ukrainians, but also for many in the West, who saw him as a fighter for freedom and the beleaguered liberal order.

“Many people in the West see that Ukrainians are not only defending their country, but democratic values and ideals as well,” said Volodymyr Fesenko, a political analyst and the head of the Ukrainian think tank Penta. “Zelenskyy has become a symbol of that fight.”

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Ukrainian flags fly at national soccer game

Finland must make bid to join NATO ‘without delay,’ its leaders say

Finland’s leaders announced Thursday their intention for the country to join NATO “without delay,” a move that would bolster the Western military alliance’s strength in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and redraw Europe’s security map.

The Nordic nation, which shares an 810-mile border with Russia, is expected to be given rapid accession to join the alliance and neighboring Sweden looks set to follow with its own bid in the coming days.

“NATO membership would strengthen Finland’s security. As a member of NATO, Finland would strengthen the entire defense alliance,” President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Sanna Marin said in a joint statement early Thursday.

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Ukraine retakes areas near Kharkiv as Russian forces retreat east, U.K. says

Ukrainian forces have retaken some areas north of Kharkiv, the place they proceed counter-attacks as Russian forces retreat east, according to the ministry of defense in the U.K.

“Despite Russia’s success in encircling Kharkiv within the preliminary levels of the battle, it has reportedly withdrawn forces from the area to reorganize and replenish its forces following heavy losses,” the ministry wrote. Russian forces have reportedly been pushed east of the Siverskyi Donets River.

Locals in some areas of the Kharkiv region that remain under occupation have been cut off from electricity, water and cellular service, the Ukrainian defense ministry said.

Zelenskyy: Joining NATO could have saved Ukraine

A cyberattack took down one of Russia’s largest video platforms for days

One of Russia’s largest video streaming websites was rendered inoperable for three days after it was the target of a cyberattack.

RuTube, designed as a Kremlin-friendly counterpart to YouTube, came back online Wednesday afternoon after it went dark Monday. RuTube said in messages on its official Telegram channel that it had been the target of the “largest cyberattack” it had ever seen. 

The site still loads slowly, and it’s unclear when full service will be restored.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has prompted a near-constant stream of low-level cyberattacks on websites in both countries. Ukraine’s government has even given the “IT Army,” a group of so-called hacktivists, approval to launch almost daily attacks at targets it wants to overwhelm with web traffic.

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