​Day 84th of War Between Ukraine and Russian Federation (Live Updates)

16:02 Seven Alvis 4 APCs were spotted on the Ukraine-Estonia border

The armored vehicles were heading towards Ukraine and are likely to add to the Ukrainian equipment fleet.

“More evidence of curious supplies to UA forces - this time we can see 7x Alvis 4 APC (UK-made version of the South African Mamba) - according to our information they were used by Estonian forces after refurbishment, then given to Ukraine. They are generally well regarded” – said a post on Twitter.

More details:

Ukrainian Defense Forces Will Get Several Alvis APC from Estonia

15:30 Netherlands to provide more military aid to Ukraine

"More arms and other equipment are to be delivered to Ukraine," wrote the Minister of Foreign affairs Dmytro Kuleba following the meeting with the Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren. The message comes after yesterday's announcement of additional €500 million in military equipment for Ukraine, voiced by the Ministry of Defense of Netherlands.

Find out more about Dutch military aid to Ukraine:

Dutch YPR-765 Infantry Fighting Vehicles Already in Ukraine to Help Polish T-72M1 Destroy russian Occupiers

14:57 russians opened fire on Israeli aircraft in Syria

Israeli jets bombing the town of Masyaf in southwestern Syria got under fire by russian air defense forces stationed there. It happened on Friday, May 13, but the information about it was revealed to the media only a few days ago. An "unprecedented incident" could signal a "significant change in Moscow-Jerusalem relations", according to all Israeli media outlets already.

More details:

Russian S-300 Fired Israeli Fighter Jets in Syria – Media

14:35 Guerillas of Melitopol neutralized a high commander of russian army

Russian high-rank military were eliminated by the Resistance Forces in the temporarily occupied Melitopol city. This was confirmed by the Zaporizhzhia region administration, reported by Stratcom Centre.

The occupiers are trying to hide this fact, according to the Ukrainian authorities. Today, on May 18, russians were checking through the private cars of citizens in order to find guerillas.

US Institute for the Study of War assessments mark the occupied area of Melitopol as the rear partisan warfare region.

14:08 Rallies are held in the occupied territories

In the city of Luhansk, occupied by russia and its proxy states, people protest against mobilization of servicemen by the russian army. Defense Intelligence of Ukraine has confirmed the rallies were held on May 16–17 by the relatives of the mobilized citizens who are fighting on the russian side in Ukraine. The main demand is to get the servicemen back home. The quantity of involved in the rallies is about 700 people.

According to the intelligence findings, the so-called authorities of the "LPR" do not pay monetary compensation to the relatives of injured and deceased soldiers. Instead, the medical facilities make sham diagnoses that don't match the actual injuries received by the servicemen. This fact made the people furious, the intelligence reports.

13:40 Israel sends 2,000 helmets, 500 vests to Ukraine

Israel shift from its neutrality policy to send further aid to Ukraine for the first time since the russian invasion began, The Times of Israel reports. The defensive equipment is to be handed over to rescue forces and civilian organizations, the news agency said referring to the country's defense ministry.

Jerusalem's policy has shifted in recent weeks, with a decision last month to send 2,000 helmets and 500 flak jackets to emergency workers in Ukraine and an explicit accusation of russia committing war crimes on Ukrainian soil.

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz denies the "policy shift" though, as follows from Jerusalem Post. The minister claimed that the provision of the defensive gear is a part of "humanitarian aid efforts" which also include the establishment of a field hospital, the absorption of refugees and immigrants, the provision of food and medical assistance, and more.

"We have the right to provide extensive humanitarian assistance, and to support Ukraine with additional non-offensive equipment," Benny Gantz said.

12:55 As a result of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, 229 children were killed, more than 424 children were injured, the press service of the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) reports.

"More than 653 children were injured in Ukraine as a result of the full-scale armed aggression of the Russian Federation. According to official data of juvenile prosecutors, 229 children were killed and more than 424 injured. The most affected children were in Donetsk region – 141, Kyiv – 116, Kharkiv – 100, Chernihiv – 68, Kherson – 48, Luhansk – 47, Mykolaiv – 44, Zaporizhia – 28, Sumy – 17, in the city of Kyi v – 16, Zhytomyr – 15," the message published on the Telegram channel on Wednesday says.

These figures are not final, as work is underway to establish them in the places of active hostilities, in the temporarily occupied and liberated territories.

On May 17, a 9-year-old child was seriously injured as a result of a rocket attack by the occupiers on a residential building in the town of Bakhmut, Donetsk region.

Due to the bombing and shelling by the armed forces of the Russian Federation of Ukrainian cities and villages, 1,772 educational institutions were damaged. At the same time, 161 of them have been completely destroyed.

12:30 In social network spread a photo with 7 Alvis 4 APC that transferred by Estonia to Ukrainian troops.

Find more details on the theme in a publication by Defense Express:

Estonia to Donate East German 122-mm D-30 Howitzers to Ukraine to Fight Against russia

12:04 Russian troops have shelled a column of civilian cars near the village of Davydiv Brid, Kherson Region, with the Grad multiple launch rocket systems, killing at least three persons.

The relevant statement was made by Kherson Regional Council Deputy Ihor Yosypenko on Facebook.

“On May 17, 2022, near the village of Davydiv Brid, [Russian] orcs shelled about 100 light motor vehicles with the Grad systems, whose owners were attempting to drive from Kryvyi Rih towards Beryslav. Most cars can no longer drive on their own; vehicles were seriously damaged. Many people were injured, and at least three civilians were killed,” Yosypenko wrote.

In his words, civilians had been waiting in line near the village of Davydiv Brid for about three days and decided to continue movement despite a warning from the Armed Forces of Ukraine about crossing the line of fire.

A reminder that Russian invaders are blocking humanitarian corridors in Kherson Region. Russian troops are abducting local residents, including journalists, community heads, deputies, activists, villagers and teachers.

Find more details on the theme in a publication by Defense Express:

Chronicle of the Russian Federation Crimes in Ukraine (May)

11:18 The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has published the new summary of total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02 to 18.05. Find them in an infographic by Defense Express:

So far, the list of the enemy's combat losses is the following:

Personnel - more 28300 (+400),

Tanks ‒ 1251 (+16) units,

APV ‒ 3043 (+34) units,

Artillery systems – 586 (+8) units,

MLRS – 199 (+1) units,

Anti-aircraft warfare systems – 91 (+1) units,

Aircraft – 202 (+1) units,

Helicopters – 167 (+0) units,

Vehicles and Fuel tanks – 2137 (+28) units,

Boats / cutters – 13 (+0) units,

UAV operational-tactical level – 441 (+5) units,

Special equipment – 43 (+0),

Cruise missiles - 102 (+5).

Russian enemy suffered the greatest losses (of the past day) at the Slov'yansʹk, Kryvyi Rih and Zaporizhzhia directions.

Data are being updated.

10:35 In the Donetsk region, the Russians destroyed another educational institution — Avdiyivka School 1, said the head of the Oblast Military Administration, Pavlo Kyrylenko.

Tonight, the Russians fired at the school with banned phosphorus munitions. The school burned down. No one was injured: only those on duty were in the building, they managed to escape.

10:00 A fire has broken out in the detached house suburbs of Mykolaiv’s Inhulskyi District after Russia’s missile strike.

The relevant statement was made by the Main Department of the Ukrainian State Emergency Service in Mykolaiv Region on Facebook, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“In the morning of May 18, 2022, the enemy’s missile strike caused damage and a fire in the detached house suburbs of Mykolaiv’s Inhulskyi District,” the report states.

Rescuers extinguished the fire within an area of 50 square meters. Reportedly, one person received shrapnel wounds.

Find more details on the theme in a publication by Defense Express:

Chronicle of the Russian Federation Crimes in Ukraine (May)

09:22 Ukrainian forces, which were encircled in Mariupol for more than ten weeks, inflicted costly losses on Russian invaders while defending the city.

"Despite Russian forces having encircled Mariupol for over ten weeks, staunch Ukrainian resistance delayed Russia’s ability to gain full control over the city. This frustrated its early attempts to capture a key city and inflicted costly personnel losses amongst Russian forces," the UK’s Ministry of Defence posted on Twitter.

As noted, in attempting to overcome Ukrainian resistance, Russia had made significant use of “auxiliary personnel”, including several thousand Chechen fighters primarily concentrated in Mariupol and Luhansk sectors.

"The combat deployment of such disparate personnel demonstrates Russia's significant resourcing problems in Ukraine and is likely contributing to a disunited command which continues to hamper Russia's operations," the report reads.

09:02 Russian invaders launched two missile strikes on the city of Dnipro this morning, injuring a woman and destroying a transport infrastructure object.

"An alarming night and a restless morning. An enemy attack on Dnipro. One missile was shot down by our air defense units. The wreckage fell on a private yard. A woman was injured," Head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration Valentyn Reznichenko posted on Telegram.

As noted, falling missile fragments damaged two houses.

Another missile hit a transport infrastructure object, destroying it.

On the morning of May 18, the air raid siren sounded in Dnipropetrovsk region. In the city of Dnipro, locals heard explosions.

08:18 The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has released new operational update on the situation on the Ukrainian frontlines as of 06:00 on May 18, 2022. Here are the key points of the report:

• In other areas, russian enemy's main focus is on maintaining previously occupied frontiers, conducting reconnaissance, engineering equipment positions, replenished stocks, and trying to improve its tactical position.
• russian invaders continue to launch missile strikes on military and civilian targets throughout Ukraine.
• In the Volyn, Polissya and Seversky directions, units of the Armed Forces of the republic of belarus are carrying out tasks to strengthen the Ukrainian-belarusian border in the Brest and Gomel regions. The threat of missile and air strikes on the objects of our State from the territory of belarus remains.

• the enemy continues to maintain units of the Armed Forces of the russian federation in the border areas of Bryansk and Kursk regions. In some areas, russian enemy strengthens the system of air defence and engineering equipment positions.
• russian enemy continues to shell artillery positions of Ukrainian troops and civilian infrastructure in the border settlements of Chernihiv and Sumy oblasts.
• In the Kharkiv direction, russian enemy focused on maintaining its positions and preventing the further advance of our troops. russian aggressor is carrying out artillery shelling of the settlements of Tsyrkuny, Ruski Tyshky, Cherkasy Tyshky and Pytomnyk.
• In the Slovyansk direction, russian enemy is attacking the village of Dovhenke. To support the offensive in a certain area deployed jet and artillery units.

• In order to provide logistical support and replenish the units that suffered casualties, russian aggressor moved weapons and military equipment from the territory of the russian federation.
• In the Donetsk direction, russian enemy continues to attack in the Lyman, Severodonetsk, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Kurakhiv directions.
• In the Lyman direction, russian enemy launched an offensive in order to establish full control over the settlement of Drobysheve and blockade the Lyman from the north.
• In the Bakhmut and Severodonetsk directions, russian aggressor concentrated up to fifteen helicopters in the Luhansk region to support the offensive.

• In Mariupol, russian enemy is focusing its efforts on blocking our units near the Azovstal plant. Continues to inflict artillery and air strikes.
• In the Novopavlovsk and Zaporizhzhia directions, russian enemy reinforces groups of troops to conduct an offensive in the direction of Polohy - Orikhiv.
• In the South Bug direction, russian enemy focuses its main efforts on maintaining the occupied frontiers, conducting reconnaissance, and engineering equipment of positions, firing on units of our troops.
• russian occupiers deployed on fire positions to ten batteries of jet and to eight - barrel artillery in the Mykolayiv direction for fire defeat of Ukrainian army.
• In the Kryvyi Rih direction, russian troops conducted demonstrations to bind Ukrainian troops, improve engineering equipment and replenish supplies.
• In the Bessarabian direction, the situation in the transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova remains tense and has not changed significantly.

• Ships of the Black Sea Fleet in the Black and Azov Seas continue to perform tasks to isolate the area of hostilities, reconnaissance and fire support in the coastal direction.
• In the previous day, the air defense units of the Land Forces hit ten UAVs of operational and tactical level, anti-aircraft missile units of the Air Force destroyed one UAV and four cruise missiles.
• Twelve enemy attacks were repulsed in the Donetsk and Luhansk directions over the past 24 hours, three tanks, three artillery systems, six units of armoured combat vehicles and seven enemy vehicles were destroyed.

Find more details on the theme in a publication by Defense Express:

Ukraine’s General Staff Operational Report: Armed Forces of Belarus to Continue the Measures of the Second Stage Of the Combat Readiness Test

07:26 As the Operational Command "South" posted on Facebook, fighting continues on the line of contact in Mykolayiv and Kherson areas.

The Russian troops are still deprived of the opportunity to advance, so they reinforce their positions and defend themselves, trying to gain a foothold. At the same time, mortar and artillery attacks on Ukrainian defenders are ongoing.

Operational Command "South" launched 110 attacks on the enemy positions during the day. As a result, the enemy lost 130 personnel and 26 units of equipment, including an airborne self-propelled artillery piece, three modernized T-72B3 tanks, ten armored personnel vehicles, and 12 vehicles.

Moreover, the Ukrainian defenders destroyed two enemy ammunition depots in the area of Pyatykhatka and Stepanivka, Kherson region.

According to the Operational Command "South" data, the enemy naval group is ready to launch missile strikes with at least 30 cruise missiles.

The situation in Odesa region is stable and under control. The defense forces took measures to ensure reliable protection of the state border, in particular in the section bordering the unrecognized Transnistrian Moldovan Republic.

Find more details on the theme in a publication by Defense Express:

Ukrainian Bayraktar TB2 UAVs Strike at Command Post and Ammunition Depot on Occupied Snake Island in Black Sea

04:55 Units of the 74th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade of the russian armed forces were first beaten near Chernihiv, then near Nizhyn, and finally defeated during the crossing of the Seversky Donets in Luhansk region

The armed forces of the russian federation recently has actually decreased by one brigade. It is about the 74th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade from the city of Yurga, Kemerovo region. At least the brigade is not combat-ready and is being redislocated to Russia.

According to the information that was obtained by Defense Express from several own sources, the remnants of the russian 74th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade are currently being withdrawn from Ukraine due to complete loss of combat capability.

Find more details on the theme in a publication by Defense Express:

Only Five Tanks Remained From the Russian 74th Motor Rifle Brigade After Meeting With Ukrainian Warriors

01:00 In his nightly address, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that the military and intelligence officers had begun the operation to rescue Ukrainian troops from Mariupol, but the the work needs “delicacy and time”, The Guardian reports.

Meanwhile, he said, “we also maintain maximum diplomatic activity in other areas in the interests of Ukraine”.

I spoke today with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. On how to speed up the provision of financial assistance to Ukraine, given the state budget deficit during the war, which is about $ 5 billion a month. We also talked about the main directions of further cooperation.

On the eve of the meeting of the G7 finance ministers, these talks with the IMF Managing Director are a direct preparation for very important decisions for Ukraine.

A high-ranking Polish delegation worked in Kyiv. Consultations with them were held regarding cooperation at the European Union level. In particular, it concerns the acceleration of our integration into the European Union and the expected decision on the candidate status for Ukraine.

We are also working to ensure that the European Union agrees on a sixth package of sanctions on Russia. The oil embargo must be a part of it, and it is in the interests not only of our state, but also of the whole of Europe. I am grateful to those leaders of the continent who are aware of this and help promote the respective decision.

Zelenskiy said that in the mean time, Ukrainian troops are “repelling constant attacks in those areas where Russia is still trying to advance”, naming Severodonetsk and other cities in Donbas as main targets.

“We do everything to protect our land and our people,” he said.

00:40 Germany to lend 150 million euros to Ukraine. On May 17, Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers approved a decision to get a “soft loan” of up to 150 million euros from German state bank KfW. “We will immediately use these funds to finance key social expenditures and key aspects of our country’s reconstruction,” Ukraine’s Prime MInister Denys Shmyhal said.

00:20 The Ukrainian anti-aircraft defense units have destroyed fifteen enemy targets: eleven unmanned aerial vehicles and four cruise missiles on Tuesday, May 17

On May 17, the strike aircraft of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine struck at the company's tactical groups, areas of concentration of equipment, manpower and ammunition depots of the enemy.

The relevant statement was made by the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook.

"The air defense of the Ground Forces hit ten drones of the operational and tactical level. Another UAV and four cruise missiles were destroyed by anti-aircraft missile units of the Ukrainian Air Force," the statement read.

In general 15 air targets of invaders were shot down during the day - 11 unmanned aerial vehicles and 4 cruise missiles.

Find more details on the theme in a publication by Defense Express:

Defenders of Ukraine Shot Down 15 Enemy Air Targets Previous Day