EU urges non-essential diplomats to leave Ukraine.

The statement offers a stark picture of the deteriorating situation north of Pokrovsk, where Ukrainian troops say Russian drone superiority has made troop rotations, evacuations, and resupply missions nearly impossible.

The bail funds were reportedly scraped from multiple sources, including contributions from Serhii Rebrov, the former Ukraine national football team coach.

Ukraine's Navy said the bulk carrier KSL DEYANG, designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargoes such as grains or coal, was flying the flag of the Marshall Islands and is owned by a Chinese company, with a crew of Chinese nationals on board.

"We expect our American colleagues to continue their peacemaking efforts," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

Russia launched 524 drones and 22 missiles, including 14 ballistic ones, Ukraine's Air Force said. Of them, 503 drones and 4 missiles were shot down. Direct hits by 18 missiles and 16 drones were recorded at 34 locations.

The number includes 1,220 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.

Russian forces launched a combined drone and missile attack on Ukraine's central and southern regions overnight on May 18, injuring at least 20 people, including two children, officials reported.

The alleged figures, which the Kyiv Independent cannot independently verify, follow Kyiv's largest attack on Moscow in over a year on May 17 in which Kyiv reportedly launched 1,054 Ukrainian drones at Russia, as well as eight guided aerial bombs, and two newly developed Ukrainian missiles.

President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the Ukrainian military's efforts in delivering "significant" long-range strikes on Moscow overnight on May 16-17, describing them as part of a broader shift in momentum in Kyiv’s favor.

"When we think about those types of technologies being that close, and a range of bad actors from terror groups to drug cartels to Iranians to the Russians, it's concerning," a senior U.S. official said.

The remarks came as European officials continue debating future engagement with Moscow amid growing uncertainty over the United States' efforts to end Russia's war against Ukraine.

In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, Anna Belokur examines how Volodymyr Zelensky’s presidency has changed over seven years in office, and whether he still represents the anti-establishment promises he campaigned on in 2019.