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1:34 AM

CNN: NATO expects ‘standstill’ in battlefield in coming weeks.

According to an unnamed NATO military official, no significant gains for either side are predicted, although momentum has shifted in Ukraine’s favor. Discussions are reportedly ongoing over whether Ukraine can retake Russian-occupied regions of Crimea and Donbas.

1:22 AM

Blinken: US to provide additional $215 million in emergency food aid to Ukraine.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on May 18 that he also expects Congress to authorize an additional $5.5 billion in support for humanitarian assistance and food security.

1:03 AM

Russian troops fire on fleeing civilians in Kherson Oblast.

Head of Kryvyi Rih Regional Military Administration Oleksandr Vilkul said on May 18 that three people are dead and six wounded due to a Russian attack near the village of Davydiv Brid.

12:46 AM

US Senate approves Bridget Brink as Ambassador to Ukraine.

The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee said on May 18 that Brink’s new role confirms “U.S. support for Ukraine is only growing.” The position has been vacant for three years.

12:17 AM

Kuleba describes what Ukraine will consider as victory over Russia.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told Dutch newspaper NRC that the list includes: the liberation of Russian-occupied territories, including Donbas and Crimea, the payment of reparations by Russia, trials for Russian war crimes and crimes against humanity, and European integration for Ukraine.

12:07 AM

Croatia to block Finland, Sweden from NATO membership.

Croatian President Zoran Milanovic told the N1 TV channel that he would instruct the country's permanent representative to NATO to vote against this move. The future membership of the two Nordic countries in NATO will depend on whether Bosnia and Herzegovina's electoral law is changed, he said, adding that Croats in Bosnia are “being destroyed” as a political entity.

11:24 PM

Russian military killed 15 civilians in Luhansk, Donetsk oblasts on May 18.

According to Ukraine's military, Russia shelled 46 settlements, destroying or damaging more than 40 residential buildings, two schools, a kindergarten and other civilian infrastructure in one day. Among the killed people were two families with children.

10:57 PM

Death toll in Russia’s airstrike on Bakhmut grows to 5 people.

On May 17, the Russian military dropped a bomb on a five-story apartment building in Bakhmut, a city of 73,000 in Donetsk Oblast. Among the victims was a two-year-old child, the regional prosecutor's office said. Four other civilians, including three children aged 9, 12 and 17, were seriously injured.

10:29 PM

Azovstal bombing may put Azov Sea on the brink of extinction.

According to Mariupol City Council, Russia’s brutal bombing of the steel mill could severely damage its facilities for storing thousands of tons of hazardous chemicals. Their leakage could kill all marine life in the Azov Sea, threatening an ecological catastrophe in two other seas, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. The pictures published by the Mariupol City Council are a visualization of possible consequences of Russia’s bombing of Azovstal, not real photos.

10:11 PM

US embassy reopens in Kyiv.

The embassy was closed on Feb. 14, 10 days before Russia began an all-out war against Ukraine. After the U.S. flag was raised over the embassy building on May 18 in Kyiv, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that the embassy is "officially resuming operations."

9:55 PM

Podoliak: Ukraine-Russia peace talks are currently impossible.

Mykhailo Podoliak, an advisor to the presidential administration, told the NV radio that Russia still hasn't fully realized the consequences of the war it inflicted on Ukraine and the impact of the Western sanctions. According to Podoliak, Russia still has illusions that it can achieve military success in Ukraine.

9:10 PM

General Staff: Ukrainian military liberates another settlement in Kharkiv Oblast.

On May 18, Ukraine regained control over the village of Dementiivka. Hostilities with the Russian forces continue in another village, Ternova.

8:56 PM

Russia expels diplomats of France, Spain and Italy.

A total of 85 employees will have to leave Russia, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced. The move is in response to similar actions of the three European countries.

8:03 PM

US unlikely to extend Russia’s debt-payment license, increasing risk of default.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen confirmed on May 18 that the license, which expires on May 25 and allows payments to U.S. bondholders, is unlikely to be extended for Russia. Yellen added that the move won't significantly change the situation in Russia, as “they're already cut off from global capital markets.” Currently, Russia has $40 billion in international bonds.

7:00 PM

Zelensky proposes extending martial law in Ukraine till end of summer.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has submitted a draft bill set to prolong martial law in Ukraine for 90 days. Zelensky imposed martial law on Feb. 24, with the current law set to expire on May 24.

6:34 PM

Erdogan blocks accession of Sweden, Finland to NATO.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he won’t allow either of the countries to join NATO because they support "terrorist groups" that pose a threat to the country’s national security. “It is controversial for countries to support terrorism and expect our approval,” the president said. Erdogan accused the two countries of harboring members of the militant Kurdistan Workers’ Party, classified as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU.

5:58 PM

Kremlin-led proxies claim Ukrainian commanders have not left Azovstal plant.

Kremlin-led Donetsk Oblast proxies claim that top-ranking commanders defending the Azovstal steel mill were not among about 960 soldiers that surrendered to the Russian forces. What will happen to the soldiers taken to Russian-occupied territories remains unclear. Amnesty International has said the Ukrainian defenders who surrendered must not be ill-treated and should be given immediate access to the International Red Cross.

5:28 PM

Antonov Airlines temporarily move base from Kyiv Oblast's Hostomel to Germany's Leipzig Airport.

Antonov company confirmed that five Antonov An-124-100 Ruslan airplanes are now temporarily based in Leipzig and will continue transporting cargo for commercial and government purposes. Antonov's main hub, Hostomel Airport, was destroyed during Russian advances on Kyiv in late February.

5:01 PM

Welt: European Parliament to propose sanctions against former German Chancellor, Austrian ex-Foreign Minister.

The members of the European Parliament want to call on the 27 EU states to include Germany’s Gerhard Schröder and Austria’s Karin Kneissl on the sanctions list, the German newspaper Welt reported. Kneissl has been on the supervisory board of the Russian state oil company Rosneft since 2021, and Schroeder is the chairman of the supervisory board within the same organization.

4:32 PM

SBU: Russian-led militants, agents receive 8-13 years in prison.

Security Service of Ukraine spokesperson Artem Dekhtyarenko said that two Kremlin-led militants from Luhansk Oblast were captured in March, and the court sentenced them to eight and 10 years, respectively. In Rivne Oblast, a Russian spy was sentenced to 13 years in prison for collecting intelligence on the deployment of Ukrainian troops and equipment, Dekhtyarenko added.

3:35 PM

After capturing Azovstal, Russians seek to demolish it.

According to the Kremlin-controlled RIA Novosti media outlet, Russia and its proxies are set to demolish the Azovstal steel mill. The plant was the last Ukrainian stronghold of Mariupol, a city with a pre-war population of 450,000 people, completely destroyed by Russian troops.

3:16 PM

Russian soldier pleads guilty to killing civilian in Sumy Oblast.

Vadim Shishimarin, 21, is the first Russian soldier standing trial in Ukraine for war crimes. According to the prosecution, in late February, Shishimarin killed a 62-year-old civilian in Ukraine's northern Sumy Oblast during Russia's retreat. Shishimarin pledged guilty and is now facing a life sentence for violating the laws of war.

2:11 PM

Ukraine intelligence: Some Russian units refuse to fight.

Several units of the 70th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade have already openly refused to take part in the war, according to the Defense Ministry’s Intelligence Directorate. Servicemen who demanded to return to Russia were instead sent to the most dangerous part of the front, Ukraine's intelligence claimed.

2:01 PM

State Border Guard Service: More people coming back to Ukraine than leaving.

37,000 people entered Ukraine in the last 24 hours, including 33,000 Ukrainians, against 31,000 people who left the country. According to the Ukrainian news site Ukrainska Pravda, it's the eighth day in a row when more people enter Ukraine than leave it. Over 6 million people have left Ukraine since the beginning of the war, according to the UNHCR.

1:15 PM

Governor: Russians hit school in Avdiivka with banned phosphorus bombs.

People in the building managed to escape before the school was burned to the ground, Pavlo Kyrylenko, the local governor and head of the Donetsk Regional Military Administration, said on May 18.

12:46 PM

Russia claims 959 Ukrainian soldiers taken to captivity from Azovstal.

Earlier, the Ukrainian authorities said that 264 people were taken from the steel plant in Mariupol to Russian-controlled cities on May 16, and will likely be up for prisoner exchange. Ukraine didn't say what the plan was for the troops who remained at Azovstal. Earlier reports by Ukrainian officials suggested that approximately 1,000 people were at the plant.

11:43 AM

Russian shelling kills 1 person, wounds 3 children in Donetsk Oblast.

Russians shelled Donetsk Oblast 28 times in the last 24 hours, destroying 52 civilian infrastructure sites, the National Police reported on May 18. One of the injured children is 9 years old.

11:32 AM

UK Defense Ministry: Kadyrov's cousin has likely acted as field commander in Mariupol.

Russia used Chechens close to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov among auxiliary forces in Mariupol, British Defense Ministry reported on May 18. Combat deployment of such troops shows Russia's resource problems in Ukraine, leading to disunited command, according to the ministry.

11:09 AM

Russian missile hits residential area of Mykolaiv.

A missile strike hit a residential area in the western part of Mykolaiv on the morning of May 18, destroying several houses and wounding one local citizen, according to the State Emergency Service.

10:28 AM

Russian gymnast gets 1-year ban for displaying 'Z' on podium.

Ivan Kuliak was seen wearing a taped "Z," Russia's war symbol used by those supporting the invasion of Ukraine, while standing near a Ukrainian athlete on March 6 at the world championship in Qatar. He will also have to return his bronze medal and prize money.

9:45 AM

Finland, Sweden formally ask to join NATO.

Prompted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the two countries submitted their bids for NATO membership on May 18, casting away decades of neutrality.

8:06 AM

UN: 7,814 civilian casualties in Ukraine due to Russia's war.

According to the UN’s human rights agency, as of May 16, Russia’s war against Ukraine has killed at least 3,752 civilians and wounded at least 4,062 since Feb. 24. The agency believes the actual figures are considerably higher than the confirmed numbers. Most of the recorded casualties were caused by explosive weapons with a wide impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems, the agency wrote in its report.

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11:09 AM

(Updated: July 5, 2025 10:50 pm)

Trump says Putin 'wants to keep killing people,' signals US may send Patriots to Ukraine.

"It just seems like he wants to go all the way and just keep killing people. It's not good," U.S. President Donald Trump said.

10:29 PM

Zelensky describes phone call with Trump as 'best conversation in all this time.'

"Patriot (missiles) are key to protection from ballistic (missiles). We discussed several other important issues that our teams will work out in detail at meetings in the near future," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

9:09 PM

Pipelines supplying Russian military explode in Russia's Far East, source says.

Explosions near Russia's Vladivostok damaged a gas pipeline and destroyed a water pipeline that supplied military facilities in the area, an unnamed intelligence source told the Kyiv Independent on July 5.

7:35 PM

BlackRock halted Ukraine recovery fund following Trump victory, France working on replacement, Bloomberg reports.

BlackRock, a U.S. investment firm, suspended work on its multibillion-dollar Ukraine recovery fund following U.S. President Donald Trump's election victory, prompting France to work on a replacement, Bloomberg reported on July 5.

6:05 PM

Ukraine hits Russian electronic warfare facility making Shahed, Iskander components, General Staff says.

The facility develops and manufactures Kometa adaptive antenna arrays used in Shahed-type drones, Iskander-K cruise missiles, and guided aerial bomb modules, according to the Ukrainian military.

5:33 PM

Russia captures 2 villages near Dnipropetrovsk Oblast border, monitoring group says.

Russian troops have been escalating their assaults in the area and are attempting to breach into Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, which has not seen significant Russian incursions since 2022.

4:44 PM

Ukraine's army chief warns of new Russian offensives in northeast as he visits Kharkiv Oblast front.

Russian troops are ramping up attacks in the sector using large numbers of troops, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said.

9:11 PM

(Updated: July 5, 2025 2:46 pm)

'Nothing but terror and murder' — Russia pounds Kyiv with record overnight drone, missile attack, 2 dead, 26 injured.

Fires broke out across the city as Russia attacked the capital overnight on July 4. At least 23 people have been injured, with 14 of the victims hospitalized.

2:27 PM

EU to help Moldova fight hybrid attacks from 'agents of autocracy,' von der Leyen says ahead of September election.

"Who is behind those attacks is clear to all of us here," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

2:08 PM

Drone threat reportedly causes mass flight delays in Russia's Moscow, St Petersburg airports.

Some passengers reported waiting more than 10 hours, according to the pro-Kremlin Telegram channel Shot.

1:03 PM

Russia seeks to involve Laos in war against Ukraine, military intelligence claims.

Moscow is organizing the deployment of a combined unit of military engineers from the Lao People's Armed Forces to Russia's Kursk Oblast, allegedly to help with demining operations, Ukraine's military intelligence said.

11:49 AM

4 killed, 37 injured in Russian attacks on Ukraine over past day.

Russia launched 322 drones overnight, including Iranian-designed Shahed-type attack drones, according to Ukraine's Air Force.

7:44 AM

(Updated: July 5, 2025 11:10 am)

Ukrainian drone strike on Russian airfield hits bomb depot, aircraft.

The airfield hosts Su-34, Su-35S, and Su-30SM jets that Russia regularly uses in air strikes against Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian military.

9:20 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 1,025,260 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022.

The number includes 1,050 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day, according to the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces.

8:00 AM

New NATO commander takes helm as alliance lauds outgoing chief for modernizing defense.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte presided over the handover, commending outgoing U.S. Army General Christopher G. Cavoli for his contributions to modernizing NATO's collective defense and bolstering support for Ukraine.

5:47 AM

Moldova's EU future rests on September election, President Sandu says.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu hopes her pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) will retain its parliamentary majority in the September 28 elections.

4:41 AM

NATO chief urges US 'flexibility' on Ukraine aid as Washington halts deliveries.

"The US has to make sure that the stockpiles are at the level we need for the U.S. to have, because they are crucial for our collective defense," Rutte told reporters on July 4. "At the same time, of course, we hope for the flexibility, we have to make sure also that Ukraine can move forward."

2:59 AM

'Coalition of the willing' for Ukraine to meet in UK on July 10, Politico reports.

"On the agenda, there's how to maintain Ukraine in a capacity to fight, how to increase pressure on Russia, and how to continue the work on the next steps," an unnamed French official told Politico.

12:44 AM

US did not halt weapons shipments to Ukraine, Meloni says.

The U.S. has "reviewed" the components it is supplying Ukraine, but did not halt assistance, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said.

11:23 PM

'1,000 units per day' — Ukrainian commander warns of increased Russian Shahed drone attacks.

Robert "Magyar" Brovdi, commander of the elite drone unit "Birds of Magyar," warned on July 4 that Russian Shahed drone strikes could increase to 1,000 per day, prompting Ukraine to consider relocating drone production.

10:33 PM

Russia

Field report

Russia launches another horrific attack on Kyiv moments after Trump-Putin talks call

7:26 PM

Ukraine, Denmark sign deal to launch Ukrainian military production on Danish soil.

"This is a unique case of international cooperation for the Ukrainian defense industry," Strategic Industries Minister Herman Smetanin said.

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