Russia launches drone attack from south

2:05 PM

Kharkiv Oblast official: Ukraine controls around 60% of Vovchansk.

Ukrainian forces control about 60% of the town of Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast amid continuous Russian assaults, Roman Semenukha, deputy governor, said on national television on May 20.

1:20 PM

Governor: Ukraine strikes Russian base in occupied Luhansk's suburb.

A Ukrainian rocket attack targeted a Russian military base in occupied Luhansk's suburb of Yuvileine on May 20, said the governor of Ukraine's Luhansk Oblast, Artem Lysohor, citing local residents.

12:58 PM

Speaker of Georgian parliament announces plan to overrule president's veto of foreign agents law.

Salome Zourabichvili, Georgia's pro-Western president and a political opponent of Georgian Dream, vetoed the law on May 18, but the government has a large enough majority in parliament to overrule it.

12:57 PM

General Staff: Ukraine fights off Russian attack near Starytsia village in Kharkiv Oblast.

Ukrainian troops are fighting off a Russian attack near the village of Starytsia in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine's General Staff said in its morning report on May 20.

12:19 PM

Russian media: Oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai damaged after drone attack.

A unit of an oil refinery in the Russian town of Slavyansk-on-Kuban was damaged in a drone attack, the Russian state-owned media RIA Novosti claimed on May 20, citing a source in the operating company.

11:53 AM

Governor: Russian attack on Kherson kills 1, injures elderly man.

Russian forces attacked the city of Kherson on May 20, killing a man and injuring another, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported.

10:48 AM

Estonian PM: NATO training soldiers in Ukraine won't escalate war.

The NATO allies' fears that sending troops to Ukraine to train the country's soldiers could draw them into war with Russia "are not well-founded," Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said in an interview with the Financial Times published on May 20.

10:31 AM

Video

They fled from Russian bombs near Kharkiv. What awaits them now?

The Kyiv Independent follows one couple who escaped from embattled Vovchansk after losing their house and former life.

10:24 AM

Russian attacks against Ukraine kill 12, injure 55 over past day.

The vast majority of the civilian casualties were reported in Kharkiv Oblast, where 12 people were killed and 40 injured, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov.

9:55 AM

Iranian officials, state media confirm President Raisi killed in helicopter crash.

The Iranian Cabinet of Ministers convened an emergency meeting on May 20 after the official confirmation of the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash, semi-official Tasnim news agency claimed.

9:03 AM

Ukraine to introduce power outages across country late on May 20.

Ukraine will introduce hourly energy shutdowns for industrial and household consumers in all oblasts from 6:00 p.m. local time on May 20 until midnight.

8:13 AM

Air Force: Ukraine downs all 29 attack drones launched by Russia overnight.

Ukrainian forces downed all the 29 Shahed-type "kamikaze" drones launched by Russia overnight on May 20, Ukraine's Air Force reported.

8:08 AM

General Staff: Russia has lost 493,690 troops in Ukraine since Feb. 24, 2022.

This number includes 1,400 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

6:26 AM

Iranian president presumed dead after 'no survivors' found at crash site.

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister are presumed dead after rescuers found "no survivors" at the site of the crashed helicopter that went down over a mountainous area in Iran on May 19, Iranian state media reported.

5:47 AM

Rescuers locate crash site of helicopter carrying Iranian president.

Rescuers have located the crash site of the helicopter that was carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister. The helicopter crashed on May 19 as it flew over a mountainous area in Iran through heavy fog.

2:03 AM

Russian forces attack 13 communities in Sumy Oblast, injuring 1.

Russian forces struck 13 communities in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy Oblast in 43 separate attacks throughout the day, injuring one person, the regional administration reported on May 19. At least 236 explosions were recorded.

12:02 AM

Russian attacks against Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast kill 1, injure 3.

Russian forces attacked Vovchansk at around 3:30 a.m. local time, killing a 63-year-old man. The other three men were injured due to the shelling.

11:08 PM

Zelensky: Ukraine secures stronger positions in Kharkiv Oblast amid Russia's offensive.

Zelensky also said that Ukraine successfully repels Russian assaults in Donetsk Oblast, including the area near the city of Chasiv Yar, which became one of the main strategic targets.

11:02 PM

War update

Ukraine war latest: Russian 'double-tap' strike north of Kharkiv kills 6, including pregnant woman

9:46 PM

UK defense secretary calls Germany to provide Ukraine with long-range missiles.

U.K. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps on May 19 urged Berlin and other allies to send long-range missiles to Ukraine and to allow Kyiv to hit facilities in Russian-occupied Crimea.

8:37 PM

Ukraine to receive 100 missiles from UK in May, UK defense secretary says.

London also sent Kyiv more than 30 pallets of parts, including anti-mine equipment, over a million rounds of small arms ammunition, 20 Viking armored amphibious vehicles, and over 4,000 items of military clothing.

7:05 PM

Reuters: Iranian president's life 'at risk' after helicopter crash.

A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister crashed on May 19 as it flew over a mountainous area in Iran through heavy fog.

6:30 PM

Media: SBU drones strike airbase, oil refinery in Russia.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in conjunction with the country's new Unmanned Systems Forces, launched a drone attack on Russia's Kushchevskaya military airbase and Slavyansk oil refinery plant overnight, Ukrainska Pravda reported on May 19.

4:57 PM

Russian strikes near Kupiansk kill 5, injure 9.

Five people were killed and nine injured in Russian strikes on villages in the Kupiansk district of Kharkiv Oblast, local authorities reported on May 19.

4:01 PM

West's stance on Ukraine war 'completely nonsensical,' says UK defense secretary.

The West's current stance on the war in Ukraine and delays in military aid are "completely nonsensical," the U.K's defense secretary said on May 19.