Ukraine war latest: Russia plans to strike President's Office, Zelensky says

Key developments on May 15:

• Russia plans to strike President's Office building and state residence, Zelensky says
• Massive fire erupts at Russia's Ryazan oil refinery as Ukrainian drone blitz hits multiple targets, oblasts
• 205 Ukrainian POWs return from Russian captivity in latest exchange
• Russia plans to attack Ukraine or NATO from Belarus, Zelensky says
• Russian military unit documents own war crime, milblogger publishes then deletes video
• Zelensky pays respects to victims of May 14 Russian attack on Kyiv as capital marks day of mourning
• Plucking 'justice from the ruins of war': Council of Europe moves on Nuremberg-style Russia trial

Russia plans to strike the President's Office in Kyiv, and the president's state residence in Koncha Zaspa, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 15 after receiving a briefing from Ukraine's military and intelligence services.

Citing documents obtained by Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR), Zelensky said Moscow would target around two dozen "decision-making centers" in total, including government buildings and military command posts.

One document included the coordinates of the facilities, as well as three underground shelters in the center of Kyiv.

"Of course, we have taken this information into account," Zelensky stated.

"Russia must end its war and negotiate a dignified peace, rather than searching for new ways to intimidate Ukraine."

Massive fire erupts at Russia's Ryazan oil refinery as Ukrainian drone blitz hits multiple targets, oblasts

Ukraine's military reportedly launched a large-scale drone attack overnight on May 15, striking Russian military and energy infrastructure in multiple regions of Russia, the Special Operations Forces confirmed after reports emerged on social media.

Photos and videos posted on social media purported to show a massive fire emanating from what appears to be the Ryazan oil refinery amid a Ukrainian drone attack. Large plumes of smoke were seen over the city into the morning hours following the attack.

Local residents of the city of Ryazan reported several drones flying overhead before hearing multiple loud explosions in the area of the refinery.

The attack was confirmed by the Ukrainian military in the afternoon, with the Special Forces reporting a successful joint operation with the Unmanned Systems Forces and other branches of the military.

205 Ukrainian POWs return from Russian captivity in latest exchange

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 15 that 205 Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) returned from Russian captivity in the latest exchange, kickstarting the first phase of a wider "1,000 for 1,000" swap.

Almost all of the Ukrainian POWs who returned home had been held under Russian captivity for four years, most of the duration of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to Zelensky.

The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that 205 Russian POWs had returned home, saying that they are currently in Belarus and will be receiving the psychological and medical care there.

The age range of the released Ukrainian POWs varies, from as young as 21 to 62, Zelensky said. Among the soldiers and officers freed on May 15 are servicemen from the Ukrainian Ground Forces, the Navy, the Air Assault Forces, and the State Border Guard Service, he added.

"Let's continue to fight for each and every one who still remains in captivity," Zelensky said in his post on Telegram.

Russia plans to attack Ukraine or NATO from Belarus, Zelensky says

Russia is stepping up efforts to drag Belarus into its war against Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 15, after receiving a briefing from Ukraine's military and intelligence services.

Moscow has made fresh contact with Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko, in an effort to convince him to "join new acts of aggression," according to Zelensky, who claimed to "be in possession of the details of the conversation" between the two countries.

Belarus' armed forces, widely understood to be poorly-motivated, outdated, and unprepared for the modern drone-dominated warfare raging in Ukraine, have not yet been actively involved in Russia's war.

Russian military unit documents own war crime, milblogger publishes then deletes video

A Russian military unit has recorded footage of its own drone attack on a United Nations vehicle in the front-line city of Kherson, a war crime under international law.

On May 14 the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Ukraine, reported that "a clearly marked" UN vehicle was struck by a first-person view (FPV) drone but said they did not know who had attacked it. No casualties were reported.

"Civilians and humanitarians should not be the target," Andrea De Domenico, the OCHA's Head of Office in Ukraine, stated, adding it was providing humanitarian assistance to civilians at the time.

On May 15, the Russian milblogger Osvedomitell Alex posted a video on Telegram showing the FPV attack. The video begins with the logo of Russia's Russia's Dnepr Group of Forces which operates in Ukraine's Kherson Oblast.

At the time of publication, the Telegram post had been deleted, but it was circulating in other pro-Russian channels and was picked up by a Ukrainian blogger and volunteer, Serhii Sternenko.

"The Russians are not hiding it, they are war criminals, and anyone who wants to strike a deal with them is an accomplice to these crimes," Sternenko wrote on X on May 15.

Attacking a clearly-marked UN vehicle conducting humanitarian missions is a war crime under international law.

Zelensky pays respects to victims of May 14 Russian attack on Kyiv as capital marks day of mourning

President Volodymyr Zelensky on May 15 paid his respects to the victims of the previous day's Russian missile attack that destroyed part of an apartment building in Kyiv, killing 24 people, including three children.

The visit came an hour after first responders concluded search and rescue efforts at the site, 28 hours after a Russian missile struck the building in Kyiv's Darnytskyi district.

"The world must remember the price Ukraine pays every day to prevent Russian aggression from spreading to other nations," Zelensky wrote on social media.

A day of mourning was being observed in Kyiv on May 15.

Plucking 'justice from the ruins of war': Council of Europe moves on Nuremberg-style Russia trial

The Council of Europe's Secretary-General gave the green light to move from collecting signatures to taking action to set up a Nuremberg-style court to try Russia's leadership for its war of aggression against Ukraine during a summit of 46 European foreign ministers in Moldova on May 15.

36 countries and the European Union have committed to supporting the Special Tribunal, and the Netherlands has carried out preparatory work to host the court in The Hague.

"Today is a historic day … The Hague will restore justice from the ruins of war," said Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.

The tribunal is needed because no court exists with the remit to try the crime of aggression, i.e., the decision to start and carry out an illegal war.

In the tribunal's cross-hairs is Russian President Vladimir Putin, members of his inner circle, and potentially other countries. Sybiha mentioned Belarus' leader, Alexander Lukashenko. North Korean leaders could also feature, given that they have also sent soldiers to attack Ukraine.