Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,191

On Friday, May 30th, 2018, here is the current situation:

Fighting

In its most recent advance, the Russian army claimed on Thursday that it had taken control of three villages in the Donetsk and Kharkiv regions of Ukraine.
Authorities in Ukraine reported that in five front-line Ukrainian regions, Russian authorities fired 90 drones overnight and that at least seven people died as a result of these strikes.
48 Ukrainian drones were reportedly withdrawn overnight by Russia, including three near Moscow.
According to regional governor Alexander Khinshtein, drones launched an attack at night in the western Kursk region of Russia, causing at least one injury to a hospital and apartment complex.
Russia’s military announced last week that it had finished ejecting Ukrainian forces from the Russian region, but the Ukrainian military said its forces remained active in a small portion of Kursk.

The regional governor of Ukraine’s neighboring Sumy region, who reported fresh fighting in villages close to the border where Russia has been seizing control, reported new fighting. He claimed that as both sides battled for control, various parts of his region were constantly changing hands.
According to Sumy Governor Oleh Hryhorov, “Active battles continue in some border areas, particularly around the settlements of Khotyn and Yunakivka.” The situation is constantly changing along the contact line. The enemy is active in some places, while the others are a challenge to us.
As it moves slowly through eastern Ukraine, Russia’s defense ministry reported that its forces had taken control of three additional villages. Shevchenko Pershe and Hnativka, both located near the town of Pokrovsk, where the main point of Russia’s westward drive for months, were Stroivka in the northeast of Kharkiv.
None of the three villages that were under Russian rule were made public by Ukrainian military reports. According to the military, Russian forces carried out 53 attacks close to Pokrovsk in the last 24 hours.

The Kremlin stated on Thursday that it was anticipating Kyiv’s response to its suggestion for new talks in Istanbul starting on Monday.
Ukraine demanded that Moscow provide a document outlining its conditions for peace during the conflict, adding that Kyiv had already submitted its vision for a peace settlement. However, it stated that it was ready to hold further discussions with Russia in Istanbul.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, claimed that Russia had engaged in “yet another deception” by failing to submit its proposed peace settlement before the next potential meeting. In his nightly video address, Zelenskyy stated that “even the so-called “memorandum” they promised and appear to have prepared for more than a week has not yet been seen by anyone.
Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, claimed Kyiv’s demand for the “memorandum” was “non-constructive.”
Heorhii Tykhyi, a spokesman for the Ukrainian government, said Moscow’s inability to send the document “suggests that it is likely filled with unrealistic ultimatums.”

The new discussions will be led by Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan, who has warned Russia and Ukraine to “shut the door” of dialogue.
According to a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Maria Zakharova, the Russian delegation to the second round of talks in Istanbul will be the same as it was for the first round.
Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs, reported to the Security Council that the “brutal surge in large-scale Russian attacks” against Ukraine has reduced the “cautious hope” she had a month ago for a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Khrystyna Hayovyshyn, the deputy Ukrainian ambassador to the UN, stated to the council that “Russia is not signaling any genuine intention to end its war” and that Moscow needed to be put under more political, economic, and military pressure.
Vassily Nebenzia, the Russian ambassador to the UN, refuted the accusations, accusing Kyiv of “prolonging the war” and remarking that Ukraine’s defeat was unavoidable. No new anti-Russian sanctions, weapons deliveries to Ukraine, or other hostile measures will stop the Zelenskyy regime from eventually being defeated militarily, according to Nebenzia.
Washington will consider “stepping back from our negotiations efforts to end this conflict,” according to John Kelley, the United States’ alternate representative at the UN meeting, adding that additional sanctions against Moscow were “still on the table”.

Russia claimed that Serbia’s long-standing Slavic Balkan ally sent arms to Ukraine as a result of this offense.
According to a statement from Russia’s foreign intelligence service, “Serbian defense enterprises, contrary to the “neutrality” declared by official Belgrade, continue to supply ammunition to Kyiv.”
According to the statement, Serbian arms exports to Ukraine are allegedly handled through NATO-intermediates, “mostly the Czech Republic, Poland, and Bulgaria.” According to the article, “Exotic options involving African states have recently been used for this purpose.”

In advance of Poland’s presidential election, a Belarusian radio station allegedly used disinformation and propaganda to support a pro-Russian candidate on social media.
According to experts, a Polish-based radio station, which was established by Belarus, has been using pro-Russian stories on social media for almost two years despite EU sanctions, according to a report released by three think tanks. Poland will cast its ballot on Sunday in a fiercely contested presidential election between pro-EU and nationalist candidates.

The International Monetary Fund announced that a review of the loan program would help unlock approximately $500 million in funds to promote macroeconomic stability.

Source: Aljazeera