WAR IN UKRAINE: May 17, 2023
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: Day 448
Russian strikes on Kyiv with Iranian-built drones and missiles overnight Monday kept many of the capital’s residents awake. Some damage to vehicles and a building from falling debris was reported; one Telegram channel described the barrage as the maximum amount of incoming strikes in the shortest period of time. Officials said all 18 incoming objects were destroyed. Ukrainian Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi gave a breakdown of the missile barrage over Kyiv overnight: 6 Kh-47M2 Kinzhal aeroballistic missiles fired from six MiG-31K aircraft; 9 Kalibr cruise missiles from ships in the Black Sea; 3 land-based missiles (S-400, Iskander-M). Drones were also shot down.
A US-made Patriot air defense system was likely damaged, but not destroyed, as the result of a Russian missile barrage in and around Kyiv early Tuesday morning local time, a US official tells CNN. The US is still assessing to what degree the system was damaged, the official said. That will determine whether the system needs to be pulled back entirely or simply repaired on the spot by Ukrainians forces. Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Tuesday in a post on Telegram that “a high-precision strike by the Kinzhal hypersonic missile system in the city of Kyiv hit a US-made Patriot anti-aircraft missile system.”
Russia said on May 16 it was still undecided on the extension of a landmark grain export deal with Ukraine, brokered by the UN and Turkey and due to expire on May 18.
Ukraine has removed barriers to the export of some agricultural commodities, imposed last year to prevent food shortages, in a bid to boost foreign currency income.
The United States sees more signs that Russia and Iran are expanding a defense partnership that will help Moscow prolong its war in Ukraine, the White House said on May 15 - RFE/RL
A Ukrainian woman has helped identify a Russian soldier who she says raped her while her village in Ukraine's Kyiv region was occupied by Russian forces. Investigators say they identified the suspect after he allegedly stole the victim's phone and used it. Watch the RFE/RL report here
At the Council of Europe summit, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the creation of an international register of damages caused to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion. The register of damages from Russian aggression will be valid in the Netherlands. It will record evidence of damage and claims for compensation
Russia's navy commander Adm. Nikolai Yevmenov visited Tehran on Tuesday where he discussed boosting bilateral cooperation with his counterpart Shahram Irani. The Iranian navy chief called for a joint committee to be set up for "further interaction in training and technical fields," according to the state-run IRNA news agency. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Islamic Republic has been facing mounting accusations of assisting Moscow in the conflict, most controversially through shipments of drones that are reported to be targeting Ukrainian infrastructure on an almost daily basis - Al Monitor