Ukraine war: Russia in favour of dividing Ukraine with EU

Day 457 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. According to Kiev, the counteroffensive is underway. Again air alert in large parts of the country. News ticker on the Ukraine war.

• Russian anti-Putin fighters: message via Telegram to the opposition
• Occupied city of Bakhmut: Putin's cook Prigozhin begins withdrawal
• Russian losses in Ukraine war: Wagner boss estimates death toll at 10,000
• All the news from the Ukraine war in our news ticker. Some of the information comes from the warring parties in Russia or Ukraine. They often cannot be independently verified.

Update from May 26, 05:45 a.m.: Moscow has brought up the possibility of dividing up the invaded Ukraine between Russia and the European Union. The deputy head of the Russian Security Council, ex-President Dmitry Medvedev, outlined scenarios for the outcome of the war on Friday night. Accordingly, there would only be a prospect of peace if Russia annexed most of the neighboring country. In Medvedev's preferred variant, western regions of Ukraine would be added to several EU states, and eastern Russia, while residents of the central regions would vote to join Russia.

With this outcome, "the conflict ends with sufficient guarantees that it will not resume in the long run," Medvedev wrote on the Telegram online service. If, on the other hand, a part of Ukraine that remains independent joins the EU or NATO, a resurgence of hostilities is to be expected. This "with the risk that it can quickly turn into a full-fledged third world war," claimed the confidant of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.

Dmitry Medvedev during his appearance at a rocket factory in Reutov near Moscow. © IMAGO/Ekaterina Shtukina

Ukraine war: Air raid alarm triggered again

May 26 update, 5:00 a.m. In Kiev, an air raid alarm was triggered again on Friday night. The Ukrainian capital had already been attacked with drones in recent weeks. People in central regions of the country were also called upon to go to shelters. In the western areas, the night remained quiet at first.

Ukraine war: Battle for Bakhmut continues

Update from May 25, 22:40 p.m.: A 39-year-old was killed in the municipality of Balakliia in the Kharkiv region when he drove through a village on a motorcycle with a child in the sidecar. This is reported by the Main Directorate of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine on Telegram. An unknown explosive device was detonated, the man was immediately dead. At the same time, attention is drawn to the danger posed by mines. The fate of the child is not discussed further. It goes on to say that a 45-year-old was wounded.

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Update from May 25, 20:25 p.m.: According to Ukraine, Russian troops also carried out attacks on the area around Bakhmut on the 456th day of the war. In the direction of Kupyansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Maryanka alone, there were 17 combat operations, reports the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The invaders fired mortar and artillery shells at various cities in the Chernihiv, Sumy and Kharkiv regions. Meanwhile, Ukraine has shelled enemy positions, an ammunition depot and a radar station.

In the Zaporizhzhia region, two Russian Su-25 fighter jets were also shot down. One of the machines was "completely destroyed", while the pilot had saved himself. The second plane had to make an emergency landing because of the severe damage. Many attacks by the Russians are described as unsuccessful. Already on Thursday night, air strikes had been flown with Iranian drones of the type Shahed-136/131. All 36 were destroyed. In a missile attack on a village in the Kharkiv region, a private house was hit. The General Staff did not provide information about casualties. The information cannot be independently verified.

Anti-Putin fighters from Russia: "Liberate people from anti-national regime"

Update from May 25, 18:15 p.m.: The so-called Russian Volunteer Corps, which is attracting attention with its advance in Belgorod, says it "has already turned to all kinds of opposition, but we have not been heard. Today we are doing it again, not for our own benefit, but for the benefit of this very opposition." The group also writes on Telegram: "We are fighting for the liberation of the Russian people from an anti-national regime, for their free future."

The message is addressed to "liberals, democrats and post-Russians" who would "speculate on noble considerations in comfortable European capitals". Meanwhile, the fighters of the volunteer corps would fight for their lives, shedding sweat and blood. That is why the regime in Moscow is only afraid of them, but not of the opposition. It goes on to say: "You can be the eternal opposition in exile and squeamishly call us 'Nazis' without getting to the bottom of the matter as our operations and capabilities grow, or you can enter Russian politics, like those who supported the Liberation Army. We are open to dialogue."

Update from May 25, 15:55 p.m.: According to Vyacheslav Gladkov, air defense over the Belgorod region shot down a drone that was approaching the city. This was written by the governor of the region in western Russia, which has recently come into focus, on Telegram. Accordingly, emergency services would check what consequences this incident had on the area. It is not known whether there were any casualties. However, this information cannot be independently verified.

Ukraine war: Kremlin raises accusation of sabotage against Kyiv

Update from May 25, 14:31 p.m.: The Kremlin accuses Ukraine of plotting to attack high-voltage lines at two nuclear power plants in northern Russia. "In fact, the hostile actions of the Kiev regime against our country continue," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday (25 May), according to the Russian news agency Interfax. Peskov was commenting on reports by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) about the arrest of two men who allegedly wanted to blow up high-voltage lines to nuclear power plants and thus decommission the nuclear facilities.

According to the FSB, there was an attempt at sabotage even before May 9. The perpetrators tried to blow up around 30 high-voltage lines leading to nuclear power plants in the Leningrad region around St. Petersburg and in the Tver region 350 north of Moscow. This was supposed to provoke a failure of the nuclear reactors and an emergency shutdown. Two suspected Ukrainians have been arrested, another has been put out to search.

Ukraine's offensive has been going on "for several days", according to Kiev

Update from May 25, 13:53 p.m.: After initial guesswork about the Ukrainian counteroffensive, Kyiv confirms: "The counteroffensive has been going on for several days now." This was announced by Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the Ukrainian president's office, in an interview with the Italian TV channel Rai. "It's an intense war along a 1500-kilometer border, but the action has begun."

At the same time, Podolyak denies that Kiev is involved in the attacks in the Russian region of Belgorod. "What is happening in the border region is a shock for Putin and will lead to his end."

Meanwhile, they also operate on Russian soil: The Russian Volunteer Corps is fighting on the side of Ukraine and wants to overthrow Vladimir Putin. © IMAGO / Ukrinform

Ukraine war: Drone shot down over Crimea

Update from May 25, 12:00 p.m.: On Thursday night (25 May), six drones were shot down on the annexed Crimean peninsula, according to Russian sources. There were "no casualties or injuries," as the Moscow-appointed governor, Sergei Aksyonov, said on Telegram.

Recently, more attacks and acts of sabotage have been reported in Russia. According to information from Kiev, Ukraine is currently preparing for an offensive to recapture territories occupied by Moscow. This includes Crimea, which was annexed in 2014.

Ukraine publishes latest figures on Russia's losses

Update from May 25, 10:40 a.m.: The Ukrainian Defense Forces say they killed around 24,2022 Russian attackers between February 25, 2023 and May 205, 260, including 500 in the past day alone. This was announced by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in a post on Facebook.

According to the data, the Ukrainian Defense Forces also destroyed 3,777 (+3) enemy tanks, 7,432 (+8) armored combat vehicles, 3,359 (+20) artillery systems, 570 multiple rocket launchers, 327 air defense systems, 309 combat aircraft, 296 helicopters, 2,907 (+36) operational and tactical UAVs, 1015 cruise missiles, 18 warships/cutters, 6,148 (+2) trucks and tankers, and 444 (+4) units with special equipment. The Ukrainian data cannot be independently verified.

Ukraine war: Prigozhin announces withdrawal from Bakhmut

Update from May 25, 9:35 a.m.: According tothe Reuters news agency, the private Russian military group Wagner has begun withdrawing its troops from the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. This news was told in a video published on Thursday by its founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Prigozhin had repeatedly announced that he would withdraw his troops from the region, citing disagreements with the Russian military and defense apparatus over the supply of ammunition. A few days ago, Prigozhin sarcastically expressed that his mercenary troops could possibly be replaced by "a battalion of generals."

Ukraine repels drone strikes

Update from May 25, 8:35 a.m.: According to their own statements, the Ukrainian armed forces repelled all attacks by Russian drones last night. "A completely successful result: 36 out of 36," Mykola Oleshchuk, the commander of the Ukrainian Air Forces, announced on his Telegram channel on Thursday (25 May). He paid tribute to the excellent work of anti-aircraft defense.

In the course of the night, Russia had again carried out numerous drone attacks against the neighboring country. According to information from Kyiv, these were Shahed drones, which are of Iranian origin. The drones were reportedly launched from both the north and south. Obviously, Russia had targeted critical infrastructure and military facilities in the west of the country, according to the Ukrainian military.

Ukraine war: Kyiv becomes the target of Russian attacks

Update vom 25. Mai, 6.15 Uhr: Die ukrainische Hauptstadt Kiew ist in der Nacht zum Donnerstag erneut Ziel russischer Luftangriffe geworden. Russland habe „Kiew erneut aus der Luft angegriffen“, schrieb der Chef der Zivil- und Militärverwaltung von Kiew, Serhij Popko, am Donnerstag im Onlinedienst Telegram. Der Luftalarm in der Stadt habe mehr als drei Stunden gedauert.

"The attack was massive," Popko continued. Russia is attacking "in several waves", with pauses between drone attacks. "According to preliminary information," Iranian-made Shahed drones were also used that night. However, the air defense destroyed all cruise missiles. Initially, the authorities did not provide any information on victims or damage.

Drone attack on the Kremlin: US and Ukraine reject responsibility

Update from May 24, 23:15 p.m.: Both the U.S. and Ukraine had denied any responsibility for the alleged drone attack on the Kremlin. Now U.S. intelligence agencies suspect a Ukrainian special forces unit behind the drone attack on Putin.

In Turkish waters: speedboats attack Putin's war fleet

Update from May 24, 21:06 p.m.: 140 kilometers northeast of the Bosphorus, Russia says it has repelled a Ukrainian attack on a Russian warship. The Kremlin blamed Ukraine for the attack. "The Ukrainian Armed Forces have unsuccessfully tried to attack the ship 'Ivan Churs' of the Black Sea Fleet," the Russian Defense Ministry said on Telegram on Wednesday. Three unmanned watercraft, also known as drone ships, were destroyed. According to Moscow, the warship was tasked with guarding gas pipelines in Turkish waters.

Since the beginning of the Russian offensive, there have already been several incidents involving Russian warships or aircraft in the Black Sea. In March, a U.S. military drone crashed into the Black Sea following an incident involving a Russian fighter jet, exacerbating diplomatic tensions between Washington and Moscow.

Belgorod: Alleged attackers report with situation report after battles

Update from May 24, 20:00 p.m.: Two allegedly Russian groups had attacked the Russian region of Belgorod from Ukraine. Now one of the two, the Russian Volunteer Corpus, in which right-wing extremists are active, has expressed itself in a press conference. According to the group, there were two wounded and two fatalities, reports ntv. In addition, the group claims to have captured weapons and a vehicle from the Russian military. The group reportedly considers the attack a success. The Russian side had previously said that 70 attackers had been killed and vehicles had been destroyed.

Supplies for Ukraine deliveries: Bundeswehr receives new main battle tanks

Update from May 24, 18:17 p.m.: Supplies for the Bundeswehr: As compensation for tank deliveries to Ukraine, the German troops will receive 18 new Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks. The budget committee of the Bundestag approved around 525 million euros for this, as the dpa news agency reported, citing participants. By the end of March, Ukraine had received 18 copies of the modern Leopard 2A6 tanks from Germany. The FDP politician Karsten Klein spoke of an "important building block for the defense capabilities of the armed forces". The Leopard 2 is considered the main weapon of the German armored force.

Ukraine war: Nightly drone strikes on Belgorod region

Update from May 24, 10:45 a.m.: Following the penetration of armed assailants into the Russian border region of Belgorod, the regional government has again reported "numerous" drone strikes. It was "not a really quiet night," said Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov on Wednesday in the online service Telegram. The air defense had repelled "a large part" of the attacks. These had nevertheless caused damage to vehicles, houses and public infrastructure, but people had not been harmed.

According to Governor Gladkov, several residential buildings, office complexes and vehicles were damaged as a result of the attacks, and the exact extent of the damage is still being determined. In addition, a gas pipeline in the Graiworon district was damaged and a fire was triggered.

Media: U.S. military vehicles used to attack Belgorod

Update from May 24, 10:00 a.m.: According to the New York Times, at least three US armored military vehicles were apparently used in the attack on the Russian border region of Belgorod. Two of these vehicles, known as "MRAP" (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected), were apparently confiscated by the Russian side, the newspaper reported after evaluating photos and videos published on Telegram, among others, on Tuesday (local time). It is unclear how the pro-Ukrainian attackers came into possession of these vehicles and how they then fell into Russian hands after Monday's attack, it said.

According to the newspaper, the US had provided several hundred of these vehicles to the Ukrainian military. According to video footage, these have so far been used on various sectors of the front in Ukraine. Russia had started its war against Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Ukraine is supported by Western states, with the United States providing the largest share militarily and financially so far.

German participation in fighter jet coalition possible

Update from May 24, 9:40 a.m.: The Air Force inspector believes that a German contribution to the Ukrainian fighter jet coalition is possible, although Germany does not have the machines preferred by Kiev. "Nations that do not have an F-16 can provide more marginal support here, such as infrastructure or training," Air Force inspector Ingo Gerhartz told Berlin's Tagesspiegel newspaper on Wednesday. Gerhartz pointed out that aircraft can be used interoperably within NATO - so the armament of a German Eurofighter can easily be transferred to an F-16 for Ukraine.

Gerhartz described it as "a political decision" to what extent Germany wants to participate in the so-called "fighter jet coalition", which had become publicly known on the sidelines of the G-7 summit in Japan. "Not least because of the rapid availability, Ukraine is now relying on the F-16 to better support its land forces," said the inspector of the Air Force. "Many countries have just retired their machines and could deliver them to Ukraine in a timely manner."

Further unrest in the Russian region of Belgorod

Initial report: Kyiv – After fighting in Russia's Belgorod region on the border with Ukraine, the situation remains tense on Wednesday (24 May). The Russian authorities gave the all-clear, but later confirmed a drone attack. However, only one car was damaged. Meanwhile, there are still conflicting reports on the control of the largely destroyed Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.

Russian authorities lift state of alert in Belgorod

The authorities of the Belgorod region have again lifted the state of alert imposed with reference to fighting. The legal state of an "anti-terrorist operation" has ended, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on the Telegram online service.

Later, Gladkov confirmed reports of an explosion in Belgorod on Tuesday evening. According to his account, an explosive device was dropped on the roadway by a drone. A car was damaged, the governor wrote, and published a photo of a vehicle with dents and cracks in the windshield. According to preliminary data, no one was injured.

According to Russia, dozens of "representatives of Ukrainian military formations" have been fighting in the Belgorod region since Monday. Ukraine denied having anything to do with attacks. In Kiev, it was pointed out that volunteer corps consisting of Russian citizens had claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Russia: Military jet wanted to intercept US bombers

Russia reported on Tuesday of an incident in which a military jet was sent to intercept two US bombers in the event of a border crossing. The Pentagon spoke of a long-planned exercise in Europe. The interaction with the crew of the Russian aircraft was "safe and professional," said a spokesman for the US Department of Defense.

According to military sources, the Russian Su-27 interceptor took off after two foreign aircraft approached Russian airspace over the Baltics, according to Itar-Tass and Interfax news agencies. They were identified as U.S. supersonic B-1B bombers. The planes would then have moved away from Russian airspace again. (with agencies)