May 17, 2024
Ukraine war in the live ticker
+++ 03:11 Kim Jong Un’s sister denies arms trade with Russia +++
Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, denies arms trafficking with Russia. As the state news agency KCNA reported, citing a press statement by Kim, she stated that the weapons developed by North Korea were not intended for export, but for defense against South Korea. She described the alleged arms deal with Russia as an “absurd theory” that consisted of prejudices and inventions. The United States and South Korea accuse North Korea of supplying weapons to Russia to use against Ukraine. Both Moscow and Pyongyang deny the allegations.
+++ 02:04 Air raid alert lifted in Kharkiv after drone attacks +++
The air raid alert in Kharkiv, which lasted more than 16 hours, has been lifted in most parts of the region. According to regional governor Oleh Synyehubov, at least five drones previously attacked Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city. Ihor Terekhov, the city’s mayor, said that a part of the city was hit and there was a fire. According to public broadcaster Suspilne, an air raid alert was in effect in Kharkiv for more than 16.5 hours, the longest since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
+++ 00:51 USA: Beijing’s support for Moscow hinders rapprochement with the West +++
The US government has described Chinese support for Russia as an obstacle to rapprochement with the West in light of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s friendly meeting with Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin. China cannot “dance at two weddings at the same time,” says State Department spokesman Vedant Patel. Better relations with Europe and other countries are not possible for Beijing if at the same time it is “fueling the greatest threat to European security in a long time,” the spokesman emphasizes, referring to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
+++ 23:34 Zelensky warns of attacks on gas infrastructure +++
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warns of dangers for Europe from Russian missile attacks on the gas transport system. Zelensky reported that he spoke about this with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in his video message in the evening. Attacks on the gas infrastructure in western Ukraine pose a danger to everyone in Europe, “not only for us, but also for our neighbors. We have to act against this together,” says Zelensky.
+++ 22:06 Months-long power cuts in Ukraine after attacks +++
Due to the severe damage to power plants and substations in Ukraine, the government expects power cuts to last for months. An improvement can only be expected from August or September, says Jurij Bojko, advisor to the Prime Minister and supervisory board at the utility Ukrenerho. As on Wednesday, there will be regionally staggered shutdowns this Thursday to save electricity. Streets in the capital Kyiv are also affected. The power grid suffered major damage as a result of Russia’s missile attacks, says Bojko.
+++ 21:33 Moscow expels British military attaché +++
Russia expels the British military attaché in response to the expulsion of its representative from Great Britain. The Foreign Ministry in Moscow said the British diplomat had been declared persona non grata and had to leave Russia within a week. It is a reaction to the unfriendly actions of the British side. London expelled the Russian on May 8th on suspicion of espionage. The Russian side also handed the British representative a note of protest and once again criticized the expulsion of the Moscow military attaché as unfounded. It was a politically motivated action by the British with a “clear Russophobic character”. This would cause irreparable damage to bilateral relations. Moscow reserved the right to take further steps. British Home Secretary James Cleverly said that the Russian embassy employee was actually working undercover for a Moscow secret service.
You can read all previous developments here.