May 19, 2024
Ukraine war in the live ticker
+++ 03:33 Air alert in almost all parts of Ukraine: Massive drone attacks +++
Russia hit Ukraine again with massive drone attacks during the night. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the areas affected include Kiev, Sumy, Vinnytsia, Cherkassy, Mykolaiv and Odessa. Explosions are reportedly heard in numerous locations. There had previously been air alerts in large parts of the country. So far nothing is known about any damage or casualties.
+++ 02:20 Kiev: Civilians shot at in Kharkiv region +++
According to Ukrainian reports, civilians were shot at overnight in two cities in the northeastern Kharkiv region. Ukrainian prosecutors say they are investigating the Russian airstrike on a residential area in the regional capital Kharkiv as a possible war crime. Six civilians, including three teenagers, were injured. Moscow denies targeting civilians. Since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, thousands of people have been killed and injured.
+++ 01:04 Pistorius requests almost four billion more for Kiev +++
According to a media report, the federal government wants to massively increase military aid to Ukraine this year. The Federal Ministry of Defense has therefore announced an additional need of 3.8 billion euros for military support, reports “Bild am Sonntag”. So far this year, the traffic light government has provided 7.1 billion euros for military aid. The over-plan expenditure should be submitted to parliament for approval in June. Christian Lindner’s finance ministry has signaled its approval.
+++ 00:05 Ukrainian General Staff records 77 battles +++
In its evening report, the Ukrainian General Staff reported 77 combat operations within 24 hours. Seven of these are currently still ongoing. “The Russian troops are trying to improve their tactical position,” the General Staff’s Telegram channel said. The Ukrainian army carried out four attacks to drive the Russians out of occupied positions, it said.
+++ 22:25 Ukrainian pilot hero dies in combat +++
Lieutenant Colonel Denys Vasyliuk was a recipient of the “Order of Bravery”, an award for individual courage and heroism. The 831st Tactical Aviation Brigade, where the experienced pilot served, said he had carried out “dozens of combat missions” on Facebook. He was chief of staff of the brigade and deputy commander of an aviation squadron. As his unit now reports, Vasyliuk was killed “recently” during a combat mission. No further details about his death are known. The Ukrainian Air Force has not yet commented on Vasyliuk’s death.
+++ 21:57 Putin in Cannes: Polish filmmaker shows biopic with AI +++
In the end, Putin dies. “It should be a happy ending,” says filmmaker Patryk Vega, who presented his film biography about Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Cannes Film Festival. “I called Putin and asked if he wanted to join in – oh, it was a joke,” adds the Polish filmmaker, who has primarily made gangster films, with a broad smile. Since the real Putin was not available, Vega decided to make him appear as a deep fake using artificial intelligence (AI).
A snapshot from director Patryk Vega’s AI-driven biopic “Putin.”
(Photo: picture alliance / ASSOCIATED PRESS)
At first he wanted to create his film character with the help of real footage of Putin. But the quality wasn’t good enough for a big screen. “AI has to be fed. It needs 20,000 images in high resolution for it to work,” explains the filmmaker. Instead, he developed a new technology that uses AI to give a real actor with the same stature as Putin his face. “It’s the first film to use this technology,” says Vega. The effect is amazing. In the film, Putin can be seen as we know him – in a dictator’s pose, at baroque desks, but also playing the piano and shitting his pants in his hospital bed.
+++ 21:35 Foreign Minister Wu: Future of Taiwan depends on war in Ukraine +++
“If Russia can do this with Ukraine, China could do the same with Taiwan,” said Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu in an interview with Kyiv Independent. The start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine was a wake-up call for Taiwan, explains the island nation’s chief diplomat. If Kiev is defeated, Taiwan could be the next conflict area. Even after two years, he believes that the future of the island depends on the war in Ukraine. If Russia is successful in Ukraine, officials from all camps believe Beijing will use force to “reunify” the two Chinas, Wu said.
You can read all previous developments here.