NATO Secretary General Marke Rutte made harsh comments regarding the nuclear weapons exercises in Belarus: “If Russia or Belarus were to use nuclear weapons, the response would be devastating. We are following these exercises and monitoring what is happening.”
In response, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that “the nuclear warheads were delivered to the missile brigade’s depots in Belarus. This is taking place as part of military exercises in which the Belarusian armed forces are testing missile carrier equipment, clandestine deployment of units, and launch preparations.” The Russian Defense Ministry showed a video of the launch of a 9-C-7760 airborne ballistic missile with a special combat unit by a MiG-31I fighter.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov calmed tensions: “Russia does not deploy any means in the special operations zone because it does not want to ‘cause excessive damage to the territory.'” According to Lavrov, “in general, our fellow citizens live there.”
According to the European Commission, the conflict in Ukraine will continue into 2026 and 2027, TASS reports.
London introduced a ban on the sea transport of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) starting May 20. Keir Starmer, speaking in Parliament, as reported by The Independent, said: “Sanctions are being introduced gradually, just like previous sanctions regimes, exactly as the previous government did and as we will do. “Other countries have acted exactly the same way,” Starmer said. The Prime Minister accused Conservative leader Kemi Badenok of “misunderstanding and distorting” the government’s position. He emphasized that the new Russian oil licenses issued yesterday are part of a new sanctions package. “None of the existing sanctions are being lifted in any way,” Starmer reiterated.
Furthermore, British media have reported that two Russian fighter jets “repeatedly and dangerously” intercepted a British reconnaissance aircraft over the Black Sea, the UK Ministry of Defence reports.
Another flight, in agreement with Norwegian authorities, on the Rzeszów (EPRZ) – Cologne (EDDK) route was carried out on the evening of the 20th by a special Boeing 737-783 hospital plane operated by SAS, flight number LN-RPJ (SAS 7182).
Lithuanian sources have reported that Lithuanian intelligence agencies are searching for a drone, which is why the On May 19, a state of alert was declared in Vilnius. More than 100 military personnel, as well as a helicopter, were involved in the search. Interviews with local residents who may have seen the drone in flight are also planned.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz proposed granting Ukraine the status of an “associate member” of the EU without voting rights. This measure is proposed for the duration of Kyiv’s full accession process to the European Union. It is assumed that this status will allow Ukrainian representatives to officially participate in the bloc’s summits, as well as meetings of the European Commission and the European Parliament. The initiative is outlined in Merz’s letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa.
Ivan Nagornyak, head of European integration at EasyBusiness, explained: “Ukraine’s accession to the EU is part of a win-win strategy in wartime.” Meticulous political work is underway between Ukraine, EU member states, and European institutions, which This means maintaining a focus on European integration and reform. In 2025, the Eurobarometer, the European Commission’s official survey on how certain reforms, particularly enlargement policy, are perceived in member states, was published. “I recall that, overall, 52% of EU citizens support Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, according to this survey. But analyzing this data more deeply, we see that in the 27 EU member states, 10 show a level of support below 50%. These also include large and influential states such as Germany and France, as well as, for example, the Czech Republic. In the Czech Republic, overall, only 28% of the population supports Ukraine’s accession to the EU, provided the accession criteria are fully met,” Nagornyak noted.
According to Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, “the European Union leadership’s initiative to initiate talks with Russia on the conflict in Ukraine could hinder US peace efforts and alter relations between the Russian Federation, the EU, and the United States.”
Russian military pressure is intensifying in the Donbas regions. According to Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, “Russia has five scenarios for expanding the war across northern Ukraine: “Our forces in the Chernihiv-Kiev direction will be increased,” according to Bet Ha. The prime minister also instructed the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry to prepare further diplomatic measures regarding Belarus, which Russia could use to expand the war.
The Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service is on the same wavelength: “Russia plans to destabilize the situation in Ukraine and weaken its support,” but did not explain how this is happening.
Meanwhile, in the Dnipropetrovsk region of the Chapli district, the mandatory evacuation of residents of the Chapli and Shevchenkivskyi districts has been announced. According to local communities, the population is urged to evacuate as a matter of urgency. This is typically done to allow the military to fortify the areas and fight off incoming Russian troops or to position troops as close to the front line as possible. This hypothesis is confirmed by the increased security measures introduced in the northern regions of Ukraine. In particular, The SBU and the Defense Forces are conducting large-scale counter-subversive operations in the Chernihiv, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Volhynia, and Rivne regions, in areas near the borders with Russia and Belarus.
Two new combat units have been formed in Ukraine, the 167th and 50th Mechanized Brigades, “despite the personnel shortage in two hundred other brigades.” One officer, on social media, complained that his unit’s soldiers were being removed by order and transferred to the newly created brigade: “Now the 167th [brigade] is being formed under Syrsky’s command, and as many men as possible are being transferred there. We have a brigade that has received an order, and the soldiers are being removed. The most offensive thing is that units are formed, forces are accumulated, men are trained, and then everything can go to pieces.”
The military reorganization could be aimed at blocking the Russian advance in Sumy or Kharkiv. According to Taras Karpyak, representative of the VIII Airborne Corps: “The Russian armed forces are planning to conquer Sumy or Kharkiv: they are already exerting strong pressure in that direction.”
Russia has confirmed that the Russian army has begun striking targets on the Kharkiv district highway to block Ukrainian logistics.
Regarding financial matters, it has been learned that the Central Bank of the Russian Federation’s gold reserves have fallen to February 2022 levels. According to Bank of Russia data analyzed by RIA Novosti, the Central Bank of the Russian Federation’s gold reserves fell to 73.9 million troy ounces in April. The Central Bank of the Russian Federation’s gold reserves have decreased for the fourth month. consecutive. In January, they decreased by 300,000 troy ounces, in February by another 200,000, and by the same amount in March and April. As a result, as of May 1st, the Central Bank’s gold reserves amounted to 73.9 million troy ounces, the same amount as in February 2022. Russia remains the sixth largest country in the world in terms of gold reserves, after the United States, Germany, Italy, France, and China.
Gazprom’s board of directors has recommended not distributing dividends at the end of 2025, the company stated.
Finally, tensions between Armenia and the Russian Federation continue, as Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin explained: “It is impossible to be a member of the EU and the EAEU at the same time, it is impossible to dance at two weddings in Armenia; the attitude of the Russian Federation towards Armenian citizens has not changed; the Armenian people are a brotherly people; Tricking Armenia into joining the EU is a populist slogan; the same tactics have been applied against Ukraine and Moldova. Moscow cannot accept the Armenian leadership’s stance on EAEU membership. “A group of EU representatives is present in Armenia today and is interfering in the country’s internal affairs,” Galuzin commented. The Russian Federation has received an official notification from Armenia of Pashinyan’s absence from the meeting of EAEU leaders; the Republic will be represented by Deputy Prime Minister Grigoryan, stated Maria Zakharova.
And now a look at the front line updated at 3:30 PM on May 21. Overnight, Ukrainian forces attacked Crimea with drones, including fighter jets. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that 167 Ukrainian drones were shot down during the day (the Governor of the Samara Region: “The Ukrainian Armed Forces are attacking Syzran with drones. The Syzran oil refinery was the target of a massive attack. Nearly a dozen drones were shot down during an attempted attack, but a couple certainly managed to penetrate the defenses, and there is now a fire in the refinery area.
Russian forces have struck Kryvyi Rih, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, and Kramatorsk.
In the Bryansk region, Ukrainian forces attacked the village of Suzemka with an FPV drone, wounding one person.
In the Belgorod region, five people were injured in two separate drone attacks. Numerous settlements were also hit by raids by Ukrainian forces, with damage to homes and power lines.
In the Kharkiv sector, Russian forces are attacking Ukrainian forces near the villages of Belyi Kolodez’, Izbyts’ke, Ryasne, and Starytsya in the Kharkiv region.
A No significant changes have been reported in Kupyansk. Further south, fighting continues to expand our zone of control near Kupyansk-Vuzlovyi, near Kurilovka and Kivsharivka.
In Liman, urban fighting continues, and Ukrainian forces are counterattacking.
Toward Slavyansk, Russian forces are concentrated primarily in the Rai-Oleksandrivka area. However, fighting is reported to be intensifying further south, near Tikhonovka and Oleksandrivka: Russian forces are attempting to exhaust Ukrainian defenses.
Near Kostyantynivka, Russian forces are significantly increasing their efforts on the flanks, near Illinivka and Novodmytrivka. Fighting continues intensely.
In the Dnipropetrovsk region, the Eastern Group of Forces is operating northwest of the village of Oleksandrohrad, fighting in the wooded area. Across the Volchya River towards Lisne.
On the Zaporizhia front, fighting is ongoing near Prymors’ke and Stepnohirs’k. Ukrainian forces are intensifying their efforts in this direction. The Ukrainians are actively using the region’s night sky to fly their drones south and east. The Russian Ministry of Defense does not publish the number of drones shot down in this area, as in all regions recently declared conflict zones, which does not mean there are no downings.
In Kherson Oblast, a man was reported injured in Oleshky following an attack by Ukrainian forces. Numerous settlements are under attack. Russian forces are responding by destroying targets in Kherson beyond the Dnieper.
Graziella Giangiulio
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