On the night from Saturday to Sunday, day 1544 of the war, Ukraine launched the most extensive attack on Russia in the past year: over 550 drones targeted 14 Russian regions, including Moscow, occupied Crimea, and areas near the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. At least four people have died: three in the Moscow region and one in Belgorod.
Kyiv claims to have hit dozens of targets in Russia and the occupied territories, including refineries, anti-aircraft systems, and command points.
One of the likely targets of the attack was the Kapotnia refinery in southeast Moscow. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced that 12 people were injured near the refinery entrance. Three residential buildings were damaged, but Russian authorities claim that the refinery's operations were not affected.
The attack comes a few days after Volodymyr Zelensky declared that Ukraine has the right to target Russian military and energy infrastructure in retaliation for Thursday's attack on Kyiv, resulting in 24 deaths, including three children.
On the front, Russia continues large-scale attacks on Ukraine. On the night from Saturday to Sunday, Russian forces launched 287 drones over several Ukrainian regions, with Kyiv's anti-aircraft defense claiming to have shot down or neutralized 279 of them. The Dnipropetrovsk region was among the most affected.
Volodymyr Zelensky states that Russia has launched over 3,170 attack drones, over 1,300 guided aerial bombs, and 74 various types of missiles at Ukraine in the past week, mostly ballistic.
The Institute for the Study of War notes, in parallel, that Moscow continues to present an exaggerated picture of its advances, especially in the Kupiansk–Borova–Liman area, where Russian Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov reported progress that the ground reality does not confirm. ISW also mentions that Ukrainian forces have advanced towards Hulyaipole.
Tensions are rising in the Transnistria region after Vladimir Putin signed a decree simplifying the granting of Russian citizenship to residents of the separatist region, while Volodymyr Zelensky and Maia Sandu warn that this measure could be used by Russia for political pressure and possible recruitment.
In the economic sphere, the United States allowed the expiration, without renewal, of the waiver on sanctions that permitted the sale of Russian oil already at sea.
What's happening on the front
- Russian massive drone attack on Ukraine - Russia launched an extensive drone attack on Ukraine on the night from Saturday to Sunday. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, as cited by Kyiv Post, 287 drones were launched, of which Kyiv shot down or neutralized 279. Eight attack drones hit seven locations, and debris from downed drones fell in seven other areas.
- Dnipropetrovsk, among the most affected regions - The Dnipropetrovsk region was one of the hardest hit in the recent Russian attack. Local authorities say 56 drones were shot down over the region, but some caused significant damage in the city of Dnipro and several districts. In Dnipro, a drone hit a residential area, causing a house fire. A 70-year-old woman was rescued from the house by firefighters and is in critical condition in intensive care. Two other men, aged 50 and 60, were injured.
- Strike on a factory in Poltava - The Russian army attacked an enterprise in the Mirkhorod district of the Poltava region on Sunday morning, according to Ukrainian authorities. Vitaliy Dyakivnych, head of the regional military administration, announced on Telegram that the strike caused damage to technological equipment, but no casualties have been reported so far. Ukrainian authorities also announced that the transportation infrastructure in Kryvyi Rih was affected by Russian bombardments.
- Zelensky: Russia launched over 3,170 drones at Ukraine in a week - Volodymyr Zelensky says that Russia has launched over 3,170 attack drones, over 1,300 guided aerial bombs, and 74 various types of missiles at Ukraine in the past week, mostly ballistic. The Ukrainian President stated that many of the strikes targeted residential buildings and other civilian targets. According to Zelensky's report, 52 people were killed in Russian attacks this week, and another 346 were injured or affected, including 22 children.
- Zelensky calls for support - Zelensky once again called for more support for Ukraine's anti-aircraft defense, stating that any contribution in this area "ultimately helps save lives." He mentioned the PURL initiative and additional contributions for anti-ballistic missiles, as well as the need for a common European protection against ballistic missiles.
- ISW: Russia exaggerates the situation on the front again - The Institute for the Study of War states that the senior Russian military command has presented, for the fifth consecutive month, a deeply inaccurate assessment of the situation on the front. According to ISW, Russian Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov claimed that Russian forces were advancing west of Kupiansk, although Russia has not captured the city. ISW believes that these exaggerated claims may indicate either that the top Russian military command is unaware of the ground reality or refuses to acknowledge it, which can affect Russia's operational and strategic planning.
- ISW: Ukrainians advance towards Hulyaipole - The Institute for the Study of War notes that Ukrainian forces have advanced towards Hulyaipole in southeastern Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russian military bloggers continue to warn that some Ukrainian counterattacks and false reports of Russian advances create difficult situations for the Russian command. According to ISW, these issues highlight tensions between Russian military propaganda and the ground reality.
What's happening in Russia
- Largest Ukrainian attack on Moscow in the past year - Ukraine launched the most extensive drone attack on Moscow last night, according to Russian authorities cited by Reuters. The Russian Ministry of Defense claims that the anti-aircraft defense shot down 556 drones over Russia, including 81 targeting the capital. At least four people have died: three in the Moscow region and one in Belgorod. The Governor of the Moscow region, Andrey Vorobyov, announced that a woman was killed after a house was hit in Khimki, north of the capital, and two men died in the village of Pogorelki, in the Mytishchi district. Rescuers are still searching for possible victims among the debris.
- Targeting Moscow - Moscow appears to have been one of the main targets. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that 12 people were injured, most near the entrance to the oil refinery in Moscow, known as the Kapotnia refinery. Three residential buildings were damaged, but Russian authorities claim that the refinery's technological facilities were not affected. The attack comes a few days after Volodymyr Zelensky declared that Ukraine has the right to target Russian military and energy infrastructure in retaliation for Thursday's attack on Kyiv, resulting in 24 deaths, including three children.
- Ukraine says it hit 46 targets in two nights - The Ukrainian Army's Unmanned Systems Forces claim to have hit 46 Russian targets on the nights of May 16 and 17, both in the occupied territories and in Russia. Troop commander Robert Brovdi published images of the operations and stated that a total of 186 strikes were carried out. Among the targets indicated by Ukrainians are a Russian patrol ship in Dagestan, a Tor-M2 anti-aircraft system in the Luhansk region, a strategic communications center of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in occupied Crimea, and a train transporting fuel for Russian troops in the Donetsk region. Port cranes in Berdyansk, command points of Russian units in Donetsk, a drone control center, and logistics depots were also hit. Ukrainians claim they even targeted communication towers in the Zaporizhia region.
- SBU announces attacks on refineries and military infrastructure in Russia - The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced that, together with other defense units, they carried out a series of attacks on targets in the Moscow region and occupied Crimea. According to the SBU, the Angstrem plant, which produces semiconductors for the Russian military-industrial complex and is under American sanctions, the Moscow refinery, and the oil pumping stations Solnechnogorsk and Volodarskoye were hit. In occupied Crimea, Ukrainians claim to have targeted infrastructure and anti-aircraft defense systems at the Belbek airbase. The listed targets include a Pantsir-S2 system, a hangar with radars for the S-400 system, control systems for Orion and Forpost drones, as well as a control tower. SBU Chief Yevhen Hmara stated that such operations are "critical for weakening Russia's military capabilities" and argued that the attacks demonstrate that "not even the Moscow region is safe."
- Attacks continue - "Our long-range sanctions this week. Most operations are still ongoing, so the images capture only a part of our results," wrote Volodymyr Zelensky on Facebook, alongside a video recording of the attacks.
Other relevant information
- Drone in Latvia's airspace - NATO fighter jets were scrambled into the air on Sunday morning in Latvia after an unidentified drone entered the country's airspace, the Latvian armed forces announced. The incident took place in the east of the country, near the borders with Russia and Belarus, and the military immediately activated mobile anti-aircraft defense units and aircraft participating in the NATO air policing mission in the Baltic region. According to authorities, the drone entered Latvian airspace around 6:00 a.m. and later left the area without any reported casualties or damage. However, the military warned that such incidents "remain possible" as long as Russia's war against Ukraine continues.
- Zelensky: Russia actually claims Transnistria - Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of using the simplification of granting Russian citizenship in Transnistria not only to seek new soldiers but also to make a political claim over the separatist region. "Citizenship also involves military obligations," Zelensky said, according to Ukrinform. He stated that Russia claims to be only interested in Donbas, but in reality, the stakes are higher. The Ukrainian president called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kyiv to coordinate with the Republic of Moldova for a joint assessment and possible joint actions. Details HERE.
- US no longer extends waiver for Russian oil - The United States allowed the waiver from sanctions that permitted the purchase of Russian oil already at sea to expire without renewal. Reuters reports that the waiver expired on May 16, and the U.S. Treasury did not issue a new extension.