On the 83rd day of the Russian invasion in Ukraine, this Tuesday, May 17, the Russian offensive in the Donbass intensified in the East in Sievierodonetsk, an important administrative center still under the control of kyiv. Russia has warned for its part that it will react to deployments of ” military infrastructure of NATO in Finland and Sweden, candidates for entry into the Atlantic Alliance.
► Moscow has blocked the RFI website, which broadcasts information in fifteen languages including Russian. An alternative URL address allows access to the site in French and in Russian. RFI in Russian is also available on Telegram: https://t.me/RFI_Ru via a VPN and in Russia in French via satellite on Hotbird.
► The site of the Russian editorial staff of RFI broadcasts Ukrainian public radio (in the Ukrainian language) from the home page.
► More than 260 Ukrainian fighters, including 53 wounded, were evacuated on Monday from the Azovstal steelworks, the last stronghold of Ukrainian resistance in Mariupol, announced Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Malyar.
► Sweden will apply to join NATO, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson officially announced on Monday, referring to a new “era” for the Scandinavian country.
► Ukrainian forces have repelled Russian troops and regained control of part of the border with Russia in the Kharkiv region (northeast), Ukrainian authorities announced on Monday.
► The NATO countries will continue to help Ukraine militarily, assured Berlin while Finland announced a “historic” candidacy for the Atlantic Alliance.
Times are given in Universal Time (UT),
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