Russia announced on Wednesday May 22 that it had conquered the village of Klichtchiïvka, in Ukraine, located in the Donetsk region, approximately 5 km south of Bakhmout. It was one of the few localities that the Ukrainian army reconquered during its summer 2023 offensive, which ultimately failed.
Information to remember
⇒ Volodymyr Zelensky announces “tangible results” against the Russian army in Kharkiv Oblast
⇒ Russia launches exercises involving tactical nuclear weapons near Ukraine
⇒ Energy installations in the Sumy region targeted by Russian strikes
Moscow says it has reconquered one of the rare localities liberated by kyiv in 2023
Russia claimed this Wednesday the capture of Klichtchiïvka, in eastern Ukraine, one of the rare localities that the Ukrainian army had reconquered during its offensive in the summer of 2023, which ultimately failed. Ukrainian forces have been on the defensive since this failure and lack soldiers and weapons. Opposite, Russian troops have regained the initiative and are making a slow push on the eastern front, particularly in the Kharkiv region, in the northeast of the country, but also near Donetsk, in the south of the country.
It is in this dynamic that Russia announced on Wednesday that it had conquered the village of Klichtchiïvka, located in the Donetsk region, approximately 5 km south of Bakhmout. On May 15, Moscow also claimed to have retaken, in the south, Robotyné, a town – completely destroyed – symbolic because it had also been one of the few to have been kidnapped during this same counter-offensive.
Ukrainian police officer killed by Russian strike during evacuation near Kharkiv
A Russian drone attack killed a Ukrainian police officer this Wednesday, according to kyiv, and injured another in Vovchansk, a town at the heart of the fighting in the Kharkiv region (north-east), where Moscow has been leading an offensive since the 10 may.
“In Vovchansk, Russia fired on a police car during an evacuation. One police officer was killed, another injured,” Ukrainian Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said on Telegram. “Two police officers were inside” the vehicle, “on their way to rescue civilians,” he said.
Energy installations in the Sumy region targeted by Russian strikes
Russian drones targeted Ukrainian energy facilities early Wednesday, causing power outages in parts of the Sumy region in northeastern Ukraine. Authorities in the Sumy region said on Telegram that the drones had targeted the towns of Shostka and Konotop. Emergency services are working to restore power.
Russian forces launched an offensive in the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine just over two weeks ago, and Ukrainian officials said Russia was also amassing troops near the Kharkiv region. Sumy.
Volodymyr Zelensky announces “tangible results” against the Russian army in Kharkiv Oblast
Ukraine is obtaining “tangible results” in the face of the Russian offensive in the Kharkiv region (north-east), its President Volodymyr Zelensky assured Tuesday evening. Faced since May 10 with a large-scale Russian offensive on this front, “our forces are destroying the occupier, the results are tangible,” affirmed the Ukrainian head of state in his evening speech.
In the afternoon, during a press conference in kyiv with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock, the head of Ukrainian diplomacy Dmytro Kouleba also proposed that kyiv’s allies shoot down Russian missiles from their territories aiming at her. “There is no legal, security or moral argument that would prevent our partners from shooting down Russian missiles over the territory of Ukraine from their territory,” Kouleba said.
Russia launches tactical nuclear weapons exercises near Ukraine
These maneuvers follow the order given by Russian President Vladimir Putin two weeks ago. The Russian leader had announced upcoming nuclear exercises in response to comments by Western leaders, including Emmanuel Macron, regarding the possible sending of NATO soldiers to Ukraine, according to the Kremlin. “The current exercise aims to maintain the readiness of personnel and equipment […] the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons to react and guarantee the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Russian state in response to threats from certain Western officials,” the Russian Defense Ministry said.
The tactical nuclear weapon, smaller in explosive charge than the strategic nuclear weapon, is theoretically intended to destroy targets on the battlefield and can be fired from vehicles, artillery pieces, ships or planes.
EU and Moldova sign joint security pact
The European Union and Moldova signed a defense and security partnership agreement on Tuesday, to help this candidate country to better resist Russian threats. “Today, Moldova became the first country to sign a security and defense partnership agreement with the European Union,” declared Josep Borrell, head of diplomacy of the 27, during a meeting with Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean. Other agreements will follow in order to create a network of “friendly” countries wishing to strengthen their security, which will provide for “closer cooperation” in matters such as cybersecurity, he added.