Russia pounds Kyiv as its advance in eastern Ukraine slows to a crawl

Russia launched over 1,400 drones and 56 missiles into Ukraine, heavily targeting Kyiv, in response to perceived Ukrainian attacks on Russian Victory Day commemorations. These strikes, which began on May 9 and intensified through May 14, resulted in civilian casualties and damage to infrastructure. Concurrently, Russia's advance in eastern Ukraine has significantly slowed, with territorial gains decreasing substantially compared to previous periods. Ukraine attributes some of this slowdown to its successful interdiction campaign, utilizing drones to disrupt Russian arms and fuel supplies behind the front lines, with reported strikes targeting logistics 160 km behind the front. Ukraine also reported downing a high percentage of the launched drones and missiles.

Russia launched a large-scale daytime drone assault on Ukraine on Wednesday, deploying over 200 drones, hours after a previous attack killed at least eight people. The strikes, which included drones entering from Belarus, appeared to target Ukraine's critical infrastructure, including railway systems and civilian areas, according to Ukrainian officials. President Zelenskyy condemned the "brazen" attacks, urging continued international support. Meanwhile, debris from a Ukrainian drone attack reportedly caused a fire at a Russian gas processing plant. These events occurred amidst Donald Trump's claims that the war is nearing an end, though without providing specific details. Separately, a top Ukrainian aide, Andriy Yermak, appeared in court facing money-laundering allegations, which his lawyer denies.

Russia intensified its drone attacks on Ukraine on Wednesday, targeting residential areas, railway infrastructure, and energy facilities across multiple regions, including Dnipro, Kharkiv, Odesa, and Poltava. President Zelenskyy reported over 100 drones were deployed, following a previous barrage that killed at least eight people. These relentless strikes occur as Ukraine reports recent military successes and both former U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin claim, without evidence, that the war may be nearing an end. Zelenskyy emphasized the need for continued international support to counter Russia's escalating aggression.

Ukrainian forces launched a drone attack on the Russian Baltic Sea port of Primorsk, a major oil-exporting hub, causing a fire that was extinguished without an oil spill. Simultaneously, President Zelenskyy stated that Ukrainian forces also struck two "shadow fleet" tankers near the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, which he claimed were used for oil transport. These attacks occurred amidst ongoing accusations between Ukraine and Russia of civilian casualties from overnight air raids. The Primorsk attack highlights Ukraine's continued efforts to target Russian energy infrastructure, while the Novorossiysk incident demonstrates Ukraine's expanding long-range strike capabilities. Both nations have been engaged in frequent drone attacks throughout the conflict.

Russia conducted extensive overnight attacks across Ukraine, targeting energy infrastructure, civilian facilities, and residential areas in regions including Odesa, Kharkiv, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia. The strikes, which involved approximately 210 drones, resulted in at least one death and several injuries. In Odesa, drone attacks damaged port infrastructure and two residential buildings, injuring two people. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attacks, urging Europe to increase pressure and sanctions on Russia to enhance European security. He also reported damage to railway infrastructure in the Kharkiv region, leaving thousands without electricity.

Ukraine has escalated its aerial attacks, targeting Russian oil storage, ports, and refineries deep within Russia, including strikes in the Urals region, over the past week. President Zelenskyy announced this marks a "new stage" in Ukraine's use of weapons to disrupt Russia's war capabilities. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) confirmed striking a strategically important oil pumping and distribution facility in Perm, which reportedly resulted in widespread fires. Russia's Ministry of Defence acknowledged the strikes and reported downing numerous Ukrainian drones. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov condemned these attacks as "terrorist attacks," and Russia has cited the "current operational situation" as a reason for scaling back its Victory Day parade. This campaign aims to reduce Russia's oil revenue, with Ukraine claiming to have significantly impacted oil offloading ports.

Russia has claimed a Ukrainian drone attack killed a worker at the captured Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Simultaneously, Ukrainian officials reported that Russian drone attacks on Odesa injured at least 11 people, including two children, and damaged homes, infrastructure, and the port. Odesa's governor stated that the attacks affected multiple districts, hitting residential buildings, civilian facilities, and the funicular railway. In the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukrainian Governor Ivan Fedorov reported a civilian death and hundreds of Russian strikes across settlements. Russia also reported Ukrainian drone attacks in its Belgorod border region, resulting in one death and injuries.