Monday, May 27

Russia’s war against Ukraine

Rescuers conduct a rescue operation at a building materials hypermarket fter the Russian air attack on May 26, 2024 in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Rescuers carry out work on clearing the rubble, clearing the area, and searching for the dead. (Ivan Samoilov/Gwara Media/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

Zelensky calls on allies to allow Ukraine strike military targets on Russian soil. President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Ukraine’s partners to allow Kyiv to use Western weapons to strike military targets in Russia on May 26.

Defense Minister Umerov: Russia attacked Ukraine with 10,000 guided bombs this year. Russia typically uses laser-guided or satellite-guided KAB bombs, with payloads ranging from 250 to 1,500 kilograms, against Ukrainian military and civilian targets.

Zelensky: Russia forming another grouping of forces near Ukraine’s northern border. “Russia is preparing for offensive actions also 90 kilometers northwest from here – they gather another group of troops near our border… The one who does all this doesn’t want peace,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address to the world leaders recorded in Kharkiv on May 26.

Border Guard: Buildup of Russian troops along Sumy border not enough for major attack. Russia does not have enough troops for a major attack in Sumy Oblast but may still attempt to invade the region, State Border Guard Service spokesperson Andriy Demchenko said on television on May 26.

General Staff: Russian troop activity increases in Kupiansk direction. There has been a sharp increase in Russian troop activity in the direction of Kupiansk, Kharkiv Oblast, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported on May 26.

Your contribution helps keep the Kyiv Independent going. Become a member today.

Russian shell production three times greater than of Ukraine’s allies. Using publicly available data, consulting firm Bain & Company claims that Russian factories can produce or refurbish 4.5 million 152 mm shells for $1,000 per round this year. European countries and the U.S. are only expected to produce 1.3 million 155 mm shells combined at an average cost of $4,000 per unit.

Energy Ministry: Explosive device found at electrical substation in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. The police and sappers were called to remove the device, according to the ministry.

Putin arrives in Uzbekistan, marking third international visit of his new term. Russian leader Vladimir Putin arrived in Uzbekistan’s capital on May 26 to hold discussions with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, focusing on strengthening bilateral relations.

Read our exclusives

Ukraine war latest: Russian strike on Kharkiv supermarket kills 16

Russia hit a building materials supermarket in Kharkiv in the middle of the day on May 25, killing 16 people and injuring 44. Among those killed is a 12-year-old girl and her mother, reported Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov.

Image: Denys Klymenko/Gwara Media/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images

Traveling to Ukraine: What to see in wartime Kyiv

Tourism in Ukraine is largely on hold because of the war, of course, but there are still many foreigners living in Kyiv, or visiting on diplomatic or aid missions to the country. The Ukrainian capital is the best-defended city in the country in terms of attack from the air.

Photo: Oleh Tymoshenko / The Kyiv Independent

Human cost of war

Governor: 16 killed in Russian strike on Kharkiv hypermarket. The death toll of Russia’s May 25 strike on a building materials hypermarket in Kharkiv has risen to 16, Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov said on the afternoon of May 26. Over 40 people are confirmed to have been wounded, and over a dozen more are considered missing, the National Police reported earlier the same day.

Russian attacks against 3 Ukrainian regions kill 1, injure 19. Russia’s recent attacks against Ukraine’s Kherson, Donetsk, and Kharkiv oblasts killed one person and wounded another 19, regional authorities reported early on May 26.

Russian attacks on Donetsk Oblast kill 3 people, injure 2. Russian attacks across the settlements in Donetsk Oblast killed three people and injured two on May 26, the Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor’s Office reported.

Russian attack on Kharkiv Oblast kills 1, injures 2. The attack killed a 72-year-old woman and a nine-year-old boy was one of the two injured residents.

International response

Scholz against Ukraine using German weapons to strike Russian territory. Speaking at an event in Berlin, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said his government gave clear rules to Kyiv prohibiting the use of German weapons on Russian soil and that he sees no reason to change this.

Want to get the news faster? Follow our website: kyivindependent.com.

Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Dinara Khalilova, Oleksiy Sorokin, Dominic Culverwell, Teah Pelechaty, Daria Shulzhenko, and Olena Goncharova.

If you’re enjoying this newsletter, consider joining our membership program. Start supporting independent journalism today.