Russia says US vet was killed in Bakhmut; Ukraine thwarts missile attack on Kyiv: Live updates
Updated 8:37 pm EDT May. 16, 2023
The leader of Russia's powerful mercenary force in the Bakhmut region says an American has died in the embattled Ukrainian city.
Yevgeny Prigozhin posted a video on Telegram showing the body and a photo of a Pentagon identification card indicating the person is a former U.S. Army Special Forces soldier from Boise, Idaho. Prigozhin said his team was preparing the remains for transfer to American authorities.
The State Department released a statement saying U.S. officials were aware of the reports and were seeking additional information.
"Our ability to verify reports of deaths of U.S. citizens in Ukraine is extremely limited," the statement says. "We offer our condolences to the families of all whose lives have been lost as a result of Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war against Ukraine."
The statement also urged U.S. citizens not to travel to Ukraine.
Developments:
∙ Chinese special envoy Li Hui was arriving in Ukraine for a two-day peacemaking effort. Li also plans to visit Poland, Germany, France and Russia. Beijing's first peace plan, released in February and centered on a pause in the fighting, drew no interest from Ukraine.
∙ The chairman of Ukraine's Supreme Court, Vsevolod Kniaziev, faces 12 years in prison if convicted of corruption charges filed against him Tuesday. Kniaziev is accused of taking an $1.8 million bribe to render a favorable verdict for mining magnate Kostiantyn Zhevago, who was arrested in January on suspicion of embezzling tens of millions of dollars.
∙ South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol met Tuesday with Ukraine first lady Olena Zelenska in Seoul and vowed to expand his country’s nonlethal aid, including ambulances and mine detection and removal equipment.
∙ Ukraine Marine Cmdr. Kostyantyn Bezsmertny has been charged with treason, accused of persuading 277 soldiers to surrender to Russian troops as prisoners of war, Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation said.
∙ Almost 200,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded since the war began almost 15 months ago, the Ukraine military said. It does not release its own casualty count.
US Patriot battery stymies Russian assault on Kyiv
Ukrainian air defenses, bolstered by the recently deployed, U.S.-built Patriot batteries, shot down a savage barrage of Russian missiles targeting Kyiv early Tuesday, inspiring hope that the battered nation's capital city can be shielded from Moscow's unrelenting attacks.
Valerii Zaluzhnyi, commander in chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, said Russia launched six hypersonic "Kinzhal" missiles from MiG jets, nine cruise missiles from ships in the Black Sea and three land-based S-400 cruise missiles. Ukraine's air defenses downed them all, he said, along with six Iranian-made "kamikaze drones" and three reconnaissance drones.
"Another unbelievable success for the Ukrainian Air Forces!" tweeted Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov. "Russian terrorists have no chance of prevailing over Ukraine. Their weapons can and should be countered by Western ones."
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said a Patriot missile battery was destroyed by a Kinzhal missile. The battery was damaged, not destroyed, and remains operational, the New York Times reported.
Russia launched its latest attack around 3:30 a.m. from the north, south and east, the Air Force said. Debris from the destruction caused some damage and started fires. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said three people were injured in Solomianskyi district, where debris ignited a fire that damaged four buses and a garage.
"A full-on aerial attack on Kyiv last night, pretty intense," tweeted Melinda Simmons, Britain's ambassador to Ukraine. "Bangs and shaking walls are not an easy night. Hope everyone is ok."
Putin, Zelenskyy to host separate peace talks with African delegation
Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy have finally agreed on something.
The Russian and Ukrainian leaders, who have not found anything close to common ground on a possible peace deal, have both indicated they're willing to meet separately with a delegation of the heads of six African countries to discuss an end to the war, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Tuesday.
Ramaphosa said he spoke with Putin and Zelenskyy by phone over the weekend and they each agreed to host “an African leaders peace mission” in Moscow and Kyiv, respectively.
“Principal to our discussions are efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the devastating conflict in the Ukraine,” Ramaphosa said.
Ramaphosa did not offer a time frame for the peace talks but said in a statement he would be part of the delegation along with the leaders of Egypt, Republic of Congo, Senegal, Uganda and Zambia.
Prime ministers Sunak, Rutte to assemble coalition to get Ukraine fighter jets
Prime ministers Sunak, Rutte to assemble coalition to get Ukraine fighter jets
A day after getting a visit from Zelenskyy, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reached a deal with his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte to assemble a group of nations to supply fighter jets to Ukraine.
According to a readout of their meeting at the Council of Europe Summit in Iceland, Sunak and Rutte "agreed they would work to build international coalition to provide Ukraine with combat air capabilities, supporting with everything from training to procuring F16 jets.''
Sunak also reiterated that Ukraine belongs in NATO, the readout said.
Zelenskyy had pushed for the warplanes during a whirlwind three-day trip that included stops in Italy, Germany, France and England, where he met with Sunak on Monday and secured a commitment for missiles and attack drones.
Only last week, the UK started delivering Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine, enhancing its military's ability to strike deep into Russian-held territory.
Ukraine claims gains around Bakhmut
Ukrainian forces claim to have recaptured almost 8 square miles of territory in fierce battles north and south of Bakhmut since last week, but they say Russian troops continue to make gains within the nearly abandoned city. “Heavy battles continue with differing results,” Ukraine’s deputy defense minister, Hanna Malyar, said on Telegram. The Russian-installed head of the partially occupied Donetsk region, Denis Pushilin, told Russian state TV that Russian forces near Bakhmut have reinforced their flanks in the face of Ukrainian successes.
European human rights panel meets on Ukraine
European leaders began a two-day summit of the 46-nation Council of Europe, only the fourth full session of the human rights panel since its creation in 1949. The meeting in Iceland seeks to quantify damage in Ukraine caused by the Kremlin’s forces so compensation claims can be lodged against Moscow. The summit also is expected to boost initiatives to address emerging challenges to democracy and human rights, including the environment and artificial intelligence.
Zelenskyy will lobby for 50 F-16s
President Volodymyr Zelensky will lobby for up to 50 F-16 fighter jets during the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima from Friday through Sunday and the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, in July, defense adviser Yuriy Sak said. The jets would allow formation of three or four squadrons to protect the sky over Ukraine, he said. The country's air force already has received more than two dozen Russian-built MIG-29s from Poland and Slovakia. Zelenskyy, however, is pressing for the more advanced Western fighter jets.
Contributing: The Associated Press
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Originally Published 8:34 am EDT May. 16, 2023
**Updated 8:37 pm EDT May. 16, 2023**
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