Monday, May 13

Russia’s war against Ukraine

An elderly woman who was evacuated from Vovchansk sits with her dog in a minivan at an evacuation point in the Kharkiv Oblast on May 12, 2024. (Roman Pilipey / AFP)

General Staff: Battle for Vovchansk ongoing, Russia achieving ‘tactical success.’ Fighting is ongoing for Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast, as Ukrainian troops are attempting to fend off Russia’s attempt to capture the city, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported on May 13.

Putin proposes firing Shoigu, appoints new defense minister. Belousov was Russia’s economy minister in 2012-2013, an aide to Putin in 2013-2020, and first deputy prime minister in 2020-2024.

Syrskyi: Russia’s breakthrough attempt halted, situation in several sectors ‘changing rapidly.’ “The enemy has partial success in some areas, and in others, (Ukraine’s) Defense Forces are pushing the enemy out and improving their tactical position,” Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on May 12.

Zelensky: Situation in Kharkiv Oblast is ‘difficult’ as Russian troops advance. His statement comes as Russia launched a new offensive operation targeting Kharkiv Oblast on May 10.

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

Evacuations ongoing as Russian strikes increase in Kharkiv Oblast. Around 500 people remain in the city of Vovchansk, close to the Russian border. Earlier in the day, two casualties were reported in Vovchansk and the nearby village Liptsy.

Media: Ukrainian drones attack military targets in 3 Russian oblasts overnight. Drones operated by Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) attacked military targets in Russia’s Volgograd, Lipetsk and Kaluga oblasts overnight on May 12, Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing its unnamed source in HUR.

Russia seeking to blame Ukraine after apartment building collapses in Belgorod. Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov claimed without evidence that a building in the Kharkovskaya Gora district of Belgorod Oblast was hit by a Ukrainian projectile during an air raid alert in the oblast.

Russia attacks 106 infrastructure facilities in Ukraine in one day. Various weapons were used in the attacks and 107 settlements were targeted. Thousands of households in seven oblasts are suffering power outages due to Russian attacks, the Energy Ministry reported.

Read our exclusives

Ukraine war latest: Putin proposes firing Shoigu, appoints new defense minister.

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin on May 12 proposed firing Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and nominated Andrei Belousov to replace him, according to the Telegram channel of the Federation Council, the Russian parliament’s upper house.

Photo: Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty Images

Civilians flee Vovchansk under Russian bombardment as ground offensive on Kharkiv begins.

Vovchansk is ground zero of Russia’s new offensive into Kharkiv Oblast, the first time a serious push has been made to take territory across the border since the area was liberated from Russian occupation in Ukraine’s lightning counteroffensive in September 2022.

Photo: Francis Farrell/The Kyiv Independent

Human cost of war

Governor: Russian attacks on Kharkiv Oblast kill 3, injure 5 over past day. Russian troops attacked 27 settlements in Kharkiv Oblast over the past day, killing three people and injuring six, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported on May 12.

Death toll in Belgorod apartment building collapse rises to 15. According to the Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, a part of a 10-story apartment building collapsed there earlier in the day.

1 killed, 2 injured in Russian attacks on Sumy Oblast. Russian forces attacked nine communities in Sumy Oblast on May 12, killing one person and injuring two others, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported.

Kharkiv Oblast town faces annihilation as Russia opens new front

International response

David Cameron: Situation in Kharkiv ‘extremely dangerous’. Cameron stressed that Kyiv’s allies must do everything they can to “help the Ukrainians.” He pointed to the U.K.’s recent £3 billion ($3.74 billion) yearly package to Ukraine, adding that Westminster is “encouraging others to do the same.”

Blinken: No doubt there has been ‘cost in months-long delay’ of aid for Ukraine. Without a doubt, there has been a cost in the “months-long delay in getting the supplementary budget request approved and the equipment sent out to Ukraine,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on May 12.

South Korean intelligence: North Korea suspected of supplying Russia with weapons made in 1970s. South Korea’s intelligence service is conducting a review into suspicions that North Korea has provided Russia with artillery shells and other weaponry made in the 1970s, the country’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) said on May 12.

In other news

Russia to increase taxes on struggling energy giant Gazprom this year. Gazprom’s revenue fell by 30% last year with a net loss of $6.9 billion, the largest in 25 years. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine led to worsening relations with Europe, limiting the operations of the company.

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

Today’s Ukraine Daily was brought to you by Dominic Culverwell, Katya Denisova, Lili Bivings, Oleksiy Sorokin, Francis Farrell, Olga Rudenko, Daria Shulzhenko, Oleg Sukhov, and Dmytro Basmat.

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