Live Briefing: Russia Invades Ukraine

RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Western military aid to Kyiv, worldwide reaction, and the plight of civilians and refugees. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.

Latest Developments At A Glance

• European Union members have agreed to a plan that will use profits earned from Russian assets frozen at institutions in the 27-member bloc to help fund Ukraine's military.
• Four people were wounded and a transport infrastructure facility was damaged in a series of drone strikes on Ukraine's northeastern city of Kharkiv early on May 21, regional officials reported.
• On a visit that had not been announced beforehand for security reasons, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arrived in Kyiv in the morning on May 21 in a show of support for Ukraine.
• Russian forces maintained their relentless assault on Ukraine’s Kharkiv region on May 20 -- including a massive drone attack on the city itself -- but local officials said the outgunned Ukrainian troops still held about 60 percent of the border town of Vovchansk, the focal point of Moscow’s drive over recent weeks.

A New Russian Offensive Stretches Ukrainian Forces. Possibly To The Breaking Point.

Russia is advancing in multiple places across the 1,100-kilometer front line in Ukraine. Ukrainian forces are struggling to hold positions, if not outright retreating in some places. The news from the battlefield these days is grim. Read the story by Mike Eckel here.

U.S. Weapons Are Coming To Ukraine. But Russian Forces Have The Momentum.

Ukraine’s defenses are nearing the breaking point amid a shortage of ammunition, manpower, and fortifications. U.S. weaponry is on its way, but it may not arrive in time to blunt Russia’s momentum. Read the story by Mike Eckel and Todd Prince here.

With ATACMS In Hand, Ukraine Looks To Neutralize Putin's Fortress In Crimea

Russia has spent billions militarizing Ukraine’s occupied Crimea region since 2014, and it’s been a launching pad for air attacks since 2022 and a staging ground for forces on Ukraine's mainland. Now, Kyiv thinks it can counter the threat from the peninsula with U.S. long-range ATACMS. Read the story by Todd Prince here.

Ukraine Welcomes Long-Delayed Military Aid, Vows To Make Up For Lost Time

U.S. President Joe Biden signed a $61 billion military aid package for Ukraine on April 24 and said shipments of arms will begin within hours. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed the aid, saying the country's military must act fast to make up for months of losses. One military officer said Russia's logistical infrastructure is a likely target for a renewed Ukrainian counteroffensive. By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service

Many Critics, Few Enthusiasts As Ukraine Moves To Fill The Ranks For The Fight Against Russia's Invasion

After long delays and heated debate, the Ukrainian parliament has passed a mobilization bill seeking to strengthen the army as invading Russian forces gain ground. There's plenty of doubt as to whether the watered-down, fragmented legislation can fix a recruitment system widely regarded as broken. Read the story by Aleksander Palikot here.

Ukraine's Three-Front War: Advancing Russians, Depleted Artillery, Exhausted Troops

The eastern Ukrainian city of Chasiv Yar is being wiped from the map as Russian jets drop heavy, guided bombs that flatten apartment blocks and elite airborne units edge into the city’s eastern outskirts. Low on ammunition and morale, Ukraine is hard-pressed to hold on across the long front line. Read the story by Mike Eckel here.

Does The West Need Stronger Sanctions On Russia To Help Ukraine Win The War?

Tom Keatinge from the Royal United Services Institute explains why the Western response to sanction Russia is falling short and why leaders need to make tough decisions if they want Ukraine to win the war. Read the interview by Reid Standish here.

Ukraine Has No Navy. But It's Hammering Russia In The Black Sea.

The landing ship that purportedly sank off Crimea last week is one of nearly two dozen Russian warships that Ukraine has seriously damaged or sunk since the full-scale invasion two years ago. It’s an extraordinary set of naval losses inflicted by a country that currently doesn’t even have a navy. Read the report by Mike Eckel here.

Battlefield Woes Mounting, Ukraine Gets A New Top General. Who Is He?

Ukraine's new top commander is a Soviet-trained artillery officer known for his role in thwarting the Russian thrust to capture Kyiv in 2022. Oleksandr Syrskiy is also known for his command during the disastrous retreat in 2015 in Debaltseve, and what some say was the costly defense of Bakhmut. Read the report by Mike Eckel and Todd Prince here.

Is Russia Betting It Can 'Outlast The Attention Span Of The West' To Defeat Ukraine?

Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to waste lots of lives and money to defeat Ukraine, argues Professor Peter Roberts, a senior associate fellow at the U.K.-based Royal United Services Institute. In an interview with RFE/RL's Georgian Service, Roberts says Putin is in it for the long haul and betting on the West's short attention span to defeat Ukraine. Read the interview by Vazha Tavberidze here.

Interactive: Occupied, Militarized Crimea

As Ukrainian leaders vow to reclaim all territories seized by Russia, Moscow has prepared extensive defensive measures, particularly in Crimea, a region unlawfully annexed in 2014. This area, now under Russian occupation, has been heavily militarized with an array of air bases and army bases, making it one of the most fortified zones in the war. View the interactive map by Crimea.Realities, Schemes, RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, and Central Newsroom here.