A snapshot of recent news from sources around the world on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
Political Developments
Ahead of his visit to Turkey this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky challenged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to meet him in Ankara for direct talks on the war. Putin declined to do so, but the Kremlin did send a delegation to Turkey for technical talks.
As part of those talks, Ukraine and Russia agreed to a prisoner swap concerning 1,000 POWs each.
Ukrainians in Poland report a significant increase in anti-Ukrainian sentiment recently, detailing instances of abuse on public transport, school bullying, and online xenophobia. This heightened tension coincides with a divisive presidential election campaign, the first round of which is scheduled for Sunday.
POLITICO reported on May 13 that the E.U. is preparing to reinstate pre-war tariffs on some Ukrainian agricultural products, in order to protect European farmers.
Russian attacks on hotels housing journalists in Ukraine have escalated from isolated incidents in 2022 to a sustained and deliberate pattern by 2025, according to a new report. The findings, released by Reporters Without Borders and Truth Hounds, suggest these actions could amount to war crimes.
This week, the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization said that Russia is responsible for the 2014 shoot-down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, in which nearly 300 people died. The case had been brought before the body by the Netherlands and Australia in 2022.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un commented on his military’s participation in the war this week, according to state media, stating that Pyongyang’s involvement is “demonstrating the highest strategic level of the strong militant friendship, alliance and fraternal relations between the peoples of the two countries.”
Military Assistance to Ukraine
During Olaf Scholz’s tenure as German chancellor, Berlin publicly disclosed the military hardware it was delivering to Ukraine. Under Friedrich Merz, however, Germany will now keep those details classified, to limit Moscow’s visibility into what is being provided to Ukraine and when it is delivered.
This week, the New York Times cited a congressional source as saying that Washington had signed off on a German delivery of 125 long-range artillery rockets and 100 Patriot air-defense missiles to Ukraine.
France is reportedly planning to deliver all of the Caesar self-propelled howitzers to be produced this year to Ukraine, which could ultimately total 144 units. To support the Caesar systems already in Ukraine, France will utilize interest income derived from frozen Russian securities, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said.
The Danish government said this week that it will provide EUR830 million ($935 million) in support for the Ukrainian defense industry, helping to finance production of armaments for the Ukrainian military. The funding will be drawn from the proceeds of frozen Russian securities.
The second E.U.-Ukraine Defence Industry Forum took place this week in Belgium, focusing on deepening ties between the two.
European Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said this week that the E.U. needs to deepen its cooperation with the Ukrainian defense industry. “To stop Putin, we need to produce more, we need to innovate more, and we need to do that together in the European Union and with Ukraine,” Kubilius stated.
Battlefield Updates
Despite recent territorial gains, Russia’s war effort in Ukraine is losing momentum due to high casualty rates and limited resources on both sides, according to Ukrainian analyst Tatarigami. After 39 months of intense combat, Russian forces now control 18.3% of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea—an increase from 17.6% the previous year.
Even so, Russia continues to enlist new personnel for the war effort. Ukrainian General Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said this week that Russia has as many as 640,000 troops involved in the war, above the 620,000 that Ukrainian officials had estimated a few months ago.
Amid its war with Ukraine, the Russian government has introduced a new cruise missile. Moscow claims that the new S8000 Banderol cruise missile has entered service. The Banderol missile weighs approximately 440 pounds and has a cruising speed of 320 mph.
Russia continues to attack targets inside Ukraine, conducting strikes on Ukraine on May 12, and more strikes took place on the nights of May 13 and 14. On the night of May 13, Russia fired only 10 drones. Russia fired an Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missile and 145 Shahed-type attack drones on May 14.
The Russian Air Force received a new delivery of Su-35S fighter jets this week, the second delivery of the type this year. In keeping with practice since 2022, Rostec did not disclose how many aircraft were transferred to the Air Force, but the batch likely included two jets.
A Ukrainian Air Force F-16 was lost this week, the service confirmed in a post on Telegram, marking the third loss of the type since deliveries began in August 2024. The pilot successfully ejected from the aircraft before it crashed, the statement said.
Ukrainian military intelligence agency GUR released a video showing a new USV, dubbed Magura 7, armed with AIM-9M Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. According to the agency, the USV type was responsible for the shoot-down of Russian Su-30s earlier in May.
GUR also released footage this week showing that Ukraine has reactivated and is utilizing SA-5 Gammon (S-200) air-defense systems to strike incoming Russian targets.
For 50 years, Forecast International intelligence reports have been the aerospace and defense industry standard for accurate research, analysis, and projections. Our experienced analysts compile, evaluate, and present accurate data for decision makers. FI's market research reports offer concise analysis of individual programs and identify market opportunities. Each report includes a program overview, detailed statistics, recent developments and a competitive analysis, culminating in production forecasts spanning 10 or 15 years. Let our market intelligence reports be a key part of reducing uncertainties and mastering your specific market and its growth potential. Find out more at www.forecastinternational.com
