May 17 (Reuters) – Ukraine’s military said it was working to evacuate all remaining troops from their last stronghold in the besieged port of Mariupol, ceding control of the city to Russia after months of bombardment. Read full story
FIGHTING, CIVILIANS
* Ukraine’s military command said the mission to defend the besieged Azovstal steel plant by “the heroes of our time” in the strategic southern port of Mariupol is over and pledged to rescue servicemen still trapped inside. Read full story
* Ukraine said troops defending its second-largest city, Kharkiv, had repelled Russian forces and advanced as far as the border with Russia. President Zelenskiy hailed the achievement and thanked the troops. Read full story
* Ukraine said the entire front line around Donetsk was under constant shelling. In the northern region of Chernihiv, a missile strike on the village of Desna killed and wounded an unspecified number of people.
* A series of explosions struck Lviv, a Reuters witness said. One missile hit a military facility but there were no casualties, according to Zelenskiy’s office.
* A village in Russia’s western province of Kursk bordering Ukraine came under Ukrainian fire, regional Governor Roman Starovoit said, but there were no injuries. Read full story
DIPLOMACY
* The U.S. Senate voted to advance $40 billion more in aid for Ukraine, setting the stage for a vote on the bill.
* President Putin said there was no threat to Russia if Sweden and Finland joined NATO, although Moscow warned it would respond to any military build-up in the alliance’s new Nordic members. Read full story
* EU foreign ministers failed in their effort to pressure Hungary to lift its veto of a proposed oil embargo on Russia. Read full story
ECONOMY
* German Finance Minister Lindner said he was open to the idea of seizing Russian state assets to finance the reconstruction of Ukraine.
QUOTES
“We hope that we will be able to save the lives of our guys … Ukraine needs Ukrainian heroes alive,” Zelenskiy said of the defenders of Mariupol.
(Compiled by Stephen Coates)
