Moscow

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an exclusive interview with AFP on Friday he expects Russia to step up its offensive in the northeast and warned Kiev only has a quarter of the air defences it needs to hold the front line.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has enacted a law that permits the mobilization of certain categories of prisoners into the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This was announced by the Verkhovna Rada on its official website.

The offensive in northeastern Ukraine is a response to Ukrainian strikes in Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated during his visit to China, according to world news agencies.

Putin assured that Moscow currently has no plans to capture the major Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has referred to the Bulgarian government as a "ruling regime," criticizing its handling of Victory Day commemorations and Europe Day events.

Hungary would encourage other European Union members to adopt laws similar to Georgia's highly contested "foreign influence" law, a senior official of the Central European country said on May 17.

The bill's adoption has prompted unprecedented protests in Tbilisi and a blizzard of international condemnation, including from the EU.

OSINT researcher Christiaan Triebert has recently released highly detailed satellite images of Belbek airport following the Ukrainian attack on the night of May 15. These images represent the highest quality available to date and provide significant insight into the aftermath of the assault. Previous photos circulating on the internet depicted minimal damage.

Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the enduring bond between Russia and China during the final day of his two-day visit to China, as reported by state news agency TASS. Putin emphasized the deep-rooted connection between the Russian and Chinese people, referring to them as "brothers forever."

In response to Downing Street's accusation of sponsoring espionage and hacking attacks on British officials, Russia has expelled Britain's military attaché in Moscow. The Russian Foreign Ministry has declared Adrian Coghill, the British military attaché, as "persona non grata," giving him one week to leave the Russian Federation.

For 16 hours, the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv remained under air alert, the longest duration since the war began. The alert was lifted a few hours after midnight.

Ukraine battled Thursday to "stabilise" the front line in the northeast Kharkiv region, where Moscow has made its largest territorial gains in 18 months after launching an offensive last week.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said more reinforcements had been sent to the area, and the Ukrainian army said it had partially halted Russia's advance.