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Ukraine Invasion
Defense Policy / Programs
Foreign Policy
News Reports

Ukraine Invasion

• A New Russian Offensive Stretches Ukrainian Forces. Possibly To The Breaking Point. RFE/RL 17 May 2024 -- Ukrainian civilians evacuated from border regions with Russia. An important east-west highway in the eastern Donetsk region threatened by encroaching Russian forces. A village captured by Ukraine during last year's counteroffensive about to return to Russian control. Ukraine's president cancels all foreign trips.
• Russia Pounds Kharkiv Region As Putin Looks To Create 'Buffer Zone RFE/RL 17 May 2024 -- Russia continues to pound Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region in an offensive that has seen the active combat zone grow as Moscow looks to establish what President Vladimir Putin called a "buffer zone."
• Moscow blames West for Ukraine's long-range weapon strikes inside Russia VOA 17 May 2024 -- Russia's Foreign Ministry accused Western nations Friday of "playing with fire" by allowing Ukraine to use the long-range rockets and weapons they had supplied to strike targets inside Russia.
• Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's comment on Kiev regime's terrorist attacks on Russian regions Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs 17 May 2024
• Statement by Russian Defence Ministry Russia MoD 17 May 2024 -- Over the past night, several attempts by the Kiev regime to launch terrorist attacks using fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles and uncrewed surface vehicles of the Ukrainian Navy against the facilities in the Russian Federation have been foiled.
• Russia Launches 28 Group Strikes on Ukraine in Past Week - Defense Ministry Sputnik 17 May 2024 -- The Russian armed forces have carried out 28 group strikes with precision-guided weapons and drones in the past week on Ukraine, the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) said on Friday.
• Russia Won't Accept Any Ultimatums on Ukraine - Putin Sputnik 17 May 2024 -- Russia wants to understand whom it can trust before engaging with partners on the Ukrainian conflict, President Vladimir Putin said during a trip to China on Friday.
• Russia Has No Plans to Take Kharkov Under Control Now - Putin Sputnik 17 May 2024 -- Russia has no plans to take control of Kharkov, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with students and teachers of the Harbin Institute of Technology.
• Over 100 Drones Intercepted Over Russia's Territory Overnight - MoD Sputnik 17 May 2024 -- Russian air defense systems and the Black Sea fleet intercepted 102 Ukrainian drones and destroyed six drone boats overnight, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday.

Defense Policy / Programs

• Northern Fleet detachment led by frigate Admiral Gorshkov goes on long-distance mission Russia MoD 17 May 2024 -- Today, a Northern Fleet detachment has left the roadstead of Severomorsk and went on a long-distance mission. The detachment's ships set course to the Atlantic through the designated areas of the Barents Sea.

Foreign Policy

• Answers to media questions following the visit to China President of Russia 17 May 2024 -- Vladimir Putin replied to questions from Russian media representatives on the outcomes of his two-day state visit to the People's Republic of China.
• Meeting with students and faculty at Harbin Institute of Technology President of Russia 17 May 2024 -- During his state visit to China, Vladimir Putin visited Harbin Institute of Technology and met with Chinese and Russian students and faculty at the university.
• Conversation with Vice President of China Han Zheng President of Russia 17 May 2024 -- Vladimir Putin had a conversation with Vice President of the People's Republic of China Han Zheng.
• Opening of the Russia-China EXPO and the Russia-China Forum on Interregional Cooperation President of Russia 17 May 2024 -- Vladimir Putin took part in the opening ceremony of the 8th Russia-China EXPO and the 4th Russia-China Forum on Interregional Cooperation together with Vice President of China Han Zheng.
• Putin talks tech, energy cooperation in China's Harbin Radio Free Asia 17 May 2024 -- Flanked by goose-stepping Chinese soldiers, Russian President Vladimir Putin laid a bunch of red roses at a World War II memorial to Soviet soldiers in the northeastern Chinese city of Harbin — known as China's "Little Moscow" — on Friday.
• China and Russia reinforce partnership to counter US influence VOA 17 May 2024 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded his two-day trip to China Friday after Beijing and Moscow reaffirmed their "strategic relationship" by signing a joint statement and vowing to cooperate against "destructive and hostile" pressure from Washington.
• Xi, Putin hold talks in Beijing, charting course for enhanced ties People's Daily 17 May 2024 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing on Thursday.
• China, Russia embrace new opportunities, prospects at key trade expo Global Times 17 May 2024 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday sent a congratulatory letter to the eighth China-Russia Expo, which opened the same day in Harbin, capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, which borders Russia.
• Xi holds restrictive meeting with Putin at Zhongnanhai People's Daily 17 May 2024 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping held a restrictive meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday at Zhongnanhai in Beijing, during which they had in-depth exchanges on strategic issues of common concern.
• China's shrinking Arctic ambitions are seen as confined largely to Russia VOA 17 May 2024 -- China's effort to establish itself as a "near-Arctic power" have become increasingly confined to the territory of its close ally Russia as other nations lose interest in cooperating with Beijing, according to Canadian security experts.
• North Korea dismisses 'absurd rumor' of arms exports to Russia Press TV 17 May 2024 -- The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has dismissed outside speculation about arms dealings with Russia and military exports for use against Ukraine as "the most absurd paradox".
• Targeted sanctions in response to North Korea's supply of arms to Russia Australia MFA 17 May 2024 -- Australia is imposing targeted financial sanctions, in coordination with international partners, on a further six entities associated with North Korea's supply of arms and related materiel to Russia.
• Press Statement of Vice Department Director of C.C., WPK Kim Yo Jong KCNA 17 May 2024 -- Kim Yo Jong, vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, issued the following press statement on Friday.
• Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine: Council bans broadcasting activities in the European Union of four more Russia-associated media outlets EC/CEU 17 May 2024 -- The Council today decided to suspend the broadcasting activities in the European Union of four additional media outlets, which spread and support the Russian propaganda and war of aggression against Ukraine: Voice of Europe, RIA Novosti, Izvestia and Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
• Russia Vows to Retaliate Against EU Over Media Ban Sputnik 17 May 2024 -- The Council of the EU has decided on Friday to suspend the broadcasting activities of four more Russia-associated media outlets Voice of Europe, RIA Novosti, Izvestia and Rossiyskaya Gazeta in the European Union.
• Statement of President von der Leyen, Executive Vice-President Šefčovič and Commissioner Simson on the 2nd anniversary of the REPowerEU Plan to phase out Russian fossil fuel imports European Commission 17 May 2024
• Russia's representative handed a diplomatic note expressing strong protest over illegal actions against Lithuanian citizens Lithuania MFA 17 May 2024 -- On May 16, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania summoned a representative of the Embassy of the Russian Federation to Lithuania and handed a diplomatic note expressing strong protest over the Russian Federation's decision to include Lithuanian politicians in the list of wanted persons for decisions taken in the performance of their direct duties.
• Working group completes report on prohibition of foreign real estate transactions Finnish MoD 17 May 2024 -- A working group, appointed by Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen, has completed its report on additional restrictions on real estate acquisitions in Finland by parties outside the EU and the EEA.

News Reports

• Scholar called 'Putin's brain' attacked on Chinese internet VOA 17 May 2024 -- Aleksander Dugin, a Russian nationalist ideologue and strong supporter of President Vladimir Putin, has been bombarded with attacks on Chinese social media, where netizens criticized and mocked his Russian expansionist views that had once included the dismembering of China.
• The Week In Russia: The War Is His Everything RFE/RL 17 May 2024 -- Over a two-week period that has encompassed an inauguration, a military shake-up, a new offensive in Ukraine, and a trip to China, Russian President Vladimir Putin's words and actions underscore the extent to which the war he started will be Russia's main focus for years to come.
• Russia and Afghanistan Plan to Build Logistics Center For Oil Transit to South Asia Sputnik 17 May 2024 -- Afghanistan plans to launch talks with Russia on a logistics center in the Afghan province of Herat, which, among other things, will facilitate exports of Russian oil to South Asia, acting Afghan Minister of Industry and Trade Haji Nooruddin Azizi told Sputnik.