These are the important thing occasions on day 1,178 of Russia’s conflict on Ukraine.
Right here is the place issues stand on Saturday, Could 17:
Combating
- Russia is making ready for a brand new military offensive in Ukraine, the Ukrainian authorities and Western army analysts mentioned, as Russia’s Defence Minister Andrei Belousov was in Minsk on Friday to debate joint army drills in September and deliveries of latest weapons to Belarus.
- A drone assault on the northeastern Ukrainian metropolis of Kupiansk killed a 55-year-old lady and wounded 4 males, mentioned Oleh Syniehubov, head of the Kharkiv Regional Army Administration.
- Russia’s Ministry of Defence mentioned that its forces seized six settlements in jap Ukraine over the previous week. In line with a ministry assertion, Russian troops superior within the Donetsk area and took management of Torske, Kotlyarivka, Myrolyubivka, Mykhailivka, Novooleksandrivka, and Vilne Pole settlements, Tukiye’s Anadolu information company experiences.
- The Russian Defence Ministry launched a video exhibiting Russian forces elevating the Russian flag within the settlement of Mykhailivka.
- A court docket in Ukraine’s Russian-occupied Luhansk area sentenced Australian nationwide Oscar Charles Augustus Jenkins to 13 years in jail at a high-security penal colony for preventing on behalf of Ukraine, Anadolu experiences.
Ceasefire
- The primary direct Russia-Ukraine dialogue in three years on Friday produced good outcomes, Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s funding envoy, mentioned late on Friday. “1. Largest POW exchange 2. Ceasefire choices which will work 3. Understanding of positions and continued dialogue,” Dmitriev mentioned on the social media platform X.
- Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov mentioned following the talks that some 1,000 prisoners from either side might be swapped “within the close to future”, within the largest trade because the begin of the conflict in 2022.
- Umerov led the Ukrainian delegation, which ended after 90 minutes in Istanbul, whereas Putin’s adviser, Vladimir Medinsky, negotiated on behalf of Russia. The United States delegation was led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
- Medinsky, who was the lead Russian negotiator, expressed satisfaction with the talks and mentioned Moscow was prepared for additional negotiations, together with on a ceasefire. “Now we have agreed that each one sides will current their views on a attainable ceasefire and set them out intimately,” Medinsky mentioned after the assembly.
- A supply within the Ukrainian delegation informed the Reuters information company that Russia’s calls for have been “indifferent from actuality and go far past something that was beforehand mentioned”. The supply mentioned Moscow had issued ultimatums for Ukraine to withdraw from components of its personal territory with the intention to get hold of a ceasefire “and different non-starters and non-constructive circumstances”.
- Turkish International Minister Hakan Fidan, who opened the talks by welcoming each delegations and calling for a swift ceasefire, served as a buffer between the negotiating tables in Istanbul’s Dolmabahce Palace.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed remorse after the talks at what he referred to as a missed alternative for peace. “This week, we had an actual probability to maneuver in direction of ending the conflict – if solely Putin hadn’t been afraid to return to Turkiye,” Zelenskyy posted on X from the sidelines of a European Political Group (EPC) summit in Albania.
- Zelenskyy, who didn’t attend the talks, mentioned he had been “prepared for a direct assembly with him [Putin] to resolve all key points”, however “he didn’t comply with something”.
- US President Donald Trump, who has pressed for an finish to the battle, mentioned he would meet with Putin “as quickly as we will set it up” in a bid to make progress within the peace talks. “I believe it’s time for us to only do it,” Trump informed reporters in Abu Dhabi as he wrapped up a visit to the Center East.
- Zelenskyy was in Tirana, Albania, on Friday with European leaders to debate safety, defence and democratic requirements in opposition to the backdrop of the conflict. He held a cellphone name with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
- European leaders additionally agreed to press forward with joint motion in opposition to Russia over the failure in Turkiye to comply with a ceasefire in Ukraine, Prime Minister Starmer mentioned after consultations with President Trump.
- Starmer mentioned after the talks that the Russian place was “clearly unacceptable” and that European leaders, Ukraine and the US have been “intently aligning” their responses.
- European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen introduced new plans for added sanctions on Moscow after Putin didn’t journey to Turkiye to barter with Ukraine.
- US senators renewed calls on Friday for Congress to move sanctions on Russia after Russia-Ukraine ceasefire talks confirmed little progress, however no votes have been scheduled on payments launched six weeks in the past geared toward pressuring Moscow to barter severely.
Regional safety
- Russia and Belarus are making ready a brand new, massive army manoeuvre collectively, the Belarusian state company BelTA experiences. “We plan to collectively develop measures to counter aggression in opposition to the Union State,” Defence Minister Belousov mentioned throughout a gathering together with his Belarusian counterpart, Viktor Khrenin, in Minsk, in line with BelTA. The Union State combines Russia and Belarus.
- The train, dubbed Zapad-2025, or West-2025 in English, would be the primary occasion of the fight coaching of the regional troop formations, he mentioned. The manoeuvre is deliberate for mid-September, in line with the company.
Financial system and commerce
- Russia’s financial development slowed to 1.4 % year-on-year within the first quarter of 2025, the bottom quarterly determine in two years, knowledge from the official state statistics company confirmed on Friday.
- Economists have warned for months of a slowdown within the Russian economic system, with falling oil costs, excessive rates of interest and a downturn in manufacturing all contributing to headwinds. Moscow reported sturdy financial development in 2023 and 2024, largely on account of huge state defence spending on the Ukraine battle.
- The Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS), which represents the democratic international locations bordering the Baltic Sea, referred to as for brand new transport guidelines to permit for stronger joint motion in opposition to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet.
