Fighting in the Russia–Ukraine war has intensified sharply, with both sides launching significant strikes far beyond the front lines as the conflict enters its 1,549th day.
Ukraine has stepped up its campaign against Russian energy infrastructure, targeting facilities deep inside Russian territory. President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian forces had struck the Yaroslavl oil refinery, around 700 kilometres from the border, describing the operation as part of a broader effort to “bring the war back home to Russia”.
According to Ukraine’s defence ministry, 11 Russian oil facilities have been hit so far in May, including the large Kirishi refinery. Repeated attacks have forced many major refineries in central Russia to halt or scale back production, indicating a sustained attempt to disrupt Moscow’s revenue streams and its ability to finance the war.
At the same time, new allegations of civilian casualties have emerged, underlining the human toll of the conflict.
Russian officials say at least four people were killed and 35 children wounded in a Ukrainian drone attack on a student dormitory in the Russian-controlled Luhansk region. Yana Lantratova, Russia’s Human Rights Commissioner, said 86 teenagers aged between 14 and 18 were inside the building at the time.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the strike as a “monstrous crime”, while local authorities said rescuers were continuing to search for survivors. However, the incident has not been independently verified, and Ukraine has not commented.
Both sides have consistently denied deliberately targeting civilians, despite repeated incidents involving residential buildings and other non-military sites.
In Ukraine, a Russian missile strike on the city of Dnipro has destroyed a warehouse belonging to the United Nations refugee agency, killing two people and wiping out around one million dollars’ worth of aid.
Bernadette Castel-Hollingworth, the UNHCR representative in Kyiv, said the warehouse contained essential supplies such as shelter materials and hygiene kits intended for displaced people near the front lines. She described the attack as significant, noting it was the first time one of the agency’s facilities had been hit.
The UN also reported a wider pattern of attacks on humanitarian operations, including drone strikes on clearly marked aid convoys in the Dnipropetrovsk and Kherson regions.
On the battlefield, Russia says its forces have captured the settlement of Verkhnia Tersa in the Zaporizhzhia region. The claim has not been independently confirmed.
Fighting remains concentrated in eastern and southern Ukraine, including in regions Moscow claimed to annex in 2022, a move Kyiv continues to reject as illegal.
Efforts to reach a negotiated settlement appear to be faltering. Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, said US-brokered talks with Russia were “gradually reaching the point of exhaustion”, with discussions becoming repetitive and yielding little progress.
He suggested that greater European involvement or talks at the level of national leaders could help revive the process.
Taken together, the latest developments point to a conflict that is continuing to expand in scale and complexity.
Ukraine’s deep strikes on Russian infrastructure mark a strategic shift towards economic warfare, while Russia’s continued missile attacks and battlefield advances underline the persistence of military pressure.
With civilian casualties rising, humanitarian efforts under strain and diplomatic pathways narrowing, there is little indication that the conflict is approaching a resolution.
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Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 22nd May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will attend a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in the Swedish city of Helsingborg on Thursday and Friday, diplomatic sources said.
NATO fighter jets were activated on Thursday (21 May) after at least one drone entered Latvian airspace, according to Latvia’s armed forces, marking the latest in a series of security incidents across the Baltic region linked to the war in Ukraine.
Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya warned on Tuesday (19 May) that Moscow could retaliate against Baltic states if Ukraine launches military drones from that region. Latvia, the United States and Ukraine responded strongly during a UN Security Council meeting.
Asian stocks surged on Thursday as some vessels resumed passage through the Strait of Hormuz, while forecast-beating results at Nvidia and a suspended workers' strike at Samsung Electronics lifted shares of chipmakers.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said Belarus will not be dragged into the war in Ukraine, while also stressing that Minsk and Moscow would jointly respond to any aggression against them.
The penultimate day of the World Urban Forum 13 in Baku will see Azerbaijan's Pavilion highlight post-construction efforts in Garabagh and East Zangezur, as well as host events on the future of Baku and architectural education.
NATO fighter jets were activated on Thursday (21 May) after at least one drone entered Latvian airspace, according to Latvia’s armed forces, marking the latest in a series of security incidents across the Baltic region linked to the war in Ukraine.
A French appeals court has found Airbus and Air France guilty of corporate manslaughter over the 2009 Rio–Paris crash, marking a major development in a case that has stretched on for 17 years.
A Turkish court has effectively removed the main opposition leader, Özgür Özel, in a ruling that has deepened political tensions and rattled financial markets.
A 13-year-old boy was killed in northern Gaza on Thursday (21 May) after an Israeli drone strike hit the town of Beit Lahiya, according to local health officials, as residents reported a renewed increase in Israeli evacuation warnings ahead of attacks.
Azerbaijan is stepping up efforts to strengthen its position as a regional hub for investment and connectivity ahead of the second Azerbaijan International Investment Forum in Baku this September.
Iran and Pakistan discussed developments in stalled Iran-U.S. negotiations during a visit to Tehran by Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsen Raza Naqvi, amid Islamabad’s ongoing mediation efforts.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev held a telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday (21 May), with both leaders discussing bilateral ties, regional developments and ongoing peace efforts in the South Caucasus.
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