Secret meeting inside the Vatican

Russian artillery at undisclosed location in Ukraine

Conflicting information in Bakhmut

According to Sputnik News, the Russian Defense Ministry updated information that Russian units have expanded control of another row of houses northwest of the city of Bakhmut.

The statement came after Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner mercenary company leading the Russian campaign in Bakhmut, said that regular Russian troops had withdrawn from the city's flanks, putting Wagner at risk of being surrounded.

The Ukrainian military later said it had regained control of at least 1 km of the Bakhmut suburb.

However, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed on May 13 that Russian regular troops are continuing to support Wagner mercenaries in carrying out missions in frontline cities.

"The paratroopers covered the attacking units and held back the enemy on both flanks of Bakhmut," the Russian military said.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the country's army eliminated more than 285 Ukrainian soldiers and mercenaries, as well as destroyed 17 military vehicles and blew up enemy weapons depots in the Donetsk direction.

On the same day, Russia confirmed that a Su-34 fighter jet had crashed in Russia's Bryansk region, bordering Ukraine, according to TASS. Hours earlier, two Russian pilots were killed when an Mi-28 military helicopter crashed in Crimea due to a technical fault.

Pope Francis receives Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Holy See

Italy bets on Ukraine, private reception in Vatican

On the evening of May 13, Pope Francis received Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky privately at the Holy See. The meeting at the Vatican is considered the most important part of the Ukrainian leader's trip to Italy.

The head of the Roman Catholic Church has repeatedly called for peace in Ukraine after Russia launched a military offensive in the neighboring country. The Pope has repeatedly offered to mediate with Moscow, and in late April said the Holy See was taking part in a secret effort to bring Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table.

The content of the meeting between the Pope and Mr. Zelensky is kept secret.

Before meeting the Pope, President Zelensky met with his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Both Mr. Mattarella and Ms. Meloni once again stressed the full support of the Rome government to the Kyiv government in terms of military, financial, humanitarian and short-term and long-term reconstruction assistance for Ukraine.

Prime Minister Mattarella affirmed that Italy supports Ukraine's accession to the European Union and strengthening its partnership with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

And President Meloni said "we bet that Ukraine will win".

Ukrainian tank crewmen stand next to German Leopard 1A5 tanks during a training program conducted by the German army on May 5.

Ukrainian President arrives in Germany

After leaving Italy, Mr. Zelensky will arrive in Berlin on May 14, Reuters reported, citing a German government source. The last time the Ukrainian president visited Germany was in February last year as part of a meeting of the Munich Security Council, shortly before Moscow launched a special military operation.

On May 13, Germany announced a military aid package worth 2.7 billion euros, the country's largest aid since the war broke out.

To date, Germany has accepted about 1 million migrants from Ukraine.

Christian Moelling, deputy director of the German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin, said Zelensky would likely want a direct answer from Chancellor Olaf Scholz about how the German leader would like the war in Ukraine to end. Does Germany want Ukraine to win, or is an end to the fighting enough to satisfy Berlin?

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