Ukraine claims major advance in Bakhmut, UK-Netherlands-Belgium may offer 'special support'

"Our troops have liberated about 20 square kilometers of the Bakhmut suburbs in the north and south of the city," Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said on Telegram.

Ukrainian soldiers at a frontline position near Bakhmut on May 15 - Photo: AP

Maliar acknowledged that Russia had made some progress, including sending in paratroopers and continuing to bombard the city with artillery, given its advantage in manpower and weapons. But she said Russia had failed to achieve its plans in Bakhmut since last summer, according to CNN.

Meanwhile, in the capital Kiev, the alarm continued to sound on the evening of May 16 after "rain of airstrikes" that morning. According to local monitoring groups, four aerial targets were moving towards Kiev during the alarm period.

The sirens stopped after about an hour.

In another development, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on May 16 that they are working to build an international coalition to help Ukraine buy modern F-16 fighter jets, a multi-role fighter aircraft manufactured by the US and used by many European countries.

An F-16 fighter jet - Photo: REUTERS

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky quickly welcomed this special news on Telegram: "We urgently need the F-16s and are very grateful to our allies for this decision, including the training of pilots. In particular, Belgium has confirmed its readiness to train."

Russia warns it will increase production of "means of destruction"

"Now no previously suspended international commitments can prevent us from placing our weapons wherever we want to protect our national interests," Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dimitry Medvedev said on May 16, after the Russian State Duma (lower house) rejected the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE), which the country signed in 1990.

According to TASS news agency, Mr. Medvedev also warned that Russia will "maximize the production of weapons, special military equipment and means of destruction".

On the same day, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov stated at a plenary session of the Russian State Duma that the West had reacted to Russia's withdrawal from the CFE with "some measure of alarm", but also asserted that "there is no basis for any discussion here".

Anh Thu

Source: https://nld.com.vn/thoi-su-quoc-te/ukraine-tuyen-bo-buoc-tien-lon-o-bakhmut-anh-ha-lan-bi-co-the-ho-tro-dac-biet-20230517082857879.htm