Ukraine updates: Deadly daytime strike hits Kharkiv

Ukraine's governor of the Kharkiv region said on Thursday that at least four people had died in an attack during daylight hours.

He earlier said that 10,980 people in total had fled their homes in the roughly two weeks since Russia launched an attack on a line that had long been static at ground level. 

Across the border in Belgorod, a missile alert warning sounded overnight and Russia's Defense Ministry reported several intercepted projectiles and drones. The local governor however said no casualties had been reported. 

And Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is in Lithuania for a meeting of northern European defense ministers. This comes amid the latest domestic dispute over spending in Berlin, this time pertaining to a new permanent force of Bundeswehr soldiers stationed in Lithuania. 

Follow DW for a roundup of major stories related to Russia's war on Ukraine on May 23, 2024

05/23/2024May 23, 2024

Russian missile attack kills several in Kharkiv

A Russian missile attack on Ukraine's northeastern city of Kharkiv killed at least six people and wounded several more on Thursday, local authorities said.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the "extremely brutal attack," which took place during peak traffic and not at night, as is usual. The Russians were exploiting the lack of adequate air defences, he posted on X, formerly Twitter. 

The sound of 15 explosions reverberated around the city of some 1 million people.

Kharkiv lies about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the Russian border.

05/23/2024May 23, 2024

Russia reopens Kazan airport after suspending flights

Russia's aviation watchdog announced the suspension of arrivals and departures at Kazan airport on Thursday. 

In a statement published on Telegram, it said that flights in and out of Kazan were suspended from 11:30 Moscow time (0830 UTC/GMT) for security reasons. 

Similar restrictions have been temporarily put in place at Russian airports in the past in response to aerial activity such as drone strikes. 

The airport was later reopened.

Kazan, the capital of Tartarstan to the east of Moscow, is closer to Kazakhstan than it is to Ukraine, situated well over 1,000 kilometers away from the border.

05/23/2024May 23, 2024

Russian forces claim control of village near Bakhmut

Russia's Defense Ministry said on Thursday that its forces had captured the village of Andriivka in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region. 

"Units of the Southern grouping of troops liberated the settlement of Andriivka in the Donetsk People's Republic," the ministry said, using the title of the breakaway authority in Donetsk recognized only by Russia and a few of its allies.

Andriivka is close to the city of Bakhmut, a center of fierce fighting throughout much of the war currently in Russian hands. 

05/23/2024May 23, 2024

Senior Russian officer reportedly arrested on corruption allegations

Russian media on Thursday reported the arrest of another senior military officer on suspicion of corruption. 

The Interfax news agency said that Lieutenant General Vadim Shamarin, the deputy head of the army's general staff, was being held in pretrial detention on charges of large-scale bribe taking.

The Komersant newspaper reported that Shamarin's home was searched by authorities. 

If the reports are accurate, Russia has now arrested four senior military officials in a matter of weeks, with President Vladimir Putin also dismissing former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. 

You can read more on this story in full here.

05/23/2024May 23, 2024

Nearly 11,000 relocated in Kharkiv amid Russian push

The governor of Ukraine's Kharkiv region has said that almost 11,000 people had been forced to leave their homes since Russian forces launched a ground attack on May 10. 

"A total of 10,980 people were evacuated," Governor Oleh Syniehubov said on Telegram. 

Thousands have fled their homes or been encouraged to leave as Russian forces advanced towards border villages including Lyptsi and the city of Vovchansk, just 5 kilometers (roughly 3 miles) from the border.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that the assualt, which has brought Russia its biggest territorial gains in more than a year, could be the first of several waves. 

The warmer summer months are the easiest time to try to make ground in a region that frequently faces cold winters. 

05/23/2024May 23, 2024

Norway adds more restrictions for Russian tourists

Norway on Thursday announced further restrictions for Russian tourists seeking to visit the country. 

The NATO member, which shares an Arctic border with Russia, first tightened restrictions on Russian tourist visas soon after the invasion of Ukraine, in April of 2022. 

"The decision to tighten the entry rules is in line with the Norwegian approach of standing by allies and partners in reaction to Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine," Justice Minister Emilie Mehl said in a statement. 

Russian citizens visiting for tourism purposes or other non-essential travel will in many cases by rejected upon entry across the external border. Exceptions may be granted in cases such as visits to close family residing in Norway, the ministry said. 

05/23/2024May 23, 2024

Germany's Pistorius in Lithuania amid troop bonus coalition dispute at home

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is in Lithuania for a meeting of northern European defense ministers later on Thursday morning. 

This comes as Germany deploys troops permanently to the Baltic state and Russian neighbor as NATO looks to reinforce its eastern flank. 

The German task force in Lithuania was making headlines domestically ahead of Pistorius' visit, in the shape of the latest of several coalition government disputes over spending in Berlin. 

News magazine Der Spiegel ran a story on Wednesday saying that Finance Minister Christian Lindner had "vetoed" plans for additional bonus payments for troops taking part in the mission. Lindner disputed this choice of wording online but also acknowledged his team was querying the plans. 

"No, I am not vetoing the bonuses for the Lithuania brigade. But my experts do have questions," Lindner said. "The Finance Ministry is not an agency where taxpayers' money can simply be demanded." 

Lindner, who leads the party most averse to spending in the coalition, the neoliberal Free Democrats, has been publicly resisting several coalition spending proposals. He argues that it's necessary to find savings amid lower-than-expected tax revenues and sluggish economic growth.

Pistorius, meanwhile, told Der Spiegel that he was "a little surprised" by the Finance Ministry's intervention, saying that the details of the plan had been discussed in advance with Lindner. He said he would stick to his plan and consult with the finance minister.

Germany has been scrambling and also struggling to increase defense spending,  recruit more soldiers, and improve its military readiness in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

05/23/2024May 23, 2024

Belgorod reports overnight aerial attack but no casualties

Russia's Defense Ministry said air defenses in the border city of Belgorod destroyed a number of rockets and drones launched by Ukraine overnight. 

A missile attack warning had sounded in the city overnight. 

Around daybreak, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram that no casualties had been reported. He also said that the security alert was no longer in effect.

The city of Belgorod has come under fairly frequent fire in recent months, with this being one of the reasons President Vladimir Putin has given to try to justify Russia's renewed push into the neighboring Kharkiv region this month.

msh/rt (dpa, Reuters, AFP, AP)