Ukraine updates: Kyiv withdraws some forces around Kharkiv

Kyiv said that it has withdrawn some of its forces around the Kharkiv border region where Russian troops have been advancing since last week.

Meanwhile, Russia has said it shot down 10 Ukrainian ATACMS missiles over the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula.

Here's a look at the latest developments from Russia's war in Ukraine on Wednesday, May 15:

05/15/2024May 15, 2024

Russia says it shot down Ukrainian ATACMS over Crimea

The Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that its forces in Crimea had shot down 10 US-produced ATACMS missiles that were launched by Ukraine.

Ukraine did not immediately confirm the missile attacks, but a US official has recently confirmed that ATACMS missiles were already in the hands of Ukrainian forces, according to Reuters.

The Russian-installed governor in the city of Sevastopol said on Telegram that the debris from the strikes fell onto a residential area, but that nobody was injured.

Russia illegally occupied the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in 2014, eight years before launching the full-scale invasion of its smaller neighbor.

The Defense Ministry also said that nine Ukrainian attack drones were shot down over the Belgorod region, close to the Russian border with Ukraine's Kharkiv region.

05/15/2024May 15, 2024

Zelenskyy cancels planned visit to Spain and Portugal

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called off a planned trip to Spain and Portugal as Russian forces advance around Kharkiv.

The Spanish royal household removed a meeting between Zelenskyy and Spanish King Felipe VI from Friday's agenda.

Spanish newspaper El Pais reported that the Ukrainian president had also planned to meet with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. The two were expected to sign a bilateral agreement on security guarantees, similar to agreements signed with the UK, Germany, and Canada, among others.

05/15/2024May 15, 2024

Russia says it captured several Ukrainian villages

Russian forces said on Wednesday that they had captured two villages in Kharkiv and a village in Zaporizhzhia.

The Defense Ministry said the villages of Hlyboke and Lukiantsi, north of the city of Kharkiv and close to the Russian border, were in Russian hands.

This could not be independently verified, however, the announcement came several hours after Kyiv said it had withdrawn troops from the same area.

The ministry also said the village of Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia region had been captured.

Robotyne was one of the villages that Ukrainian forces took back from Russian troops during its summer counteroffensive last year.

05/15/2024May 15, 2024

Ukraine says it has withdrawn troops in several areas of Kharkiv region

Ukrainian authorities said on Tuesday night that forces had been pulled back from several frontline villages in eastern Kharkiv as the Russian military continues to advance in the region.

"In some areas, around Lukyantsi and Vovchansk, in response to enemy fire and assaults from ground troops, and to save the lives of our servicemen and avoid losses, our units maneuvered and moved to more advantageous positions," the Ukrainian military said.

Russian forces have been pushing forward along parts of Kharkiv's border since last week.

ab/rc (Reuters, AFP, dpa, AP)