kyiv accuses Russia of executing civilians in Kharkiv region

While the Russian president and his Chinese counterpart discussed the conflict in Ukraine in Beijing, Volodymyr Zelensky and his military cabinet reached the attacked city of Kharkiv and the Ukrainian army indicated that it had arrested the Russians in “certain areas” of the region… Le Figaro explains the situation linked to the conflict this Thursday, May 16.

Volodymyr Zelensky and his military cabinet travel to Kharkiv, the heart of the Russian offensive

The Ukrainian president announced Thursday that he had gathered his military cabinet in the city of Kharkiv, capital of the region targeted by a Russian offensive, to assess the situation there “extremely difficult” but “under control”.

“To date, the situation in the Kharkiv region is generally under control”Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram, specifying that he was in the city with military commanders. “But the area remains extremely difficult, which is why we are strengthening our units”he added.

kyiv accuses Moscow of detentions and executions of civilians in the Kharkiv region

The Ukrainian Interior Minister on Thursday accused the Russian army of arbitrary detentions and executions of civilians in the town of Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region (north-east), the target of a Russian assault for a week. “According to intelligence reports, the Russian military, who are trying to gain a foothold in the city, are not letting residents evacuate: they have started kidnapping people and taking them to cellars”said Minister Igor Klymenko on Telegram, who also reported information on “first executions of civilians” by the Russian army.

Russia and China want to avoid “escalation” in Ukraine

Russia and China assured Thursday that they wanted to avoid any new “escalation” in Ukraine, half-heartedly pointing to Western responsibility, according to a joint statement published by the Kremlin after the meeting in Beijing between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. The text says that Beijing and Moscow judge in particular “necessary” to avoid any decision likely to “contribute to the prolongation of hostilities and a further escalation of the conflict”a formulation seeming to target Europeans and Americans, with the Kremlin constantly saying that it is arms deliveries from the West to Ukraine that are prolonging the war.

The joint press release, which uses vocabulary dear to Vladimir Putin, also considers that a “lasting settlement of the Ukrainian crisis” passes through respect for “principle of indivisibility of security”, a concept used by the Kremlin to justify its invasion by asserting that the rapprochement between kyiv and the West represented a threat to Moscow and that Ukraine’s security could not be achieved at the expense of that of Russia. Beijing and Moscow have also stressed the importance of “dialogue”, regarding the settlement of this war. Russia has said it is ready for talks only if Ukraine cedes the five regions it claims and occupies.

Moscow and Beijing plead for a “political solution”, according to Xi Jinping

China and Russia agree on the need for “political solution” to the conflict in Ukraine, said Thursday Chinese President Xi Jinping, after discussions in Beijing with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. “Both sides agree that a political solution to the crisis in Ukraine is the way forward”declared Xi, who appeared before the press alongside Putin.

Putin says he is “grateful” to China for its peace “initiatives”

The Russian president said “grateful” towards China for its peace “initiatives” regarding the conflict in Ukraine, which the Russian army invaded more than two years ago. “We are grateful to our Chinese friends and colleagues for the initiatives they are putting forward to resolve this problem”, declared Vladimir Putin alongside his counterpart Xi Jinping. Beijing, which has never condemned Russia, calls for respect for the territorial integrity of all countries, including Ukraine, while urging consideration of the concerns of its Russian ally.

Ukraine claims to have stopped Russian ‘advance’ in ‘certain areas’ of Kharkiv region

The Ukrainian army said Thursday morning that it had arrested “advancement” Russian in certain areas of the Kharkiv region (north-east) where Russia launched a surprise attack on May 10, occupying new territories. “The situation in the Kharkiv sector remains complicated” but “our defense forces managed to partially stabilize the situation, the advance of the enemy in certain areas and localities was stopped”, the spokesperson for the Ukrainian forces in the region, Nazar Volochyn, said on television. Russian army “always tries to create the conditions for new advances”he added.

Regarding the town of Vovchansk, a city of around 18,000 inhabitants before the war and one of the two main localities in the region that Moscow is trying to occupy, Ukrainian forces are in the process of “comb through the buildings” from the north of the city, while street fighting had taken place there in recent days, Volochyn added. Ukrainian army “attempts to stabilize the situation, inflict damage and prevent the enemy from gaining a foothold. (Ukrainian) counter-attacks are underway”he said.