As of Wednesday, May 28, the situation stands as follows:
Fighting
- Russia’s defense forces reportedly destroyed or intercepted 112 Ukrainian drones within a three-hour period, primarily in central and southern Russia, continuing the exchange of such attacks between the nations.
- Moscow’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, stated that six Ukrainian drones were thwarted on their way to the Russian capital, where recovery teams were inspecting debris.
- According to Ukrainian Air Force officials, Russia launched 60 drones across various Ukrainian regions overnight, injuring 10 individuals.
- More than 850 residents in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, were left without power following three Russian airstrikes on the city late Monday night.
- Russia’s military announced the commencement of naval exercises in the Baltic Sea, involving over 20 warships, aircraft, helicopters, and 3,000 servicemen.
Politics
- US President Donald Trump suggested he has shielded Russia from dire consequences, stating on TruthSocial, “What Vladimir Putin doesn’t understand is that without me, terrible things would have already happened to Russia.”
- Russian security officer Dmitry Medvedev retorted that Trump’s notion of terrible events is “WWIII” and wished Trump grasped the gravity of such a conflict.
- Trump made these comments following the Kremlin’s interpretation of Trump’s previous remarks about Putin’s rationality concerning large-scale Russian airstrikes in Ukraine.
- The US special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, mentioned that the US is awaiting a Russian response to guidelines Trump provided Putin with the prior week.
- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused German Chancellor Friedrich Merz of pretentiousness after Merz stated that weapon range restrictions for Ukraine had been lifted by France, Germany, the UK, and the US.
Energy
- The New York Times reported using satellite imagery to suggest Russia’s construction of new electricity lines in occupied southeastern Ukraine, connecting these to the captured Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
- Ukraine’s energy regulatory body stated on Facebook that a gas import mechanism is set to bypass elevated transit fees for gas supplied through the Trans-Balkan pipeline from Greece to Ukraine.
- Ukraine’s Minister of Energy, German Galushchenko, expressed hope that participating countries would agree on the Trans-Balkan Route meeting common strategic objectives, as Ukraine seeks alternative gas supply routes avoiding Russia.
