May 15, 2024 - Russia's war in Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will halt all international events scheduled for the coming days, his office announced on Wednesday, as Russian troops push into the northeastern Kharkiv region.

It came days after Ukraine’s top military general warned fighting had "significantly worsened" in Kharkiv, as Russia claimed to have captured four further villages as it expanded its surprise cross-border offensive.

In the spotlight: More than two years into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Zelensky has fought to keep attention on Kyiv's military efforts to deter advances from Moscow by strengthening ties with allies. Most recently, he thanked US lawmakers after they voted in favor of a new aid package worth nearly $61 billion. At the same time, European leaders approved a plan for regular payments to Ukraine as part of a $54 billion package.

Russia's Defense Ministry said Wednesday that troops had suppressed a large aerial attack on the Crimean peninsula by Ukrainian forces.

Moscow said that it intercepted 10 "American Atakms [ATACMS] tactical missiles" over Crimea. 

Missiles were shot down near the Belbek military airfield, according to Mikhail Razvozhayev, governor of Crimea's port city of Sevastopol, suggesting that could be the Ukrainians' target.

Elsewhere in Russia, there were two explosions at a fuel base in the Proletarsky district because of two drone attacks, according to Vasily Golubev, governor of the Rostov region. 

No casualties were reported in any of the attacks.

During his current visit to Kyiv, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said American ATACMS were part of the newly supplied arms already "on the front lines."

On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Blinken that Ukraine urgently needed aerial defenses. 

CNN has reached out to Ukrainian authorities for comment. 

Ukraine's northern region of Kharkiv is enduring "heavy fighting" as Russian troops pushed on with ground and air offensives on Wednesday, Ukraine's army said.

"Heavy fighting is ongoing," said General Serhii Melnyk, Commander of the Kharkiv city defense forces.

"Three combat engagements are still ongoing," Melnyk said.

Kharkiv's border town of Vovchansk was liberated from Russian occupation more than 18 months ago.

Ukrainian troops repelled 11 attacks and are holding back Russia's advance towards "Lyptsi from Hlyboke and Lukiantsi, and towards Vovchansk from the direction of Shebekino (Russia)," Melnyk said.

"Three combat engagements are still ongoing," Melnyk said.

Kharkiv city was hit Tuesday by a Russian airstrike that wounded 24 people, including 4 children, and damaged residential buildings, Melnyk said.

The attack also killed one person.

Russia's Defense Ministry said Tuesday that they had "liberated" the settlement of Buhrovatka in the Kharkiv region and "defeated the manpower and equipment" of Ukraine's army in Vesele, Vovchansk, and Lyptsi.

Russia is continuing its push into northeastern Ukraine since making several advances there over the past week after launching a surprise cross-border assault.

These are Moscow’s most significant gains since Kyiv’s forces recaptured the Kharkiv region in 2022.

On Tuesday, at least 21 civilians, including two 12-year-old girls and an 8-year-old boy, were wounded in Russian attacks on the city of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest, according to prosecutors.

More than 7,500 people have been evacuated from the region. In the neighboring Sumy region, officials have also ordered a “voluntary evacuation” for several towns where attacks have increased, according to the military administration.

Here are the latest developments:

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken took to the stage at a bar in Kyiv during his state visit, playing the guitar with a Ukrainian band and singing Neil Young's 1989 hit "Rockin' in the Free World."

The visit, in which Blinken met with President Volodymyr Zelensky, comes as Russian forces make significant gains on the battlefield.

The US State Department said Blinken and Zelensky discussed battlefield updates and the importance of newly arrived US aid to help repel Russian attacks. Zelensky told US Blinken that Ukraine urgently needs more air defenses.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the “unprecedented level of strategic partnership” between Moscow and Beijing informed his decision to choose China for his first trip since entering a new term in office just over a week ago.

During his visit, Putin is expected to discuss situations in Ukraine, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, according to Putin's assistant for foreign affairs, Yuri Ushakov, state media RIA Novosti reported.

Speaking to Xinhua, Putin commended China for its 12-point plan calling to end hostilities in Ukraine and bashed Ukraine's "Western patrons" for "stubbornly working to 'punish' Russia, isolate and weaken it."

More context: Putin's visit mirrors Xi’s own state visit to Moscow just over a year ago, where he marked the norm-shattering start of a new term as president – like Putin, after rewriting rules around how long leaders can serve.

It also comes as Russia claims to have captured further villages in Ukraine's northern Kharkiv region as it expands its surprise cross-border offensive.

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Ukraine's state-owned grid operator announced on Tuesday that emergency power cuts are being introduced following a series of Russian attacks on the country's energy infrastructure.

Emergency shutdowns across Ukraine were implemented from 9 p.m. to midnight local time Tuesday, according to Ukrenergo.

The "significant" power shortage had been made worse when people used more energy during recent cold weather, Ukrenergo added.

More context: Moscow has stepped up efforts to paralyze Ukraine’s energy system in the past month, as Ukrainian troops struggle to hold positions on key frontlines, particularly in the east.

On May 8, Russian forces carried out a “massive" missile attack on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, targeting power generation and transmission facilities in the Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Vinnytsia regions.

Ukraine's biggest power company, DTEK, said Russian missiles hit three of its thermal power plants on May 8, adding it was the fifth time its infrastructure had been targeted in the last six weeks. 

At least 21 civilians, including two 12-year-old girls and an 8-year-old boy, were wounded in Russian attacks on Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv on Tuesday, according to prosecutors.

Russian forces used glide bombs in three waves of attacks, striking more than 20 targets, according to Oleksandr Filchakov, Kharkiv region prosecutor.

Glide bombs can carry hundreds of kilograms of explosives and are dropped from aircraft which — in the case of attacks on the Kharkiv border region — do not even need to enter Ukrainian airspace.

Writing on Telegram, Filchakov said that several apartment blocks, a shopping center, and an education institution were damaged in the bombardment that also set cars and garages ablaze.

The attack comes as Russian forces continue their advance into the Kharkiv region. Russian troops are regaining control of villages and areas of Ukraine that they were forced from near the end of 2022 during a Ukrainian counteroffensive. 

Ukraine's State Emergency Service on Tuesday said over 7,500 civilians had been evacuated from their homes during heavy fighting in the north of Kharkiv region. 

Reporting live from central Ukraine, CNN's Nick Paton Walsh said Russian troops are moving fast and have better resources and better ammunition. It is also clear that Ukrainians have failed to build sufficient defenses in the region.

Ukraine is calling for more rocket artillery ammunition and missiles to be sent to them as a priority, especially 155mm shells, so that it can repel Russia's resurgent invading force. 

Georgia’s president has called on protesters to use their vote in upcoming parliamentary elections to "reverse" the controversial foreign agents law passed by the country’s parliament on Tuesday.

President Salome Zourabichvili admitted to CNN's Christiane Amanpour that there are "many concerns" after the parliament voted in favor of the controversial foreign agents law.

The president, who has previously accused Russia of trying to bolster its influence over the former Soviet country, told CNN that she will symbolically veto the law.

Due to the setup of Georgia's parliamentary system, Zourabichvili holds mainly a figurehead role and her veto can be overruled by a simple parliamentary majority.

She called the law a complete "duplicate" of one passed by the Kremlin in 2012, which she said has been used to "completely oppress and repress the civil society" in Russia.

Russia is growing more and "more worried" by Georgia's rapprochement with the European Union, Zourabichvili remarked, referencing the recent decision by the bloc to grant Georgia candidate status.

Although roughly 20% of Georgian territory is currently controlled by Russia following the 2008 invasion, Georgia has not been "diverted" from "following its European path," the president added.