Tuesday, May 20. Russia’s War On Ukraine: News And Information From Ukraine

Dispatches from Ukraine. Day 1,182.

Trump-Putin Phone Call

U.S. President Donald Trump spoke for nearly two-and-a-half hours with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on May 19, with the phone conversation focusing on potential steps toward ending the war in Ukraine and trade issues. Putin described the call as “very substantive and useful,” saying that Moscow is willing to work on a memorandum with Ukraine drafting principles for a future peace agreement, including a possible ceasefire. Following this call, Trump plans to speak with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

One day earlier, on May 18, Zelenskyy met with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican. Zelenskyy briefed U.S. officials on the stalled Istanbul talks and Russia’s unrealistic demands for a ceasefire.

Russia’s Attacks on Ukraine

Russia carried out its largest drone attack on Ukraine to date in the evening of May 17 and overnight into May 18, launching a record-breaking 273 Iranian-designed Shahed drones on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, and surrounds, and on the central-eastern regions of Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk. The Ukrainian Air Force reported downing 88 drones, while 128 were neutralized by electronic warfare systems. Still, one woman was killed in the attack, and three others injured, including a child. The assault, which exceeded the Kremlin’s previous record of 267 drones used in a single strike in February 2025, came one day ahead of a scheduled call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss a possible ceasefire in Ukraine.

Sumy region. A Russian drone struck a civilian bus near the northeastern city of Bilopillia on May 17, killing nine people and injuring seven others. An entire family of three was reportedly among the dead. A three-day mourning period has been declared in the city.

Kherson region. Late on May 18, Russian shelling of residential areas in Ukraine’s southern oblast, or region, of Kherson, killed a woman and injured three other people; earlier the same day, a man was killed in a drone strike on the village of Vesele on the Dnieper River.

Kharkiv region. Russian strikes on Ukraine’s northeastern region of Kharkiv on May 16 killed one woman, injured nine civilians, and caused widespread damage to homes and infrastructure.

Donetsk region. Unrelenting Russian artillery and drone strikes killed four and left 19 others injured in Ukraine’s eastern province between May 17-19.

Economic Updates

The European Union plans to propose lowering the current $60-per-barrel price cap on Russian seaborne oil to $50 at the upcoming Group-of-Seven industrialized nations, or G7, finance ministers’ meeting in Canada, as a way to tighten sanctions on Moscow’s oil revenues. The price cap, established in December 2022, restricts the sale, shipping, and insurance of Russian crude above the set threshold to curb funding for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine while stabilizing global oil supply.

Russia, however, has circumvented these limits by using a “shadow fleet” of uninsured tankers, and Russian crude prices have frequently exceeded the cap, though oil prices briefly dipped below $60 in April amid rising economic uncertainty.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Economy estimates the country’s exporters could lose $3.25 billion annually if the EU’s temporary free trade regime, set to expire June 5, 2025, is not extended, risking a near 1% hit to GDP growth. The suspension would most impact corn, wheat, poultry, and sugar exports, which surged to 5.4 billion euros ($6 billion) last year under tariff-free conditions introduced in June 2022 to support Ukraine’s wartime economy.

Ukraine is preparing investors for a possible missed payment of $500 million, due in early June, on $3.2 billion of GDP-linked debt, with chief negotiator Yuriy Butsa saying last week that Ukraine was in no rush to restructure, but focused on securing the right deal. Despite talks breaking down with key warrant holders, led by hedge funds opposed to a full rewrite, Kyiv says it remains committed to finding a sustainable solution. The complex warrants, tied to Ukraine’s economic growth, were excluded from last year’s broader debt restructuring and now pose challenges as Ukraine’s economy recovers from a 30% contraction in 2022.

Military Aid to Ukraine

On May 18, several European countries announced new military aid packages to Ukraine totaling over $1.7 billion. Belgium is set to deliver a $1.1 billion package featuring armored ambulances, drones, air defense systems, and a Leopard tank with a new gun turret. Denmark unveiled a $610 million aid package, including fighter jet equipment and expanded military training programs.

Finland committed $100 million in ammunition, funded by profits from frozen Russian assets, while Italy is reportedly preparing its 11th aid package. The package will include 400 M113 armored personnel carriers that are tracked, or equipped with continuous treads rather than wheels for superior traction, alongside a satellite surveillance system to enhance frontline intelligence and coordination.

The U.S. has authorized Australia to send decommissioned, American-made M1A1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, with the first shipment of 49 tanks already enroute as part of a $150 million aid package. U.S. officials, nonetheless, are skeptical about the tanks’ battlefield viability due to their vulnerabilities in a drone-dominated war.

The move follows earlier deliveries of Abrams tanks from the U.S. amid ongoing debate over the tanks’ effectiveness. So far, Ukraine has received 31 Abrams tanks from the U.S., with Dutch open source intelligence group Oryx reporting that 10 have been destroyed, eight damaged and abandoned, and one damaged and captured.

By Danylo Nosov, Karina L. Tahiliani