May 22, 2023 - Russia-Ukraine news

By Tara Subramaniam, Christian Edwards, Leinz Vales and Elise Hammond, CNN

Updated 12:12 a.m. ET, May 23, 2023
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3:46 a.m. ET, May 22, 2023

Head of UN nuclear watchdog says Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant situation is "extremely vulnerable"

From CNN’s Jo Shelley

Rafael Grossi speaks during an interview at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, Austria, on May 12.
Rafael Grossi speaks during an interview at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, Austria, on May 12. Li Xiaopeng/Xinhua/Getty Images

Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is in an “extremely vulnerable” situation, the head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog said, after the facility once again lost its external power supply.

In a Twitter post Monday, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi said the plant had "lost all external electricity" for the seventh time since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began last year, "forcing it to rely on emergency diesel generators for power."

"Nuclear safety situation at the plant extremely vulnerable. We must agree to protect plant now; this situation cannot continue," he said. 

The plant, Europe’s largest nuclear power station, is held by Russian forces but mostly operated by a Ukrainian workforce. The IAEA has repeatedly raised concerns over safety at the plant, which has been the site of shelling throughout the war.

On Friday, Grossi said negotiations were ongoing to secure the protection of the plant to "prevent the risk of a severe nuclear accident on the continent."

3:30 a.m. ET, May 22, 2023

Analysis: Why Ukraine still face big hurdles in using US-made F-16 fighter jets

Analysis from CNN's Brad Lendon

An F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft extended its landing gear to land at the US military airfield at Spangdahlem on February 7.
An F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft extended its landing gear to land at the US military airfield at Spangdahlem on February 7. Harald Tittel/picture alliance/Getty Images

Ukraine’s quest for US-made F-16 fighter jets received a big boost over the weekend when US President Joe Biden gave his backing for Kyiv’s pilots to be trained to fly them.

But analysts cautioned that the jets aren’t a cure-all and have vulnerabilities that Moscow would be well aware of and could exploit.

In fact, one active duty F-16 pilot told CNN that expectations may be way too high.

“To your question about the F-16 being a difference maker. It’s not,” said the pilot, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the subject.

Here’s what you need to know about the F-16:

Most active fighter jet: According to Flight Global’s World Air Forces directory, almost 2,200 F-16s are active worldwide this year, making it the single most popular combat aircraft across the planet with 15% of the world’s fleet.

F-16s for Ukraine are expected to be older versions that have been in the fleets of US allies, especially those in Western Europe.

“There is a surplus of F-16s in Western nations, offering immediate availability and a well-established logistics trail,” said Robert Hopkins, a military aviation author and former US Air Force pilot. “There are other aircraft more capable than the F-16, but they are fewer in number and are not available to transfer,” Hopkins added.

Keeping F-16s in the sky: Analysts note that for a modern fighter jet like the F-16, training maintenance personnel can take longer than training pilots.

“I think it’s possible to teach a Ukrainian pilot to fly an F-16 in three months,” said Peter Layton, a fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute and former Royal Australian Air Force officer.

But “training maintenance personnel can take months or years, depending on the desired level of proficiency,” according to a March report on the possible F-16 transfers from the Congressional Research Service (CRS).

As for pilot training, Layton and the active F-16 pilot who spoke to CNN both say three months of training is for the basics — getting the plane up in the air, keeping it there and landing it safely. Combat roles become much more complex, however.

F-16s are easy to learn how to fly, but employing them effectively in “a dynamic threat environment” could take years, according to the pilot.

How do you hide F-16s? Then there is the question of where Ukrainian F-16s would be based.

“The advantages of transferring advanced western fighter jets in seeking air superiority are likely to be realized only if paired with large quantities of western-manufactured munitions,” the CRS report says.

Read the full analysis here.

3:32 a.m. ET, May 22, 2023

Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is using generators after external power cut, Russian energy firm says

From CNN's Josh Pennington, Clare Sebastian and Olga Voitovych 

The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, on March 29.
The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, on March 29. Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters

Generators are providing electricity to the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine after the facility "lost its external power supply," Russia's Rosatom state nuclear energy company said Monday.

"As a result of the disconnection of the Dniprovska 750 kV high voltage transmission line, Zaporizhzhia NPP lost its external power supply," Rosatom said in a statement on Telegram. "Auxiliary power has been supplied from diesel generators. The reason for the transmission line's disconnection is being investigated."

The "radiation background at the site, in the sanitary protection zone and observation zone, is at normal levels," Rosatom added.

The Zaporizhzhia plant, Europe’s largest nuclear power station, is held by Russian forces but mostly operated by a Ukrainian workforce.

A spokesperson for Ukraine's state-owned energy firm Energoatom confirmed to CNN that auxiliary power generators are supplying the plant, adding it was the seventh blackout at the facility since Russia's invasion began last year.

"The generators are working; they have a 10-day supply of fuel," the Energoatom statement said. 

Earlier Monday, a Ukrainian official said technicians were working to restore power to the plant. "The work continues, and electricity and water are gradually being restored in the city's districts," said Anatoliy Kurtiev, secretary of Zaporizhzhia city council.

Some context: The United Nations’ nuclear watchdog has repeatedly raised concerns over safety at the plant, which has been the site of shelling throughout the war. Earlier this month, the International Atomic Energy Agency described the situation there as “increasingly unpredictable,” after Moscow ordered the evacuation of residents from Russian-occupied areas close to the facility.

This post has been updated with a statement from Energoatom.

1:25 a.m. ET, May 22, 2023

Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region hit by Russian aerial attacks overnight

From CNN's Josh Pennington

Russia attacked Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region with missiles and drones overnight, injuring civilians and damaging buildings as Ukrainian forces scrambled air defenses in response.

In a Telegram post Monday, Dnipropetrovsk Gov. Serhii Lysak said air defenses shot down 15 drones and four cruise missiles over the region, which also took "some hits."

In Dniprovskyi district, a 27-year-old man was wounded and several buildings where first responders work were damaged in the attack, Lysak said. 

Meanwhile, seven people were injured when a drone crashed in the Ilarionivska community of Synelnykivskyi district, he said.

"Three private houses and nine apartment buildings were hit, as well as a kindergarten, shops, and administrative buildings," Lysak said.

Some context: Ukrainian officials claim to have repelled most of the missiles and drones launched by Russia this month during multiple bombardments, in many cases with the help of weapons provided by Kyiv's Western partners.

12:06 a.m. ET, May 22, 2023

Here's what we know about the situation in Bakhmut

From CNN staff

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said Sunday that his forces will leave the front line in eastern Ukraine in the coming days after "capturing all the territories they promised to capture, to the last square centimeter."

It comes a day after Prigozhin claimed that his mercenary fighters had completely seized the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut — a statement met with counterclaims from Ukraine.

While CNN cannot independently verify battlefield accounts, here's what the wartime officials are saying:

  • Zelensky's denial: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says his soldiers are still in Bakhmut, despite what Prigozhin says. "Bakhmut is not occupied by Russian Federation as of today. There are no two or three interpretations of those words," he said while attending the G7 in Japan on Sunday.
  • A small foothold: The commander of Ukraine's army acknowledged the area his fighters still claim within city limits is "insignificant." The territory is located on the city's westernmost edge, according to the country's deputy defense minister.
  • Advances on the outskirts: However, the same two officials said Ukraine has made significant progress in the Bakhmut suburbs and other areas immediately outside the city. The commander, Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, said his troops have advanced along the city’s flanks and are now approaching the “tactical encirclement” of Bakhmut.
  • Putin's congratulations: Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, hailed Wagner for the "completion of the operation to liberate" Bakhmut. The Ministry of Defense in Moscow echoed the president's praise, declaring victory in the city. However, there was no immediate response from the Defense Ministry to Prigozhin's claim that Wagner troops would leave the front line in eastern Ukraine on May 25. 
  • Bakhmut's significance: Bakhmut is located in the northeastern portion of Ukraine's Donetsk region, about 13 miles from the Luhansk region, and has long been a target for Russian forces. If confirmed, Russia's capture of Bakhmut would mark the country’s first major gain in months, but experts say the city’s symbolism always outweighed its strategic importance.
2:22 a.m. ET, May 22, 2023

Exclusive: Paul Whelan says he's confident "wheels are turning" toward his release

From CNN's Jennifer Hansler

Paul Whelan stands inside a defendants' cage during a hearing at a court in Moscow on August 23, 2019.
Paul Whelan stands inside a defendants' cage during a hearing at a court in Moscow on August 23, 2019. Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty Images

Paul Whelan, an American who is wrongfully detained in Russia, told CNN on Sunday that he feels confident that his case is a priority for the United States government but wishes it could be resolved faster.

“I remain positive and confident on a daily basis that the wheels are turning. I just wish they would turn a little bit more quickly,” said Whelan, who called CNN exclusively from his prison camp in remote Mordovia.

Whelan said he does harbor concerns that he could be left behind again — particularly after the Russians wrongfully detained American journalist Evan Gershkovich.

“That’s an extreme worry for me and my family,” he said. The US was unable to secure Whelan’s release in prisoner swaps that brought home two other wrongfully detained Americans last year: Trevor Reed in April and Brittney Griner in December.

However, Whelan said Sunday he has more confidence in the US efforts to get him home than he did when he spoke to CNN in December following Griner’s release.

“I have been told that I won’t be left behind, and I have been told that although Evan’s case is a priority, mine is also a priority, and people are cognizant of the fact that this is having an extremely negative impact on me and my family. And I’m told that the government is working tirelessly to get me out of here and to get me home so they can then focus effort on Evan and his case,” Whelan said.
“I feel that my life shouldn’t be considered less valuable or important than others who have been previously traded. And I think there are people in DC that feel the same way, and they’re moving towards a compromise and resolution to this as quickly as they can,” he said.

Whelan — who has US, Irish, British and Canadian citizenship — was detained at a Moscow hotel in December 2018 by Russian authorities who alleged he was involved in an intelligence operation. The former US Marine was sentenced to 16 years in prison on an espionage charge he vehemently denies.

Read more here.

8:42 p.m. ET, May 21, 2023

German police are investigating the possible poisoning of 2 Russian exiles

From CNN's Xiaofei Xu

Berlin police are investigating the possible poisoning of two Russian exiles who attended a conference in the German capital, a spokesperson told CNN.

“A file has been opened based on the information available,” a Berlin police spokesperson told CNN. “We are aware that poisoning is a possibility, there are other potential causes too,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson declined to provide further information citing the ongoing investigation.

German newspaper Welt am Sonntag first reported on the police investigation, writing that the two Russians took part in a conference held by Russian Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky in Berlin on April 29 and 30.

Berlin police did not name the Russian exiles.

Read more here.

2:27 a.m. ET, May 22, 2023

Wagner forces will leave the front lines in coming days, private military chief says

From CNN's Mariya Knight

Yevgeny Prigozhin arrives to pay the last respects during a funeral ceremony at the Troyekurovskoye cemetery in Moscow, Russia, on April 8.
Yevgeny Prigozhin arrives to pay the last respects during a funeral ceremony at the Troyekurovskoye cemetery in Moscow, Russia, on April 8. Stringer/AP

The chief of the Wagner private military group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said Sunday that his forces will leave the front line in eastern Ukraine on May 25 after "capturing all the territories they promised to capture, to the last square centimeter."

Prigozhin said he is handing over his positions to the Russian Ministry of Defense after Wagner forces leave.

There has been no immediate public response from the defense ministry.

"We, as I said yesterday, are handing over our positions to the (Russian) Ministry of Defense and on the 25th we are leaving the combat zone," Prigozhin said in an audio message on his Press Service Telegram page. "Therefore, all the tasks that will continue to be carried out are carried out by the brave units of the Ministry of Defense, and we go out to the field camps."

"From June 1, not a single Wagner PMC fighter will be at the forefront until we go through reorganization and equipment and training," Prigozhin added.

He also dismissed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's insistence that Bakhmut is not fully occupied by Russia as of Sunday. 

"There is not a single Ukrainian soldier in Bakhmut," Wagner's chief claimed. "And this is why we stopped taking any more POWs."

Keep in mind: Prigozhin has previously made brash or misleading statements about the war and his mercenaries' role in it — and occasionally backtracked on them. He is also known to speak sarcastically.

More on Bakhmut: Prigozhin's announcement comes one day after Russia declared victory in the long-contested eastern city. The mercenary group says it has seized complete control of the city after many months of fighting led by Prigozhin's forces. Ukraine, meanwhile, claims it is holding on to a small area in the western part of the city — and that its progress in areas surrounding Bakhmut has left it in a strong position.

2:30 a.m. ET, May 22, 2023

Zelensky compares Bakhmut destruction to Hiroshima

From CNN's Allegra Goodwin, Darya Tarasova, Sugam Pokharel, Thom Poole and Rob Picheta

Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a news conference in Hiroshima, western Japan, on Sunday, May 21.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a news conference in Hiroshima, western Japan, on Sunday, May 21. Louise Delmotte/AP

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky compared the damage in Bakhmut to the destruction wrought on Hiroshima after it was hit by an atomic bomb, as he denied Russia had captured the frontline city.

Zelensky — who traveled to Japan for a meeting of the Group of Seven (G7) — said pictures of Hiroshima “really remind” him of Bakhmut and other Ukrainian towns.

“Just the same, nothing alive left, all of the buildings have been ruined,” Zelensky told a news conference.

Conflicting claims over Bakhmut: On Saturday the chief of the Russian private military group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, claimed to have captured Bakhmut after months of brutal fighting, saying he would hand it over to Russia later in May.

Zelensky used the conference to again deny that that Bakhmut is Russian as of Sunday and Ukrainian soldiers remain in the city.

“We are keeping on, we are fighting.” Zelensky said.

“I clearly understand what is happening in Bakhmut. I can’t share the tactics of the military, but a country even bigger than ours cannot defeat us. A little time will pass and we will be winning. Today our soldiers are in Bakhmut.”

Ukraine’s Armed Forces (AFU) said they were continuing to counter Russia in the city, and that they were advancing in the suburbs, making it “very difficult for the enemy to remain in Bakhmut.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin offered his congratulations for “the completion of the operation to liberate Artemovsk,” Russian state news agency TASS reported the Kremlin as saying, using the Soviet-era Russian name for Bakhmut.

CNN is unable to verify either side’s battlefield claims.

Read more here.