May 21, 2023 Russia-Ukraine war news

By Heather Chen, Andrew Raine, Sophie Tanno, Maureen Chowdhury, Mike Hayes and Matt Meyer, CNN

Updated 12:05 a.m. ET, May 22, 2023
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10:17 a.m. ET, May 21, 2023

Zelensky says he would like Japan and South Korea to send lethal weapons

From CNN's Maria Kostenko and Allegra Goodwin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks at the G7 summit on May 21, in Hiroshima, Japan.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks at the G7 summit on May 21, in Hiroshima, Japan. The Asahi Shimbun/Getty Images

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would like Japan and South Korea to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine but he understands "there are legislative and constitutional difficulties."

He said regarding diplomatic pressure on Russia and certain formats of diplomatic resolution of the war in Ukraine “the key is respect for the UN Charter and international law."

“Russia has no chance for any diplomatic paths as long as its troops are on our territory in violation of our territorial integrity and sovereignty,” he told a news conference at the G7 summit in Japan.
“We all understand that no one will have anything to do with Russia as long as its troops are on the territory of Ukraine.”

Zelensky made the comments as part of a series of in-person appeals to fellow leaders gathered in Japan to remain united against Russian aggression.

10:16 a.m. ET, May 21, 2023

Hiroshima reminds me of Bakhmut, Zelensky tells G7

From CNN's Allegra Goodwin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visit the cenotaph for atomic bomb victims in Hiroshima, Japan, on Sunday, May 21. 
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visit the cenotaph for atomic bomb victims in Hiroshima, Japan, on Sunday, May 21.  Eugene Hoshiko/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the pictures of ruined Hiroshima he saw on his visit to the Japanese city “really remind” him of the embattled eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, and other similar settlements or towns. 

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

The city, which Ukraine denies Russia controls, has seen some of the most brutal fighting of the conflict.

10:19 a.m. ET, May 21, 2023

"Our soldiers are in Bakhmut," Zelensky says

From CNN's Maria Kostenko, Allegra Goodwin and Sarah Dean  

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks at the G7 summit on May 21, in Hiroshima, Japan.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks at the G7 summit on May 21, in Hiroshima, Japan. Louise Delmotte/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has again denied that Bakhmut is occupied by Russia, saying Ukrainian soldiers remain in the city. 

“We are keeping on, we are fighting,” Zelensky said at a news conference at the G7 in Japan.

“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. I will not share the locations,” Zelensky said.

“Bakhmut is not occupied by Russian Federation as of today. There are no two or three interpretations of those words,” he added.

There are conflicting reports about who controls Bakhmut and CNN is unable to independently verify battlefield claims.

Zelensky's comments come after Russia’s Wagner mercenary group on Saturday claimed to have finally taken the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, the scene of bitter fighting for months.

10:59 a.m. ET, May 21, 2023

"We dream of peace after our victory," Zelensky tells G7

From CNN's Allegra Goodwin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said what he has seen in Hiroshima, Japan, is similar to “the ruins of (Ukrainian) cities which have been burned to the ground by Russian bombs and artillery."

Speaking during a news conference at the Group of Seven (G7) summit on Sunday, he said Hiroshima is now a rebuilt city and Ukrainians “dream of rebuilding all our cities that are now in ruins, and every village where not a single house is left intact after Russian strikes."

“We dream of returning our territories, just as we have regained our northern territories which were occupied by Russia. We must regain our eastern and southern territories of Ukraine. 

“We dream of returning our people who are now in Russian captivity. These are prisoners of war and civilians, deported adults and also abducted children. We dream of winning, we dream of peace after our victory,” Zelensky said.

Some context: G7 talks culminated Sunday with a series of dramatic, in-person appeals from Zelensky as he pressed leaders gathered in Japan to remain united against Russian aggression.

Zelensky’s decision to travel halfway across the world to deliver his entreaties to the world’s major industrial democracies in person underscored both the unity and the uncertainty leaders find themselves in fourteen months since Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine began.

2:17 p.m. ET, May 21, 2023

Ukrainian forces continue to hold areas of Bakhmut, Armed Forces spokesperson says

From CNN's Maria Kostenko

An armored infantry carrier is seen driving to the front line south of Bakhmut on May 17.
An armored infantry carrier is seen driving to the front line south of Bakhmut on May 17. Vincenzo Circosta/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Ukraine's Armed Forces said Sunday it continues to hold a number of buildings in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, after Russia's Wagner Group claimed to have taken the city Saturday. 

"We have strongholds in the southwestern part of the city. Our units are in the city. We continue efforts to counterattack the enemy," Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesperson for the eastern grouping of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, told CNN. 

Ukraine's Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar also reiterated Sunday that Ukrainian forces were holding the defense, posting on Telegram that the "enemy failed to encircle and they lost some of the dominant heights around the city."

She said Ukrainian forces were still making advances in the suburbs around the city, which “makes it very difficult for the enemy to remain in Bakhmut."

"Our defenders retain control over industrial and infrastructure facilities and the private sector of Bakhmut in the ‘Airplane’ district,” Maliar said.

CNN cannot independently verify these battlefield claims.

9:40 a.m. ET, May 21, 2023

G7 strives to bring "just and lasting peace" to Ukraine as soon as possible, says Japanese prime minister 

From CNN's Mayumi Maruyama and Alex Stambaugh 

The Group of Seven nations strives to bring "just and lasting peace to Ukraine as soon as possible," Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Sunday, following talks between G7 leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Hiroshima.

Kishida said the summit was held in the midst of "challenges to principles that our predecessors had forged and defended over the years," including respect for sovereignties and territorial integrity, and that inviting Zelensky showed the "unwavering solidarity" between the G7 and Ukraine. 

The Japanese prime minister, who hosted the event, also highlighted the multiple crises facing the global community, including climate change and the pandemic, as well as the impacts of the war in Ukraine. 

"If we do not show a willingness to listen to the voices of countries and people and cooperate on a wide range of urgent issues, our claim to uphold a free and open international order based on the rule of law could become futile,” Kishida said in his remarks. 

Kishida also highlighted an action plan endorsed by G7 leaders to work toward global nuclear disarmament.

The document, known as the Hiroshima Vision on Nuclear Disarmament, is of "historical significance," Kishida said.

10:08 a.m. ET, May 21, 2023

Zelensky thanks Biden for new aid package

From CNN's Maria Kostenko and Victoria Butenko

Zelensky and Biden shake hands in Hiroshima on Sunday.
Zelensky and Biden shake hands in Hiroshima on Sunday. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Reuters

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked President Biden Sunday for the “powerful” financial assistance provided by the US, which totals $37 billion, and for the new military assistance package, according to a readout from the president’s office.

“A huge gratitude from our people. I am glad that we have such strong relations,” Zelensky said, adding, “We discussed further cooperation to bolster the defense capabilities of our country.”

Biden earlier announced the military assistance package, worth $375 million, which includes ammunition, artillery and vehicles, as he met with Zelensky in Japan at the G7 summit.

"The United States continues to do all we can to strengthen Ukraine's ability to defend itself," Biden said, citing his recent decision to allow F-16 fighter jets to go to Ukraine and to train Ukrainian pilots on the aircraft in the United States.

Biden said new sanctions on Russia would "ensure that we keep pressure on Putin to hold his backers accountable."

9:45 a.m. ET, May 21, 2023

Zelensky says the world needs "clear global leadership of democracy" as he attends G7 summit in person

From CNN's Victoria Butenko and Sophie Jeong

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for a "clear global leadership of democracy" in remarks delivered in person at a session of the G7 summit in Japan on Sunday, according to a readout from the president's office.

Zelensky emphasized the importance of having air defense systems to protect all cities of Ukraine, saying that “we decide – not our enemy – what the sky security will be like.”

"Together we have proven that the question is not how many missiles our common enemy has, but how many air defense systems we have," Zelensky said.

Zelensky also thanked leaders who helped Ukraine with air defense and said he was grateful for the decision to train Ukrainian pilots on modern fighter aircrafts. 

This week US President Joe Biden gave his backing for Ukrainian pilots to be trained to fly F-16s, reversing his previous position.

"When our pilots know the F-16 and when these aircraft appear in our skies, it will matter not only for Ukraine," Zelensky said. "This will be a historic moment for the entire security architecture in Europe and the world."

Zelensky said on Saturday that his government is coordinating on weapons, air defense and fighter jets with its allies in response to Russia’s war.

The G7 are seeking common ground on a host of global issues, including how to confront Beijing’s growing military and economic assertiveness as well as the war raging in Europe.

G7 member countries, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, include the largest backers of Ukraine’s defense.

10:24 a.m. ET, May 21, 2023

Zelensky denies the fall of Bakhmut, but says brutal fighting has "destroyed" the city

From CNN's Alex Stambaugh in Hong Kong and Victoria Butenko in Kyiv

Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky looks on during his meeting with US President Joe Biden in Hiroshima, Japan, on Sunday.
Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky looks on during his meeting with US President Joe Biden in Hiroshima, Japan, on Sunday. Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denies claims that the city of Bakhmut has fallen to Russian forces, spokesperson Sergiy Nykyforov said Sunday. 

"I think no," Zelensky told reporters, when asked both whether he thinks the city is still in Kyiv's control and about claims Russia captured the city. 

His office later told CNN the president was referring specifically to Russia's claim. 

"The president has denied Bakhmut has been taken over," Nykyforov said.

Zelensky also mentioned the city during an appearance with US President Joe Biden at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, where the two later held a one-on-one meeting.

"There is nothing. They destroyed everything. There are no buildings. It's a pity, it's a tragedy, but for today Bakhmut is only in our hearts," Zelensky said. 

The Ukrainian leader also thanked his country's fighters in Bakhmut, saying "we appreciate them for their great job."