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May 30, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news

By Andrew Raine, Brad Lendon, Rob Picheta and Hafsa Khalil, CNN

Updated 12:01 a.m. ET, May 31, 2022

What we covered

The European Union agreed “on principle” Monday on a partial ban of Russian oil imports as part of a new sanctions package against Moscow, the European Council chief said. Pipeline imports would be exempt from the sanctions, the European Commission president said.
As the battle for the east of Ukraine heats up, Russian forces are trying to surround Ukrainian troops in the Lysychansk and Severodonetsk areas of Luhansk.
The Ukrainian military says it has begun a counter-offensive against Russian forces in the south of the country and claimed significant advances in the direction of Kherson.
US President Joe Biden said he won't send rockets to Ukraine that could reach Russia amid CNN reporting that the US is preparing to approve advanced, long-range rocket systems for Ukraine. The Russians have warned the US would “cross a red line” if it supplies the systems.
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1:54 p.m. ET, May 30, 2022

"Shelling along the front line does not stop" in Donetsk, says Ukrainian military official

From Ukraine journalists and Bex Wright

Three civilians were killed and several others wounded in fierce fighting in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine on Sunday, an update from the regional military administration for Donetsk said on Monday.

Russian forces shelled areas north of the city of Donetsk with small arms, tanks, artillery, mortars, and MLRS "Grad" rockets, the statement said. Some 24 buildings were also damaged, including 20 residential buildings, an electric substation and a shopping mall.

On Monday morning, there was also shelling in areas to the southwest of Donetsk city.

Water and electricity supply have been partially restored to the region, but there is currently no gas supply, the statement added.

In a separate update, the head of the Donetsk regional military administration, Pavlo Kyrylenko, spoke on national television on Monday.

"The situation is tense. The shelling along the front line does not stop," Kyrylenko said. "The hottest spots are Avdiivka, Toretsk, and Lyman direction. Active hostilities continue there. There is constant enemy shelling of Bakhmut, Soledar."

Kyrylenko said the key route from Bakhmut to Lysychansk is still under Ukrainian control, but the Russians are "constantly shelling the route." It is the main route for providing humanitarian goods and is important for evacuations, he added.

Some context: Donetsk is one of the separatist, pro-Russian regions to the east of Ukraine alongside Luhansk, where the Russian offensive has intensified in recent days.

On Thursday, Ukraine's armed forces acknowledged that Russian forces had made further advances in the Donetsk region, capturing a village about 10 miles southeast of the important town of Bakhmut.

6:28 a.m. ET, May 30, 2022

Eurovision winners sell trophy to buy drones for Ukraine’s military

From CNN’s Teele Rebane in Hong Kong and Irina Morgan in London

Kalush Orchestra pose onstage with the winner's trophy and Ukraine's flags after winning the Eurovision Song contest 2022 on May 14, in Turin. (Marco Bertorello/AFP/Getty Images)

The Ukrainian winners of this year's Eurovision Song Contest have announced they've sold their trophy for $900,000, with funds going toward buying drones for their country’s military.

Kalush Orchestra was presented with the crystal microphone trophy earlier this month after winning this year’s contest, beating competition from main rivals the United Kingdom and Spain.

The winning bid for the trophy was attributed to WhiteBIT, a cryptocurrency exchange. WhiteBIT said that the purpose of the online auction was to raise one million euros ($1,077,000) to buy three PD-2 drones for the Ukrainian armed forces.

"You are incredible," the folk-rap group wrote on Instagram.

"We are grateful to each of you who donated funds for this auction and especially grateful to the @whitebit_ua team who bought the trophy for $900,000."

The band will also tour Europe to raise funds for the needs of the army and charitable foundations of Ukraine, the band's frontman Oleg Psyuk said earlier this month.

5:23 a.m. ET, May 30, 2022

Putin shows no signs of illness or ailment, says Russian foreign minister

From CNN's Uliana Pavlova and Sarah Diab

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has dismissed rumors concerning President Vladimir Putin's health.

"You know, President Putin appears in public every day. You can see him on TV screens, read his speeches, listen to his speeches," Lavrov told French broadcaster TF1.

"I do not think that any sane person can see in this person signs of some kind of illness or ailment. I leave this on the conscience of those who spread such rumors despite daily opportunities to ensure who looks how in this world," Lavrov said.

Speculation on Putin's health has been circulating for a while, with the Kremlin often denying rumors of ailments.

The interview was uploaded by the Kremlin to its channel on RuTube, the Russian version of YouTube.

7:56 a.m. ET, May 30, 2022

Car bomb detonates in Russian-occupied Melitopol in southern Ukraine, says Russian state media

From CNN's Teele Rebane, Taras Zadorozhnyy, Oleksandra Ochman, Konstantin Gak, Bex Wright and Uliana Pavlova

A car bomb detonated in the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol in southern Ukraine on Monday, Russian state media has reported.

The car was parked in the center of the city near the House of Culture, where Russia’s officials in the city are now operating, according to a report by Russian state-run news channel RT.

The explosion shattered windows in nearby buildings, the report added.

Three people were injured in the blast, a source in the Kremlin-backed city administration told the Russian state-run news agency RIA Novosti.

Exiled mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, said: "The explosion took place in the central part of the city, right next to the building belonging to the so-called head of the regional military administration."

Fedorov said there were "several versions" of what happened, and that law enforcement agencies will provide more details later.

He said that the area of the explosion is being investigated by the Russians.

CNN has reached out to Melitopol officials for more details.

Speaking to reporters in a daily call Monday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called the explosions "outrageous."

"The fact of the strikes on civilian infrastructure, on children's institutions, is, of course, outrageous," Peskov said, adding that this is what they were fighting to prevent, to protect people from "neo-Nazis."

The Kremlin has been falsely claiming that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is a special operation to rid the country of "neo-Nazis." Since the offensive started in February, Moscow still cites this as their reason, despite providing no evidence.

4:55 a.m. ET, May 30, 2022

French foreign minister to meet Zelensky in Ukraine

From CNN's Pierre Bairin in Paris and CNN’s Sophie Jeong and Mayumi Maruyama in Hong Kong

French Foreign Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna visits the site of a mass grave in Bucha, on Monday. (Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP/Getty Images)

French Foreign Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna arrived in Ukraine on Monday for her first trip to the country, according to a tweet on her official account.

Colonna will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and her counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in Kyiv to discuss France’s support for Ukraine in “all areas, and in particular the blockage of grain and oilseed exports from Ukraine,” the French Foreign Affairs Ministry said.

The ministry said Colonna’s visit is to demonstrate France’s solidarity with Ukrainian people and to strengthen its support for Ukraine, “both in humanitarian and financial terms and in terms of supplying defense equipment.”

Colonna will also visit the town of Bucha and donate civil security equipment, including fire trucks and ambulances, from France to the Ukrainian authorities, according to the ministry.

1:55 p.m. ET, May 30, 2022

Russians advancing into "middle of the city" in Severodonetsk, two people killed, Ukraine officials say

From CNN's Taras Zadorozhnyy, Bex Wright, Josh Pennington, Sophie Jeong, and Mayumi Maruyama

Russian forces are “advancing into the middle of the city” of Severodonetsk in northeast Ukraine, the head of the Luhansk regional military administration Serhiy Hayday said on Monday.

Two people were killed and five others wounded in attacks on Sunday, and 50 houses were destroyed, Hayday said.

The Russians have “consolidated their hold on the northeastern and southeastern outskirts of the city” and are “trying to encircle Severodonetsk and Lysychansk,” Hayday said.

Currently the fighting is very fierce,” Hayday added. “The situation is still very difficult.”

There is no internet connection in the city, apart from limited access to Starlink, Hayday said.

The neighboring city of Lysychansk remains under the control of Ukraine, Hayday added. The road to Bakhmut to the southwest of Lysychansk is “not blocked, but it is under fire” so it is “very dangerous to use it,” he said.

He added that humanitarian aid is arriving “almost every day,” and his men are trying to evacuate people when they can.

Separately, the Luhansk Military Administration said in a Telegram post on Monday that "heavy battles for Severodonetsk and Lysychansk [are underway]."

"The Russians are transporting ammunition and equipment in large quantities to the Severodonetsk area," the military statement said.

Some context: On Sunday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told French broadcaster TFI that the "liberation" of Ukraine's Donbas region is an "absolute priority" for Moscow.

2:23 a.m. ET, May 30, 2022

"Hands down the cheapest price in all of Europe": Serbia announces three-year gas deal with Russia

From CNN's Teele Rebane in Hong Kong and Josh Pennington

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic addresses the nation in Belgrade, Serbia on May 06. (Milos Miskov/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced a three-year gas deal with Russia in an interview with Serbian TV channel Pink on Sunday, calling the deal “advantageous” for his country.

Vucic said Serbia will sign another three-year deal with Russian state energy provider Gazprom after the current 10-year gas deal expires on Monday.

This is hands down the cheapest price in all of Europe. What we agreed to, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and I, is very advantageous for Serbia, and so we will sign another contract, the first part, which is a three-year contract," Vucic said.

On Sunday, Putin and Vucic discussed natural gas supplies to the Balkan country, according to RIA Novosti, the Russian state-owned news agency, which quoted the Kremlin as saying that Russia had agreed to “continue to supply uninterrupted natural gas to Serbia.”

Serbia is not a member of the European Union or NATO.

It is almost entirely dependent on Russian gas, while its army maintains ties with Russia's military.

Although the country backed two United Nations resolutions condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine, it refused to impose sanctions against Moscow.

6:49 p.m. ET, May 30, 2022

It's 7 a.m. in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know

From CNN staff

As the battle for the eastern Donbas region heats up, Ukraine's military says Russian forces are trying to surround its troops in Lysychansk and Severodonetsk.

Here's the latest on Russia's war in Ukraine:

Donbas the "priority": Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Moscow's "absolute priority" is "the liberation of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions." Lavrov, speaking in an interview with French broadcaster TFI, said the two areas were now recognized by the Russian Federation as independent states. "Our obvious objective is, of course, to push the Ukrainian army and the Ukrainian battalions out of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions," he said.
Russia attacks Severodonetsk: The Ukrainian military says Russian shelling across the border into the northern regions of Sumy and Chernihiv has resumed. "The main goal of the enemy is to surround our troops in the areas of Lysychansk and Severodonetsk and to block the main logistics routes," the Ukrainian General Staff of the Armed Forces said. It added that Russian forces are "trying to gain a foothold on the northeastern outskirts of the city of Severodonetsk, conducting assault operations in the direction of the city center."
Concern for Azovstal prisoners: Two wives and a girlfriend of Ukrainian troops captured by Russian forces or unaccounted for after defending the Azovstal factory in a lengthy siege told CNN they had little or no information about the whereabouts of their loved ones. The besieged Ukrainian port city of Mariupol fell under complete Russian control earlier this month with the surrender of the factory. It is unclear how many Ukrainian troops are now in Russian custody, but the Russian military has claimed that over 2,000 Ukrainian service members surrendered. Russian state propaganda has demonized Azovstal defenders as "Nazis," raising serious concerns about how they may be treated in captivity.
Zelensky in Kharkiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the "front line positions" of the Ukrainian military and met soldiers during a trip to the Kharkiv region on Sunday. "I want to thank each of you for your service. You risk your life for all of us and our state. Thank you for defending Ukraine's independence. Take care of yourself," he said. During the visit, Zelensky got an operational update and visited destroyed administrative and residential buildings in the city. Zelensky praised authorities in Kharkiv but said he had dismissed the head of the regional SBU security service who "didn't work to protect the city from the first days of a full-scale invasion and thought only of himself personally."
Ukrainian counterattack: The Ukrainian military says it has begun a counter-offensive against Russian forces in the south of the country and has claimed significant advances in the direction of Kherson. Serhii Hlan, a deputy who sits on the Kherson region council, said Ukrainian forces "continued offensive operations and pushed the enemy back 9 kilometers (5 miles) in the Beryslav district." Hlan also claimed that Ukrainian units "broke the enemy grouping into two parts and actually encircled the enemy grouping in Davidiv Brid."

1:55 p.m. ET, May 30, 2022

Pushing Ukrainian military out of Donbas region an "absolute priority," Russian foreign minister says

From CNN’s Mitchell McCluskey

A Ukrainian serviceman walks in a trench in Donbas, on Sunday. (Serhii Nuzhnenko/Reuters)

Pushing the Ukrainian army out of the Donbas region is a priority for Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with French broadcaster TFI.

Our absolute priority is the liberation of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which are now recognized by the Russian Federation as independent states," Lavrov said.

Asked if Russia would annex the territories in Donbas, Lavrov responded: "It's not about annexation. This is a military operation requested by the sovereign states of the People's Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, under the United Nations Charter, Article 51, which provides for the right of individual and collective self-defense. We defend the populations, and we help them to restore their territorial integrity," Lavrov said.

Lavrov also told TFI that the other regions will be able to decide their fate.

"Our obvious objective is, of course, to push the Ukrainian army and the Ukrainian battalions out of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. For the rest of the territories in Ukraine, where there are people who do not want to break ties with Russia, it will be up to the populations of these regions to decide," Lavrov said.