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

Business Friday, May 20. Russia’s War On Ukraine: News And Information From Ukraine Katya Soldak Forbes Staff May 20, 2022, 06:30pm EDT | Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Ukrainian soldiers unload a destroyed Russian tank to install it as a symbol of war in central Kyiv, … [+] Ukraine, Friday, May 20, 2022. St. Michael cathedral is visible in the background. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) ASSOCIATED PRESS Dispatches from Ukraine, provided by Forbes Ukraine’s editorial team. As Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues and the war rages on, reliable sources of information are critical. Forbes Ukraine’s reporters gather information and provide updates on the situation. Friday, May 20. Day 86. By Daryna Antoniuk Mariupol. Russia has taken control of Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol. Civilians and heavily wounded Ukrainian soldiers have been evacuated from the plant, according to the commander of Ukraine’s Azov regiment, Denys Prokopenko. Severodonetsk . Russian forces fired on a school in Severodonetsk in eastern Ukraine’s Luhansk region, where more than 200 people, including children, were sheltering when the attack took place. Three adults were killed as a result of the attack. Russia continues to step up its offensive in Severodonetsk to encircle the Ukrainian army in the area. Up to 15,000 people remain in bomb shelters; 70% of high-rise buildings are destroyed or damaged, according to Serhiy Gaidai, the governor of Luhansk. MORE FOR YOU Pfizer Tests Pill That Could Prevent Covid Infection Liz Cheney Needles Trump For Bashing Bush: ‘I Like Republican Presidents Who Win Re-Election’ Covid Pandemic Slashes Life Expectancy — Here’s Where It Fell The Most “They’re just shelling the cities in the Luhansk region for the sake of shelling, and of inflicting fear and more pain and tragedy among the population,” said Ukrainian MP Lesia Vasylenko. Kharkiv. Russian missile attack on the town of Lozova in the Kharkiv region injured at least seven people, including a child. Russians have targeted “the newly-renovated House of Culture” in Lozova, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a statement. Zaporizhzhia . Ukraine has dismissed Russia’s claim it could connect a Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia to the Russian electricity grid as there is no infrastructure to do so. Zaporizhzhia’s nuclear power plant is the largest in Europe. It is currently occupied by Russian forces but Ukrainian staff are still operating it. Odesa . A Russian missile hit Odesa Oblast, destroying a beach toilet. No casualties were reported. Poltava . Russians attacked Poltava Oblast on Friday, hitting an infrastructure facility with a missile. The casualties figures are still being clarified. Zhytomyr . Two explosions were reported in Zhytomyr Oblast on the morning of May 20. No casualties have yet been reported. Ukraine’s first war crimes trial. A 21-year-old Russian tank commander, Vadim Shysimarin, who pleaded guilty earlier this week to shooting dead an unarmed 62-year-old Ukrainian civilian, said he will accept any punishment from the court. Russia wants to amend its laws to allow people over age 40 and foreigners over 30 to sign up for military service . As of today, only Russians aged 18-40 and foreigners aged 18-30 can join the military. Ukraine’s National Bank will lift restrictions on the exchange rate at which banks sell foreign currency on May 21 . Previously this rate could not deviate from the official rate by more than 10%. The bank also temporarily limited monthly cash withdrawals abroad from hryvnia accounts from $3,418 to $1,710. Canada has announced additional sanctions on Russian oligarchs as well as a ban on the import and export of luxury goods from and to Russia. New sanctions target Russian oligarchs, their family members, as well as close associates of Russian president Vladimir Putin. The import and export ban would target alcoholic beverages, seafood, non-industrial diamonds, footwear, luxury clothing and jewellery. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has topped the 2022 readers’ poll of the “most influential” people in TIME magazine . Nearly 3.3 million people cast their votes, with 5% of voters naming President Zelensky as the key public figure of 2022. Send me a secure tip . Katya Soldak Editorial Standards Print Reprints & Permissions