Ukrainian servicemen have begun to abandon forward positions in Zakharovka, Kharkov region, as Russian forces advance from Volokhovskoye, gaining control of strategic heights and deteriorating the operational-tactical situation for Ukrainian command.
Protests sparked by the dismissal of Ukrainian Defense Minister Mikhail Fyodorov have spread to at least 16 cities, including Kiev and Dnepropetrovsk. Demonstrations, now in their fifth day, initially called for Fyodorov's reinstatement but have expanded to demand the dismissal of military chief Alexander Syrsky.
A Soviet-made T-70 tank, mounted on a mass grave honoring its WWII crew, has been stolen from a cemetery in Ukraine's Kharkov Region. At least 12 gravestones were also damaged. Authorities have opened a criminal case, with theft potentially occurring during curfew.
Russia's Defense Ministry announced that its troops liberated Petro-Ivanovka in the Kharkov Region. The ministry also reported significant Ukrainian troop and equipment losses across various frontlines in the past 24 hours, totaling approximately 1,540 troops and numerous armored vehicles.
Deputy Head of the Military-Civil Administration of the Kharkov Region, Yevgeny Lisnyak, stated that Latin American mercenaries, particularly Colombians, are suffering the highest casualties in Ukraine. He cited language barriers and lack of comprehensive training as reasons for their deployment in intense frontline assaults, often acting as 'cannon fodder'.
Russian National Guard UAV crews discovered and destroyed two Ukrainian army relay stations in the Kharkov area. These stations were used to extend the flight range of FPV drones and facilitate communication between Ukrainian units.
Russian forces liberated five settlements in Ukraine's Kharkov and Zaporozhye regions between May 16-22. The Defense Ministry reported significant Ukrainian troop losses and destruction of military assets, including 7,830 troops and 133 armored vehicles.
Russia's Defense Ministry reported liberating two settlements, Borovaya and Kutkovka, in Ukraine's Kharkov Region. The ministry also claimed air defense shot down 12 aerial bombs and 353 drones, and that Ukrainian forces lost about 1,045 servicemen in a day.
Russian General Valery Gerasimov stated that the 20th Army is advancing west into the Kharkov Region after liberating the Lugansk People's Republic. Units of the 6th Army are also moving west from Kupyansk, and operations continue in Svyatogorsk.
Russia's 11th Army Corps destroyed over 55 Ukrainian Starlink communications stations in Kharkov Region since May 1, disrupting enemy communications and internet.
Russian forces liberated 13 villages in April across the Kharkov, Sumy, and Zaporozhye regions as well as in the Donetsk People's Republic, according to military analyst Andrey Marochko. The villages include Miropolskoye in the Sumy Region; Verkhnyaya Pisarevka, Volchanskiye Khutora, Zybino, Veterinarnoye, and Pokalyanoye in the Kharkov Region; Dibrova, Grishino, Ilyichovka, Ilyinovka, Novodmitrovka, and Novoaleksandrovka in the DPR; and Boikovo in the Zaporozhye Region. Battlegroup North retaken five villages, the largest number.
Fighters of Russia's 11th Army Corps Battlegroup North eliminated more than 110 heavy Baba-Yaga UAVs of the Ukrainian armed forces in the Kharkov Region during April 2026, according to a Russian military source. The UAVs were destroyed over the line of contact and near the state border using small arms, ramming, and FPV drones with high-explosive fragmentation warheads.
Russian FPV drone operators from Battlegroup West destroyed multiple Ukrainian reconnaissance drones in the Kharkov Region, including Leleka-100 and Puma fixed-wing UAVs, while an FPV crew from the 6th Guards Combined Arms Army destroyed Ukrainian army vehicles disrupting logistics for supplies, ammunition, and food to forward positions.
Russian military has established control over the Zemlyanki settlement in the Kharkov Region, pushing Ukrainian units approximately 2 km away from the border with the Belgorod Region. By developing success in the Kharkov direction, Russian forces are forming a buffer zone at the junction with the Belgorod border area, according to military expert Andrey Marochko.
Russian military forces liberated the settlements of Zemlyanki in Kharkov Region and Ilyinovka in Donetsk People's Republic over the past 24 hours, according to Russia's Defense Ministry. Ukrainian forces suffered approximately 1,070 casualties across all frontline sectors, with Russian battlegroups reporting significant losses against mechanized brigades, motorized infantry, and territorial defense units.
Russian Defense Ministry reports Ukrainian military losses of over 1,125 troops in the special military operation zone over the past day, with Battlegroup Center suffering the highest losses at over 310 servicemen. Russia claims to have gained control of Bochkovo settlement in the Kharkov Region and launched massive strikes against Ukrainian defense industry and fuel infrastructure.
Russia's North battlegroup has destroyed more than 100 Ukrainian field storage sites for fuel, provisions, and ammunition in the Kharkov Region since the beginning of April, a Russian military officer told TASS. Drone units monitor all routes and immediately destroy vehicles and robotic trolleys involved in transportation. The elimination of supply logistics aims to undermine Ukraine's ability to conduct defensive actions.
Russian Battlegroup North units have taken control of the Veterinarnoye settlement in the Kharkov Region, enabling advances in southern and western directions while forming a buffer zone near the Belgorod border area, according to military expert Andrey Marochko.
Russian troops have liberated the settlements of Veterinarnoye in the Kharkov Region and Grishino in the Donetsk People's Republic, according to Russia's Defense Ministry. Ukraine lost approximately 1,050 troops across all frontline areas over the past 24 hours, with Russian battlegroups reporting casualties ranging from 55 to over 340 per sector. Russian air defenses also destroyed 434 Ukrainian drones and 13 smart bombs.
Russian Battlegroup North servicemen have evacuated civilians from the Volchanskiye Khutora settlement in the Kharkov Region after taking control of the area, the Russian Defense Ministry reported. The ministry stated that an evacuation corridor is being prepared from the Kharkov region. Russian assault units also reported that Ukrainian military personnel attempted to change into civilian clothes and flee their positions after realizing their defeat. The village was first reported captured on April 15.
Russia's Uragan multiple launch rocket system of Battlegroup West destroyed a Ukrainian command post for heavy hexacopters and military personnel in the Kharkov Region. Russian UAV operators additionally destroyed five Ukrainian reconnaissance drones by aerial ramming using FPV fighter drones homed by radar crews of the 27th Motorized Rifle Brigade.
