WAR IN UKRAINE: May 27, 2022
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: Day 93
Russian-backed forces have taken control of the city of Lyman in the eastern Donetsk region, Ukrainian officials say. The Ukrainian governor of the Donetsk region, Pavlo Kyrylenko, claims Lyman was "mainly controlled by Russian troops.” Control of Severodonetsk and neighbouring Lysychansk is also the focus of Russian forces as they fight to seize further territory in Donbas - BBC
Russia says it expects Ukraine to accept its demands, including claims on occupied territories. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on May 26 that the Russian-occupied territories are not territorial concessions. Ukraine has repeatedly stated that it will not give up any of its territories - Kyiv Independent
Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians went through a series of Russian "filtration camps" in eastern Ukraine and were sent to Russia as part of a systematic forced relocation program. According to four sources familiar with the latest data from Western intelligence, this estimate is much higher than publicly disclosed by US officials, CNN reports. After being detained in Russian-run camps, many Ukrainians are forcibly relocated to economically depressed areas of Russia, in some cases thousands of kilometers from their homes, and are often left without funds to return, sources said.
Washington has held discussions with Kyiv about the danger of escalation if it strikes deep inside Russia, U.S. and diplomatic officials tell Reuters. The behind-the-scenes discussions, which are highly sensitive and have not been previously reported, do not put explicit geographic restrictions on the use of weapons supplied to Ukrainian forces. But the conversations have sought to reach a shared understanding of the risk of escalation, three U.S. officials and diplomatic sources said.
There is enough evidence to conclude that Russia is inciting genocide in Ukraine and committing atrocities intended to destroy the Ukrainian people, according to the first independent report into allegations of genocide committed by Russian troops in Ukraine. More than 30 leading legal scholars and genocide experts have signed the report accusing the Russian state of violating several articles of the United Nations Genocide Convention, CNN reports.
The Kremlin has rejected claims that Russia has blocked grain exports from Ukraine, blaming the west for creating such a situation by imposing sanctions on Russia. The UK’s foreign minister, Liz Truss, accused Vladimir Putin of “weaponising” hunger through Russia’s blockade of Ukrainian grain exports. A senior Turkish official said Ankara was in “ongoing” talks with Russia and Ukraine to open a corridor via the Bosphorus.