Minor damage to Patriot system, Supreme Court chief Knyazev's trial, extension of grain deal: highlights of the day

The trial of Knyazev

The High Anti-Corruption Court (HACCU) did not grant the motion of the lawyers of former Supreme Court Chief Justice Vsevolod Knyazev, who challenged his detention. The judge is suspected of taking a $2.7 million bribe.

A high-ranking source in government circles told hromadske that Knyazev, along with other judges, could have taken a bribe for a decision that could help Rinat Akhmetov "bury" the first episode of the Rotterdam+ coal import case worth almost UAH 19 billion ($514.6 million).

The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office has applied to the High Council of Justice for permission to keep Knyazev in custody.

SAPO prosecutor Oleksandr Omelchenko told hromadske that a little more than $1 million had not yet been found in the Supreme Court corruption case.

Minor damage to Patriot system

Air Force Command spokesman Yuriy Ihnat urged Ukrainians not to worry about the fate of the Patriot air defense system after reports of its damage. According to him, it is impossible to destroy the Patriot with a Kinzhal missile, as this air defense system is not located in one place.

Later, Patriot was inspected by US inspectors. According to their conclusions, there was only minor damage, and there was no need to take the system for repair. The system itself is still operational, and the Patriot's radar component, one of its most important elements, was not damaged.

Ukrainian Armed Forces progress near Bakhmut

On the Bakhmut axis, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have not lost nearly 20 square kilometers of territory in the suburbs of Bakhmut that they liberated in recent days and are moving forward, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said.

She noted that Ukrainian troops are making progress in some areas. In Bakhmut itself, fierce fighting continues, and the Russian occupiers are "making some progress."

Extension of "grain deal"

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that the Black Sea Grain corridor agreement has been extended for another two months.

Ukraine's Minister of Infrastructure, Oleksandr Kubrakov, confirmed that the grain deal has been unblocked and will continue to be in effect until July 18. Kubrakov said that Ukraine has already shipped 30.4 million tons of agricultural products globally.

Police seize Ukrainian singer's special pass

The police have confiscated a special pass from singer Viktor Pavlik, whose wife had previously boasted on social media that she could drive across the South Bridge and during curfews in Kyiv.

Later, the woman apologized for publishing the video and said that she had acted wrongly. Pavlik himself also said he was sorry for what happened.

China's special envoy arrives in Ukraine

Chinese Special Envoy Li Hui arrived in Ukraine on May 16 for two days of talks with the authorities as part of a European tour to promote Beijing's plan to resolve the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has already met with the Chinese special envoy. He emphasized that Ukraine "does not accept any proposals that would involve the loss of its territories or freezing the conflict." Li Hui is also expected to be received by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Other news

• Russian shelling kills a child and two other people in Kherson Oblast;
• French Senate recognizes the Holodomor as genocide of the Ukrainian people;
• France is considering supplying Ukraine with long-range Scalp missiles. But it does not plan to send them yet;
• a 6-year-old girl whose parents were defending Mariupol and were taken prisoner was returned from Russia;
• a drunken man broke into the house of Joe Biden's adviser, bypassing security. The United States is investigating how this could have happened;
• The SBU exposed six bloggers who distributed videos of air defense in Kyiv. They face up to eight years in prison;
• a declaration on the creation of a Register of Damage Caused by Russian Aggression, which is necessary for compensation, has been signed in Iceland.