Ukrainian F-16 training and Zelenskyy’s visit to Saudi Arabia: highlights of May 19

Zelenskyy's visit to Saudi Arabia

On May 19, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Saudi Arabia for the first time during his term in office. He spoke at the Arab League summit.

Zelenskyy noted that the priorities of the visit included the return of all political prisoners of Crimea and the temporarily occupied territories, the return of all prisoners and illegally deported persons, the presentation of the Ukrainian “peace formula”, and the guarantee of energy security next winter.

Another priority for Zelenskyy was the protection of Ukraine's Muslim community. That is why Mustafa Jemilev, the leader of the Crimean Tatar people, traveled to Saudi Arabia with him.

During his visit to Saudi Arabia, Zelenskyy met with the head of the Iraqi government, and delegations from the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Kuwait. He also met with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.

Biden supports training Ukrainians with F-16s

U.S. President Joe Biden has approved plans to train Ukrainian pilots on U.S. F-16 fighter jets, CNN and AP report, citing knowledgeable sources.

It is expected that the training will take place not in the United States, but probably in Europe. However, U.S. personnel, allies, and European partners will participate in the exercise. The training may take several months.

Zelenskyy will meet with Biden

The head of the Presidential Administration, Andriy Yermak, said that after Saudi Arabia, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is heading to Japan to personally attend the G7 summit in the Japanese city of Hiroshima.

There, Zelenskyy will meet with U.S. President Joe Biden. The leaders will discuss in detail the training of the Ukrainian military on F-16 fighter jets, which the US president has authorized, as well as “many other issues”.

Deaths of power engineers in Sumy Oblast

Around noon on May 19, three civilians were killed in the Yunakivka community of Sumy Oblast as a result of shelling.

The Ministry of Energy reported that three employees of Sumyoblenergo were killed while inspecting the Yunakivka-Velyka Rybytsia power line. Later, the power company reported preliminary data that the workers were killed by a drone attack. Experts were looking for the place where the line was damaged.

The Sumy Regional Prosecutor's Office opened a criminal case over the shelling of a Sumyoblenergo vehicle on a field road. The driver and two electricians were killed.

Situation at the frontline

Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Hanna Maliar said that very fierce fighting continues in the Bakhmut sector. The occupiers have increased the presence of their troops by several thousand people and are trying to use their advantage in heavy artillery and the number of shells.

The occupiers have connected Dzharylhach island with the occupied mainland of Kherson Oblast near the village of Lazurne, filling the crossing to the island with sand, the General Staff reported.

“This was done to more intensively use the protected area of the national park for military purposes. In particular, the occupiers have set up a military training ground on the island,” the report says.

Other news

• DTEK's thermal power plant stopped producing electricity due to Russian shelling.
• Ukraine convicts the captured Wagner and Storm scouts who attacked Bakhmut.
• In Kharkiv Oblast, a teenager was transporting explosives on his bicycle, which detonated. He was killed.
• Erdogan accuses his rival Kılıçdaroğlu of seeking to “tear” Turkey away from Russia.
• Australia announces new sanctions against Russia. The list includes banks, subsidiaries of Rosatom, and defense companies.
• Another Ukrainian child is returned home from Russia.
• The UK imposed sanctions on 86 people and companies associated with Rosatom and the theft of grain from Ukraine.