Ukraine war: Record Russian missile attacks, Ukrainian gains, Putin accuses UK
Where things stand
Updated May 15, 02:40 PMRussia’s war in Ukraine remains deadlocked, with Russian forces occupying roughly 20 percent of Ukraine and advances slowing to just 244 sq km in December 2025. Aerial warfare has intensified: Russia carried out a rare daytime drone attack that killed four in Cherkasy, while Ukraine continues to target Russian oil infrastructure systematically. One of the largest barrages since February 2022 struck Kyiv, involving over 800 drones and missiles. A US-backed peace plan, which could see Ukraine cede occupied territories, remains stalled after Russia refused amended terms. Total civilian casualties have surpassed 56,000, including nearly 15,000 killed, according to the UN.
Open questions
- Will the US-backed peace plan be revived or replaced by a new diplomatic initiative?
- How effective is Ukraine's long-range drone campaign in reducing Russian oil export revenues?
- Is Belarus preparing to deepen its military involvement alongside Russia?
- What measures are being taken to shield civilians from the escalating drone and missile exchanges?
- What is the current volume and pace of Western military aid deliveries to Ukraine?
- Will Ukraine launch a counteroffensive to reclaim territory in 2026?
- Can Russia sustain its high casualty rate while maintaining ground operations?
Key actors
What's corroborated
Russian forces gained 1,910.39 square kilometers of territory in Ukraine in May, June, July, and August 2025.
115 sourcesacross 27 articlesRussia carried out a rare daytime drone attack on Ukraine, killing four people in the Cherkasy region and damaging energy infrastructure and industrial facilities in the west.
89 sourcesacross 16 articlesSome 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
58 sourcesacross 10 articlesVladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022 after years of tension, amassing troops and making demands rejected by the West, with stated reasons including false claims of genocide against Russian speakers.
57 sourcesacross 10 articlesRussian commercial vessels can be co-opted by the military for any purpose, as declared by the Russian government in summer 2022.
57 sourcesacross 11 articles
Timeline50
Ukraine launched a drone attack against Russia, killing three people.
2026-05-16: Ukraine launched extensive overnight attacks on Russian infrastructure and energy facilities.
Sweden has treated 306 Ukrainian patients since the invasion, according to Sveriges Radio.
Finland and Latvia issued drone warnings amid heightened tensions related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
2026-05-15: Zelenskyy warns Russia is attempting to involve Belarus more deeply, planning an offensive towards Chernihiv and Kyiv.
2026-05-15: 36 countries sign resolution to establish a special tribunal in The Hague to prosecute Vladimir Putin for aggression against Ukraine.
2026-05-15: Zelenskyy warns Russia is attempting to involve Belarus more deeply, planning an offensive towards Chernihiv and Kyiv.
2026-05-15: 36 countries sign resolution to establish a special tribunal in The Hague to prosecute Vladimir Putin for aggression against Ukraine.
2026-05-15: Ukraine launched a large-scale drone attack on Russian regions, including the Ryazan oil refinery, after three days of Russian strikes killed 24 in Kyiv.
2026-05-15: Ukrainian drone attack on Belgorod residential building kills 1, injures 3.
Putin plans to visit China, according to spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Palantir CEO Alex Karp visited Ukraine for the second time since the invasion, crossing the border on foot and traveling to Kyiv in a convoy escorted by guerrilla fighters.
Russia escalates disinformation campaign with AI-generated videos and false hantavirus outbreak claims amid battlefield setbacks.
Hungary summoned Russia's ambassador after Russian drone attacks near the border in western Ukraine.
Russian authorities reported shooting down 286 Ukrainian drones overnight, with debris causing a fire at an industrial facility in Krasnodar.
2026-05-13: Poland scrambled fighter jets as a preventive measure due to Russian air attacks on Ukraine.
Ukrainian special forces deploy F-7 drones to intercept Russian attack drones in southern Ukraine, highlighting rapid drone warfare advancements.
Ukrainian Azov Brigade employs innovative drone interception methods, including nets and shotgun-like devices, in Donetsk region.
Kremlin reportedly developing plan to sell potential war end as victory despite unmet goals.
2026-05-12: Russia successfully tested the RS-28 Sarmat ICBM, with deployment expected by end of 2026.
2026-05-12: Kremlin announces resumption of attacks after three-day ceasefire collapses.
2026-05-12: Zelensky says Ukraine willing to reduce long-range attacks if Russia avoids mass attacks, statement made before ceasefire collapse.
Ukraine has built hundreds of secret factories to mass-produce attack drones, used daily for strikes inside Russia.
2026-05-11: Putin claimed war is 'coming to an end'; ISW assessed Russia remains committed to maximalist goals and unwilling to negotiate.
Ukrainian drone unit Lasar-gruppen discovered and attacked a hidden Russian storage area.
2026-05-11: EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says Putin is weaker than ever, citing slow advances and domestic discontent; new data suggests it would take Russia over 30 years to capture Donbas at current pace.
2026-05-11: EU imposes new sanctions on Russia over Ukraine invasion.
Thousands of Colombian volunteers, estimated between 3,000 and 7,000, have fought in Ukraine since 2022, with one fighter describing his experiences.
2026-05-10: Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of violating a three-day ceasefire; Ukraine reports nearly 150 battlefield clashes, Russia claims Ukrainian drone and artillery attacks.
2026-05-10: Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of violating a three-day ceasefire; 51 Russian attacks reported, Ukrainian strikes in Belgorod kill two, injure six.
2026-05-08: Russia and Ukraine agree to a temporary ceasefire, per NRK Urix.
The Dossier Center reports that a presentation was held for the inner circle of Sergei Kiriyenko, deputy head of the Russian presidential administration, outlining how a compromise solution to the war in Ukraine could be marketed as a victo
2026-05-08: Ukrainian forces, including Azov unit, struck Russian logistics near Mariupol with Hornet drones up to 104 km behind front lines.
2026-05-08: Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of violating Victory Day ceasefires, with both sides reporting hundreds of strikes.
Ukraine resumes oil pumping through the damaged Druzhba pipeline, per Ukrainian source.
2026-05-07: Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds resigned after two drones, likely Ukrainian, crossed into Latvia and crashed.
2026-05-07: Ukrainian attack on Bryansk injures 13; Moscow downs three drones.
Russia appears to reject Ukraine's ceasefire proposal, shelling Sumy preschool shortly after truce was to begin.
Russia demands return of two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukraine in Kursk, per Ukrainian official.
2026-05-06: UK's most senior army officer, Field Marshal Lord Richards, warns Ukraine cannot win without NATO forces joining the fight, saying Western allies gave Ukraine false hope.
2026-05-06: Deadly airstrike hits Kramatorsk while emergency crews battle fires.
2026-05-05: Russian shelling kills nine in Zaporizhzhia.